Theodore Ellison Designs

I met Daniel of years before at a conference. I was aware of his work exploring the possibilities of glass in unconventional ways. It wasn’t until our first trip to the site together that I learned of his and his family’s history of stained glass production going back over 100 years. This return to his roots in stained glass design informed his process he used to create the design and select the glass. Our job was to turn his ideas into windows that fit into each of the 42 irregular openings while maintaining the flow of the design across each of the three walls.

Last year we were hired by to fabricate his brilliant design for three glass walls of a greenhouse in Northern California. When I saw his design I immediately wanted to be a part of the project; the dragonfly both relates to the natural landscape and the history of stained glass where the dragonfly is a common motif - but never like this. The inventive upscaling makes this idea entirely new. And the natural structure of the wing is perfectly suited to the principles of leaded glass design. Made entirely of glass.

has invited me to present my talk on the history of American Glass Mosaic on Saturday, January 13th at the historic Blinn House in Pasadena. This talk will feature a detailed look at the stained glass and mosaic work by the firm Giannini and Hilgart for this George Washington Maher designed home. And for out-of-towners, this talk will be broadcast on zoom. Visit the Classes page of theodoreellison.com for more info!

Happy New Year! I’ve got some exciting things happening. I’m offering my Introduction to Glass Mosaic class on January 19-21st at my Oakland workshop. I present everything from cutting glass to setting it on backer board and grouting it - all the steps we use to make architectural installations. 2 spots left! Visit theodoreellison.com for more info on the classes page. mosaic by .bean

We’re hiring an Assistant Client Relationship Manager. Visit www.theodoreellison.com/careers for more information.

Class Announcement :: Advanced Techniques for Leaded Glass :: November 3 - 5, 2023
Enrollment opens on Friday 10.6.23 at 12:00pm PST

In this 3-day course, I will break down my process for creative work and demonstrate how I bring dimension to copper foil glasswork through my decorative soldering techniques. You will create an organic design that incorporates three dimensional effects, branch-like soldering, and two-tone patination.

I’m part of two presentations at the SGAA conference next month. The first is a collaboration with where we discuss navigating a larger commission  and how to get ahead of challenges you might face. The second is on safeguarding your creative works; I’ll discuss my experience with infringement and what I’ve learned from enforcing my copyrights, and Rebecca M. Stadler, Esq. will present a comprehensive explanation of key points regarding copyright protection.

See you at the conference! More info here:

I designed these windows to balance natural light and privacy in the den of my client’s home.

A recent installation for an ever-creative client in collaboration with , and . Taking the time to get the details perfect really shows in this home. As always, we made these windows with glass produced by .

Preview of a custom design we made in collaboration with - install happens tomorrow and we’re excited!

I’m teaching my Introduction to Leaded Glass class on May 19-21. https://theodoreellison.com/products/introduction-to-leaded-glass-1/

We just installed a series of panels based on my Banner design for a home office in San Rafael, CA. During the summer, the sun streamed through the upper windows right into the eyes of my client. To solve this, I went to and sourced opaline glass and selected the highest density glass for the upper panes, and diminished the density in a subtle ombre gradation down the window. Handcrafted with the greatest care by