Jim's profile

Hi, I'm Jim, the artisan behind Bee Tree Glass:

Growing up, I was always enamored with theatre and by drawing and painting and was encouraged by teachers in elementary, high school and then, college.

In the late ‘80s, I passed a store front of a local stained glass artist. I knew two kinds of stained glass: church windows and Tiffany lamp shades, both of which were way too ritzy and expensive to be the kind of stuff this little shop, on an out-of-the-way Baltimore street, could be dealing in. So I went in for a look-see.

The work in that shop made it very clear that stained glass had a lot more going for it besides just gracing cathedral walls. There was a lot on display in that shop, but the only piece I remember clearly today—twenty-some years later—was a pyramid. It stood at least three foot high and was built of clear glass bevels. They were three-dimensional triangles that were fitted together and formed the four transparent sides of the structure. Each bevel was held in place with metal solder lines that were in a bright brass finish. The design was so simple, so complete and so impressive...

Then as I was leaving, I was stopped in my tracks by a notice on a small bulletin board next to the door announcing stained glass classes beginning the following week.
» I signed up «

Thus began my fascination with stained glass. Over the years since then, it’s been an on-again/off-again hobby because of time problems. But stained glass remained the thing I want to do when I can. Oh, and the occasional commissions tended to kick this 'hobby' thing into a different realm.

Now I am committed to building my own shop making my own designs: Bee Tree Glass. I am developing my own line of hand-made stained glass pieces which are Bee Tree Glass original designs. This product line will be supplemented with commission work of one-of-a-kind and personalized designs for anyone who wishes to contract Bee Tree Glass for anything we can make for them using stained glass—except church windows.

Jim

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