Passion for panes: Local man creates art from stained glass

Ron Branham works on a piece of stained glass artwork in his basement workshop. --Ralph Pokorny/Daily Mail

Retired Nevada architect Ron Branham mixes computer technology with traditional glass cutters and soldering irons to create pieces of stained glass artwork.

Branham, who for years used computed aided design software to design buildings, using mostly straight lines, said that he has had to learn new techniques to use the same computer program to create the intricate stained glass designs that often have curved lines.

And to produce the full scale drawings that he uses to lay out the designs he said that he also relies on modern technology.

Ralph Pokorny/Daily Mail

"I had to buy a used plotter to make the large designs. Before I got the plotter I had to print the design in 8 1/2-by-11-inch tiles and put them together," he said.

Getting the plotter has allowed him to print out one full-sized drawing of a large design. He uses the full-sized print-out for two purposes: to cut apart for patterns to cut out the individual pieces of glass and to provide a full-size pattern to use when putting the pieces together.

Branham said that his first attempt at doing stained glass was in 1975 while he was living in Chicago, however, he did not pursue it because of the expense.

He got back into it about eight years ago when his daughter broke the etched glass panel in a kitchen cabinet door.

He said that it needed to be replaced and since he was tired of the etched glass he decided to use with stained glass.

"I toyed with it for a year before I got it worked out," he said.

After that he continued working with stained glass as a hobby for several years.

"I finally went into business making stained glass a couple of years ago," Branham said, adding that most of his work is used for gifts and residential installations.

Now he has a gallery set up in his house at 304 S. Washington St. to showcase his work.