Voices Behind the Glass VII

An Inside Look at the Sphere of Light from One of Its Visionary Creators

Today we’re excited to introduce artist Kylee Lawyer, one of the talented painters currently working on the Sphere of Light Project. Glass painting has been used since as early as 2000 BCE and has long been a powerful medium for storytelling. We’re grateful to incorporate this art form into this project and highlight the intricate details it brings to each piece.

About the Artist

Q: Can you share a bit about your background and how you got started in stained glass? I'm Kylee. I have been doing traditional painting as well as digital for years now. I only started doing the glass painting when I started working here. I have experience doing drawing college courses. I didn't get a degree in art though, but that's kind of how I started, where I started on the production team actually. I heard about the job from a friend and that they were hiring, and so I came in. It sounded like a job I would be really interested in just because you have a lot more creativity. It sounded really fun. That's kind of how I got started here and then I moved onto the art team a few months ago.

Q: Do you have a favorite technique or process in your work? I love building. Building the windows is really fun. Lead work is really fun. I've also really enjoyed the painting so far. It's been one of my favorite things since working here.

Q: What makes glass painting unique compared with other mediums you’ve worked with? It was a very steep learning curve at first. I'm used to the regular art where you add paint if you want to get a certain effect, but in a lot of ways, doing glass painting is the opposite. It's like a subtractive method, and that was really hard to learn at first. You're taking away what you don't want to fire into the glass. But once I got the hang of it, now it's just fine. And when I try to draw regularly, it's like kind of weird. I'm like, wait, I have to do this subtractive method. But. So it was definitely a steep learning curve, but now it's kind of comes more naturally.

About the Sphere of Light

Q: What are you currently working on for the project? It looks like a mess at the moment. I'm getting ready to do a water mat on this piece. Right now, I've just done a layer of like lighter shadows, and I'm going in to do some deeper shadows to strengthen the forms and stuff on the piece. I'll put the paint on the piece, I'll get it wet and take a brush and just evenly spread it across the piece. That's the goal at least. And then it'll dry and I can take off what I want. And that's kind of how I'll get the forms and the shapes to be able to fire after that.

Q: What does it mean to you to be part of the Sphere of Light project? I think it's been really, really cool so far. I love hearing all the different perspectives. It's kind of funny. We joke about how, like, depending on who you ask, you'll get a different answer about something in the project. But in reality, I think that's a good thing. It's good to have different perspectives and opinions on things, because then you end up with something really beautiful and you can tell a lot of work and heartwarming to it. So I'm just happy to add my opinion to all of that.

Q: If you could describe the Sphere of Light in three words, what would they be? I would say collaborative, creative and inspired.

We will see you all next month for another Artist Interview! Make sure to Follow Us online to stay up to date on all the things happening with the Sphere.

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