This is the story of an art piece that started as an old window and a simple idea and became a finished piece all ready for the art auction. Early this summer, while I was up at our family cabin at Hume Lake, after admiring the new windows that my dad had had installed, I wondered what happened to the old windows. It would be unlike my dad to throw anything away that had a remote chance of being reuse, repurposed, or recycled, so I had a feeling they would be lying around somewhere. Sure enough there was a tall stack of rectangular windows with the hardware stripped, ready for my artistic ideas.

Here's what the original window looked like. The glass itself is about 30" X 8". These are the original windows from the 40's that were installed when the cabin was new. My dad generously allowed me to nab a few of these windows, knowing that the wheels were spinning... After some research on the internet about re-purposing windows, I came up with a plan.

Here is my sketch superimposed on the photo of the window. My idea was to write the scripture verse, Col 3.15a in calligraphy - etching the glass and then continuing the design on the window sashing with acrylic paint.

The next step was to find someone who could etch the glass for me. I was fortunate enough to get the number of Donna, an artist who is professional glass etcher specializing in sandblast etching. She gave me some great advice as to how to get the window ready.

I then traced my design in illustrator so that I could send the vector image to the sign shop. They created a laser-cut vinyl of the image. This was like a huge orange sticker that would serve as the resist for the glass etching. The vinyl was printed in reverse so that the resist would stick onto the back side of the window and the etching would be on the reverse side of the glass. It looks nicer that way from the front.

I then "weeded" the vinyl by removing all of the letters, showing the white paper behind them. Donna transferred the vinyl to the surface of the window and I covered all the sashing in blue tape to protect it from the sand-blasting. Next stop - sand blasting! Donna is an amazing artist and such a nice lady! When she learned that I am donating this piece to an auction, she was happy to do the sand-blasting for me without a fee.

Here's the window back from Donna's. I removed all of the vinyl and then I was ready to paint the sashing. I had saved the border that had been cut in vinyl and so I used that as a stencil to paint the sashing. Unfortunately, because it was reverse-cut for the glass, I had to "un-sticky" the sticky side with some baby powder and then glue the un-sticky side down to the wood with spray adhesive. (There should have been a better way to do this...) Then I painted with shades of white, cream and gray all of the words and scrolls onto the wood and added a chain to hang it.

And here is the finished piece. I sealed it with poly. on both sides so that it can be displayed inside or outside. It is hanging on display in the foyer of the worship center of The Bridge Bible Fellowship and it will be auctioned off on Saturday at the 2010 Shepherding the Nations Art Auction and Fund-raising Banquet. I'm excited to see the reactions. There is still a pile of windows at the cabin and Donna and I have some ideas about trading work... so there will be more windows in the series.