Kate Gakenheimer

My stained glass is inspired by vintage textiles including kimono prints. The techniques I use include sandblasting multi-colored hand-blown glass and painting with high fire enamels and glass paints. I use a type of hand-blown glass called flashed glass. It has a veneer of colored glass on top of either clear or another color. This technique of glass making was historically used because pigments were so expensive. It also enables you to sandblast the top layer off revealing the glass beneath. The sandblasting and enameling of a single piece of glass allows me to create complex patterns and increase the number of colors.  Some of the panels have two layers of glass, which heightens the complexity of the design even more and creates a 3-D effect. In the context of an entire leaded glass panel the intricacy can seem endless More is more, is my motto. I love dense patterns lots of color, and complexity.