Stained glass is a beautiful art form that combines the use of various colors, shapes, textures and transparencies with light to illuminate, decorate and inspire the mind, spirit and eye of the beholder. Children have always been, and will always be, fascinated with shapes and colors which make the art form of stained glass perfect for them.
Unlike a coloring book page which is coloured once and then maybe taped to the refrigerator for a few days before finding its way to the garbage can, a stained glass creation can bring enjoyment and help boost a child's self-esteem for many years to come. There is nothing better than a beautiful constant reminder of the child's great "achievement".
In its early days, long before Christ was born; stained glass was made by mixing different metals with sand and soda and heating them at high temperatures so that the colors were actually a part of the glass. This type was thicker and the colors were rich and dark. Throughout the decades styles and tastes changed and new ways of using stained glass were needed. As people wanted to get more detail in their stained glass windows and also allow more light in, they began to use the technique of painting on the glass, rather than mixing the colors into while making it. This is one easy way to introduce a child to the art of stained glass. Kids can learn to paint on glass with Reusch paints, the same ones used for many years in traditional glass painting. Today you can purchase lead free paints. Once the glass is painted, it is fired permanently in a kiln.
Another easy and fun project for children is drawing designs on glass using ground glass, known as frit. Kids can be really creative with the many colour choices available in frit and the various grades of coarseness. Using a pattern below clear glass, they arrange the frit and adhere it with fusible glue. After adding another layer of clear glass on top, the whole design is melted together in the kiln to complete the project.
Children love to learn and using a fused glass or stained glass project provides the opportunity to teach them on a variety of topics such as art appreciation, the history of decorative glass, architecture, colours and design. Any project that allows a child to be creative, interact with others and develop their self-esteem is worthy of taking into consideration and glass crafting certainly meets those requirements. So why not encourage your budding young artist to pursue the wonderful techniques of making glass art? You might even want to join them. But be careful, glass work can be addictive.
