"ASPEN WINDOW SCULPTURE" © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Aspen Window Sculpture"

Private Collection

Not long ago a friend and collector asked me if I would be interested in doing something for their anniversary with an old kitchen window that was taken out of their kitchen reno.  I said, sure, OF COURSE!  At first she thought of painting the glass...aspen and leaves...and I still MAY do that, but she gave me an extra one and I was inspired to do something else...and this is how the window came about.

My idea was to cut sections and place them between the panes...seems simple enough doesn't it! HA!  Well, when you take old branches and try to attach it to old window frame wood that is a DIFFERENT wood, it becomes a fun little challenge!  Glue doesn't hold on it's own, so that leaves some sort of nails or supports in some way...What I ended up doing was drilling holes and anchoring the sections with nails and glue.  I had to come in at an angle on the bottom sections as the drill bit wouldn't go through.  The issue then became making sure the nails went directly through the center of the branch so it wouldn't split.

SO, I ended up with this composition for my "prototype" window to show my friend to see if she would like the idea.  She wanted aspen trees, so I painted them in my fashion to resemble aspen.  BUT, the big wonder was the leaves she wanted to represent the seasons...hmmmm...well, after some thought I found a wonderful stained glass artist named Kyle Schumucher with Blue Fish Studios on ETSY.  He had some leaves that were seasonal, but all I had to do was ask and he fashioned an aspen leaf and made me a special order...and that solved THAT problem!  He is a great guy to work with by the way...:)  SO, more drilling and bending of wire and the final product came out...

It took a bit of figuring, but the end result is fun!  At first I only had three leaves...and put it in MY window for photo...

I loved the effect, but it just needed more of Kyle's leaves!  WHEW!  Love the end, but not sure about doing lots of them...maybe something in a small frame??  LOVE THAT IDEA!!...stay tuned!!!

AND, I seldom do something JUST for me...the window was an means to an end...but my bathroom was in need of an angel painting to go with a print my son got me years ago and a beautiful sculpture I got that my friend who wanted the window made!  Yep, I hang in creative circles! :)  SO...just a quickie in the fashion of my other figures without faces...FUN DOINS!

The frame is an upcycled one I found at a thrift shop...with just the exact matt I needed!!

AND, that my friends is the story of me up to today!!  

HAPPY CREATING!!