Artist Spotlight: Beverly Holden of the Glass Garden

Photo and Story by Kim Carr

Often rural areas are overlooked when it comes to shopping for art; however, many artists find the peacefulness and tight knit community the perfect place to create.  One such artist would be Beverly Holden of the Glass Garden in the tiny town of Truesdale, Missouri.  The little shop is located just the other side of the railroad tracks in a town boasting a population of a bit over 700 folks.  Nestled right on the edge of the larger town of Warrenton, the Glass Garden serves as both a retail shop and studio.

The shop is easy to spot.  You will notice the large stained glass sign out front inviting you in.  As you enter the front gate, you will travel across several concrete blocks each decorated with different glass designs.  The yard is decorated with a variety of glass art from concrete benches with beautiful glass-themed designs, to a light house made of glass, to a variety of knick knacks.  As you enter the shop, your eyes will jump about the room which is filled with a variety of pieces that Beverly and her husband, Al, have created – everything from large wall hangings to photo frames to ornaments.

Beverly is the first to admit she does not enjoy idle time.  Her mind is always working and coming up with new ideas.  She often finds herself driving along, doing dishes or other everyday tasks when an idea will pop into her head.  Beverly says she is haunted by that idea until she is able to create it.

Beverly has been working with glass for the last 9 years or so.  As a child, Beverly grew up in the Mohave Desert.  Her father was in aviation and designed model airplanes.  Later he became a master gunsmith as well as a musician who would build banjos and dulcimers.  Her mother was an excellent pencil artist and has numerous pieces hanging at the Jonesburg Nursing Home.  It has always been important to Beverly to keep her hands busy with sewing, crocheting, quilting and such.  When she was younger, she would make all of her own clothes.  At the age of 14, her family moved to Missouri to be near other relatives.

Upon graduating high school, Beverly said the only opportunities for women were to become a stewardess or a secretary.  She chose the latter, but it drove her crazy.  The office was too slow and she found herself with lots of idle time at work, so Beverly started to bring materials to work.  She would cut out flowers and squares between typing assignments.  Soon she started quilting.  Beverly considers herself a purist when it comes to quilting as she hand stitches every piece.

While working as a secretary, she met her husband of 38 years, Al Holden, who was a chemical salesman at a paint company.  She said she didn’t like him much at first because he was so serious about his job.   At that time, Al’s job had him traveling extensively to Canada, Mexico and all across the US.  He excelled at record keeping, data collection and the technical aspects of his job.  These are all the things that Beverly finds tedious in the running of their little shop… so a perfect marriage in life and business developed.  Al told me it’s his wife’s imagination that runs the business.  Beverly told me that they complement each other.  They each have their strengths and they try to take advantage of that.  Al takes care of the books, computer work and such while Beverly does most of the creating.  Al doesn’t think of himself as an artist, but he did pick up glass work about 3 years ago.  He enjoys doing glass etching and kiln work.  Al holds the copyright on edge lighted art work on glass and is applying for a copyright on another idea he has worked out.  If you get a chance, you should stop by the shop and take a look at their giant mirror with etched peacocks and lighted edge.  The Holdens hope this new project will be a big hit in hotels, bars and even foyers.  They continue to grow and to diversify their work by doing a variety of projects with an assortment of techniques such as glass slumping and stained glass repair.

The small gift shop/studio is starting to attract locals who are now coming in to have custom designs created, but the majority of the business is from the St. Louis area.  About 50% of that business is from stained glass repairs which fall under Al’s expertise.  The Holdens’ original work and repair work can be found in numerous churches around Missouri such as the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Wentzville and the Lutheran Church in Jonesburg.  Al often finds himself doing vertical repairs in churches.  He takes great pride in being able to restore the beauty and history of a church for the members and the community.

Beverly really hadn’t planned on getting into glass.  After marrying Al, she took a three year art course through the mail where Norman Rockwell was one of the instructors.  She finally found herself in a job which allowed her to express her creative side, but it probably is not what you imagine.  Beverly just retired 3 years ago from her job as Baker, Manager and Cake Decorator at Mosers in Warrenton.  For 16 years, Beverly put her artistic talents to work to make edible masterpieces.  In an effort to stay busy when not at work, Beverly thought she would start painting murals.  She purchased brushes, paint and other materials needed to get started.  One day she entered a stained glass business in Wentzville, and the switch was flipped.  Beverly told me she is attracted to color and that she often lets the color guide her in what she will create.

A stained glass piece starts out as a cartoon.  It’s the drawing that you create or the pattern from which you will build upon.  Beverly stated she does a lot of custom work.  Clients will come into the shop with an idea. The first custom piece created was for a gentleman who liked monkeys and wanted them incorporated into glass panels to be placed on either side of his front door.

Beverly has a variety of plant and animal books in the shop that she will use as a reference, but she creates her own designs.  After the cartoon is created, it looks like a jigsaw puzzle.  Beverly takes the time to number each piece of the puzzle.  Copies are made of the design. One copy is cut into pieces which Beverly then uses as a pattern for cutting each glass piece in her design.  In addition to needing a good grasp of what colors will work well together, Beverly emphasizes that the use of the proper tools will make or break you.

As expected, one of the biggest hazards of the job is getting cut.  Beverly said it was not uncommon.   More often than not, the cuts are pretty minor.  She reports one exception, however,  when she dropped a piece of glass while working at her desk, when without thinking, slammed her legs together trying to catch the glass before it hit the ground.  OUCH!

The shop has been open nine years now, and Beverly and Al are both working full time as artists/small business owners.  When I asked them about being members of the Best of Missouri Hands, they told me that they had concluded back in November that they should join.  They were members of the National Stained Glass Society and had been for several years, but they wanted the opportunity to branch out and to meet other artists working in other mediums.

Marketing strategies include the Glass Garden online at http://www.glassgardentruesdale.com/,  and you can follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GlassGardenLLC?ref=br_tf

The Holdens are gearing up to participate in a local festival in Warrenton, MO sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce on June 7^th and 8^th.   The shop in Truesdale is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 am – 5 pm or by appointment.

The Holdens have three grown children. Their daughter did not pick up the artistic gene, but both sons did.  One son, Adam, who is a welder actually helped install the large sculpture called the Leaf Pavilion at Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis. http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g44881-i29842420-Saint_Louis_Missouri.html

When I asked what they like to do when they are not working, Beverly said they pretty much work seven days a week; but when they do get away, they enjoy the outdoors.  She loves to garden and considers the garden a canvas that you get to paint every year.  Al is an avid fly fisherman and enjoys playing a round of golf whenever he gets the chance.  In the past, they spent a lot of time at Mark Twain Lake on their sailboat, but the shop keeps them plenty busy now.  Plans are to sooner or later sail down the Mississippi into the Gulf of Mexico.  Beverly would someday like to go white water rafting in Colorado.

Words of advice for future generations or new artists wanting to make the jump…”follow your heart”.  Beverly stated, “Find a way to do your art work, take advantage of what God has given you and let it carry you away”.   She says, “If you’re truly an artist, you’ll be miserable if you don’t follow your heart.”