My series of glass engraved wall pieces called "A Thousand Wishes" is a popular and easy way to commission personalized original art. It's relatively affordable since gallery commission is bypassed and you are dealing directly with the artist. A bespoke work makes a breathtaking gift, or a treasure to display at home. Pricing here.

Each work comprises 4 sheets of picture glass with a little space between them, above a background image on painted paper. The glass is engraved with circular handwritings on both sides of each sheet, such that the overlapping layers build to develop a 3-D image suggesting a dandelion seed head. Click images at left to enlarge.

Click here to browse available works for sale. Read on for commissioning info.

The text of each work comprises of thirty or so wishes from long lists I collected after I put out a request for people to send me a wish. Work from the series has been exhibited internationally, and I'm still making occasional new works to commission, where buyers may specify their own wish or phrase to be engraved in a circle as the topmost layer. This will be the only readable wish, all others are largely hidden, kept secret due to overlapping writings rendering each other unreadable. Even the top layer wish takes careful deciphering by close inspection, (normally impossible to see in a flat photo, but mouse-over the gold image at left to reveal one or click it for a large image, easier to see the effect).

Behind the glass there is an image on paper, partially hand painted and partially a digitally printed photograph of a dandelion seed head. My photographs are composited with blurred scans from the hand engraved glass layers which appear as further shadowy layers that add to the stunning textures. TEXTures, actually. (Did you know that the words text and texture both derive from the Latin verb "texere", to weave?). These background images are sometimes gilt with aluminum or cupric metal and often feature flecks of genuine gold leaf.

If you are interested to commission a unique work, following is the information you need.

Price: Euro895 (GB£825, US$1,100)
This includes picture framing as depicted at top of page. The framed size is c.48cm x48cmx4cm (in inches that is c.19"x19"x1.5").
Shipping is extra and will add Euro80/£71/US100 to destinations outside of Ireland.

Display
These hang like a normal picture, but ensure sturdy picture hook to support a weight of c. 3kg/7lbs. Spotlighting is highly recommended; without it works will not appear as bright as shown here. A good spotlight makes a work shine like a jewel.

Payment
Pay nothing until you approve a photos of your work, sent by e-mail.
Then payment may be via PayPal or by bank transfer in Euros, or GB£ or USD. Payment by check/cheque is not ideal as it will involve 5 weeks delay after delivery for bank clearance of non-Irish payments.

Customizing
Buyers may select from any of the images here as a basic guide for color and atmosphere.
If you care to specify a personal or family wish or other phrase, it must be between 10-16 words long, so I can engrave it in a perfect circle central to the image. The phrase may usually begin with "I wish" or "We wish" but its up to you; be creative. See some examples at the bottom of this page.
Other hidden text will be my own fairly random selection from the lists of wishes I collected for this series. If you care to collect your own list of about thirty short wishes or phrases, that is fine, just know that they'll be implicit but illegible. Some buyers have specified a poem or song instead of a wish and that can work too, just bear in mind the aspirational image we associate with blowing the seeds from a dandelion.

How long will it take?
Two weeks before shipping, but depends on what other work I have going on at any time. Contact me for more specific estimate at any time. Bear in mind postal congestion around Christmas time may cause delivery delays.

Guarantee
Glass is fragile, so I pack these carefully. I have had breakages in the past, so I learned how to pack them even better. Breakage in transit is very rare, but if it happens, you have my guarantee to replace the work as soon as is practical.

Contact me
My full contact information is here.

A few examples of wishes sent for the series
Just to give an idea- yours may be as different or as similar, as you wish.

Wishing each person connects to the creative core, turning the world into a work of art.

I wish a cup of comfort, a dash of wisdom, a light of joy for the heart.

I wish I was a snowflake that never touched the ground.

I wish that the warmth and genuine love freely given by friends could somehow fill the void left by the lack of a mother's love.

I want my voice to resonate like the whale, wolf, wren - then disappear.

Today I wish to forgive and be forgiven.

I wish to leave this world a better place.

I wish I was the pedal brake that you depended on.
I wish I was the verb 'to trust' and never let you down.
Pearl Jam song lyrics

My wish is a hummingbird, hovering over the hibiscus

I wish that my granddaughters will become citizens of the world and will come to love and accept themselves.

Don't hesitate to contact me with your enquiries.
Please note that I do not take on most general calligraphy jobs
and despite frequent requests, I do not design tattoos!

Sincerely,
Denis Brown HFCLAS
www.quillskill.com