An age-old art form comes full circle in the studio of glass artist Tyler Kimball.
Words by Christine Emming | Photos by Eleni Kouvelou
DKC: It’s so nice to chat about glass with you. When I think about stained glass, religious institutions come to mind first, then much older homes.
Kimball: Stained glass first became inspirational because of its features in churches, yes. That was the original place—with all that color and light coming in—to get that feeling of awe. Now I make stained glass, rondels and sheet glass for artists all around the world.
DKC: How did you break into this medium?
Kimball: There was actually a stained-glass window in my parents’ home that threw a little rainbow across the room. I looked at that glass and I could not figure out how glass was made by humans! That curiosity became a real drive long before
I was able to work in the medium.
Stained glass took me into blown glass, but I was still making rondels to put into my stained glass. Then I fell in love with the process of stained glass. Working with a team, the timing’s got to be exactly right. You have to understand what’s about to happen without any conversation —that’s a beautiful process.
DKC: Rondels must be in high demand, based on the quantity and variety on your website. How are those actually used?
Kimball: Before the Tudor diamonds, there were circles. Like a fisheye lens, that prismatic look is in each rondel, so there’s been a resurgence of demand for those in windows and in art.
DKC: How can stained glass be used in today’s home?
Kimball: Retrofitting—using a commercial glass pane, then retrofitting stained glass framing to go inside of it. This allows the glass to showcase inside with viewing protected against wind and rains.
DKC: Your shop also handles restoration work. When should homeowners think about stained glass repairs?
Kimball: Everything should be redone after 100 years. The heat on one side will deteriorate that side faster, which will make it flex and move. The lead gets brittle. Pieces crack—that’s why putting them inside commercial glass is a good idea.
DKC: What do you want people to know about stained glass?
Kimball: There’s nothing better to do with a window than put some beautiful glass patterns into it and get a whole new feel for the room. Come into the shop! We really like when people come in and we talk about glass with them.
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