Page 13 - Nac & SFA February 2015
P. 13
Piece byPiece
Story and Photo
Couple builds life, career with glass studio By Kasi Dickerson
Pencil markings transform the white sheet of
paper into a pattern with a myriad of shapes denoting
specif c colors. Cutting the glass, they begin to f t the
pieces together much like a puzzle.
For 34 years David and Teresa Darby have been
perfecting their stained glass craft.
“This is a great thing to zone in to and the rest of the
world kind of goes away. It’s really fun to do because
you actually see a piece grow in front of you,” Teresa
said. “As it builds, you see this window with the differ-
ent colors playing with each other taking shape. It’s on
a table so we can only wait for that moment when we
can pick it up and wait for the light to come through
it. That’s always awesome.”
David agrees this live art is a surprising joy.
“It’s really nice to look at a f nished product in house
and seeing the joy it brings people from just looking at
it,” David said.
Native Houstonians, David and Teresa moved to
Nacogdoches in February 1982. In less than a month, This new friendship brought David into the
they opened their stained glass business, Glass Castles, Renaissance Festival circuit.
in an old gas station by the university. “All of that f t together like a puzzle in our lives in
“We sold our home in Houston and hit the road and terms of how the Renaissance Festival showed up
came up here. We held our nose and jumped in off the through the courthouse,” he said.
high dive,” Teresa said. “It’s a very scary thing to do. Meeting David at a singles’ Christmas party would
We started with a small studio on North Street by the be the event catapulting Teresa into the stained glass
college.”
business.
Glass Castles now sits Downtown and doubles as “We fell in love, pooled our talents and wound up
a production studio and gift shop. The many facets with this mess,” David said.
of their business include teaching, selling supplies,
restoration, repairs and visiting with customers. David remembers the dark times the business faced
“This is just a hobby gone wild,” David said. “I work over the years.
with my wife’s talents and mine.” “We made plenty of mistakes that God blessed us
David took a continuing education class at the with so we could learn how to do it better. Whenever
things would look dark someone would walk through
University of Houston to learn how to make stained
glass as a hobby. Prior to this, David worked as a clerk the door and there we’d go,” David said.
at a Houston courthouse. Walking through the door today, one would see a
“At that time you had to have a court artist. You studio gleaming with artistry as glass windows hang
couldn’t take pictures in the courtroom. This lady was from the ceiling and work tables line the shop.
doing the drawing and I became friends with her,” “It’s a fun way to make a living that brings a lot of joy
David said. to people,” he said. “When we do church windows we
give glory to God too, so that’s great.”
FEBRUARY 2015 13
Story and Photo
Couple builds life, career with glass studio By Kasi Dickerson
Pencil markings transform the white sheet of
paper into a pattern with a myriad of shapes denoting
specif c colors. Cutting the glass, they begin to f t the
pieces together much like a puzzle.
For 34 years David and Teresa Darby have been
perfecting their stained glass craft.
“This is a great thing to zone in to and the rest of the
world kind of goes away. It’s really fun to do because
you actually see a piece grow in front of you,” Teresa
said. “As it builds, you see this window with the differ-
ent colors playing with each other taking shape. It’s on
a table so we can only wait for that moment when we
can pick it up and wait for the light to come through
it. That’s always awesome.”
David agrees this live art is a surprising joy.
“It’s really nice to look at a f nished product in house
and seeing the joy it brings people from just looking at
it,” David said.
Native Houstonians, David and Teresa moved to
Nacogdoches in February 1982. In less than a month, This new friendship brought David into the
they opened their stained glass business, Glass Castles, Renaissance Festival circuit.
in an old gas station by the university. “All of that f t together like a puzzle in our lives in
“We sold our home in Houston and hit the road and terms of how the Renaissance Festival showed up
came up here. We held our nose and jumped in off the through the courthouse,” he said.
high dive,” Teresa said. “It’s a very scary thing to do. Meeting David at a singles’ Christmas party would
We started with a small studio on North Street by the be the event catapulting Teresa into the stained glass
college.”
business.
Glass Castles now sits Downtown and doubles as “We fell in love, pooled our talents and wound up
a production studio and gift shop. The many facets with this mess,” David said.
of their business include teaching, selling supplies,
restoration, repairs and visiting with customers. David remembers the dark times the business faced
“This is just a hobby gone wild,” David said. “I work over the years.
with my wife’s talents and mine.” “We made plenty of mistakes that God blessed us
David took a continuing education class at the with so we could learn how to do it better. Whenever
things would look dark someone would walk through
University of Houston to learn how to make stained
glass as a hobby. Prior to this, David worked as a clerk the door and there we’d go,” David said.
at a Houston courthouse. Walking through the door today, one would see a
“At that time you had to have a court artist. You studio gleaming with artistry as glass windows hang
couldn’t take pictures in the courtroom. This lady was from the ceiling and work tables line the shop.
doing the drawing and I became friends with her,” “It’s a fun way to make a living that brings a lot of joy
David said. to people,” he said. “When we do church windows we
give glory to God too, so that’s great.”
FEBRUARY 2015 13
