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| NewsThursday, August 16, 2007 11:49 PM CDT |
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Creating stained glass a colorful art, hobby
DEWITT -- George Wissmiller believes many people would be surprised to learn working with stained glass is inexpensive and relatively easy. Wissmiller, who has been creating stained, or leaded, glass pieces for the last 25 years, says the craft can be learned in three to four hours. "One of the things I've always liked about leaded glass is that, for about 50 bucks, you can start doing it and turn out a worthwhile piece," he said. But the main reason Wissmiller has continued this hobby is because he likes the idea of creating something that could last for hundreds of years. "The big thing with the leaded glass is the colors," he said. "You can't get a (color) like that any place else except with light coming through glass." Some of Wissmiller's favorite pieces are on display at the Farmer City Public Library and Clinton's Vespasian Warner Library. Wissmiller, who retired from the Champaign Police Department after 24 years, says he got into stained glass after reading a book about the subject. Through trial and error, he taught himself how to master the art. Wissmiller, 58, says the hobby is a solitary pursuit that he likes to compare to "male knitting." "It's contemplative and it's a chance to sit down and think," he said. The process begins with a sketch. Pieces of glass then are cut to fit a particular shape in the drawing. Once all of the glass is cut, pieces are outlined in lead and soldered together to form a figure or shape. After cleaning and framing, the piece is ready for hanging. Wissmiller, who describes the process as "making a jigsaw puzzle the hard way," prefers simple, striking pieces rather than the mosaic, Tiffany-style look. He said he'd like to do some more commission work. He also would like to teach some stained glass workshops. To learn more about Wissmiller's work, e-mail him at george@wissmiller.org or visit www.wissmiller.org/george. Mansfield festival -- Mansfield Homecoming, which includes carnival rides, food, and entertainment, will be Friday through Sunday in the downtown area. The festival will start at 4:30 p.m. Friday with log carving followed by kiddie tractor pulls at 6:30 p.m. and The Artistics Band at 8 p.m. On Saturday, the parade will start at 10 a.m. Other activities will include a magician, car show, kids' games, bicycle rodeo, radio-controlled races, talent show, and a band at JP Cool's. On Sunday, a rib cook-off will start at 7 a.m., and a horseshoe pitch will follow at 10 a.m. Antique tractor and lawnmower pulls will start at noon. Friends of Faith Band will perform from 1 to 4:30 p.m. For information, call (217) 489-9287 or (217) 489-3381. E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
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