About this Product
This religious stained glass panel that portrays the Holy Family measures 12.25" X 13.25"–just taller and wider than a sheet of letter size paper. The chain adds approximately 3" to the hanging height. Made of blue, variegated green, flesh tone, brown wispy for hair, yellow for halo and clear textured glass, this is an artistic statement piece with both translucent and reflective qualities. (That means it glows during the day when backlit by sunlight passing through the glass, and at night when indoor lighting bounces off the surface of the glass its colors remain vibrant.)
Do you know a couple who have just welcomed a newborn into the world that you would like to encourage on their journey of parenthood? Look no further… With this image of the Holy Family hanging in their home, they will be reminded daily of their call to become Holy as they lead their family to sainthood. Meditating on this Holy Family Icon can add a depth of meaning and purpose to all they are and all they will do as parents.
Inspired by the nativity and the divine mystery of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, this stylized stained-glass panel of a father and mother holding an infant, reflects the depth and beauty of parental love. It is not just a beautiful piece of stained-glass art, but also a valuable prayer aid that will prompt an observer to ponder the many profound qualities of parental love.
As a Catholic couple, my husband and I have often looked to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph during times of confusion, frustration, disappointment and sorrow. Through it all, they have guided us by their example to be a steady source of love, guidance, and support for our children. Now our family circle has expanded to include grandchildren but our vocation to be a Holy Family remains constant. This religious piece of artwork is my way of sharing that inspiration with you.
Order it now and soon it will be hanging in your home, inviting you to a keener understanding (and a greater appreciation) of your own parenthood. If you’d rather give this as a gift...no worries...it will arrive complete with a product tag, and a product description card citing some of the symbolism incorporated into this original design by Coco.
The Artist's Vision:
The overall shape of this religious panel is a heart, which is often used as a symbol of deep abiding love. Here, it represents the coming together of male and female to love each other in a fruitful way by joining in the generative and creative power of God's love to bring forth new life.
The Holy Family image is most associated with the Christmas Nativity scene, but enjoys its own feast day on the Sunday immediately following Christmas. It is a reminder to be Holy in all we do, with and for our family members. God’s love is reflected in the couples love for each other and in their love, protection, and provision for their children. This Holy Family icon also reminds us that God extends His love, protection and provision to each of us. We are an integral part of His Holy Family.
As Jesus, Mary and Joseph are shown huddled in a group hug, Joseph’s garments seem to envelop Mary in an embrace meanwhile she is depicted holding the infant Jesus swaddled in an extension of her own garments—the union is solid and unbreakable pointing to the permanency of Family bonds. Further meditation on the way we love our children unconditionally can reveal to us a lot about the way God loves each of us unconditionally. This can heighten our experience of being loved by God as a freely offered gift; which in turn can motivate us to grow in a more god-like love for our children.
Father, Mother and infant are locked in a gaze of mutual affection, serving as a visual cue to look to each other as we live out each day. Whenever we look to the Holy Family, we are pointed to the Trinitarian union of the three persons in one God. And, through the tangible love of our families we are pointed to the love that binds the whole communion of saints as one..
The mutual gaze of affection that is exchanged by the three of them reminds us that Mary and Joseph stayed true to God and each other as they experienced parental worries, sorrows, and joys, and we are called to do the same in our families.
The simplicity and graceful flow of the lead lines in this artistic piece point to the Holy Family’s gentle tenderness and peaceful nature as they interact with each other, which draw us in and invites us to imitate their attentiveness to God and their cooperation with His will. That simplicity and gracefulness also affirms the saint-like elegance we are called to during the constant flow of daily sacrifices that we make for our families.
Even at a quick glance, and even for the non-religious, the image of this father and mother with child elicits a sense of peace and inner contentment.
ByCoco
Meet the Maker
Greetings! Let me quickly introduce myself. Yes, as a matter of fact, my name is Coco. If you're like me, most of the other Coco’s you know are pets. But I’m not a pet; nor am I a robot. However, I am a not-so-little old lady, in tennis shoes and jeans, who just happens to be a stained-glass artist who wants to make the perfect gift for your special someone, or better yet, to create the eye-catching piece you need to complete your home décor.
MY BACKGROUND
Once upon a time, a long, long, long time ago, I was born and raised in New Orleans, which at the time was a vibrant Catholic city steeped in the arts—visual, performing, and culinary. However, I now live in a remote area of the Northern Woods of Maine, where I'm surrounded by pristine wilderness, beautiful sunsets, and plenty of wildlife. (Think Northwoods Law crossed with Maine Cabin Masters.) My husband and I will soon celebrate our 50th anniversary, so my primary role over the past several decades has been, and continues to be, Wife, Mom of 5, and “Nutty” (Grandma) to 7. My life’s story is a long winding road and full of unusual adventures as a military wife (for 20 years), but at least for now, I’ll spare you those details and talk about my glass experience and what I can do for you, instead.
MY HISTORY WITH GLASS
In 1982, I was introduced to the craft of stained glass and was instantly hooked on glass as an art medium. Since then, I have evolved from a hobbyist to a skilled artisan and teacher, and then to a designer and artist. If you can imagine something in glass, I can probably make it, or I know someone in the industry that can. Now, I spend most of my studio time creating custom artwork for people who want their visions to come alive in glass, and when there is a lull, I design and create new projects with a general appeal to list in my shop.
