Stained glass revived!

In 1998, right after Carl and I sold the family B & B, campgrounds and hostel in Tennessee, we went to Florida for the winter — and promptly became bored! One day we discovered an ad in the paper for a stained glass workshop about one hour north of where we were staying and we decided to take it, never knowing that this small change in our weekly schedule would create a giant change in our daily lives.

Carl was reluctant to take the course, but since the time he finished his first stained glass project 12 years ago, he has never stopped. By 2005, Carl was creating commission pieces, restorations and “spec” sale panels, and windows, selling them on the internet and shipping them all over the world.

I became the resident artist at his studio and, along the way, we both discovered that we are very good instructors. Carl’s background includes being a professional electrician, plumber, builder and a general entrepreneur of three successful businesses. I have 43 years experience as an international real estate consultant.

In 2005, Carl opened his studio up to the public as Avalon Stained Glass School, offering 22 workshops starting as low as $89.00. In Nov. 1, 2009, he opened his Creativity Center, which houses up to six students on a first come, first serve basis to stay for a vacation or retreat workshop.

Here are some of the many students who have taken his courses.

Frank and Ora Reinhardt’s daughter created stained glass and unexpectedly passed away. Frank and Ora came to Carl’s workshop to learn how to keep their daughter’s memory alive. They now create panels as a full-time hobby for themselves and others.

Kate Kenny of Kenny’s Signs came to several workshops just to blow off steam one evening a week from the hectic sign business. This was her first piece as a gift for her mother.

Right after that, someone drove a car through the front of their business so Kate was back to create a window insert as part of their restoration.

Kate brought along daughter Savannah, who at that time was the youngest student to participate in a stained glass workshop. Since then, we’ve offered mother and daughter, father and son, and family workshops in stained glass and all art mediums and even allow the different members of the family to take different workshops at the same time as long as we can handle the diversified instructions and give the students all they are paying for.

Many of Avalon’s students are people just retiring, such as Dorene Jobke of San Jose, California, who after retiring from many years working in an insurance company decided she wanted to open a stained glass school and studio in San Jose. Dorene, who had never cut a piece of glass in her life or run a business, decided to invest in herself, drove across the United States to Munfordville, Kentucky, and stayed for 14 days, learning everything we knew about running this type of business. In the morning she learned about stained glass from Carl and in the afternoon she learned how to run a stained glass business from me. She left with a complete duplicate of our school. What she could not fit in her car, we shipped to her and it was waiting for her when she returned home. Dorene is prospering and instructing after opening her business in a high-traffic strip mall. The last email said she had just added a kiln and is offering fused glass workshops. Dorene says it was the best investment she ever made. We say she was really brave to take a decisive step and make the investment in herself.

Three friends who wanted something to look forward to after retirement decided to drive one hour one night a week and take a workshop. Charles and Kay Wisdom and their friend Freida Reece enjoyed their workshop to the extent that Charles has set one up in their basement and the three of them continue this profitable hobby. Kay sells their creations, which she displays in the windows of her beauty shop.

Another student to open her own home studio is Nedra Morrison, who, between world travels, creates beautiful stained glass creations and designs lamps.

We had a gal come and stay for a week as she wanted to design stained glass windows for pricey, luxury house boats and she could get the work for this if she knew how to create stained glass. She is very busy with a nice lucrative income. Here is Kathy Conner with her first project.

We have many students who start with small projects and eventually go on to making larger ones. All learn the six basic steps of stained glass creation. We recently had a fellow come in from Alabama whose father created lead-channel windows and did repairs for churches. Dave Trentelman is a few years from retirement and, since his father passed away before teaching him the business, he wanted to learn how to do lead-channel work. After a little discussion he realized he needed to really learn the copper foil method along with lead-channeling and while here for seven or eight days he learned how to do abrasive glass design. Dave is now building a large studio and will soon be creating and instructing others in his home town in Alabama.

Kris Perrin of Ohio wanted to learn how to create a panel to go into a wall in her home so she came over for two or three days over a five-week period and learned how to make her panel. She recently sent us a picture of it installed in her home. Kris is setting up her own home studio and will be looking forward to a new income stream even before her retirement.

Shelia Murphy’s hobby is making quilts. During her career as an RN she often was a missionary to foreign countries. Just prior to retiring Shelia decided to take one of our workshops and now Shelia has set up her own shop and studio and enjoys making quilt patterns in stained glass.

Roxanne King from Louisville had just enough time to try her hand at a small stained glass project. Her second project was this wonderful gift she made for a friend’s home. Now Roxanne has set up her own home studio and has a nice hobby that she will continue even after she retires.

We could continue with more stories and pictures of all the successes at Avalon Stained Glass School and Creativity Center, but we would like you to come and see for yourself or check out our website. Both Carl and I feel that, at the ages of 75 and 77, our job is to spread the “art” word and create our own replacements in these fields.

When we took our workshop we paid $96.00 each for the instruction and then had to pay for everything else from pattern books, pattern enlargements, glass to foil, solder and tools and before we were finished together we had spent $1,700.00. We learned from that and we offer complete packages starting as low as $89.00 that include not only instructions, but all material, enlarged patterns and use of our tools. When the student is finished they will know whether they should make a further investment in themselves to set up their own home studio or new business. We offer free tours, demonstrations, will answer just about any question you can come up with, do special commission work and will ship all over the world. Our guests who fly in for vacation workshops do not have to worry about carrying their creations home on a plane, as we will ship them out for them.

Yes, one is never too old to let their creative juices flow!

Come and visit,

“Tread the Earth Lightly” and in the meantime… may your day be filled with…

Peace, Light and Love,

Arlene Wright-Correll

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