{Photograph} courtesy of Day Kennedy
In a ground-floor studio of Met Atlanta, a artistic workplace advanced within the West Finish, you’ll discover ATL Glassworks, a haven for stained glass makers and fanatics. The area is cheerily designed: Bubblegum-pink accents line the concrete partitions; a lime-green sofa anchors a sitting space whereas suncatchers adorn the home windows. Within the again, a workspace awaits artists seeking to make their very own creations or take a category.
Then there’s the glass: Hundreds of glass panels line bookshelves, inviting stained glass makers to peruse the choices. “Glass is magical,” says founder Day Kennedy as she lays a clean, blue-green glass sheet on an illuminated mild desk, revealing watercolor swirls. “There are such a lot of totally different colour mixtures and textures.” It’s no surprise that her clients come from so far as Alabama to buy glass and instruments or to select up a few of her artwork.
Kennedy based ATL Glassworks in 2021, after stumbling throughout stained glass–making accidentally just a few years earlier than. “I’ve all the time been a passion collector,” she says. “I’ve finished all the things, like watercolor and embroidery. Technically I understand how to knit,” she provides with amusing, “though I’ve by no means accomplished something.”
In 2017, Kennedy was watching YouTube movies to show herself to weld when the algorithm introduced her with one other tutorial—this one for making stained glass. “I purchased a horrible high quality starter package and began taking part in round with it,” she says. “I used to be hooked and instantly fell in love with it.” Kennedy labored in graphic design on the time however started a aspect enterprise promoting her suncatchers at markets round city.
{Photograph} courtesy of Day Kennedy
{Photograph} courtesy of Day Kennedy
Stained glass is an historical artwork kind that had its cultural heyday through the medieval interval, when cathedrals put in stained glass home windows depicting biblical scenes. Kennedy presents a contemporary twist on the artwork: Her first items have been birds, peaches, and artwork deco–impressed designs. Since then, her work has developed to incorporate geometric-meets-abstract creations and extra cheeky items, equivalent to butts (sure, human butts) in varied styles and sizes. However Kennedy says she’s most happy with her pet portraits. Not like an summary, the pet portraits require accuracy, as she makes an attempt to match the canine’s likeness utilizing glass.
Early artists used scorching irons to chop glass, however at the moment’s fashionable instruments simplify the method. Kennedy creates a sample utilizing a digital design program, then traces it onto the glass earlier than scoring it into separate items with a handheld, wheel-shaped cutter. “Then we wrap it in copper foil and solder all of it collectively,” she explains. “Choosing out glass for designs, I believe, is the toughest half—so many choices.”
{Photograph} courtesy of Day Kennedy
Kennedy affords courses a number of instances a month, throughout which the stained glass curious can dip their fingers into the craft. College students choose from a listing of design choices, like a cowboy boot or a flower. They then spend 4 hours studying in regards to the technique of stained glass making, which incorporates reducing glass, grinding the sides, after which soldering the entire piece collectively. “In the event you like the method, we promote all of the stuff to get you began, and you’ll arrange a house studio, or we do open studio time as properly,” says Kennedy.
Since Kennedy first started promoting her wares, she’s seen that extra individuals are fascinated about making their very own stained glass, and that purchaser enthusiasm for stained glass artwork is growing. “That’s one of many the explanation why I like having the store,” says Kennedy. “I wish to foster that group. I would like everybody to be in love with stained glass.”
This text seems in our January 2025 challenge.
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