Whether art is a painting, mural or sculpture, hanging on the wall in the humblest of homes or in the foyer of a grand hotel, it can be a thing of beauty, gratifying to the beholder. But what kind of art can be both beautiful and functional? Glass artist, Grette Wilkinson, creates etched glass, via sandblasting, that fits both these categories.

The word “sandblasting” conjures up an industrial image: the dirty and dusty process used for cleaning metal, stone and concrete. It’s hard to believe Grette’s elegant finished work comes out of such a grimy and intensive procedure.

Born in Denmark, Grette came to Canada in 1966, first living in Toronto.  After moving to B.C. and earning a living as a cook in many restaurants, Grette was urged by her husband, Alfred, to try something more creative; something she could do in retirement. A catalogue accompanying an order from Lee Valley Tools showed a book on glass etching. Alfred sent for the book, thinking this was worth looking into, a pastime his wife would be able to learn and enjoy.

The book Glass Etching - Surface Techniques and Design was fascinating.  It described the procedures, which, at first, sounded labour-intensive, but would soon develop into a labour of love for Grette that has spanned 20 years. Apprehensive about learning a new skill at age 50, Grette recalled her mother’s motto, “If you want to do something, you just do it.”  

With her mother’s philosophy in mind, Grette decided she would take up her husband’s challenge and make glass-etching her new hobby, seeing it also as an opportunity for personal growth. Always wanting to draw, she had, over the years, taken a couple of watercolour and life drawing classes and realized she could combine that knowledge with her curiosity about glass. She was intrigued by the way glass shines green when light hits the edge at a certain angle. “When light is trapped in glass it makes a little bit of magic,” she says. Soon it became a passion and within one year, Grette’s work was selling.
 
The production of the etched glass is 75 per cent planning and preparation. It is a multi-stage process: the first step, communication with the customer to thoroughly determine what is required. When both parties are happy with the preliminary sketch, it is worked into a more detailed drawing, which can be brought to the required size with the help of the computer.

Then, the actual glasswork begins. This requires a great deal of skill and experience, but is actually the least time-consuming part of the process. First, the glass is covered with a clear, self-adhesive vinyl film. Then, the full-scale drawing is placed under the glass to be traced upon the film, which is subsequently cut out with an X-Acto knife. All lines must be cut precisely so each section can be removed and sandblasted at different times.

Finally, the sandblasting begins. The glass is placed on a rack in the blasting “booth,” which is an 8” x 4” x 8” structure built by Alfred, who has also made most of Grette’s other equipment.

Grette then enters the booth with the glass, first donning her coveralls, a dust mask and a huge hood with a visor, which looks like a space travel suit. The booth is necessary to stop dust and abrasive from flying everywhere. Once inside, Grette sandblasts the design, removing the precut sections of the design in stages. Each stage has to be blasted to the full desired depth before the next piece of film is removed.

The blasting material is sand, not ordinary beach sand, but re-usable aluminum oxide. The dust flies and the clear vinyl film becomes opaque and black as the sections in the design are sandblasted. Everything is grey and dusty, then comes the exciting moment when Grette emerges from her “solitary confinement” and does some cleaning up. Voila! The beauty of the glass is revealed. 

“It is not difficult, but challenging - you have to figure precisely how to go about it,” says Grette. “Some mistakes can be fixed, but some are eternal, so I have to start over again with a new piece of glass.”

Grette takes great pleasure in her work and is gratified by the satisfaction of her customers. Never bored, she believes the challenges in the work keep her from getting stale. She finds inspiration and all the stimulation she needs, from meetings with customers to the final result - beautiful and practical ways to display art in windows, doors, handrails, screens, lights, mirrors, table tops, room dividers, etc.

“The etched glass always provides beauty and elegance.” In addition, says Grette, “it can bring out the personality of a space and make a room into a warm and friendly place. The design can be planned out to provide privacy and also makes large glass panels visible and therefore safe.  There are horrific stories of people walking through glass because they simply didn’t see it. Fortunately, with laminated and tempered glass, these accidents are diminished, but injuries can still occur with plain glass.”

Grette is currently working on a door for a dental surgeon. The stunning design shows the Hippocratic staff, used by many medical clinics, featuring feathers and serpent with a subtle variation appropriate to a dental clinic. Grette’s designs have many themes; the peaceful forest setting in which she lives in Yellowpoint, south Nanaimo, is obviously inspiration for much of her work. Also prevalent are seascapes and marine life. Her action figures can be seen in panels at the Nanaimo Ice Centre and Nanaimo Aquatic Centre.

All work is by commission, for private residences or commercial use. Grette’s work may be viewed at the Oliver Wood Community Centre, the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre, the Nanaimo Ice Centre and the Longwood Brew Pub in Nanaimo, or by appointment at her home.

For more information, visit www.vinglas.bc.ca or call 250-722-0390.

DECEMBER 2011 SENIOR LIVING MAGAZINE VANCOUVER ISLAND