Deanna Loacano, stained glass artisan, definitely makes the cut. She creates a lovely interplay of texture, color, luminosity, opalescence, iridescence, and reflection – she’s an interior designer of light. She builds windows of color and lets the sun deliver the glow.
Though she loves fashioning her glass designs, Deanna is truly a Renaissance woman, exploring a zillion ventures: fishing, snowboarding, paddleboarding, kayaking, hiking, quilt‑making, painting, sewing, watercoloring, mosaics, cooking, mountain biking, backpacking. And that’s just Tuesday.
But stained glass is her deepest love. Its endless possibilities intrigue her – even the occasional danger (oops, Band‑Aids) or tricky chemicals. “I love the surprises at the end of a project,” she says. “You plan your piece, and by the project’s end, you’ll have something unexpected. Sometimes the surprises are clashing colors or a glass crack from heat or loose lead came strips. But the cool thing is you can take it apart and redo it or change it entirely.”
She often incorporates patina – that aforementioned chemical – applied to the metal solder lines to create a deep black or bright copper richness.
Deanna Loacano
Her studio is currently based in the basement of her Franklin home, though she hopes one day to move into a dedicated space where she can welcome visitors and share her passion for stained glass through workshops and classes.
See her latest studio creations at needmoreglassnc.com. Follow her on Instagram at @needmoreglass. Email: needmoreglass@gmail.com. Commissions are welcome.
“The best part is the very end,” Deanna says. “After the final polish, I hold the piece up to the light for the first time. That’s the moment it finally comes alive. Seeing all those separate little pieces become one finished piece never gets old. And I say … ‘I need more glass!’”
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