Leadlight By Ettore

Ettore Di Pilla is a happy man:
A blessed life in the Aussie bush

Article appeared in: "Glass Craftsman", Oct-Nov 2005, Pages 6-10
Text and photos by Nadine Hartnett

pic of the month It had been the sort of commission many artists can only dream about, but a phone call from across the world almost turned a six-month leadlighting [leaded window] project into the job from hell.

Initially, Australian glass artist, Ettore Di Pilla, was relieved to learn that the six 2 x 6 foot church panels he had made and carefully packaged had reached Colorado safely. Even more heartening was that five of the panels had been successfully installed. It was the sixth, or devil's number, that had dropped and broke.

As his clients bemoaned their fate a half a planet away, Ettore took a deep breath then calmly fetched the code number of the damaged glass. His clients were able to find a local repair person and the panel soon hung happily ever after. All's well that ends well, but let's go back to the beginning...

Picture Caption: Ettore Di Pilla taught himself how to cut glass 36 years ago. Now he teaches leadlighting, copper foiling, mosaic art and fusing to more than 70 adults and schoolchildren at his bushland studio.

ARRIVAL IN AUSTRALIA

Ettore had immigrated to Melbourne with his Italian family when he was six. It wasn't until he left secondary school that he started dabbling in creative pastimes, such as linotyping, woodcarving, drawing, leatherwork and enameling.

In 1969, while working as a bank clerk, he discovered glass. "A friend of mine, who was trying to impress a woman, said that 'we' meaning me, would construct a leadlight window in her stairwell. When she discovered we had never done anything like this before she said, 'Thanks, but no thanks'!"

Left with a somewhat bruised pride, but a lot of glass at his disposal, Ettore got to work on his first project, a 6x4 foot mosaic of three figures inspired by John Lennon. "That's how I learned to cut glass. The mosaic comprised thousands of pieces. I stuck them all on with wood glue, and they're still intact after 38 years!"

PRACTICE PAYS OFF, WITH INTEREST

Ettore continued working in banks until 1983, doing small leadlighting projects in his spare time, as he honed his skills through books and practice. "There was lots of trial and error, lots of cuts and bad soldering. At that time there weren't a lot of people doing leadlighting whom I knew, and I didn't know where to look for help. Being a male, I also thought I could do things on my own and didn't need anyone else to tell me how to do it," Ettore added with a wink and a grin.

When he left banking, Ettore began a wholesale flower business at his 10-acre property in Woodend, about 42 miles from Melbourne. After three years the venture proved too labor intensive and at the peril of unsuitable weather. However, it was a positive turning point for Ettore, who had become increasingly immersed in glasswork.

GLASS EDUCATION FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE DESK

pic of the month At this point, he attended his first glass class, recalling, "I realized there were many things I didn't know, like copper foiling." Very soon thereafter, a neighbor gave him his first commission and, once it was successfully finished, more work followed.

In short order, he accepted an invitation from a local community centre to run leadlighting classes. After a couple of years at that location, Ettore began lessons in his bush studio. Enrollments have currently swelled to 70 adults attending six classes a week. Local schoolchildren sign up for weekly mosaic and leadlighting classes and several intensive weekend classes in leadlighting, mosaic art and fusing are held for adults throughout the year.

As his classes have evolved, Ettore has furthered his own education by attending workshops in mosaics, fusing, slumping, and bead making to improve his skills and impart further knowledge to his students. "The object of my classes is to teach people new creative skills at minimal cost, and hopefully enable them to go off and do projects on their own. Some students have started selling work while others are content to come for years for the social interaction," he said, adding, "If only one of the younger students takes glass art up as a profession, I have succeeded in helping to preserve the tradition and keeping glass out there with the people."

Picture Caption: Student, Sylvia Tett selects bead colors under Ettore's watchful eyes. She appreciates feeling like an equal at the weekly class she has been attending for eight years.

COMMISSIONS

pic of the month When Ettore is not teaching, he is undertaking commissions, doing repairs and experimenting with personal projects. Most of his work is for local private residents, and the commercial repairs include seven large century-old leadlight panels at a boutique hotel brewery, which now runs functions in a 'Leadlight Room'.

Any precious free time is spent putting new ideas into practice. Ettore has taken store mannequins and cement faces as foundations for mosaics, and is producing a variety of fused dishes, platters and coasters for [flea] markets and specialty retail outlets. He reflects on his lot in life with simple satisfaction, "I'm out in the country, doing something I like, and people are paying me for it. What more could I ask for?" pic of the month

From teaching one small class at a neighborhood community centre almost 20 years ago, Ettore Di Pilla now runs several weekly classes and weekend workshops for children and adults in leadlighting, mosaic art and fusing. Meet some of the 70 adults he teaches.

