Artists of the Boro Calendar
March's "Prairie Star," created by Lisa Hahn in her basement home studio, is part of a series of 10 quilt-inspired windows. "I selected each piece of stained glass for its color and texture," says Lisa, who has a degree in fine arts (drawing / printmaking and art history). "I want to show the emotion and inherent beauty of the glass, in full or in muted light." Drawing is a helpful talent when creating the pattern for the window (known as the “cartoon”) she says, also stressing the importance of color theory and how you treat the negative space. Long before she made the quilt series, Lisa was fascinated by the artistic beauty and bountiful colors that artists and artisans – including her best friend’s mother - used in creating quilts. Their symbolism, from the earliest days of our country to today, "is spellbinding," she says. "Quilts created by enslaved women tell vivid stories, including those from the Underground Railroad." Lisa, a former longtime public relations professional, taught the first drawing class at the American University in Cairo and worked with artists Louise Nevelson and Chuck Close during her stint at the Whitney Museum's PR department in NYC. She has lived in Glen Rock for 28 years and her husband's family has been here since 1959. Lisa began working in stained glass about 10 years ago and has taken courses at Chicago Mosaic School and attended conferences. She is in the process of creating an Etsy shop – Handmade by Lisa – and hopes to have an exhibit in Ridgewood when it is safe to gather again. To see more of Lisa's work, visit Stained Glass by Lisa C Hahn |