Welcome to my shop of beautiful, elegant lanterns and stained glass paintings! Here you can find or order some exclusive gifts for yourself and your loved ones.
Who created them? Each of my artworks is hand-painted, so you should also learn something about the person who makes them:
My name is Valentina Klimes, I live in Villach (Carinthia, Austria) and I am a passionate self-taught glass painter.
8 Facts about me
- Formerly in online marketing and web design, earlier as a teacher and translator, I finally found the calling I had always ignored: stained glass painting
- I spent my childhood on a coast with beautiful nature
- I like spring and summer best
- I love working with customers. Your wishes are my challenge and at the same time my greatest joy. They decide on my next collections and determine my direction as a glass painter
- I like drinking coffee latte or sugar-free black tea with cream
- My favourite colour is red
- Our small leased garden is one of the most effective mood boosters for the whole family
- I love unique, quality art objects for my home: extraordinary vases and candle holders, hand-painted pictures and everything that is exclusive.
Here, you will find further information about me and my art. Now after we have gotten to know each other a little, you are curious to find out, how my artworks are created.
Painting Techniques
I use two techniques in my work:
- "Church window" style / stained glass painting (transparent colors surrounded by outlines) or Tiffany style
- Painting with opaque colors.
The second method is different from painting on canvas or porcelain, but explaining the differences might sound too technical.
Stained glass effect painting, on the other hand, is what few are informed but curious about.
Stained Glass Painting or Tiffany Style
Inspiration comes first from thoughts about nature and the environment (or from you), supported by a creative look at the color combinations and shapes.
Step 1: Drawing on paper.
Step 2: Paint with outlines from a tube.
The paper is inserted behind the glass and the process of painting on glass begins. When using contouring, I apply contours in this step. The angle, posture, consistent pressure on the tube, and speed of hand movement make this move exciting.
Step 3: Painting with glass paints.
After the contours are dry (a few hours), liquid colors are worked in between the contours. When painting on a lantern or other rounded surface, the paint can start to run, so I have to turn the jar regularly and be careful not to touch the paint while painting. Applying too little paint is also not a solution: the paint will not run, but distribution will be difficult or impossible. This special feature and long drying time of the liquid colors is the reason why I have to leave the lanterns for about 24 hours before I paint the next (small) areas. This is how it goes every day until all positions are finished. The real challenge here is the area around the contours, as it's tenths of a millimeter. The colors should be close to the contours, have no voids and adhere to them after drying, but at the same time form an even border. If these spots don't look obviously sloppy when viewed at high magnification (these photos are always included in my shop), you can be assured of the quality of the stained glass and intricate work. This means that the glass will look much nicer in real life than in the greatly enlarged version.
Step 4: Quality Control.
The result will be checked about 24 hours after the last of the many painting processes. If necessary, final corrections are made.
Step 5: Thermal Processing.
Your hand-painted glass beauty is tempered at 160°C for an hour and a half. After it has cooled down, I check the piece again and am happy for my customer who will soon own it.
With my passion and creativity, I want to make the world of decoration and lighting a bit more beautiful and versatile, more magical, more magnificent... Is that what you want for your home too? Then browse my shop and you will find something special. If not, get in touch with me - together we can "design" your dream glass quickly and easily.
Whether you want a luxurious atmosphere in your living room or unforgettable coziness in the bedroom, with hand-painted lanterns and stained glass paintings you not only get that, but also the emotions that I embodied in the pictures.
I hope that my treasures will give you at least as much positive energy and good vibes as me when I was painting them!