Muslim artists have taken Arabic design stained glass abstract art to an incomparable elegance. Distinct from European figures and landscapes, the Arabic design stained glass focuses on geometrical patterns and linear designs. The early Muslims produced crude and imperfect art which later resulted in a style of art and architecture peculiar to them. Retaining traces of its origin, there was no direct imitation of its previous style. It encompasses grandeur, simplicity, refinement, and elegance. Consider the mosques of Cairo, particularly the Mosque of Tooloon. Islamic art and design relies heavily on geometric shapes such as squares, octagons, heptagons, pentagons, hexagons, dodecagons, and various combinations of stars and rosettes. These fundamental shapes result in the elaborate ornamentation associated with Arabic art and architecture.

Architectural ornament stained glass is created by hand by talented artists and craftspersons who design the window to suit both its architectural surroundings and the needs and desires of the client. The best stained glass is not created in a mass-production assembly line. Artists and craftspersons make these high-quality stained glass windows to meet the needs -- and the schedule -- of the client. The role that stained glass plays in a building is prominent. It can be put in place to decorate, instruct, inspire, allow in light, block out light, commemorate, hide an unwanted exterior view, memorialize or any of literally hundreds of goals. Its role can be one of these; more often it is many of these. Always -- like anything else called art -- it is put in place to show the owner's good taste. For stained glass that meets the needs of your building, contact the SL Firpo Leaded Glass Studio.

The production of stained glass architectural ornament does indeed take planning, skill and time. While the creation of quality stained glass is a labor-intensive undertaking, it takes far more skill and planning to create a window than it does time. The artists and crafts persons are accustomed to working to meet building schedules. They are professionals who understand the many aspects of building construction and the need to maintain an established timetable. Architects and interior designers have long used ornamental glass windows to enhance both homes and buildings. Collectors value the timeless elegance, the gorgeous glasses, the vast array of techniques, and the stylistic subtleties of antique decorative windows. By the end of the 19th century, as colored glass became less expensive, more people were able to enjoy the sparkle of colored light through stained glass and American glass artisans elevated the art of decorative windows to amazing heights of creative beauty. In addition to stained and leaded glass, new processes for decorative windows - beveling, etching, beveling, wheel engraving -- were produced to complement the new architectural style of the period.

Enjoy the beauty, the joy, the inspiration that custom design stained glass can add to your life. Become aware of all the benefits that stained glass has to offer. Stained glass is a craft as well as an ancient fine art. A great falsehood is that stained glass has been replaced by simulations that can achieve the same result as actual glass. This unfortunate misunderstanding stems from the simple fact that people want to save money and that unscrupulous salespeople have duped them into believing that the imitation is cheaper and better. The use of jewels in custom design stained glass has a rich history in America. Chunk jewels protrude from the surface of decorative windows, adding texture and dimension. Pressed jewels or molded jewels are often used in geometric shapes, pyramids, leaves, and teardrops. Pressed jewels were created both mechanically and by hand. The imperfections and irregularities of these molded jewels allow light to bounce about in exciting ways. Often used in clusters, jewels may also be found in the shapes of circles and stars. Cutting and polishing jewels produces the most sparkly and best faceted jewels.

Custom interior design stained glass art will become a treasured keepsake. Display beautiful and stylish stained glass window panels in rare and exotic colors and textures. In decorative windows, the edges of beveled glass (usually clear) are tapered at an angle. A symbol of high quality in antique windows is drapery glass with its distinctive irregular ripples and variety of thicknesses. Drapery glass is created when a sheet of hot glass is pushed across a tabletop. Louis Comfort Tiffany is thought to be the developer of the drapery glass technique whose folds resemble fabric drapery. A somewhat dangerous procedure, acid-etching, can be used to create an image on a pane of glass. The glass is covered with acid-resistant paraffin and the design is scratched out. Hydrofluoric acid is then used to disintegrate the exposed areas. Alternatively, it can be done with stencils and sandblasting. Manganese oxide is a process which can be used to tint clear glass a violet shade. Vaseline Glass, so called because the color is similar to petroleum jelly, glows neon green under a black light.

Elegant interior design stained glass windows are made in diverse textures, hues, shapes, sizes, and complexities. These elaborate windows, including etched, beveled, painted, and mosaic windows, create spectacular presentations of color and light which bring the enchanting beauty of leaded glass into your home or office. Leaded decorative windows were manufactured in large quantities in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Some of the distinguished names in stained glass include Louis Comfort Tiffany, John LaFarge, and Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright was the leader of the Prairie School, a unique style of architecture and design. He created fascinating decorative windows which were perfect in his airy structures, often combining tight, intricate geometric designs with open areas and incorporating trees, flowers, and other elements of nature. Several styles of architecture and interior design have influenced stained glass in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The Victorian age is characterized by marvelous expressions of style, a complexity and care for detail, ornate designs, and grand flourishes.

