Flameworked Dogwood Stained Glass
Virginia

Bethel Baptist Church
Midlothian, VA

Established in 1817, Bethel has become a vital part of the community life in Midlothian, and has achieved both national and state recognition for the registry of historic places.

Just in time for their 100th anniversary, they commissioned us to replace their yellowed plexiglas and repair their stained glass windows. 

  

Hotel Richmond
Richmond, Virginia

These wonderful windows were hidden under over a hundred years of filth, covered up so that no light was able to shine through them at all. Many of the more than thirty panels were in severe disrepair as well, bowing, with cracked glass and missing pieces, broken lead joints, and non-existent putty. While the hotel was being restored to welcome the Attorney General, we removed all of the windows and transported them to our studio where we completely restored them over many months. After the building renovation, the windows once again had light shining through them, and they brought the foyer alive. We were very honored to work on this project in tandem with Kjellstrom and Lee Construction, to help with the restoration of the historic Hotel Richmond.  

The finished Hotel foyer with the windows.	A look from above.

The three windows before restoration.

Stained Glass Dogwood Tree
Virginia Beach, VA

This wonderful window is a lovely example of how glass is uniquely able to capture the movement and beauty of nature. The dogwood blossoms and leaves against the interweaving sculpted solder branches bring this piece to life. The flameworked blossoms and leaves free us from traditional lead lines, allowing us to explore the playfulness and spontaneity of a natural tree. If you’d like to see more about the creation of this window, please visit our Facebook page.

Schwarzschild Home Monument Avenue
Richmond, Virginia

This beautiful home on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia was undergoing a complete restoration by Dovetail Construction, and this included the century-old beveled glass windows throughout the house. The beveled glass was removed and transported to our studio, where we carefully replaced any broken or cracked bevels with matching ones hand-ground on our antique Henry Lang machinery. We also restored the landing window, which was a beautiful trellis scene with vines and morning glories. These windows now shine again with their original brilliance, and are the highlight of the home.

Fluvanna Baptist Church
Scottsville, Virginia

This beautiful country church has been standing since 1852, and churches of this age all begin to suffer from the same maladies; slate roofs leak, stained glass repairs need to be made. We installed new 1/4″ clear tempered glass protective coverings, properly vented. We also repainted the window frames and sills, and fixed a few broken pieces of slate while we were there.

Wesley’s Chapel United Methodist Church
Scottsville, Virginia

This lovely little chapel in rural Fluvanna County, Virginia was in need of some attention. Having been around for over 150 years, many of the old repairs and elements of the church were deteriorating. We invest so much effort in keeping these small church as unique and authentic as when they were first constructed. We repaired the slate roof, installed new copper flashing to the brick facade, repainted the entrance lettering, as well as installed protective coverings made of non-yellowing tempered glass.

Seay’s Chapel Methodist Church
Palmyra, Virginia

Seay’s Chapel Methodist Church is a historic Methodist church located near Palmyra, Fluvanna County, Virginia. It was built between 1893 and 1902, and is a beautiful example of the types of churches we love to help. After a hailstorm destroyed most of the glass on one side of the chapel, we were tasked with matching the glass and repairing the windows.

Mineral Baptist Church
Mineral, Virginia

After the August 2011 earthquake just a few miles away, this historic church in Mineral, Virginia sustained heavy damage. A complete restoration of the church took place, and we were called upon to provide protection for the stained glass, as well as provide some insulation for the building. We installed perfectly clear 1/4″ tempered glass, which kept the integrity and profile of this beautiful country church. Glass, unlike plastic, never fades or yellows.

Palmyra United Methodist Church
Palmyra, Virginia

			This country church had recently been repainted, and they decided to replace their old yellowed plastic coverings with new tempered glass coverings. We removed all the old plastic, cleaned the frames, thoroughly cleaned the glass, and then installed the new protective coverings. The difference was night and day. Now instead of the windows being muted by the foggy plastic, they could once again be brilliant. Parishioners commented that it made the stained glass look new again. The new tempered glass will never fade or yellow.
		“The longer we work with Mr. Cain and his studio artisans, the more convinced we are that we employed the best help we could get for the protection of our stained glass windows at Palmyra United Methodist Church. The windows are one of the most valuable parts of our church. They needed to be protected. Mr. Cain suggested to us some options and let us select the method most comfortable to us. “After covering our five stained glass windows with vented, glass protective coverings, we had an incident where a mower threw a wooden projectile through a cathedral glass window pane on the side of our sanctuary (not one of our stained glass windows, thankfully). On the same day as the incident, Mr. Cain was at our church, without asking, to tape up the hole while the replacement glass process could be carried out to find the match to the other windows located there. You rarely find that kind of service in today’s business world. “We highly recommend his company and artisans for all things window covering and/or stained glass window design.” Ron Fertile, Co-Chairman of Trustees Palmyra United Methodist Church 258 Palmyra Way Box 151, Palmyra, VA 22963

Bingham’s United Methodist Church
Dyke, VA

This humble country church called us to repair broken pieces within their windows and to permanently paint dedication plaques to replace the previous vinyl lettering that had failed. We also were asked to replace their wire-mesh coverings with clear tempered glass protective coverings. We repaired each broken piece with matching glass, thoroughly cleaned the windows, and then properly vented and installed the new, perfectly clear, tempered glass protective coverings.

