In the early 80’s, I was the proud owner of a Craft & Gift Shop, offering lessons in various crafts, one of them being working with stained glass. During this time I was commissioned to do a stained glass panel for a Game Lodge in the Kalahari and the owner was very specific about what she wanted, describing the area in great detail, with me frantically taking notes – low mountains, a scarcity of vegetation, dry, hot and dusty landscape, the colours at sunset and little troops of buck and zebra eking out a living on the seared landscape. And the size – 3m wide by 2m deep! I had never made anything this big, except for a couple of window restorations and I must say I was a bit overwhelmed.
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I worked on this piece for two weeks and finally the customer flew up to Gauteng to come and view the finished article. I think I chewed my nails down to the bone waiting for her arrival. But I needn’t have worried, much to my delight she was ecstatic and my work now proudly takes pride of place in the reception area of her Game Lodge in the Kalahari
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