Image created by Holly Sanford.

Holly Sanford peeks through her layered, sandblasted front door. Images supplied.

INTRODUCING artwork to a home commonly involves being captivated by a creation and then locating a position, where light and surrounding artefacts best complement the new piece. When the time comes to move house, treasured items will be carefully packed and transported to their new abode.

However, not all artwork can be bought from a gallery and proudly hung on a wall - some become a structural element of a home or commercial building. Glass artist Holly Sanford says she has a strong interest in the role of glass in architecture.

In the 1980s, Holly designed leaded modules of contemporary glass for commercial settings such as the Aotea Centre, the University of Auckland, Auckland District Court and Hamilton City Council. She also created numerous residential leaded stained glass windows. This worked at the time but a lot has changed since then.

“I’m off on a new tangent with glass which is very exciting,” says Holly. “For 25 years I did contemporary leaded design in a traditional manner.”

She reached a time in her life when she wanted to make a change in her profession but was uncertain of what direction to take. Modern architecture uses large flat surfaces, such as concrete planes, and small modules of traditional leaded glass do not work in these surroundings.

“If there is decoration is has to be on big pieces of glass. Making a change had a lot to do with getting rid of the lead.”

New Zealand has limited base glass studios, which are common in Europe. These European studios are developing techniques such as bonding glass, hand painting and firing, and enamels for colour. “Here that isn’t the case and I have to be practical about what I’m using.”

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Contemporary glass art in traditional setting.

Holly has found a niche that suits her creative and architectural ambitions. When playing with glass layers, Holly cut holes in small rocks and inserted layered glass into the hole creating a kaleidoscope of colour. “A serendipity of things were happening. There were several layers of glass and when you overlap them very interesting things happen.”

Holly wanted to apply the layering technique to windows, which coincided with the new building code requiring double-glazing in all new building projects.

Light plays an integral role with the layers and privacy is achieved with overlapping imagery sandblasted or digitally painted onto glass, which is then fired. It is scratch and ultraviolet light resistant, and creates a thermal barrier.

Panels have depth and numerous parallaxes and onlookers will see both sides of leaves. On an exhibition panel colour was introduced with hand-blown glass containing all of its bubbles and striations. Holly loves residential commissions because they give her a more personal approach with the owners of properties. Photographs of gardens and plants are used, particularly New Zealand natives.

“I’ve always worked in architecture with my windows, looked at spaces and considered what goes with the architecture, even if it is contemporary in an old house. Plants are almost automatically architectural because you look out into gardens and if you are looking in, you look past plants.

New Zealand natives decorate glass.

“It’s a neutral architectural solution for windows and you’re bringing nature into the house. I’m charmed by it at the moment.”

Homes in Holly’s Devonport neighbour-hood provided a blank canvas for her inspiration. With the owners’ permission, she photographed interesting features and contemplated how her new found technique could work with the archi-tecture. She computer generated hypo-thetical designs and then had panels made which were exhibited in France.

Her creations are much more than coloured windows – they are unique artworks. Sadly they would most likely be left with the home in which they are fitted unless the piece is a door which could be easily replaced.