“Mr. Cain and his team did an excellent job restoring and protecting the stained glass windows of our church and we could not be happier with the experience. Throughout the process communication was great and the work was done to a very high standard, on schedule, and at the price originally quoted.

“It was especially nice that Mr. Cain took the extra time we required to answer questions and address our concerns. In an increasingly busy world it is nice to find craftsmen who still take pride in (and stand behind) the work they put their name on, we recommend Mr. Cain without reservation.”

Robert Peery 
Bingham’s United Methodist Church
Dyke, VA

Our Studio

“We do not get to know people by their coming to us.

We must go to them to find out what they are like.”

-Goethe

“It’s what’s on the inside that counts.”

Painted Stained Glass Vine
Crewe, VA

This wonderful window was commissioned for a historic home in Crewe Virginia, to compliment the finished renovations. Coming forth from a hill, the briar vine weaves up and through the geometric window, giving this piece a light, airy feel. Painted on completely transparent German mouth-blown glass, this window allows the room to remain light while creating a jewel in this home. To see more of this project, please visit our Facebook Page.

Leaded Stained Glass Tree
Lake Monticello, VA

This beautiful window was commissioned for a kitchen in a waterfront home on Lake Monticello. In order to not obstruct the view outdoors, as well as compliment the colors and beauty of the trees outside, we created a window that used the outside world to enhance it’s own brilliance. As the seasons change, the organic colors will blend with the foliage outside, creating new textures and reflections that will be new and exciting every day.

You can see more detailed project photographs on our Facebook Page.

Flame Sculpted Stained Glass
Albequeqe, New Mexico

We were commissioned to create a window that brought the wonderful palette of Autumn to life in a contemporary window. Using our sculpted solder and flame-worked leaves, we captured the movement of a tree losing it’s fall leaves. You can see more detailed progress photos on our Facebook Page.

Art Glass Windows
Fork Union, Virginia

This project has so many details tucked away, so many little hidden gems. The windows themselves were created for an old plantation house near Fork Union, Virginia, in the country outside of Richmond, Virginia. The design was created specifically to match the antique feel and look of much of the rest of the farm, and the glass chosen to match. The owners are equestrians, and have a passion for old pony carts and carriages. These windows were for the carriage house, and so rightly showcased the horse and carriage. The lead on these windows is sculpted to be three dimensional, with sculpted solder horses and fleur de lis as well. The medallions are simple but detailed; one immortalizing a special pony and the other a carriage.

Flame Sculpted Stained Glass
Washington DC

This window was an exploration in our own unique style, blending beautiful German reamy glass in the background and flame-sculpted leaves and blossoms to create a floral piece full of color and transparency. Each blossom and leaf is three-dimensional, each created by hand over an open flame. The overall effect is a step closer to our goal, realizing the translucency of nature in our glass art. You can explore this project more in depth on our Facebook page .

Sculpted Stained Glass Skylight
Charlottesville, Virginia

A skylight created with beveled glass, sculpturing, and flame working. The white dot is the moon passing through the tree tops.

To see more of this project, please visit our Facebook Page.

Winter Tree – Sculpted Stained Glass
Warrenton, Virginia

This special window was for a home that wanted something truly unique. Using our sculpted soldering technique, we build the tree up to be three dimensional, creating bark texture, weaving branches in and out, doing our best to capture a bare winter tree. The spectacular glass allowed us to capture that sparkle that a late sunset can create, and helped bring this project together. You can explore this project more in depth on our Facebook page.

Historic Beveled Glass
Richmond Virginia

We were tasked with replicating the design and brilliance of hand-beveled stained glass windows in a home on Richmond Virginia’s Monument Avenue, a Historic District. We carefully worked the pattern to fit in the opening, and then ground each bevel by hand on our 100 year old antique Henry Lang beveling machinery. The glow and richness of hand-ground bevels can’t be beat. The window sparkles with just the barest amount of light hitting it, and has an impact both inside and out.You can explore this project more in depth on our Facebook page.

