Stained glass artisans love imperfections…in glass! It’s those ripples, dimples, streaks, waves and bubbles which greatly contribute to the character of stained glass in contrast to perfectly flat glass which allows light to simply pass through it, unchanged. Imperfections are responsible for transforming transmitted light in a myriad of eye-pleasing ways. Ripples, dimples, streaks and waves create the impression of unique movement within a stained glass piece making it appear more like a  liquid art-form rather than a static one. In contrast, a certain uniqueness can be said of bubbles ( or “seeds”) in stained glass because these imperfections effectively “hold” the light of the passing day in a subtle attempt to make time stand still, perhaps engendering a feeling of old-fashioned comfort. Distinctive in its presentation, stained glass is embued with the delightful quality of varying hue within its imperfections…a quality promoted by the refraction of natural light, the intensity of which is controlled by the time of day as well as the season. Although it is somewhat of a mechanical process in its production, an element of hand-craft is required to achieve irregularities in stained glass. The glass maker, through deliberate manipulation of molten glass, uses a variety of texture-forming implements such as rollers, rakes and probes to create desired effects. Thus, imperfections are intentional! Emotions truly do come alive when the eye is fascinated by the inherent vitality of stained glass, imperfect as it is !

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