When a few pieces of stained glass artwork and a YouTube tutorial caught the eye of Cameron Dearlove, it inspired a pandemic pursuit that took him in a direction he never expected.
“I was quite the workaholic just before the pandemic. I knew that I wanted to be more creative, to find a balance between work and other pursuits,” said the Cambridge resident.
“I stumbled on stained glass making on YouTube. And I thought, this is neat.”
He's not alone. The last two years have sent many people on similar quests for something creative to find their inner calm.
When the pandemic hit, Dearlove found he had more time on his hands to pursue just that.
“The pandemic has allowed people the time to reflect on their lives, to slow down and to be present in the moment. After watching YouTube, I found someone who had some used equipment and pieces of glass," Dearlove said.
"She gave me a tutorial. With each piece I was starting to realize that hey, these were sort of being held together. I kept watching and kept learning. I knew this was something I wanted to keep doing.”
“I always wanted to have an artistic pursuit, a creative hobby. I tried other arts such as painting and playing instruments, but they never really worked out well. This medium works for me.”
For thousands of years, artisans have found inspiration in stained glass, an art form that still dazzles today.
Though often associated with windows, particularly places of worship, stained glass has been adopted and adapted, from ancient pieces to contemporary installations.
“It’s like a puzzle. You break up the pieces and then you put them back together. By themselves, they are meaningless, but it really is something when they all come together,” Dearlove said.
With each piece, he found that his new love of glass art was of interest outside of his own workspace in his basement at home.
Named after his six-year-old daughter, Lady Edith Glass Arts came to be.
“My family and friends asked to buy some pieces at first. I started to share my work on Facebook and people really began to take interest. I began doing some commission pieces and it really took off from there,” Dearlove said.
Born and raised in Cambridge, Dearlove has spent his career helping his community and working with non-profit charitable organizations, whether it’s dealing with issues of mental health, homelessness, and addictions.
He has worked as executive director at the Cambridge Food Bank and today, he is the executive director at the Family Counselling Centre of Cambridge and North Dumfries.
“Much of the artwork I do is informed by what I do professionally. I do pieces that are meaningful to me including music-related pieces and those that are social justice oriented,” Dearlove said.
Some of Dearlove’s work has gone towards charities to support local organizations including the Sexual Assault Support Centre and Land Back Camp.
“I’ve always been so engaged in the community, and I’ve been lucky to make a positive difference. Making stained glass, it is different, but I like that because I can contribute in a different way,” Dearlove said.
He has commissioned some pieces for anniversaries and memorials and some have been shipped across North America.
The process of glass making has certainly been a learning process and one that Dearlove continues to explore.
“The more detail, the more complicated. There are many steps to the process,” he said.
First, he decides on the subject. He draws it, and cuts paper into puzzle pieces. He cuts the glass, breaking it with special pliers. With a glass grinder, a wash, and copper foil, each piece of glass is wrapped, laid out like a puzzle, and then soldered together.
The piece is then dried and a patina finish is added.
“Recently, I ‘ve also been learning how to do fused glass where I use multiple pieces of glass and I make jewelry. This is new and I’m still learning,” Dearlove said.
“Making stained glass, it is an expensive hobby but by selling my pieces, I can invest in more equipment and glass. It is so much fun to be able to make them and then market them.”
His daughter Edith is always willing to lend a helping hand.
“She likes to help when she can, but it isn’t very child friendly. After all, it is glass,” Dearlove said.
“But I have helped her make a few pieces. I encourage people to try it. I’ve really learned to appreciate it and you end up with something to be proud of,” he said.
One day, a studio might be in the works for Dearlove.
“I would love to teach others because in that process, you can learn too."
Dearlove said he is surprised at how far this new venture has taken him.
“I just thought that this would be a hobby. Right now, the world is so stressful. It’s so great to have something else to turn it all off, listen to music and create,” he said.
“And to see these pieces, with the colour shining through on a sunny day, it’s beautiful. There’s just something really special about that.”
For more information, visit Lady Edith Glass Arts on Facebook and Instagram.