Stained Glass Painting Restoration
Haymarket, VA

This was a private restoration for a couple in the Washington DC area. They had a beautiful painted glass window they had brought back from England, but it had a few broken and missing pieces. We carefully matched the color of the glass, as well as the painting techniques to achieve a perfect match. You’d have to look very carefully to distinguish our work from the original.

You can explore this project more in depth on our Facebook page.

St. Johns Lutheran Church
Emporia, Virginia

	We were approached by the congregation to enhance the visual impact of a wooden cross behind the altar in their sanctuary. Without lights behind the cross, we developed an idea to use colored mirrors to use the available light above and in front of the cross to make the sunburst design sparkle as you moved throughout the sanctuary. You can explore this project more in depth on our Facebook page.

Private Residence
Montgomery County, Maryland

These beautiful windows had been brought to the US from England with a family once a tour was completed. They were absolutely filthy, had many broken or missing pieces, and needed some work to correct bowing and bent lead. We took our time and restored these beauties to their original luster, carefully matching each broken piece, replacing lead where needed, and thoroughly cleaning each window.

You can explore this project more in depth on our Facebook page.

St. Thomas Aquinas Church
Charlottesville, VA

Here we were asked to remove four existing windows, reconfigure the design, and relocate to a new location within the church.

Winchester Medical Center Cardiac Unit
Winchester, Virginia

A Contemporary panel we created for Winchester Medical Center’s Cardiac Wing. This panel combined our flameworking, sculpturing, and beveling techniques to create a simple yet elegant piece that compliments the aesthetics of the hospital unit. The apple blossoms on branches played to a local tradition, and set on the hand-blown reamy glass sparkled when the light hit the translucent petals. See more of this project on our Facebook Page.

Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum
Ohio State University

This project was years in the making, and an honor to be a part of. We worked with the curators of the museum as well as with the family of Billy Ireland to design a window that reflected his artistry and informed the public of his brilliance. We felt a connection to Billy Ireland; as self taught artists we appreciated his creativity and liveliness. We custom designed the two windows, one for the reading room and one for the foyer of Sullivent Hall, and spent months painting the panels and custom fabricating the steel and bronze frames. This project is one of our finest achievements, and was a pleasure to be a part of.

To see more of our process, please visit our Facebook page

Sharing Ideas

People appreciate that their project is designed specifically for them and will never be reproduced.

Flameworked Stained Glass Wisteria
Fork Union, Virginia

	This special window was created for a home outside of Fork Union, and our goal was to accentuate the organic beauty found only in nature. We love how playful Wisteria can be, and used the trees around our studio that have it as inspiration. Each leaf and petal was individually worked over an open flame to twist and mold it to the perfect shape. The composition brings out the three -dimensional nature of the glass, while the wispy background glass brings to mind a breeze. We were sad to see this one leave our studio. To see more detailed progress photos of this project, please visit our Facebook Page.

Stained Glass Color Samples

When we find a company that makes stained glass, we order their samples and build a rack so we can study them in natural light. We now have 35 racks with hundreds of glass samples. Combining the different characters of the glass as well as their colors for each project individually is an art unto itself.

These samples are useful in communicating with our clients, but to select the final glass we group our projects together and visit the vendors to hand select. Ordering based solely on the samples is very risky.

Stained Glass Color Interaction

How colors interact with each other is of great concern. On this very complicated project, we placed the cut pieces on a piece of clear glass that was laid over a pattern. As we progressed, we would hold the “tray” of clear glass over our heads to see how the colors interacted.

Stained Glass Color Selection

We buy our stained glass in sheets to give us a wide range of color to select from. It takes the eyes at least 20 minutes to absorb color, and so much of our time is spent in selection. It’s not unusual for a few leaves to be cut from a sheet and the remainder placed in our racks.

Projects Evolve

Projects evolve. Each day we see them a little differently, constantly trying to imporve what we have created. All of our sketches are done free hand, and with computers and modern technology, we are able to make refinments full scale.

Glass Cutting

We cut each piece of glass by hand. Sometimes we’ll use a

diamond band saw for sharp inside cuts and a diamond grinder for close fits.

Tiffany Style Stained Glass
Midlothian, VA

One of three windows for a living room. We started out making the transoms to help control the sunlight into the room. Several years later, we added the bottom area using wavy restoration glass with a beveled glass center. Then the idea evolved to build little glass shelves into the window to hold some of the owners blown glass collection.

Art Glass Transom
Midlothian, Virginia

Stylized Peacock

Tiffany Style Art Glass
Richmond, Virginia

Beveled Art Glass
Bremo Bluff, Virginia

Curved Beveled Glass
Richmond, VA

Traditional Art Glass
Potomac, Maryland

Beveled Glass Window
Potomac, MD

Leaded Stained Glass
Richmond, Virginia

Fork Union Military Alumni House
Fork Union, VA

Beveled Glass Transom
Richmond, VA

Varying the widths on this fan window made it more interesting than the traditional,

even spaced designs of the past. Creating something new that works in a traditional

spaces gives the architecture uniqueness that adds to its value.

