“One of my favorite techniques as a stained glass artist is acid etching of flashed glass. When Ann and Alan Perry were remodeling their home Ann wanted an art piece for her soon to be new bathroom. Ann is an accomplished artist in her own right and we studied with the same iconographers at the Prosopon School of Iconography. So I knew that she would be up for something lyrical and artistic. The window is located above the tub so I thought a water theme would be appropriate. Living in Mississippi we all dream of going to the gulf of Mexico with the beautiful turquoise water just off shore of white sandy beaches. This water and turquoise color became the central aesthetic theme I chose for the window . One can almost see porpoises gliding in the water outlined with lead work of varying thickness. Purple on clear and blue on clear flashed glass was used to create a water line curvature of the earth. We use molten wax to capture different values of color as we dip the glass multiple times in a bath of hydrofluoric acid solution. The mouth blown Lamberts glass in supper seedy clear suggests the froth of waves hitting the beach. Opal glasses of varying densities create privacy while turning the outside into an abstract painting of color and light.

When the upstairs became the next part of their home to be remodeled a north facing room would become a library for Alan. Because the window overlooks the front yard with trees I took my inspiration from inter-locking tree branches. Again I used lead cames of varying thickness to suggest three dimensionality. With the expanse of windows I wanted to bring the leaf shapes into the picture plane by using clear glass slumped over shallow patterns in our kilns. This glass takes on a kiln texture which obscures the view into the trees slightly. Some of the glass is more transparent mouth blown Lamberts glass. As a designer in stained glass I constantly work with the viewers sense of depth perception by varying the focal point of their eyesight. Some glass is transparent so you can see clearly out into the distance. Some glass is obscure and keeps your focus inward. It is the activity of seeing that engages the mind in a creative way. I used glass clear glass and earth tones in clear, tans and browns while the color of the window follows the changing seasons.” 

This narrative was submitted by Andrew Cary Young, designer of the stained glass windows, from Pearl River Glass Studio, Jackson, Mississippi. February 2025.