Lunettes ... A New Size of fiber stained glass!

 
 (Above:  Lunette IV.  Unframed 15" x 21".  Framed 23" x 29".  Click on image to enlarge.)

Before going to England last week, I was deeply involved in making new faux-stained glass fiber pieces for the upcoming February wholesale-only show in Philadelphia.  Since returning, I've pretty much finished this round of work ... construction, stitching, melting, and finally framing five large pieces and four in a totally new size.

So ... the new size!  They're horizontals!  Why?  Well, I've heard that "art consultants" currently prefer horizontal pieces ... especially since the biggest boom in corporate construction is in the creation of new hospitals.  Hospitals generally have hand railings throughout the areas where artwork hangs.  These handrails divide available wall space into horizontal stretches.  Despite the fact that I don't know a single place where a hospital is under construction in South Carolina or a single, professional art consultant (except for myself ... technically, I am an "art consultant" and have even made "house calls" to help people arrange/hang/acquire/frame artwork), I decided to jump on the "horizontal band wagon".  Why not?  I don't have any horizontals in this series.  I should be flexible.


(Above:  Five faux-stained glass fiber pieces in their black linen liners ... waiting for Plexiglas and frames. Individual works, unframed:  57" x 17"; framed 63" x 23". Click on image to enlarge.  )

I've always thought of stained glass as vertically oriented; but, the truth of the matter is that the many, really famous stained glass windows are generally magnificent "Rose Windows" ... circular ... and other windows are actually horizontal.  Lunettes are almost always horizontal.  So, I've decided to call the new, horizontal works "Lunettes".


(Above: Stained glass windows in the Mausoleum of the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles.)
  
So ... What's a lunette?

Lunette,  noun (From an on-line dictionary)

1. Any of various objects or spaces of crescent-like or semicircular outline or section.

2. Architecture . (in the plane of a wall) an area framed by an arch or vault.

3. A painting, sculpture, or window filling such an area.

 
 (Above:  Stained Glass XXX - XXXIV in frames.  Click on image to enlarge.)

I don't even remember when I learned the word "lunette" ... perhaps in a college art history class or maybe from guide books while traveling in Europe while in high school.  Who knows?  Lunettes, however, have figured into my fiber stained glass for quite awhile.  Above are the five new pieces ... two of which have classic lunettes at the top!  (Third and fourth from the left.)  I guess this shape comes naturally!


(Above:  Top of Stained Glass XXXI.  Click on image to enlarge.)



(Above:  Top of Stained Glass XXXIV.  Click on image to enlarge.)

So ... this new size has a new name.  But, I'm not going to insist that each one actually has a "lunette"!  Why be normal?  It's just a name!  A name for a new size and orientation in an existing series!


(Above:  Lunette III.  Click on image to enlarge.)

While thinking about orientation, I also decided that one of the new lunettes could also be hung as a vertical; and, if you look closely, one of the large faux-stained glass pieces is also completely geometric and can be hung as a horizontal.  Why not be flexible!

(Above:  Lunette I and II in frames.  Click on image to enlarge.)

Steve and I are going to Columbia City Ballet's The Nutcracker this evening.  I'm also linking this post to Nina-Marie's "Off the Walls Friday", a place to share works-in-progress.  The entire faux-stained glass series is ALWAYS in progress ... especially now that I'm gearing up for a wholesale show!