brick house into her studio. There she began creating custom stained glass windows and hangings that can be free hung or inserted into cabinets or frames. She received her first commission shortly after and since then has been artist-inresidence at Eagle Lake Elementary and has also taught community education classes as well as the occasional class in her home studio. Shanklin begins a stained glass piece with a detailed sketch. Designing a piece is one of her favorite parts of making stained glass, though her end piece often deviates from the original vision. She likes to sketch outdoors and finds a great deal of inspiration in nature and also studies photographs of stained glass made by Tiffany. Working at a well-lit table in her studio, Shanklin then makes a pattern from her design, selects the glass she wants to use, cuts and grinds the glass, applies copper foil to all the pieces, solders the pieces together — “I’m always working on my soldering skills,” Shanklin noted — and finally frames, cleans and applies a patina. When she is finished, her random pieces of glass have formed a vibrant, colorful portrait. “I have to give Tom a lot of credit,” Shanklin said of her husband, who double checks all her measurements to ensure accuracy. “He’s always been very supportive of everything I do. I give the Lord and my husband the credit.” Shanklin said that she tells people
who have commissioned a stained glass piece from her that it can take up to a month for her to complete it. “If I’m making something and a piece doesn’t work for me, I’ll take it out and play with it until I get it the way I want it,” Shanklin said. “I spend a lot of time playing with the glass. I tell my clients that I want to do quality work. Quality work takes time.” In addition to her stained glass, Shanklin also helps her husband with his ministry, maintains a web page devoted to her art and also a blog that she writes with her husband about their life on 3.3 acres in southern Minnesota. “For a couple of bornagain old hippies, we feel very blessed we get to do what we want to do,” Shanklin said. Susan Shanklin’s website is www.SSstainedglass.com. Her blog can be found at: http://www.tomandsusan. net/. M
MANKATO MAGAZINE • June 2012 • 13