FAQ faq frequently asked questions stained glass faq stain glass question beveled glass faq leaded glass faq stained glass frequently asked questions beveled glass frequently asked questions architectural glass frequently asked questions architectural stained glass faq architectural beveled glass frequently asked questions stained glass question stained glass answers stain glass frequently asked questions stain glass faq art glass frequently asked questions beveled glass question Transparent Dreams Stained Glass & Beveled Glass

Transparent Dreams: General FAQ

My FAQ Pages are always being updated. Relevant questions and answers will be added as they come to my attention.

 If you surfed here first, you may want to start at my Home Page.

This is the General information FAQ Page.

 Visit the Gifts Page for questions related to giving stained glass gifts.

 Visit the Commission Page for questions related to acquiring stained or beveled glass for yourself.

 Visit the Trade Page for questions relevant to Architects, Interior Designers, and Gallery Owners.

Welcome to the Frequently Asked Questions Page. The purpose of this page is to:

  1. Who are you? My name is Mark Stine. I am the driving force behind Transparent Dreams Stained Glass Studio, which is in Denver, Colorado. I have a BA in Psychology and a Masters in Social Work, but my first choice has always been to work as a glass artist, which I have done full-time since 1975.

  2. When were you first exposed to stained glass? When I was eleven, my father and two of my uncles decided to take a class in stained glass. Stained glass is, at first, a frustrating hobby requiring much patience and practice. My father and one of my uncles quit the class before it ended. The other uncle finished the class and made stained glass suncatchers, lampshades, and 3D objects for a number of years until, he too, stopped working in glass.

  3. How did you get started? One day, I was too sick to go on a family outing, so I went to spend the day at my uncle's house. He helped me to make my first stained glass project (thanks Uncle Ted!), which had only 2 pieces of glass in it! I was hooked! I went home and commandeered my father's tools and supplies (the class was still going on, but my father had already stopped going). I was allotted a small space in our unfinished basement in which I could make a mess, and a card table to work on.

  4. Did you make rapid progress? My progress was quite slow, compared to most people who take up this hobby. At first, I made only suncatchers (small stained glass projects depicting butterflies, sailboats, skiers, etc. that hang on fishing line in a window). Later, I learned to make lampshades and 3D objects. It was years before I made an actual "window" (a stained glass panel with a background). By the time I was in high school, I was selling some of my work. Stained glass became a full-time summer job while I studied microbiology in college. After college, I intended to pursue a career in glass until I was financially forced to abandon it, which never happened.

  5. And since then you've been a professional stained glass artist? In the 24 years since college, I have been self-employed full-time as a glass artist (actually, not quite full-time during a return to academia between 1992 and early 1997). Throughout my artistic career, I have had the wonderful opportunity to make many thousands of windows, lampshades, doors, ceilings, room dividers and more for many wonderful people, including some very famous people. I have also created many artworks, which I have sold through galleries and at craft shows and glass shows. I have won many awards for my work and I am proud to say that many stained glass artists who know me consider my craftsmanship to be among the finest they have seen.

  6. Are there things you don't do in working with glass? I certainly don't do everything related to artistic glass. I don't work with hot glass (glassblowing or fusing glass). While I do incorporate a significant amount of sandblasting in my artworks, I don't do glass carving (multiple layer sandblasting on clear plate glass). I also don't do any acid etching on glass. In all of the above areas that I normally don't do, I have either collaborated with other qualified glass artists who do these techniques or remain open to doing so when a commission calls for the inclusion of these techniques with those that I normally employ.

  7. So what are your specialties? I am one of the best stained glass artists when it comes to precision craftsmanship. I also strive to continually expand my artistic vision concerning stained glass. I combine these qualities in every artwork and commission that I undertake, whether large or small, expensive or not. I have been fortunate enough to be honored by others in this profession. At a recent annual glass show sponsored by the art-glass guild in my geographic region, my four entries won Best Original Work, Best Representational Work, an Honorable Mention, and a top honor in the People's Choice category.

  8. So how does your work look different from others working in this medium? My work looks different in two significant ways: [1] The craftsmanship is clean and precise. Straight lines are always perfectly straight. Circles are always perfectly circular. Solder joints are smooth and almost invisible, whether or not patina is applied. Size is always accurate in artworks that are to be installed. For a more detailed explanation of what precision craftsmanship looks like and how vitally important it is to the longevity of a stained glass artwork, visit my Craftsmanship Page (a well marked link on that page will bring you right back here). [2] The acquisition of precision crafting skills has allowed my designs to become discernably clean and innovative. By "clean", I mean that I have been able to adopt a style that has very few of the extra background lines that are apparent in most other stained glass artists' work. I can precisely cut and fit very oddly shaped pieces of glass, allowing me to design in a way that almost every line is relevant to the design. This is very rare among artists who work in this medium, and it allows me to focus on pushing the boundaries of stained glass design to more and more innovative heights, which a visit to my Gallery should prove.

  9. In what geographic region do you offer your services? I offer my services worldwide. To date, I have completed projects for clients from one end of the continental United States to the other, spending a lot of time with some clients and never actually meeting others face to face (working completely "through the mail"). I hope that the internet will create the opportunity to work for people around the world, and I will never hesitate to travel, whenever necessary, to meet with a client or view an installation site or deliver and install a project.

  10. There's so much else to know! What do you suggest? Answers to more specific questions can be found on the other FAQ pages listed at the top of this page. These include pricing, time required, appropriateness for various settings or occasions, shipping versus delivery, my ideas versus your ideas, special incentives I offer to internet clients, etc. Although I try to add all relevant questions that come up to this web site, any questions that you can not find answers to can be directed to me in person via my contact page (linked below).

  11. But why should I have you make this artwork in glass instead of someone else? I'm glad you brought that up... it tells me you care about comparison shopping for the best quality, price, etc, and gives me a chance to remind you of what you'll get with every purchase from Transparent Dreams Glass Studio:

Say I'm ready... what do I do next? The magenta-dotted links below will provide you with the relevant options. Select one of them to move the process forward. Note: Selecting the first option will take you to a form that will allow you to quickly select choices that will communicate to me the current state of your needs, thoughts, and desires concerning this commission, and to ask more questions about it at the same time.

 I'm ready to order one of your fantastic stained glass artworks!

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