Residence
Charlottesville, VA

Residence
Richmond, Virginia

Studies in Our Studio – Virginia

Surrounded By Light

Being surrounded by sunlight helps us to create windows that match the
direction of the light they will receive in their final setting.

Always Exploring

We are always looking for new ways to use glass. Painting, acid etching, carving,

beveling, lamp working… combining the materials from different sources and working

them in creative, never ending ways is a wonderful way to spend one’s life.

Sculpting Solder

Sculpting solder with a 250 watt soldering iron. It is amazing how solder will

follow the heat and what one can achieve with patience and practice.

Drying Putty

A cozy way to spend the day. Putty drying by the coal stove, radios on;

pushing putty around our stained glass windows can be a nice break from the stress of creativity.

Putty

To make our windows weather resistant, we push putty under all the leads.

This also gives the window much of its strength. Final cleaning is time consuming and tedious,

but gives the window a polished, finished look.

Glue Chipped Glass

As the glue dries, it grasps the frosted glass and peals it to achieve the chip effect.

We always chip three times as much glass as we need so we can select for the effect we are trying to achieve.

Glue Chipping

Glue chipping is an old art glass process where one heats aminal glue in a double boiler

and pours in onto a level piece of glass that has been sandblasted. By varying the ratio of glue

to water and how many times we chip the glass we are able to achieve many different textures.

My Family

All five of my step children worked in the studio as they were growing up. My father took me to work

with him when I was a child, and as an adult I now consider it one of the most important parts of my life.

This is Matthew, another stepson, helping me cut a pattern.

My Stepson

My stepson, Daniel White, has worked with me since he was a teenager. Now at, 30, we work together as

a team, learning from each other as he prepares to make our studio his life’s work. This partnership and

the passing of our art from one generation to another is the pinnacle of my career and gives me great joy.

Sandblasting

After transforming our design to a rubber stencil on the glass, we cut the design with an exacto knife.

To achieve the depth and shadows for a landscape design such as this we carved with various mediums from fine to coarse.

Removing the stencil, carving, replacing the stencil, carving… we build on the process.

Metal Sculpting

Sculpting with metal in our windows gives us the ability to create life-like forms like tree and vine motifs,

sometimes adding thorns and branches that protrude beyond the surface of the glass.

Here we use an electric hand-held melting pot to pour the base metal.

Project Documentation

Documenting our projects as they develop for our archives and emailing updates to our clients.

Hand Beveling

Hand beveling on our 1915 Henry Lang machinery. By holding the glass over rotating iron,

stone, cork, and felt, many small facetes are created to give the bevel its character.

Stained Glass Painting – Wax Easel

By “waxing” the glass to an area of the studio where the light is the same as where the window will end up

is very important to the success of our projects. We also take into account the presence of trees or sky behind our windows.

Glass Painting

Painting on glass is an art unto itself.

This is Missy Scott, one of the most gifted people I have ever worked with.

Tobacco Company
Richmond, Virginia

We created a wall 26′ x 9′ of cut mirror and black glass for a disco around 30 years ago.

You can see the design sketch in the photograph. By leaving the edge clean cut, the revolving

light would travel along the design lines.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Salem, VA

This is one of two large windows in which both of the wood frames had to be replaced. We braced the frames and removed each section of stained glass. Each window was carefully restored to revive the original beauty of the artist who created them.

For St. Paul’s we removed all of the yellowing plastic over the stained glass windows and replaced it with clear safety glass that will never fade or yellow. The stained glass windows were created almost 100 years ago by a German studio. Except for the two large windows, the stained glass was in excellent condition due to the level of craftsmanship and being protected from the elements by the plastic coverings.

Historic Manor Chapel
Baltimore, Maryland

This Historic Chapel, located on a private estate that dates back to before the Civil War, was being completely restored, and we were called in to repair and renew the artistic vision of the original stained glass windows. There were over 50 separate windows, each in a serious state of disrepair. We repainted each center panel, retouched numerous original pieces, and used UV resin to salvage as many broken pieces as possible. After re-leading, applying reinforcing bars, applying concrete putty, and completely cleaning each window, the final product was absolutely stunning.

To see the whole process unfold, please visit our Facebook page for Before and After photos and explanations.

Colonial Heights Baptist Church
Colonial Heights, VA

As churches grow and rebuild, they often take their stained glass windows with them. Here we removed one of the two original windows and restored it by cleaning, removing the bows, and bracing the sections. We then installed it into a light box in the new sanctuary and focused the light on the highlights of the window.