WHO AM I?
One of my life philosophies is that “Win/Win” isn’t good enough if a “Win/Win/Win/W…” is possible. So not only do I create heirloom quality glass artwork, but I also make the patterns for my pieces available in case you’d like to make it yourself or you’d rather take it to a local glass artist to make it for you so you can avoid the cost of shipping. And, if you’re a glass hobbyist or just experimenting with glass as a medium, I also sell component kits comprised of special embellishments, like pre-formed wire or kiln-formed inclusions that go with a pattern. If you’d like a DIY kit that includes all the materials for a specific pattern, just let me know and I’ll see what I can do. (But beware, creating with glass can become addictive, not to mention expensive.)
Besides my family and friends, my most important values are my Catholic Faith, my creativity/innovation, my ability to connect with people, my love for learning new skills or using new tools, and my desire to repurpose or up-cycle trash into treasure—all of which influences my artwork.
As a creative, I'm eager to put my talents at your service, so if a light bulb has gone off in your head, don’t hesitate to contact me with your idea. I promise if for any reason I think a fellow glass artist might be better suited to make your idea a reality, I promise I’ll recommend them. Otherwise, I’ll relish taking on the challenge myself. Inquiring about custom work costs you nothing, so if you’re curious, just ask? I’ve been told by past clients that I am user friendly.
!!! WARNING !!! !!! POSSIBLE TMI (Too-Much-Information) ALERT!!!
Only read these next two paragraphs if you’re curious about why I spend my time creating. Otherwise, feel free to skip to the end.
I believe that when God created me, one of the gifts or talents He gave me was creativity and over the years I’ve cooperated with His gift by developing my skills in the artistic practice of making stained glass. Prayer is an integral part of my process from getting inspired while I design, to innovation while I engineer a structurally sound assembly, to intention as I complete a piece and prepare it to be shipped to its permanent home. I am convinced all beautiful things point us to our creator, some more subtly than others. By creating beautiful things, I’m attempting to point to the truth about a good and generous God who loves us and deserves our love in return.
As you may have guessed by now, I’m well into my retirement years, but I still have the idealistic and generous spirit of someone who is young at heart. And I still dream…My all-time favorite summer was the year I went to summer camp for 4 weeks. So I “work” in order to give our grands a similar experience. When you buy from this shop you help me make my dreams come true for them.
So, enjoy browsing through the listings in my store and hopefully what you see brings a smile to your face and a glimmer of peace and joy into your surroundings. If you see something that tickles your fancy, please share it on social media; or if something makes you think of a friend or family member, please send them the link and let them know you were thinking of them; or if you want to treat yourself, you can always “Make my day” and hit the buy button.
Thanks in advance for whatever you decide to do…And kudos for buying handmade!
How it’s Made
There are many phases or steps involved in creating stained-glass. Prayer is a thread that runs through my creative process, but it is particularly crucial during my design phase. And, that's where it all begins. Once I've designed a project, I usually let it rest for a few days so when I go back to critique and edit my design I approach it with fresh eyes. The hardest part for me is to know when it's done and ready to come off the paper and get translated into glass.
I then print out 3 copies of my design in the size I've decided upon. One copy is adhered to my project board for me to use as an assembly guide (cartoon). The second copy I cut apart (as if making it into jig saw puzzle pieces) with a special scissor that removes a channel between the pieces to leave room for the lead or the foil depending on the assembly method I intend to use. The third is a copy I can take notes on as I go, so I have a record of the materials used, the time spent, and any special techniques specific to that design.
Next, I pick out the glass: its colors, its transparency or opacity, and its texture if any. Most importantly, I make sure I have enough materials for the whole project, and if I need a specific glass or something else that I don't have on hand, this is when I procure it. (My local Stained-Glass Supplier is about 3 hours one-way from where I live, so usually I get to practice patience—AAUGGHH!!!—while I wait for delivery.)
Once I have all the glass, I lay out the paper pattern (puzzle) pieces and glue them in place so I can be pretty accurate when I score and run the glass. However, I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to getting an exact fit when I put all the pieces back together—so for me, there is almost always some grinding involved. I then remove the paper pattern and wash off all the grinder dust in preparation to insert the pieces into the lead came channel or to be edged in copper foil if I'm using the tiffany method.
If any pieces need paint, this is when I apply the glass enamel and melt it into the glass using my kiln. This is also the point at which I kiln-form any components that need to be shaped. Once everything has cooled off, I foil all of the edges if needed.
Then all the pieces get laid out and pinned down in their final place on the project board, and the soldering begins. Soldering is the process of connecting lead joints or covering the foil with metal that has been heated to a fluid state in order to form the structure that holds all the glass pieces together. Once all the little pieces are back into one big piece, I frame the outside edges in zinc or lead came or I edge-solder.
Once I securely attach the hangers, and the final project is cleaned and polished, I carefully wrap and securely package your piece for shipping. And, Voila!!! A few days later, you have the piece you ordered!
