stained glass windows, lamps and mosaic
about bessie joyce
The art and craft of stained glass was passed to me from my parents as I grew up in beautiful, rural southern Oregon. I’ve been designing and creating stained glass pieces since the 1990s and have inherited a booth at the Oregon Country Fair where I sell my juried art. I use the Tiffany style of stained glass – wrapping each piece in copper foil before soldering. This type of glass art product essentially calls in the magic of light to play with the finished semi-transparent piece.
In 2018 I discovered the joy of mosaic! This process primarily uses stained glass pieces bonded with grout, instead of soldering, and light reflects off the surface rather than through the glass. A wider variety of materials is used in my mosaics such as copper wire, found objects, stone, tile and wood. Mosaic offers a new feel to my work and creativity – grout lines play a larger role in the feel of each piece, with textures and varied materials giving a deeper sense of earthiness.
All of my work is deeply inspired by the natural world, organic lines and richness of color. I currently work out of a studio at my house in Oregon.
When I’m not busy cutting and grinding glass, you might find me running outdoor education programs for youth and managing collaborative grant projects. I wear many hats – literally, and metaphorically!
from our shop
about my process
I absolutely love working with glass to create both windows and mosaic works in my small studio. My creations reflect the beauty of the world I see both outside and inside of us all. Studio time, for me, is a mix of creative meditation and escape.
My finished pieces are a result of both plan and unpredicted opportunity. I begin any design with good old pencil, paper, and eraser. Once I get a sketch down to about 90%, I make a copy by tracing. I use one set for cutting out paper pattern pieces and the other for laying the glass on to. Each piece of glass is cut, and edges smoothed using a grinder – often revisiting the grinder several times on each individual piece of glass.
For Windows, I then wrap each piece in copper foil and crimp the edges. After carefully adjusting all the pieces (again and again), I apply flux and solder the seams. To finish a window, I usually cut and apply an edging of flexible lead or hard zinc. Hard wood frames can be installed and are a beautiful addition to any window.
For Mosaic, the design process often happens as I work through the piece – often less planned than a window. Each piece of material is glued to a backing of hardi-board, wood, or foam core. After the glue dries, I apply grout to all the seams, let cure and clean.
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