French Ambassador’s Home
Washington, DC

Southern exposure is hard on leaded glass. In this section of the home, the leaded glass was literally falling out of the sashes. We rebuilt the windows using the old glass and new, high quality lead came.

Church of Our Savior
Charlottesville, VA

Here we removed all of the stained glass windows, brought them to our studio, and removed all of the lead cames. By releading the windows with a high quality lead, properly bracing them, and covering them with clear temper glass protective, these windows will be fine for the next 100 years.

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church
Charlottesville, Va

We were given this Icon by the stained glass committee to reproduce for their new chapel. One does not change an icon. We created the highlights for this window by acid etching european flash glass that is blow clean and dipped into a colored glass. The background was stippled onto a golden piece of glass to look like parchment. Glass jewels were used in the crown surrounded by small pieces of beveled glass for highlights. The faces and hands we delicately painted over a period of four firings in the kilns.

St. Thomas Aquinas Priory
Charlottesville, Virginia

One of our most spectacular projects, a pair of Rose Windows custom designed and created for the new St. Thomas Aquinas Priory in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Dominican Friars that live at the Priory will pray in the chapel where these windows live five times a day. Each individual symbol is placed to instruct the faithful, as well as inspire prayer, which hearkens back to the purpose of stained glass back in ancient times. Each individual painted piece was fired multiple times, and painted using antique processes and techniques. The Dominicans are an old order, and new-style windows wound’t suit their new home.

To see more of this post, please visit our Facebook Page.

Painted Stained Glass Madonna
Bremo Bluff, VA

	Much of what we have learned has come from our study of historic windows. We were particularly drawn to this section of the 14th century Eaton Bishop church in Herefordshire, England because it represented a turning point in religious art. The Virgin no longer seems stiff as in earlier windows, and is depicted with a supple, s-shaped form and lively, facial expressions. We created this window to learn from the artists and craftsmen of this period. Using the finest handblown glass from Europe for color and glass painting for the subtleties of line, this window represents some of our finest work. The Eaton Bishop study (shown left) is on display in our studio and is used in presentations to church committees considering stained glass for their places of worship.

Grace Episcopal Church
Bremo Bluff, VA

A memorial window for one of the members. Our challenge here was the face of St. Francis. To achieve his sweet, gaunt face took many experiments and seven firings to achieve. A wild rabbit was a part of the deceased’s daily life.

Amelia Presbyterian Church
Amelia, Virginia

This photograph shows a third of the windows in this sanctuary. By using a hand blown translucent glass from West Germany, we were able to blend the trees and bushes on the exterior into our concept. The striations in the glass gives movement to the windows as one walks through the sanctuary. This was my first complete church project, over 30 years ago.               A view of the exterior of the church.

St. John’s Episcopal Church
Columbia, Virginia

This window was created in memorial to the minister’s life work at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Columbia, Virginia. I was in charge of installing the window over the back door of the small country church during the service and then taking a back row seat in the sanctuary. When the service was over, one of the members approached the minister and announced the church had a special birthday gift for him. As the doors opened to reveal the “Guardian Angel” over the entrance doors, I don’t think I have ever seen so many tears, smiles, and joy expressed. One of the most moving experiences of my career

Fork Union Presbyterian Church
Fork Union, Virginia

A beautiful Gothic church built in 1886 resisted stained glass all of those years, feeling it was inappropriate for its all white color scheme. We started this project by asking if we could place some sheets of glass in their windows. By “living” with stained glass they began to appreciate the warmth and beauty it contributed to their worship area. Soon there were three donors for memorial windows, each with a desired symbol, scripture, and memorial plaque for their loved one.

Faith in Christ Community Church
Orange, VA

Simplicity can create a very powerful, emotional environment by allowing us to focus on what is important to us. Symbols spark our thoughts and feelings into interpretations that are meaningful to our lives. Color heightens our senses and emotions.

Elk Hill Farm School Chapel
Goochland, VA

The changing of the seasons surrounded by royal colors gives this stained glass window a balance of casualness and formality; nice combination for a boys school. We cut holes in the window about the size of a quarter and inserted chandelier parts so when the sun moves, rays of light travel around the chapel.

St. Peter Baptist Church
Glen Allen, Virginia

Working with the stained glass committee, we were given symbols that were importnat to the congregation. Many of the symbols were from children’s educational materials and literature collected over the years. It was our job to use our expertise and skill to interpret these symbols in art glass.

