Contemporary Canadian Glass

By Shirley Rimer

People tell me I’m a very lucky person.   I’ve had the opportunity to travel extensively.   When I return to my studio, my experiences inevitably manifest themselves in my pieces.  I feel I now rely on the stimulation from travel for ideas and direction.  My latest travels have taken me to the beautiful hillsides of Tuscany, Italy, where I apprenticed in a glass studio.

Apprenticeship, as a form of instruction in which a novice learns from a master of craft or art, has existed for thousands of years.  Until the 19^th century apprenticeship was the sole means for people to acquire the skills for almost all occupations.  My tutelage in the studio at Vetrate Artistiche Toscane, in Siena, gave me the opportunity to learn many of the skills required to create artworks in stained glass.

With the help of the Alberta Foundation For The Arts, I spent the month of August, 2010, in Siena.   I rented a small apartment on a narrow little street in the old city.  Each morning I climbed the hill in the sunshine and looked forward to learning and laughter.  Siena was alluring, the people were friendly and the food was delicious.  Fresh pasta, pizza slices and gelato were an almost everyday occurrence.  The weekends were the time for exploration and included a trip to Florence as well as La Meridiana, a ceramics studio in the Tuscan hillside.

Massimo and Gianni Bracciali are brothers who have successfully operated this fused and stained glass venture for the past 20 years.  The studio, where their job is restoration and creation of beautiful stained glass windows, is situated in the heart of the old city.  Massimo apprenticed for several years in a stained glass studio.  His brother, Gianni, has a doctorate in geology.  Their individual expertise has created an environment where one can learn all facets of this exquisite art form.  Their sense of humour was delightful.

A ceramist from Ireland, Shauna McCann, was there to do a one-month apprenticeship with me.  We talked about our lives and our work and how we would like to integrate what we were learning into what we do.  We were equal in our lack of experience and in our ability to learn.

When I walked into the studio, I was immediately taken with the beautiful drawings, “cartoons”, lining the walls throughout the space.  These cartoons are the initial steps in creating the beautiful stained glass windows, which are part of the architecture of churches in several countries in the world.  The finished products can be seen in several churches in Siena, some restorations and some new creations.

Church window in progress.

When I arrived they were in the beginning stages of a commission for a church in Minnesota.  After a short practice session on some ornaments, I was immediately put to work on cutting glass for the new windows.  After the drawings are prepared, they’re redrawn in sections with numbered colors in each section.  Cutting the glass for the windows is very exact; any inaccuracy will cause a distortion in the window.  As time progressed, the cutting became easier and I became excited about being a part of the project.  While I was doing that I watched the cartoons being developed and the glass being put together and painted.

We helped to complete smaller projects in order to learn the leading techniques and finally the cementing.  The most difficult job was painting the glass.  Alberto Positano, the studio painter, did a superb job.  Colors are overlaid and a variety of very delicate and precise techniques are used before the paints are fired onto the glass.

What I learned in the studio will be a part of my future work in clay; both the technical aspects of working in stained glass and the impressions of a charming and very beautiful city.  I look forward to seeing this experience materialize in the pieces I plan to make.  I truly am very lucky!

Shirley Rimer lives in Red Deer, Alberta, where she owns and operates a ceramics studio.  She has been working in clay for the past 30 years and has exhibited her work internationally.   Shirley has travelled extensively, participating in residencies and exchanges in several countries.   Her mixed media work often includes glass elements.