When it comes to wildlife art, most of us may not immediately think of stained glass art.

However, stained glass is a medium that is not only far more “tactile” and versatile than a traditional painting or limited edition print, but it is also uniquely beautiful. The look and visual “texture” of stained glass art pieces are dynamic and vary with the angle and source of light.

When you look to purchase a beautiful and quality-crafted stained glass art piece from Wild Wings you’ll find that you can choose from several designs, including nature-themed shapes and images from well-known paintings of wildlife art.

Understanding Stained Glass Art

Stained glass has an ancient and robust history.

One source notes that,

“Stained glass gained recognition as a Christian art form sometime in the fourth century as Christians began to build churches. The spread of Christianity throughout Europe is directly related to the expansion of stained glass across the globe and made stained glass the dominant art form of the new millennium. One of the oldest known examples of multiple pieces of colored glass used in a window were found at St. Paul's Monastery in Jarrow, England, founded in 686 AD.” 

Fast forward to the 19th and 20th centuries and we find architectural stained glass windows in Craftsman, Queen Anne, and Tudor houses throughout America.

Admired for both their beauty and function, stained glass windows were used as sidelights flanking doors, installed as transom lights above doors or windows, and even in the place of normally transparent windows in homes.

Part of the beauty, aside from the designs and colors, is that stained glass provides privacy and opacity without blocking natural light.

Although today we tend to refer to both functional and purely artistic pieces as “stained glass” there is a somewhat technical distinction between what used to be commonly known as “Art Glass” and “Stained Glass.”

Glass is made with natural materials, primarily silica sand, soda ash, and lime. For art glass, these raw materials are heated to a molten state and mixed with metallic oxides, which creates the perceived color of the glass. This color is infused through the glass. The result is known as “art glass” and sometimes “colored sheet glass.” 

Stained glass at one time referred to hand-painted glass. Historically, the term meant clear or tinted glass that was hand-painted with fine glass pigments that “stained” or enameled the surface when fired in a kiln.

Today, however, the term is used for any colored or stained glass product used for decorative applications and, more broadly speaking, for the art, craft, and the industry.

Purchasing Quality Stained Glass Art

Today, stained glass art ranges from relatively inexpensive and mass-produced decorative pieces, to high-quality reproductions of original art as well as one-of-a-kind creations.

Many wildlife artists choose to work in a variety of mediums and, while they may not create original stained glass art themselves, their paintings often lend themselves well for being rendered as stained glass art pieces.

Stained glass, while viewed more as a creative craft by practitioners, still results in exquisite pieces of art whether original or reproductions of other media.

According to one stained glass practitioner,

“The ultimate goal of the fine craftsperson, like the fine artist, is to create something that will captivate, evoke, enthrall, or in some other way stimulate the viewer. This is accomplished by coming up with fresh ideas or designs, and then executing them with a precise control over the medium (even though the outcome may look quite random and/or imprecise). In any artistic medium there is an art to designing projects, and a craft to bringing off that aim at the highest level.”

Much like choosing a fine art, limited edition print, for example, choosing a stained glass art piece primarily comes down to taste and preference. Keep in mind that, unlike a typical two-dimensional piece such as a painting, stained glass art is dynamic and even interactive.

Stained glass art enhances the environment of your home by filtering colored light into a room, while displaying backlit images of wildlife or scenery. Most stained glass art are quality pieces printed with fade resistant inks on glass with artwork reproductions from well-known artists.

Celebrated Wildlife Artist, Rosemary Millette

One of the featured artists in our line of stained glass art, Rosemary Millette was born and raised in Owatonna, Minnesota.

The second youngest of nine children, Rosemary says she sat for hours, drawing with her sister Teresa who, today, is also a wildlife artist. Among her early influences was a gentleman named Les Grunwald, a local artist whose work made a lasting impression on Rosemary. Fortuitously, as a child, Rosemary also acquired a love for animals.

In high school, Rosemary was privileged to participate in what she called, "an excellent art program with an exceptional teacher - Charles Pearson" who was a wildlife artist himself.

It was through her formal education and years of work as a commercial artist, that Millette learned to approach her work with vivacity and self-discipline. It wasn’t long after marrying her husband, David, that she made the decision to be a full-time wildlife artist in 1980.

Rosemary Millette’s mastery of skills as a wildlife artist is vividly apparent.

Through careful study of her subject matter, Millette realistically portrays each animal’s physical structure and tone, whether that be an elk, pheasants, or chickadees. Yet it is from her intuitive use of light and color, and the composition and perspective of each background that the spirit of each animal is revealed and reinforced.

Stained Glass Art from the Leader in Wildlife Themed Art

Wild Wings only stocks the highest quality wildlife artwork and our collection features stained glass art for sale in several designs, including nature-themed shapes and images from well-known paintings of wildlife art. 

Not only would these stained glass pieces be perfect in your own home, but they would also make wonderful gifts for the nature-lover in your life!

Our Stained Glass Artwork collection features stunning pieces from artists such as Rosemary Millette, Susan Bourdet and Persis Clayton Weirs. Browse now to find the perfect piece for you.

Wild Wings is the leader in wildlife themed art, and we pioneered the wildlife art industry with over 2,500 print editions produced since 1968.

Today, Wild Wings stocks over 1,000 outdoor and wildlife art prints representing 75 of America’s top artists and our Wildlife Art collection offers buyers the perfect combination of beauty, quality, comfort, and uniqueness.