John and Theresa Crisp began creating stained and fused glass artwork after looking for an activity they could share, and they have since crafted more than 1,000 pieces on display in galleries in Shawnee and Guthrie. Photos submitted
Couple Crafting Colorful Creations After Cultivating Common Interest by Jamie Bergsten
“S
tained glass” refers to glass that’s been colored by metallic oxides during the manufacturing process. Evidence of its existence dates back to the ancient Roman Empire, and intact pieces indicate that the practice emerged as early as the 4th century. We generally think of its place in the windows of churches and other religious buildings, but its use has expanded over the years to include lamp shades, Christmas ornaments, jewelry, and more. Working with this medium is not easy. The tools and materials are expensive and can be hard to find. However, if an artisan can learn the craft, the outcomes can be amazing. Shawnee resident Theresa Crisp and her husband John wanted a hobby they could do together, and working with stained glass has been the perfect fit. “We’d both tried various things like ceramics and woodworking,” she said. “Then we took a stained glass class together a few years back and enjoyed it
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so much that we decided to invest in the tools to keep working on it. We’ve been doing stained glass for about 15 years now and have found it to be an interesting and rewarding art form.” Theresa had always enjoyed making things but had had no prior formal training other than a few art classes when she was in college. Now, John and she have a studio in their backyard where they can tackle stained glass, fused glass and woodworking projects, and they’re making plans to teach classes at the Arts @ 317 in downtown Shawnee this year. “We’ve finished over 1,000 pieces,” Theresa said. “Some are stained glass, and some are fused glass. We’ve made a variety of things, including wind chimes, boxes, serving trays and of course traditional pieces to hang. “We’ve made all sizes of projects at all sorts of prices. We also take custom orders and suggestions for items to make. We’ve made a large stained glass sign for Savvy Bites in downtown Shawnee as well as a large piece for dis-
