In Bracknell, Sandi Stening has spent the past 25 years transforming sheets of glass into vibrant works of art. Her business, Leadlight By Design, is a testament to craftsmanship and dedication, and a quiet contributor to Tasmania’s creative landscape.
“I am a leadlighter,” she explains. “Basically I take nice big sheets of glass and carve it up into small pieces and then stitch it back together with lead.” It’s a meticulous craft, one that demands precision, patience and a deep appreciation for the material.
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Stening’s journey into leadlighting began unexpectedly. “I was working professionally and I just felt I needed something of an interest in my life and saw an ad in a newspaper and went and had some lessons and took to like a duck to water,” she says. “And I’ve loved it ever since. Absolutely fascinated with glass.”
Despite lacking a formal background in the visual arts, her affinity for handcrafts like knitting and crocheting laid a foundation. She also completed a TAFE course in interior design to overcome her early struggles with colour.
Her creations include sun catchers, lamps, mirrors and custom windows, with retail outlets at Art As Mania and a café in Perth. “The leadlight panels are made by commission only,” she says. “So if somebody comes to me and wants a window made, the process starts from there.”
While older homes remain a key market, tastes have evolved over time. “I did go through a really long period of people wanting clear panels, but now everybody wants colour,” she notes.
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Each project varies in scope, but a window-sized piece can take about a week to complete. It all begins with a “cartoon”, a large paper drawing that serves as a template for cutting the glass. The glass itself is imported, primarily from the United States and China, and is manufactured through a molten process where colour is added by mixing powders into clear glass before kiln-firing.
Among her most memorable works are stained-glass depictions of Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe, made for a music cabinet. “They were the highlights that I’ve made,” she says. “It’s always amazing to take something from just a paper concept and turn it into something that’s got life.”
Like many niche crafts, leadlighting faces modern challenges. “One of the major glass suppliers shut down, the factory that makes our glass grinders burnt down, the people who were making the copper foil went outta business,” she says. “Even down to now, like the patinas that we use are no longer being made here in Australia. We dunno if they’ll ever be produced again.”
Despite the setbacks, she remains committed. Stening runs small, seasonal workshops limited to just two people, held over spring, summer and autumn. Most of her clientele discover her through her website, though word-of-mouth referrals are increasingly common.
At the heart of her work is not just artistry, but the calm of her surroundings. Asked what Sandi loves about Bracknell, she smiles and answers simply: “The peace and the quiet.”
