|
David took classes from John Foster in Missouri and built his first window of Ed Sibbett's "Gemini Girl" in 1982. Soon after David and Jeanne built a window for her grandmother and a window for some friends in Colorado. Because we enjoyed building windows so much, we decided to venture into the stained glass business. David traded a window with a doctor for part payment on an operation and we both built a window the night before our daughter, Sarah was born.
In April of 1983, we rented a storefront in Pierce City, Missouri. David built two 4 x 8 work tables and put ads in the paper and began building glass commercially and teaching classes. The business, called Dry Valley Studios, grew and expanded and moved during the first year. We noticed that window sales came in spurts, when they were up, the business surged with needed cash flow and then things would slow down again. We rented videos to provide income and grew to three video rental stores.
We were able to sell 10 to 30 commercial windows per week to a furniture builder which provided a small steady stream of income. David took additional classes in lamp design (Parkies, Springfield, MO) and sandblasted etching (Merry-Go-Round, Springfield, MO). Jeanne began to draw many patterns for customers. We sold the video stores in December of 1984 and then built stained glass part time for several years.
We received a commission to build a stained glass nativity scene for the city of Pierce City in 1984. We drew the first draft of the window in our studios before selling the video stores off. Later work progressed over a period of three years until the project was completed. It took a long time because we donated our labor in the construction of the window. The window was completed before Christmas 1987 and was later rebuilt in 1990 after an accident damaged it.
David taught a stained glass course at Missouri Southern State College in the fall of 1989. We built windows occasionally for the next few years and in 1998 we moved to Idaho where we took the opportunity to work with furniture for a year or two and incorporated some art glass into furniture.
In October, 2000 we moved to Provo, Utah and set up a studio in our home. We obtained a city license and sales tax number in January, 2001. In February, 2001 we taught Josh Barnum and his wife how to build stained glass. They were our first students since moving to Utah. In November, 2001 David was laid off and embarked on stained glass as more than a sideline. Since starting up the glass business again in Utah, we've taught about 100 students and designed countless numbers of windows. Our art is becoming more well defined and technically perfect and we're now trying to incorporate an inspirational element into all we do.
In 2004, we built many stained glass panels to build up our inventory and worked closely with Maison Design and AMB Design, both in Salt Lake City to sell some large jobs. Earlier, we built 4 panels, and more recently, we worked on matching glass for an antique screen imported from France for
Keith Barton. Also during the year we built 19 panels for the Travis Wright home and several pieces of glass for different residences in Park City, Salt Lake City, Provo and Orem. We also had 2 panels accepted for exhibit in the Springville Art Museum's "Faith In Art" exhibition.
|
BETTER
STAINEDGLASS STORE
