Design of the Month · February 2013
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"Deer Entering Clearing"
A friend (and avid hunter) asked me to build him a window with a deer in it. He wanted his window to show the deer in its natural habitat and on the alert for danger. We began working on a pattern for his window and I was able to layer images together to capture the desired feel. I found the deer as a public domain image on the internet. The trees were from a photograph I took while visiting Sedona, AZ, and the brush was from a photograph I took while traveling in a train through Verde Canyon, AZ.
But we struggled to find a suitable color for the deer itself; an avid deer hunter is quite particular about the color of his deer! We weren't entirely satisfied with the glass colors in the standard Glass Eye 2000 glass library, but after more extensive searching we found a suitable color online at the Lamberts "Bendheim" website. Specifically, 3475OP was the perfect color for the deer. Once that was decided, I got a contact name at the New York Lamberts glass outlet from my friends on the Glass Eye 2000 discussion group. I was able to work out a deal for a single sheet of the desired glass, and while it was more glass than I needed the Lamberts contact was also most helpful in discussing my color needs.
Because I have used a glass image that I personally added to my glass library, unless you've done the same you'll see a warning message upon opening my design. Glass Eye 2000 will then substitute a solid color for the missing image, which is really the best it can do. If you'd like to see the glass image instead of the solid color, download 3475OP from Bendheim and add it to your glass library. Place the image in the Glass\Lamberts\Genuine Full Antique folder and call it 3475OP.jpg. For full instructions, read the help topic "Adding Glass and Textures" in the Glass Eye 2000 help system.
The completed window now hangs in a prominent spot in my friend's new house. He tells me that as the sun rises the colors come to life and brighten the whole room. As a hobbyist you couldn't ask for any better compliment from a customer.
~ Ralph Labry
About the artist
Ralph began his glass training by taking a foiling class in 2001 and then a lead came class in 2002. Ralph began using Glass Eye 2000 in 2004 and since then has been able to improve his skills by designing and making pieces for family and friends. He has enjoyed helping them unlock their imaginations and dream up designs using colors that they never imagined existed.
His favorite design themes are focused on nature and its beauty, but he has also made pieces using prepackaged bevels. Ralph has completed projects involving flowers, animals and star formations photographed by the Hubble telescope. Ralph enjoys working on large-scale projects because they allow him greater opportunity to display nature while being creative with a huge array of glass colors and textures. You can contact Ralph via email.
This pattern may be used to make one or more artworks for sale or personal enjoyment. This pattern may be printed for personal use only and may not be sold or given away in printed or electronic form.
Each month we feature a project designed using Glass Eye 2000. Do you have a project to share with the world? Contact Dragonfly Software and your creation might be our next Design of the Month.