Showcase Gallery Archives
Sept 16 - Oct 14, 2008
Mary Firth - Stained Glass Artist
Mary grew up in Lorne Park and graduated from the University of Toronto in 1963, with a B.A. major in art history. After completing Ontario College of Education, she taught English and French in Dryden, and started that school's first Art department.
In 1965, Mary moved to Port Perry, where she taught Art and English. After the birth of her two sons, she learned the craft of stained glass at night school in 1982, and was soon "hooked" on it. Her avid interest in the craft became a life-long avocation. For over twenty years she has been creating speculative and commissioned works.
She has been a part of the Potpourri craft guild in Lindsay, a guest artist with the Scugog Shores Spinners and Weavers, and was asked to join the Station Gallery in 2007.
Mary creates original patterns, working with colour and texture, glass globs, bevels, wire, and open spaces. She is known for her immaculate workmanship. When commissioned, Mary visits the home or office and works with the dimensions, spatial characteristics and colour palette of the place where the piece will be located.
Her smallest work is an on-going annual series of snowflakes and jewel bars, and her largest works have been a 42-inch square adaptation of a Franklin Carmichael painting and a four-panel privacy screen. Her works can be seen in Canada, Scotland, the U.S.A., New Zealand, Japan, Wales, England, and South Africa.