A glass artist for more than 17 years, Nancy works primarily in stained and kiln-formed glass.  Her leaded stained glass windows, lamps and skylights are in homes and offices in the Olympic Peninsula, Seattle and Alaska. 

Her kiln-formed jewelry and mosaic pieces are cut from glass varying in thickness from 1/16 to ¼ inches.  They are layered with various colors, including dicrohic colors.  These glass colors reflect one tint and transmit a second, resulting in unique color variations.  They are slowly fired to 1400F - 1500F.  To achieve depth of color and design, many are fired two to three times, with  long annealing (very slow cooling) times between each firing.  This ensures that the glass does not crack.  The glass pieces are then polished and used in making distinctive jewelry and decorative glass items.

The stained glass windows start out as a line drawing of the design, called a “cartoon”.  Stained glass is selected for each piece by viewing it on a light box.  With patterned glass this helps in picking out the best part of the pattern for the piece.  Each piece of glass is cut and placed on the pattern. 

Lead came (an old English word for the lead strips used in glass windows) is wrapped around each piece. The came is first stretched so that it will not become loose in years to come.  The lead is soldered and put in a frame.  It is puttied to give more stability.  Larger pieces require incorporating metal support across the face of the window.  A final polish with whiting and it is ready to hang.

Nancy fabricates smaller stained glass panels and 3D pieces such as jewelry boxes and lamps using the copper foil technique developed by Tiffany and his contemporaries at the end of the Victorian era.  This technique is used for detailed objects with many small pieces.

Commissions are welcomed for custom designed stained glass windows, and for repairs and restorations.

Contact Nancy: rodys@olypen.com