Picture Captions: 1)Among Ettore's commercial work has been the restoration of seven-century-old windows at a boutique hotel and brewery. 2) Fusing and slumping are new skills Ettore is honing. These platters are popular at his monthly market stalls.

THE PATIENT STUDENT

pic of the month She was the talk of the Wednesday morning class for a whole year. Even though the unnamed 'lady' no longer attends, Helen Sims still has students asking after her whereabouts. The 'lady' is a headless store mannequin that Helen patiently adorned with mosaic tiles incorporating a rambling vine and butterflies. It will soon be propped on a custom made metal stand and given a permanent home in Helen's new pergola.

Helen, an adult literacy teacher, says the greatest challenge the mannequin project presented was finding a suitable adhesive. The eventual winning formula was a cross between grout and silicone that didn't smell toxic and, more importantly, kept the tiles securely held in place.

Having worked intermittently on the mannequin for a year, Helen is now enjoying a variety of small mosaic projects in which she is experimenting with different materials such as beads, mirror, ceramics and photographs.

Picture Caption: Helen Sims with the mosaic "lady" that intrigued her classmates for a year. Helen says she used a mixture of grout and silicone to adhere the glass tiles to the mannequin.

THE SOCIABLES

Sylvia Tett and Lu Borelli are a generation apart but each derives as much pleasure as the other out of the leadlighting classes they have been attending for 10 and 8 years respectively. pic of the month

Sylvia, 69, enrolled in a class after her husband's death left her feeling isolated but determined not to restrict her activities and companionship. She says, "I met a range of people of all ages at the classes. To be accepted as an equal is so important to me. As a widow, you tend to be lumped with older people. I don't want that."

Sylvia remembers her early lessons with humor, "Because I'm so short, I had to be perched up on a plank to get the cutting right!"

Meanwhile, Lu, a school teacher, is popular among his mostly female classmates, partly because he enjoys a chat and sharing a bottle of red wine. Much of his leadlighting is done at home, which allows more time for socializing in class. After a day in another classroom teaching science to adolescents, Lu, 45, finds leadlighting a great form of stress relief, as well as a healthy right-brain workout, " I don't have many outlets which are artistic or creative, and this is one of the way that I get to exercise that part of me.. I also enjoy acquiring new shills and accepting new challenges." pic of the month

Sylvia says although she is not a perfectionist, she enjoys cutting and fitting glass as well as repair work. She has completed many projects including leadlight windows, lamps, screens and mosaic tabletops.

Picture Captions: 1) A trip to central Australia convinced Sylvia Tett to make this outback sky about her mosaic rooster fade from a fiery red to barely a blush. 2) He probably spends more time working on his leadlighting projects at home but Lu Borelli is still grinding along in the classroom after 10 years.

THE ARTISTIC

colly dolly lamp lamp detail Pottery, jewelry or glass art, Leonie Ludbey has a talent for turning everyday objects into original and quirky works of art. Trained as a qualified silversmith, she has successfully used her skills to produce copper foil lamps and fused pieces that warrant space in a gallery. A fulltime mother of two, who teaches bead jewelry classes at an art supplies store, she shrugs off any suggestion that she has an extraordinary talent. "It was so easy," she modestly declares when one of another of her pieces is admired.

Leonie enjoys a variety of creative outlets. She spent several years working for the respected Melbourne artist and retailer, Attica Rae, as well as with a mosaic artist in doing large murals.

Picture Captions: 1)This detail of a whimsical copper foil and wire lamps shows Leonie's sense of humor as well as her talent. Photo by Wayne Ludbey. 2)A 'Colly Dolly' lamps created by Leonie using a design made popular by her friend, Colleen Cassar. Photo by Wayne Ludbey.

THE MARRIED

pic of the month A successful marriage is built on the principle of give and take. Kaz and Jan Nowakowski were only a few hours into their first leadlighting class when they compromised their original plans and teamed up on one window panel instead of the two they had originally thought they'd be able to do in a two-day beginners' workshop.

Like most novices, they were nervous about cutting glass, but were reassuring themselves that the design they had chosen was not beyond their capabilities.

It is unusual for married couples to attend Ettore's classes; however, spouses often have substantial input into designs and assist with installations.

Picture Caption: Kaz and Jan Nowakowski are about to embark on their first leadlighting project. This is the first hobby class the couple has attended together, and the first married couple to take the class at the same time.

Nadine Hartnett is a freelance journalist based in the Macedon Ranges, a tourism region about 40 miles northwest of Melbourne, Australia. She has worked in the print media for 20 years, working as a general news reporter, editor and production editor for newspapers and magazine.