St Augustine Lighthouse - Custom Order
Overlooking and protecting the nation's oldest port is the St Augustine Lighthouse. It rises 165 feet above sea level, and has the original first order Fresnel lens that still serves the beacon at the top. The lens consists of 370 hand-cut glass prisms arranged in a beehive shape towering twelve feet tall and six feet in diameter. It remains one of only a few such operating lenses in the United States.
Each glass has original hand painted artwork using reverse glass technique. All the painting is done on the outside of the glassware with non-toxic paints. The UV-resistant paint is permanently fused to the glass, so the pieces can be safely washed in dishwashers and heated in microwaves without harming the artwork.
The design is constructed facing both the interior and exterior of the glass to create a piece of art that can be viewed and enjoyed from any angle, and changes as you turn the glass. The two opposable images work together to create a depth to the artwork. With liquid in the glass, the interior facing design is amplified creating a dramatic effect. On many pieces the artwork has a textural quality, adding touch to the stimulations of visual, smell and taste while drinking. The painting is constructed so that it will transform as the day’s light intensity changes, similar to a stained glass effect. The design is available in a variety of sturdy glass& fine crystal glassware styles including wine glasses, champagne flutes, martini and margarita glasses, rocks and hi-ball glasses, and tea/coffee mugs. Pitchers and vases are also available with this design. Customization to suit individual tastes is welcomed at no extra cost. You can specify preferences on the contact page when you order the pieces. The artwork is painted to order, so please allow a week for creating your art piece.