The Craft Factor - Fall/Winter 2000
The Color of Light: Commissioning Stained Glass for a Church
a book by Sarah Hall
After many years of completing numerous commissions in public buildings and churches across North America, Sarah Hall shares the lessons of her trials and successes. As she says in her introduction, "The purpose of this book is to demystify the process of working with stained glass artists and to establish a format for the commissioning process." This she does by conveying what stained glass is, where it came from, and what it can be.
Hall illustrates and explains the various types of both handblown and machine-made glass, the steps in constructing stained glass windows, and such special techniques as sandblasting, acid etching, staining, and painting. She describes the thousand year history of stained glass, and how architectural styles, religious ideas, and political changes have affected it.
The Color of Light" includes a section on commissioning stained glass projects, with step-by-step guidelines and a list of questions and answers. Appendices cover maintaining stained glass, restoring it, a list of resources for restorations, and a glossary. With these, clients can feel more at ease and in control-something church building committees may appreciate - and artists can approach commissions with a more helpful and professional attitude. The book includes 85 colour illustrations.