For Italian design stained glass, see the Pisa Series. The Pisa Series was adapted from the 12th century marble mosaic floor at the Baptistry in Pisa, Italy. Each of these three windows is a section of the mosaic. Each pattern partially overlaps the others to complete the larger mosaic. In 21st century America, the stained glass art is alive and well. Today American studios create and produce stained glass windows that are equal to those seen in the Italian cathedrals and churches. The quality of stained glass art produced today is often equal to the Italian design stained glass windows of previous centuries. Stained glass windows can be custom tailored to the needs and desires of the most fastidious client. All manner of decorative inserts are used in glass windows including jewels, pebbles, seashells, agate, bottle bottoms, roundels (also called bull's-eye), pressed glass tiles, flower forms, and leaves. The use of glass jewels, made to imitate precious stones, is typical of decorative windows and is one of the principal innovations of leaded glass artists.

Contact us when you are ready to commission stained glass. All of the windows in this collection are original designs. They are individually designed and built to fit a particular space or they are window designs that were adapted from historic architectural ornament and patterns. The idea behind the adaptations is to study an ornamentation, whether it be in a wall carving, a floor mosaic, a painted ceiling design, and create a series of windows that depict its patterning. In addition to residential leaded glass, old institutional buildings such as banks, courthouses, and city halls often included specially worked glass. At the end of the 19th century, high quality architectural detail such as etched-glass signs in commercial buildings indicated an understanding that ornament contributes positively to our quality of life. Glazed windows combined with the cornice embellished the building's roofline as did fancy circular or oval windows and repetitive panels at stairway landings. The relaxed spirit of Eclecticism was popular at the end of the 19th century. American secular stained glass such as round stained glass windows on upper levels and other windows filled with stained glass influenced ecclesiastical windows of the late 19th century, reversing the earlier trend of non-decorated ecclesiastical buildings inherited from our conservative Pilgrim ancestors.

America has a treasury of decorative windows which represents the most diverse artistry imaginable. In towns and cities, in buildings both public and private, our country has a wealth of leaded glass art which exists in every imaginable shape, size, color and texture. In fact, the variety, the quality, and the different construction techniques represent a historical and artistic phenomenon. The best of this brilliant glasswork is a manifestation of the uninhibited, eclectic American spirit. It is interesting to note that, at the beginning of the 20th century, prices were decreasing as labor costs were increasing in the leaded glass industry. In addition, rivalries between American glass manufacturers existed as a serious issue and foreign competition was sharp. La Farge, Tiffany and other American artists shunned the beaten path in art window making. These pioneers produced leaded glass art, this most magical of artistic mediums, bringing joy to millions.

Leaded Glass Artist, Sue Firpo, a designer and carpenter by trade, received a degree in Architecture from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She has also studied in Copenhagen. Before moving to Portland, Oregon, to learn carpentry, she worked as an architect. Embracing the fine tradition of stained glass, Firpo creates leaded glass windows and cabinets and small furniture and specializes in residential and small commercial projects. Read Sue Firpo's article in American Bungalow Magazine, Spring 2005. Some American glass techniques include scherenschnitte, plating and mercury mosaic. American painter, Frederic Edwin Church, built a Moorish-inspired estate named Olana in Hudson, New York in the late 1870's. Delicately cut paper placed between two panes of glass, scherenschnitte, decorated the windows. Others used thin sheets of brass instead of paper and the decorative window style, scherenschnitte, became known in American silhouette windows. Plating, the leading of several layers of glass onto one window, has been used in major opalescent commissions as well as smaller, residential windows. Mercury mosaic windows are composed of hundreds of tiny, tesserae, in solid metal with no additional support. A simple and labor saving process, these windows are frequently embedded with jewels.

For Moorish design stained glass, the Alhambra Series of stained glass designs was adapted from Moresque wall panels (originally carved in stucco) at the Palace of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. The original wall panel from which this window was adapted can be found at the Alhambra in the Hall of the Abencerrages, (the Hall of the Ambassadors). Alhambra - Band of Inscriptions Series: The first in a series based on the bands of inscriptions (written script) that frame various wall panels at the Alhambra. This window was adapted from a corner stop in a band of inscriptions that frames wall panels in various rooms at the Palace of the Alhambra. The original wall panel from which this window was adapted can be found at the Alhambra, adjacent to the Arches at the entrance to The Court of the Lions. In the Alhambra, the Moorish system of decoration reached its culminating point and illustrates a grammar of ornament (every ornament contains a grammar in itself). It reaches the summit of perfection whereby every principle of ornamental art is universally and truly expressed. The Alhambra is equal to the natural grace of the Greeks and the geometrical combinations of the Arabs. Only symbolism is missing from Moorish design as the religion of the Moors forbade symbolism. The Moorish inscriptions excite the intellect and delight the imagination. The Moors held to the principle of decorating construction and not constructing decoration. The art of the Muslims, especially of the Moors, reaches true beauty due to the spirit which animates it. To the Moors, repose is the true result of harmony of form, perfect proportion, and arrangement of lines.

