Don's Window - Stained Glass Window

Don became seriously ill and had just enough time to get his affairs in order. He sold his Locksmith business to a friend and competitor and asked me if I would like to buy his glass inventory. He had a lot of really great glass, so I didn't hesitate.

When I moved to Gulf Shores in 1984, one of the first people I met was Don Epp, the local locksmith. Don was a real curious character with his long hair, beard and thick Indiana accent. He drove around this part of the county with his entire locksmith business inside a converted bus with "Don Epp, Locksmith" boldly emblazoned on the side.

For 30 years Don changed dozens of locks out for me and we spent many hours swapping stories in his traveling workshop, usually sitting in the post office parking lot. Don was known and liked by everyone in town, and it seemed, because of his traveling billboard, he was always everywhere.

While bargain hunting through an antique shop in Fairhope, Alabama, I spotted the top half of a Victorian style stained glass window that I really liked. Photo on the right....

With a little photo trickery (very little), I reversed the photo and made the bottom half. I thought one center element would be more effective than two, so I drew one, but enhanced the center with a large jewel. One of the things I particularly liked about this turn of the century design is that the diamonds have curved sides, rather than typical straight sides. It's been years since I built an exclusively opalescent window. I had some really unique Kokomo glass to work with ..... and that story is next!

Don's Window is built almost entirely with glass from my friend Don. Most of this glass he personally picked up at the Kokomo Glass plant in Indiana. This glass is so unique that I knew I had to save it for a special window. I was so excited with the finished window that I built a very uniquel frame for it from Sapele, a wood from Tropical Africa very similar, but denser than mahogany...... probably the finest frame that I have ever built.

Don's Window measures about 23" x 42" framed, contains 167 pieces of glass and was completed in June of 2016. I think my friend, Don would have appreciated the use of his glass and the craftsmenship that has gone into building a window that bears his name!