Houston Stained Glass Portfolio Review: Breathtaking Painted Stained Glass

Here at Houston Stained Glass, a wonderful part of our business model is being part of one of the most talented stained glass studios in the US--Scottish Stained Glass. This allows us to witness and even work on some of the most unique stained glass installations in the country. Each custom job comes with its own set of challenges–but our work is incredibly fulfilling. Our job is not only to transform churches but the lives of the people too. One example of this is our most recent in St. Andrew The Apostle Catholic Church located in Wray, CO.

The Scope of Our Custom Stained Glass Project

Wray is a small town of 2000 but this stained glass job was big. The church, built 30 years ago, wanted five custom panels. They did not have stained glass windows in the sanctuary and felt like this addition would make their place of worship feel more like a house of God. They reached out to us to design five new, custom stained glass panels. They asked if we could do this safely during a pandemic and the answer was, of course! We have been doing safe stained glass installations throughout the summer and were well-versed what to do to keep the aging congregation safe. We were thrilled to have a chance to do the custom work we do so well.

Customizing Stained Glass to Be Historically Accurate and Beautiful

The church congregation asked us to create a depiction of the five Luminous Mysteries (baptism, wedding, proclamation, transfiguration, and last supper). These depictions were very significant to their doctrine. For a job this special, we pitched custom painted artwork was an option. They absolutely loved the idea and we began our work. Not only is painted glass a stunning style of stained glass work but it is rare because not too many artisans do it. We are fortunate enough to work with an amazing painted glass artist–Maria–and she really came through on this one. She wanted things to look as life-like as possible so we used actual models. We also did thorough research for historical accuracy like:

• The Appropriate background and foliage for the region
• Authentic tile design for floors in that time-period
• A historically accurate depiction of the town of Cana

The Beauty of Custom Painted Stained Glass

The outcome of our custom, five-panel stained glass project in St. Andrew The Apostle Catholic Church was–breathtaking. Mostly black and brown paint was used and we were able to really pull color from the glass background. The construction of the stained glass was geared to harness the natural sunlight. This created a lot of depth in her depictions of faces, hands, fauna, and flora. The result was a stunning three-dimensional appearance. The work came out both authentic but interesting. In the end, the congregation (who watched socially distanced) were amazed by the beauty of the process as a whole. One member even said, “Now we have a church”. It is affirmation like this that gives us that pride and makes us love our work in custom stained glass creation.

For more information on custom stained glass or breathing life into an old piece of stained glass with restoration–contact us at Houston Stained Glass today!

Martin Faith

Martin Faith is the founder and owner of Houston Stained Glass. Martin has been cultivating his skills as a stained glass artisan for over 30 years, passing on his knowledge and expertise to his team so that, together, they can create the most beautiful stained glass windows the world has ever seen. Martin's initial education in the trade took place in Glasgow, Scotland, the stained glass capitol of the world. He is an expert in the history of stained glass, its evolution, methods for conservation, and its many different styles and forms, including art deco, prairie, Greene & Greene, art nouveau, Mackintosh, floral, mission, beveled, and contemporary. Over the years, Martin's company has produced thousands of stained glass windows, which includes custom creations made for homes, churches, and commercial buildings located all throughout the Houston metro area.