Colored, stained glass that filters light.

With each shade, intensity and the pattern contributing like an orchestra to the experience out in the audience. The sunshine that fuels the backdrop provides a different sensation than a set of spotlights trying to do the same job artificially.

Not just found in Maine churches these days but still has a certain sanctity, sacredness because of the events you were exposed to growing up around stained glass.

When a small child with feet that did not quite reach the floor. In a church wedding where everyone is low voiced whispering. When you are a kid used to using your outdoor recess voice for communication. To make a point. Or at a funeral with shades of purple trappings, sadness enhancing organ music and occasional bell chimes gonged. Resonating, signaling the end of time. Before the shift to let’s celebrate the life of the newly departed people. Can I get an amen? Not cry our eyes out and feel sorry for our own loss. Remembering they’re going, headed, on their way to a better final place, their real home. While the hole in your heart heals.

Some stained glass church windows donated by family members in memory of the loved ones.

To soothe the loss. To remember, not have the memory fade and the person’s “light” to live on. And lots of stained glass with scripture inserted. Tied into the array of colors and patterns. Stained glass is neat. But not just in churches in Maine any more. The image above mostly ordinary sea glass. But not so simple and transformed into something of dramatic beauty. Because of many hours, a highly creative spirit of the artist who proudly displays it at a local Lubec Maine coastal eatery. Here is another of a Maine moose of colored glass.

The front entry door to where I live in a Houlton Maine home has a small vertical rectangle window space. And the old plain jane glass needed replacement a while back. I had a property behind me that sold to an Arizona couple. She was a nurse, he had royally messed up his back as a fire fighter. And instead of taking pain killers or keep trying to be put under the knife for more operations when the rails on the train had run out, the husband drank beer. All the time nursing cheap beer, Blatz barley pop. Like it was on an IV pole, plugged in by a hose for a slow drip constant. Except no metal pole on squeaky wheels or the swinging, hanging bag. Just right hand curls of the cheap beer through out his day. Into each night. Creating lots of returnable deposit empties, dead tin soldiers.

One hobby Lloyd developed along with his default beer drinking as a professional, highly functioning alcoholic was stained glass.

When he did not have time for the pain, he repaired removed church window sashes. In his carriage house workshop. Creating new stained glass window works. He brought tons of glass of various textures, patterns and hues with every color solid and combination pigments known to man. From West Germany, and in special 2×4 construction bins for each. Mostly sheets, squares but every smaller piece from a previous job kept for a shepherd’s pie of sorts. For repair and new window creation.

Some green glass remnants he had kicking around made a local electrician sigh in big relief.

When he broke a piece changing, swapping light locations in our house. But Lloyd cut the exact replacement color, shape and wham bam soldered, whipped it in securely. Nice and tight. And all was good again. His old Highland Avenue Houlton Maine home has lots of stained glass work left behind that is now owned, enjoyed by Anne and Andy Cottle. That used to be lived in by neighbors Margaret and Gary Hagan before the stained glass ta da embellishment took the place up a few notches.

Maine churches in the area lamented hearing the relocation news. Sad to see him move before their immediate need was met in their sanctuary of worship. But while here, he was a Johnny Appleseed of sorts for long overdue stained glass church window repair. The local Houlton Maine churches in the flock could not afford to hire out of state firms to travel way north. Lloyd was well received and kept as busy as his lower back would allow.

Before he left, back to that window out front where I live. I asked if I could hire him to make a replacement of stained, colored glass.

We drew out a design of diamonds of lavender and milk glass, he measured the opening. And in short order, a new windows was created for what I thought was peanuts for compensation. It was a hobby, past time not full time work for Lloyd. He could not work the standard forty hour week. But when he was feeling his oats so to speak, having a good day, he created something beautiful. Above and beyond.

Here is a Maine stained glass link of beautiful galleries to inspire. The lamps with dragon fly, jewels of intricate, rich hand blown colored glass beads, real antique ones not reproductions are neat. But creative spirit and not just solemn, proper, pious church applications has flung, no nailed the door wide open on stained glass “sky’s the limit”.

Creations now only limited by your imagination and time allowed, the commitment from your wallet for the DIY stained glass designers. But stained glass also like ordering a restaurant meal options and how do you want it cooked has become more sophisticated than just repair of existing church windows. The cost has come down as the increase in the size of the market extends way way beyond church buildings, religious applications tied to just the collection plate.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com