A wispy, iridescent white glass was chosen for the background for it’s ethereal quality. The symbols at the top were executed in stained glass, while some of the images were enhanced by painting. Beveled glass was used in the circles to add sparkle and light as if the symbols were an opening in our background of wispy white. We chose the scrolls because we felt they gave a historical look to the scriptures. The lion and lily are just two of the many symbols we created specifically for St. Peter Baptist Church

Contemporary Stained Glass Window
Warrenton, VA

This window brings many of our studios finest skills together into a single piece. Each colored bevel couples hand-blown german glass with bevels hand-ground on our antique Henry Lang machinery. The sculpted branches, brilliant red leaves, and accent bevels gives the tree an illusion of movement. The background glass is one of a kind, and selected for it’s wispy blue and gold veins. Sliver bevels are adhered to the glass and reflect the light playfully.

To see more of this window, please visit our Facebook Page

Contemporary Flameworked Apple Tree
Warrenton, Va

Flameworking is a process we have explored in our studio, with a focus upon trying to capture the translucency of nature, that “sun coming through the tree limbs” effect. This dogwood tree is composed of sculpted solder, hand-made dogwood blossoms and leaves, and hand-blown german glass to bring it all alive.

The Book Bindery Building
Richmond, Virginia

A European design for a traditional building. Using a light background hand blown glass from West Germany, with emerald green and beveled glass as accents, we gave this window a feel of “organized energy”.

6th Street Marketplace
Richmond, VA

The 6th street Market window was created in one piece; a ten foot diameter stained glass window. To achieve this size, the reinforcing bars were a work of art unto themselves. We inserted beveled glass so the window would sparkle with the sun in the day and car lights at night. These windows are now owned by the Valentine Museum in Richmond, Virginia.

Charlottesville Business Journal:
November 1996 (.pdf | .jpg)

Richmond Times Dispatch:
September 16th, 1985 (.pdf | .jpg)
September 19th, 1985 (.pdf | .jpg)

Richmond News:
September 1985 (.pdf | .jpg)

Jefferson-Pilot Building
Winston-Salem, NC

A twelve foot diameter skylight for a bank in North Carolina. With a concave bow we constructed this with a framework of T-bars and built the sections to fit like a drop ceiling. The trick is to bend the panels along the lead lines and brace with reinorcing bars to achieve and hold the curve.

Tandem Friends School
Charlottesville, VA

Every window begins with ideas. The ideas are worked through on paper, usually staring small and then enlarged to scale and reworked. This is the original full scale sketch of the Tandem window above. Usually, we are half way through a project before we cut the first piece of glass.

Tandem Friends School
Charlottesville, VA

This window was created for the art room of a private school, grades 5 through 12. With the tree as their symbol, we wanted the window to express the energy, creativity, and spontaneity of the students. The tree was created using rolled stained glass with varying textures to give the effect of light filtering through the leaves. The surrounding area was created by hand beveling flash glass (a layer of color on a clear base) from West Germany. When completed, we made around 15 glass leaves with our flame-working and attached them to the window as if they were blowing in the wind.

Tandem newsletter:
December 2001 (.pdf | .jpg)

VIP Lounge, The Paramount Theatre
Charlottesville, VA

We designed a mirror to go between the lighting fixtures using our “antique” mirror technique. With a thin line of emerald green reflective glass as an accent, we cut the mirror to the remaining design and placed the edges together so the light from the fixtures would travel along the edges as one moved around the room. This is commonly know as the “French Cut”.

The Ballroom, The Paramount Theatre
Charlottesville, VA

Our client did not want the brash look of new mirrors, so by contaminating silver nitrate and rolling it around on a 2′ by 3′ sheet of glass, we created these “antique” mirrors. Cutting our sheets to size, we selected a place for each mirror around the room to achieve a balanced effect.

Grace Episcopal Church
Bremo Bluff, VA

A beautiful church in Fluvanna, Virginia with several styles of stained glass that were greatly enhanced by removing the faded plastic and replacing with clear glass protective coverings, greatly improving the quality of light.

Fork Union Baptist Church
Fork Union, VA

Removing faded and yellowing plastic coverings and replacing them with clear tempered or safety glass with proper venting systems is an important part of what we do to preserve the integrity of our clients architecture.

Residence
Baltimore, MD

This is the original skylight window for a four-story stair case in the historic district of Baltimore, Maryland. Found in the basement, we were given this window to restore in hopes it would once again grace the top of the stairs. Caked with dirt and coal dust, sagging, lead joints broken, and also missing the center, we dismantled the four sides and went to work. We decided to make the center panel using a slight different, more opaque glass to lessen in the center and brighten the side panels.

Buckingham Baptist Church
Buckingham, VA

This is a rather simple window in design with two significantly important components. The crown of thorns is three dimensional using our solder sculpting method, and the lettering on the bible is beautifully rendered as it follows the curve of the page. The green background was chosen to coordinate with the lighting fixtures and the gold to match the tassels on the American Flag.

