So I have had this idea in my head to capture birds in flight and with the Trail fast approaching I figured it a good plan to make a drop dead gorgeous panel for then. I pictured them, (the birds), silhouetted against the sky in the upper part of my window. So, I drafted something up and gazed at it for a few days….I coloured it in….i selected my colours and finally bit the bullet and invested ‘dosh’ in some new sheets of glass.

On arrival of glass I worried that the blue sheet would not be quite big enough for my needs…oh dear, cold feet.(Nervous I am. This would be the largest panel I have tackled so far…and it would require a whole new board to be fitted on my bench..yikes)

I looked at the drawing a bit longer and instead decided upon making two smaller panels. One capturing the birds in flight and the other catching them preening. (Back to the drawing board)

Yip-yippee…next it was down to cutting glass  Oh, how I love to cut glass…. And, I got to try out the nifty new trick that I had learnt from Deb’s at Pendle Stained Glass. Check me out using a sheet of plain glass as an easel and sticking the bits of cut glass to it using plasticine. Great way to check colours and composition.. (just need to remember not to leave it propped in the sun though as everything travels south in the heat!)

Next the painting. I decided I was going to paint every piece of glass to achieve a level of obscurity in each section. The blue sky was just given a light even matt but I had a bit of fun on the other panel…

Splattering it with water for nice effect! (’twas subtle, but nice)

After firing I realised I had made a couple of wrong colour decisions as the darkest amber darkened just a bit too much in the kiln so I ended up re-firing a couple of pieces. But happy that I did.

Then, lead work followed by that filthy job of grouting! (I used a brush, David, at Pendle Stained Glass..although did still manage to get quite grubby..no hope).

Then after much polishing, the reveal….. what do you think?

So glad i decided to make the two. i just love this preening couple.

Why not come and see them at the Trail this weekend…

(Just also like to say thanks to all the staff at Pendle Stained Glass who were most patient and generous on my day out there…hopefully be back again at some point)