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By: Stacy Dillon,
on 11/7/2014
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Our brains seem to want comparisons. Every time a new book comes out, editorial blurbs sing, “For fans of….”, or “Blank meets blank in this striking new novel…” I am both attracted to and wary of these comparisons, because they often create a false hope. After all, a significant amount of connection to a story comes by what we bring to it. I was first struck by the gorgeous cover of The Greenglass House, by Kate Milford and then I started hearing the buzz. I started to hear talk of The Westing Game . Now, if you don’t already know, any time someone asks me what my favorite book of all time is, The Westing Game slides quickly from my mouth. No questions asked. Over the adult titles that I have swooned about, the Newberys I have loved, the picture books that spawned the art that is matted and framed on my walls, The Westing Game is still firmly on the tippy top of the pile. So the talk worried me a bit.
Silly me.
Milo and his family have just settled in for the holidays at their inn, The Greenglass House. The guests have all departed, school is out for a couple of weeks, and it’s officially family time. Imagine Milo’s surprise when the bell rings to alert the family that a guest is ready to come up the hill in the rail car called the Whilforber Whirlwind. Situated on the top of Whilforber Hill, the inn is somewhat iconic in their town. Nagspeake is a smugglers’ town, and Milo’s parents are as likely to get paid in goods by the folks passing through as they are money. But smugglers have seasons and the winter holidays are not smuggler time. Who could be coming to stay now?
Milo and his family are even more surprised when the bell keeps ringing! More than one guest? What is going on?
After the passel of guests shows up, Milo’s folks call on their regular help to come and help with meals and rooms and such. Since it is break, the cook brings her kids and even though Milo has never met Meddy before, the two get along famously even starting to role play using Odd Trails -- a game Milo’s own dad played when he was young. Milo’s personal of Negret comes in handy when guest’s belongings start disappearing.
This is such an atmospheric, multi layered story -- I just can’t say enough about it. When you put all of the aspects of the story into writing, they can seem overwhelming. We have the mythos of the town, the rules of the game, the mysterious guests, the criminality afoot, Milo’s own adoption story and sense of self, the lore of the house...it goes on and on. But in Milford’s deft hands all are perfectly balanced and unfurled just so. I started to slow down as I read this one, because I didn’t want it to end. I ache to see this on the big screen, and am anxiously awaiting the first real snow of the season so I can hunker down and treat myself all over again!
If you follow me on facebook I kind of showed step-by-step a new stained glass piece I was working on but I didn’t get it framed and hung until this weekend. Here’s my process:
Step 1 was designing a pattern:
Step 2, 3, & 4 was cutting, foiling, soldering and adding patina:
And here’s the final piece hung between my kitchen and bonus room doorway:
I originally wanted to learn stained glass so I could make side lights for my front door. Here they are matching my existing stained glass front door:
Can’t wait to make some more projects!
Things are looking up - several work and teaching responsibilities have been set aside, projects around the house are near completion, and it's almost baby time. Could be any day I guess, but I'm hoping to get a little closer to the due date. I have my bags packed for the hospital, including my sketchbook and pencils.
In the meantime, I visited
Kathleen Rietz's blog and saw a posting of a glass mosaic that she'd done. That reminded me that in the past I had enjoyed making stained glass panels. HEY! At last, something art-related for me to post about!
These are a few panels I did over 10 years ago, but I've never posted (not the best pictures - poor light - I'll try to remedy that soon). The kids designs (Humpty Dumpty and Counting Sheep) were in their bedroom windows until we moved here - now they're in my kitchen, helping to keep the neighbors from peering straight in.
I always loved glass projects - there was a certain amount of mystery as to how it would actually look once completed. Unless you have a light table (which I don't), you really can't see the full effect until the pieces are soldered together and you can lift the panel off the board. Then, you catch a first glimpse of the colors illuminated.
I always enjoyed the different textures and patterns of glass that you can get, too. Hopefully someday I'll be able to dive into another glass project. However, right now is just tooooooooo busy!
At first I wasn't sure what I'd do for this, but the first thing that popped into my mind was a song called "Enough." Then I remembered a sketch I'd done about 4 years ago - I was doing a lot of stained glass back then and it was a design for a glass panel (entitled "Ascension"). It also reminded me of one main aspect of my faith - that Christ's death and resurrection were "enough." The debt is paid in full.
When designing for stained glass, you have to consider things like how to divide up the picture into pieces that aren't too impossible to cut out of glass (which prefers to break in a straight line). In this drawing, I was able to disregard some of those restrictions, such as allowing the hand to extend beyond the frame. Being a religious theme, however, I thought it appropriate to keep the stained glass design quality in the shapes.
I never got a chance to make the panel, but I would like to someday. I did not add any color because I intend to use different textures of clear glass or very subtle colors. Maybe some day...
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Hey, these are great, Diane! And thanks for the bog mention.
I came by to see if you had had your baby girl yet....perhaps you have and have not posted yet. Hope you are all doing well...happy and healthy.