By Cornelia Tersanszki
See her work in Vol. VI #1

I hold this very strong belief that a more luminescent reality lies beyond the one we normally see. And a glimpse of that reality is captured in my glass paintings.

In my work, I implement the ancient technique of reverse painting. When painting on the back of the glass,  the first element painted is the first seen on the other side. I use oil colors, bronze and ink.

At the start of a new work, I normally make a drawing on paper. I need the drawing to support my imagination, but, when drawing,  I “see” the whole of the picture I am going to paint, from its beginning to its end. Of course things may change during the process (they often do), but the initial feeling/emotion that had inspired me remains.

The second step is to “put” the drawing on glass: I use black ink.

The third step  (not compulsory) is to make accents with either bronze or metal leaf. I then add layers of color, mix them on my palette or directly onto the glass to achieve the effect I am seeking.

Below are images of a work in progress:

The back of the painting looks very different. Here is another example:

That’s all about the technique. The rest is vision, message, imagination and feeling.