Heirloom quality original stained glass patterns may contain jewels or roundels. Jewels are not used as much these days in decorative windows as window designs have become simpler. However, due to their varied textures, shapes, and sizes, jewels are a wonderful addition to decorative windows. Jewels add texture, dimension, and color to decorative windows. Roundels, which are larger than jewels, are round spun discs. When the glass is separated from the punty or pontil, (an iron rod on which molten glass is handled when being shaped and worked), it leaves a center mark in the roundels. In 1895 Samuel Bing opened an avant-garde gallery in Paris called Art Nouveau. This style was popular throughout Europe. America eventually adopted this new art style for its buildings. Louis Comfort Tiffany, the originator of opalescent glass and the opalescent window style, was known to incorporate Art Nouveau motifs into his work. His glassware and many of his lamps strongly reflect the Art Nouveau style. Much Art Nouveau stained glass is extant in America due to Tiffany. Stained glass in the Art Nouveau style is relatively simple and easy to construct while at the same time adds pizzazz. Its large-scale forms, curves, and floral designs could be rendered into simple patterns which appear complex.

Persian design stained glass ornamentation is a mixed style, combining the conventional (similar to Arabian) with the natural. Compared with the Muslim style of ornamentation of Cairo, the Muslim style of ornamentation of Persia is considered to be less elegant and less pure. The ornamentation of India was also influenced by the Persian mixed style. Compared with the Arabian and the Moresque, the Persian style is considered inferior, both in the arrangement of color and the distribution of form. Persian design is characterized by a mixed character of pure ornament, in conjunction with an ornamental rendering of natural forms, great simplicity and ingenuity. Staining glass and leading it into harmonious designs is an early medium for the expression of art. The process of coloring glass was developed in the 16th century. Prior to this time, glass had been painted. Persian ornamentation is a timeless testament to the intricacy and beauty of stained glass. Stained glass, truly an art, a science, and a craft, adds a beautiful dimension to any environment.

For Portland Stained Glass, contact Sue at SL Firpo Leaded Glass Studio: phone 503-282-6885. The SL Firpo Leaded Glass Studio is an established studio run by professionals who are capable of delivering the highest quality stained glass. Each window is unique so please contact the studio for a consultation. Stained glass windows are made on a commission basis. The windows are priced by the square foot. The historic adaptations shown on this site begin at approximately $200/ per square foot. The final price is ultimately determined by the intricacy of the pattern, the size of the window and the glass itself. The windows are made with a lead or zinc came frame for ease of installation into a sash of your own or we can install them into a wood frame manufactured in our studio. The Stained Glass Association of America (originally the National Ornamental Glass Manufacturers Association) was formed in 1903 with the goals of eliminating price cutting, obtaining a reasonable price for stained glass, and conducting competition honestly. The result was that "economic protection" was improved in an era when many considered stained glass to be an old fashioned embellishment. The Association produced the Bulletin which quite successfully served as a vehicle for sharing opinions and ideas on stained glass between artisans with common interests and challenges.

Stained glass is glass colored by mixing pigments inherently in the glass, by fusing colored metallic oxides onto the glass, or by painting and baking transparent colors on the glass surface. When you are preparing to commission stained glass, contact the SL Firpo Stained Glass Studio in Portland, Oregon. Each window design in this collection is an original design. The stained glass art creations may be built and designed for a particular space. They may be adaptations from historic architectural ornament and patterns. The idea is to study an ornamentation -- in a floor mosaic, a wall carving, a painted ceiling design, etc. -- and create a window that depict its patterning. Stained glass is not only an art; it is also a craft and a science. One of the earliest mediums for the expression of art was staining glass and leading it into harmonious designs. Prior to the 1500's when the process of coloring glass was developed, glass had been painted. The European cathedrals are a timeless testament to the intricacy and beauty that colored glass brings. Stained glass adds a beautiful dimension to virtually any door or window, especially when the colored glass is placed on the light side of a room.

When you are looking to create today's heirlooms for tomorrow, look to stained glass interior design. The most common type of glass used in stained glass windows is cathedral glass. Found in abundant textures and colors, it has a uniform thickness, is usually machine made with a rolled technique, and it may have small air bubbles in it. Fluted glass is associated with Pennsylvania, particularly around Philadelphia. Often known as refrigerator glass, with evenly spaced, parallel flutes, its texture is ideal for decorative windows. Opalescent glass, a common variety of stained glass, is produced in myriad colors and textures. The talented painter, John La Farge, is considered to be the developer of opalescent glass for use in leaded windows. An excellent collection of opalescent glass was later made in the studio of Louis Comfort Tiffany. Amazingly, this glass looks good from the outside and at night because opalescent glass is colorful even without light shining through it.