St. Thomas Aquinas Church
Charlottesville, VA

Along with the icon, the stained glass committee wanted thirteen contemporary stained glass windows interpreting the paintings of one of their parishioners, Mary Atkinson. Here we chose to use an adhesive to bond the stained glass to a sheet of tempered glass, removing the need for lead lines and giving us a “painted canvas” effect.

Contemporary Beveled Glass Door
Richmond, Virginia

One of our contemporary windows where we beveled various angles on different thicknesses of glass. Not symmetrical, but balanced, and with lines that reach out into the window giving an interesting and inviting feel to this traditional entryway.

Art Nouveau Stained Glass Tree and Bird
Nellysford, Virginia

A large window over a Jacques. With the pileated woodpecker as our focal point, we designed a tree that is overgrown and untameded, giving us a three dimensional effect. This creates interest in the large area around the woodpecker, with the iridized glass picking up on the colors in the stone which surrounds it.

The Tobacco Company
Richmond, Va

A wall of silver mirror and black glass, 22 feet by 9 feet tall, created for the Tobacco Club. The play of lights, reflecting colors, and the clean cut edges of glass enhance the design, making this one of our more unique public commissions.

Sculpted Tree Beveled Glass Window
Midlothian, Virginia

A landing window in a contemporary home. Glass beveling, carving, and sculpturing were used to create a one of a kind piece that elegantly plays off of the world behind it.

Contemporary Art Glass Doors
Buckingham, Virginia

The iridized glass in this window blended beautifully with the surrounding colors. The delicate beveling in the tops of the trees comes alive with the lights behind them.

Contemporary Beveled Glass
Richmond, Virginia

The couple we worked with wanted a Caribbean effect. We used antique glass with striations to give the illusion of heat waves and crystal lilies for an exotic look.

Stained Glass Lunar Cycle
Nellysford, Virginia

A window for over the entryway of a contemporary home. Varying lavenders picked up on the colors from the stone fireplace. The center was embellished with thin translucent glass we created by our flame working process to enhance the sun’s effect. Folding the yellow border around the window gave us an interesting alternative to a simple straight border.

Fused Stained Glass Doors
Corolla, NC

Fused Glass: By cutting the glass slightly larger than the pattern we can overlap the edges and fuse the glass together in our kilns. Instead of a piece of lead holding the glass together, there is a seam of glass that catches the light and highlights the design. As the sun moves, the light moves from one seam to another, bringing the window to life. We created eight windows like this for a beach home’s kitchen in Corolla, North Carolina.

St. Peter’s Baptist Church
Richmond, Va

This window was created for the church choir’s practice room. Our goal was to give a windowless room a bit of the spirit to begin the early morning rehearsal.

Beveled Stained Glass Vines
White Hall, Virginia

A pair of sidelights created for a couple who owns a vineyard. Here we wanted to create the effect of ice on early morning grape vines in the “dead” of winter. Hand beveling glass on our old machinery gave us the freedom to create steep, varying bevels and sculpting the vines gave them a life-like appearance. A great deal of effort went into the design to achieve the three dimensional effect with the end of the growing season branches.

Beveled Glass Entry
Richmond, VA

I created the beveled glass door on the left for a gentleman who was starting his own real estate investment company 30 years ago. He has recently moved into a much larger office with a larger door. One of our projects this month was to modify the original glass with our 1915 Henry Lang beveling equipment and install it in the new opening.
The office staff had become quite fond of their entry door. Many consider it their signature piece.

Beveled Glass and Glue Chipped Windows
Richmond, VA

This is a collaboration with the owner of an 1880’s home in Churchill, Virginia.

An excellent example of how our patrons expand our perception of our art.

Etched Glass Doors
Amherst, Virginia

To create the effect of this landscape, we used various mediums from fine to corse to achieve the shading we needed to give this piece depth. The lettering was cut mechanically and the art work hand crafted. A nice combination in this commission.

Lampworked Lamp
Barboursville, VA

One of my first lampworking projects, a panel for a pool table lamp depicting the fall leaves of a Dogwood tree.

Sculpted Apple Tree Window
Lovingston, Virginia

Created for a couple who own an orchard, the only requirement they gave me was that it had to have an apple in it. I created an apple about the size of a 50 cent piece by flame working glass and attaching it to this window with the wintry branch. We call it “The Last Apple”

Objet D’Art
Richmond, VA

I created this wall hanging around 1985, back when I was using a simple point-and-shoot camera.
I made the structure out of bronze, cut various stones for the inserts, and silvered and solder sculptured the tree area.
This was a rare attempt for me to create something different for a hallway, where I only had reflective light to work with.

