Floral Transom

Zoeller ​Front Door Transom Window  -  66" x 12"  2005

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One of my first stained glass commissions was an exuberant floral transom. Like many budding artists, I was still working my day job (building and repairing windows for churches) but yearning to do something different and more expressive - something of my own design. Also like many budding artists, my first real commission was for a member of my family, in this case, my sister, Gwenn. When she said she was interested in having a piece of my work over her front door, I jumped at the opportunity. I would pull out all the stops and make a doozie of a window for her. I was going to pack every technique and skill I could into this exciting commission (a budding artist move if there ever was one).
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The directions were straightforward. Flowers and a letter Z for the family name. Taking a cue from traditional ornamental design, the Z would fill a central medallion from which the floral sprays would emerge. Gwenn is an avid gardener in the wooded outer suburbs, so I looked to her garden for inspiration. I came away with daylilies, roses, sunflowers, carnations, marigolds, iris, and more. Unlike the flowers in the yard, though, these stained glass blooms would never be threatened by hungry deer. Thistles, while not in the garden, were included as a nod to our Scottish heritage. A butterfly and grasshopper were obvious insect additions that would allow me to employ some of my newfound painting skills. The bee I proposed was nixed, though, because of an allergy in the family! Custom design in action.

I did get to use a great variety of skills and techniques in the making of the window. The irises and roses have color etched away in places. Silver staining, a process that stains the glass yellow, is used to accent the centers and petals of some flowers. Subtle enamels color the foxglove and insects. Design-wise, I tried to create a lively and complex composition. The background glass creeps into the flowers in some places, and in others, the flowers and leaves are painted directly onto the yellow field. A broad variety of greens for the foliage and many different yellow tones for the background make the piece dynamic instead of flat.

Looking back on this window, now 13 years later, I see ambition. There are, of course, things that I would probably approach differently today, but it’s mostly tweaks to my painting, which has improved a lot. Gwenn still loves the window, and its flowers are still bright as the day it was installed. After all this time, the qualities of this window that I think still ring true in my work are an appreciation for traditional ornamentation, a dynamic and joyful use of color, superb craftsmanship, and always, beauty for the sake of beauty.

Photos by Alice Merkel. Explore the 'Floral Transom' album.