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Dragonfly: Creating stained glass art
Contributed by: Pam Vetter

10/4/06 Valley News Article

The beauty of stained glass windows dates back to churches in the 10th century, but it can also be found today at the Dragonfly Stained Glass Studio in Canoga Park.

Stained glass is so unique, it captures light in a magnificent manner and yet seems to glow from the inside. As a result of its radiance, stained glass has warmed the hearts of many local artists.

Larry Joers, Owner of the Dragonfly Stained Glass Studio, took a stained glass class at the age of 21 and was hooked. "I used to buy all of my supplies at Dragonfly and then I bought the store from the owner in 1987," Joers said proudly.

Joers first taught at the Learning Tree and later at Pierce College, where he continues to teach stained glass classes on Thursday nights. Primarily, Dragonfly custom designs stained glass for businesses and homes, but they also offer workshops and classes.

"There are so many different personality types in my classes and workshops. Some come as therapy," he said.

Cynthia Schwartz agrees wholeheartedly. "It's cheaper than therapy, better than laying on a couch talking to somebody, and it's fun. I've made friends here over the years. We even have Christmas parties together," Schwartz said.

Schwartz was born with a birth defect that caused webbed fingers. She's had fourteen surgeries to correct it. Her parents always told her she could do anything she wanted to do.

"In fact, I can play piano, I can probably type faster than you, and I can create stained glass artwork," Schwartz said with a smile.

Schwartz and her friend, Lynne Emma, have created stained glass works of art at Dragonfly for fifteen years.

"We wanted to do something artistic. We started with a class at Pierce College which led to Dragonfly. It's convenient after work and Larry's very patient and helps us when we have problems," Emma said, pointing at her detailed project. "But, you've got to have a sense of humor."

Each project is so different. Some stained glass artwork is simple while other projects are complex. Emma has created dozens of works of art, including a stained glass lamp that had 500 pieces of glass.

Dr. Steven Feldman, a Canoga Park Veterinarian, has been taking classes and participating in workshops for five months. "Since childhood, I've loved stained glass. When I lived in Chicago, I'd look at the beautiful stained glass in homes and it fascinated me," Feldman said. "I'm working on a medieval castle for my daughter right now. Since I took the first class, I can't stop. Now, I have a workshop in my garage with my own grinder. It's a great hobby."

Diane Scott loves the stained glass workshops. "It's a way to leave all of your work issues at work. It's quiet time and relaxing," Scott said while working on a stained glass mirror project.

The stained glass workshops attract a variety of people.

Dixie Bennett started classes only a few weeks ago. "I'm a high school art teacher at Calabasas High School. It's a new skill and it's fun. I'm also teaching kids at school how to make the same box project right now," she said with a soldering iron in hand.

In her job, Graphic Designer Jodi Cohen has created designs for the Clippers, Lakers, LA Galaxy, and record companies, but she loves to work on stained glass art in her free time. "I've been attending Dragonfly workshops for eight years now. I've won Best of Show three times at the Los Angeles County Fair," Cohen said. "I love my projects, but I give a lot of them away as gifts. We can work for hours on a project and we lose track of time because it's so rewarding."

Alida Craig and her sister, Lori Brainard, have been taking stained glass workshops for a couple of years. "You get nice finished products and Larry is a fantastic teacher," Craig said.

"Larry's a great teacher because he's very patient. A little sarcastic, but patient," Brainard added as everyone laughed.

Dragonfly workshop participants are like a big family. They have thrown baby showers, attended weddings, and planned parties. But, it was the art that brought them all together.

Verda Fitzpatrick is devoted to the group and her stained glass art. In fact, she's creating 15 stained glass panels for her remodeled kitchen. "I'm only on number three right now, but it will look beautiful," Fitzpatrick said.

Bonnie Blanks has been working with stained glass for five years. She's currently working on hummingbird details for a piece she plans to hang in a window or in a tree.

"Stained glass art is something different. It's challenging and releases all of your tensions of the day. When you're cutting glass, you have to pay attention to cutting glass. Of course, choosing the glass is the hardest and most important thing for each project," Blanks said.

There are hundreds of choices of glass colors and textures at Dragonfly. The expense will vary depending on the size of the project. Some students choose to create inexpensive suncatchers while others spend hundreds of dollars on glass panels. Joers encourages the artist who wants to make it themselves.

"It's more economical to make it yourself, so we invite anyone to come in and learn how to do it. If not, we can custom design stained glass for anyone who wants something specific for their home or business," Joers said. "Anything is possible!"

Dragonfly Stained Glass Studio is located at 7134 Owensmouth Avenue, Canoga Park. For more information, contact www.DragonflyStainedGlassArt.com.

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