Study in Our Studio
Bremo Bluff, Virginia

By cutting strips of glass from our stock we are able to work the glass over a flame. This gives us the freedom to manipulate the hot glass into shapes and stretch it in order to vary and enhance its translucency.

Art Nouveau Stained Glass
Charlottesville, Va

Iridized “turtle back jewels” first used by Tiffany surrounded by iridized stained glass. Plays beautifully with reflected light.

Contemporary Seasons
Troy, VA

It’s rare that we get a project where we’re only working with reflective light. This is only the 3rd one that I can remember over the last 47 years.

If you look closely, you can see the little tiles and marbles we used to give this window a playful look.

Stained Glass Silvering
Richmond, Virginia

After hand beveling each piece of glass we created an “antique” mirror effect by contaminating sliver nitrate and silvering the back side of the glass. Then we assembled with our sculpturing technique and applyed a patina for a natural look. With sconces on each side, the light reflects on the bevels as one moves down the hallway.

Painted Stained Glass Bears
Richmond, Virginia

What a fun window. It started out as a bear’s head centered in a traditional window. Evolving through our exchange of ideas we brought this concept to life with the idea of dancing bears. Our client called one day to see how the project was going and said “are they?” as I responded “Yes, they’re in Love”.

Beveled Gluechip Glass Window
Charlottesville, Virginia

A beautiful example of two old glass working processes used in a contemporary way. Glue chipping and glass beveling were both developed around 1900. By beveling on our 1915 Henry Lang machinery and using animal glue we are able to carry on these traditions in our artist studio today.

Contemporary Sculpted Stained Glass
Richmond, Virginia

A colorful and playful stained, beveled, and sculptured window for a traditional entryway. One of a pair, these windows give an eclectic look to the foyer.

Contemporary Stained Glass Entryway
Richmond, Virginia

By adhering stained glass to the back of our bevels we were able to give a jewel like effect to the background of this textured stained glass entryway. The shadowing, created by the textures of the glass, makes this entryway especially interesting as one moves about the home.

“First Frost” Sculpted Window
Virginia

One in a series of windows we created to simulate the last few days of fall in the vineyard. Beveling stained glass, fusing other portions, and sculpturing the solder for depth, we were able to bring out the true character of the piece.

Leaded Glass Windows
Richmond, Virginia

The small squares at the bottom of black beveled glass embellished the curtains above and still gave our client their view over the kitchen sink

Contemporary Beveled Glass Transom
Midlothian, Virginia

One of our contemporary beveled glass windows with various beveling techniques on different thicknesses and textures of glass. The lines in the window pick up on the lines and proportions in the room.

Stained Glass Quilt
Richmond, Virginia

A quilt influenced design for a series of doors into a “South West” room. We used many different colors of European hand-blown glass, balanced and coordinated, to achieve the unique look our client was seeking.

Shalom Baptist Church
Mechanicsville, VA

This church was moving and wanted to take their stained glass window with them. We removed the old ones along with it’s frame, refurbished the windows and prepared the frame to be stained in the new sanctuary.

Leaded Glass Transom Windows
Virginia

A couple of leaded-glass windows that we restored and replaced at college campuses in Virginia.

“We first worked with Mr. Cain in 2017 on a state university project to restore leaded glass transoms.  As general contractors, we were more than impressed with Mr. Cain’s updating and reporting during the process.  In addition (and most importantly!), we and the university were extremely pleased with the results.

Mr. Cain’s artistic skill set was a key component in helping us to complete restoration of this historic building.  In 2018, we did not hesitate to again turn to Mr. Cain for help with restoration work at another state university, again with excellent results.  We look forward to future cooperation with Mr. Cain when the next opportunity arises.”

S. Todd Weinberg, Manager
Paisley Kerr Contracting
Henrico, VA

Tabernacle Baptist Church
Petersburg, Virginia

After this historic Baptist church in Petersburg was vandalized, we were tasked to replicate the century-old window for this historic church. When a window is so badly damaged, it is sometimes best to create an all new duplicate. We matched the glass, and made a charcoal rubbing of the original, and then started the recreation. After a great deal of hard work, the finished piece brings the entryway back to life.

Congregation Beth Israel
Charlottesville, VA

This project required us to reduce the size of a window to allow for a new doorway.

Tudor Home Window
Richmond, VA

This was a series of 4 windows I created for a home in Richmond, Virginia somewhere around 30 years ago. My intention was to pick up on the design elements in the Tudor home.

This gave me an opportunity to use our 3/8″ thick glass to compliment the heavy interior wood molding and glue chipped glass, for privacy.

Beveled Glass Window
Bremo Bluff, VA

A couple of sidelights we beveled on our 1915 machinery. By holding the glass over rotating iron, stone, cork, and felt, one achieves many small facets that give our bevel glass windows their sparkle.