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Donna Martin, left, a stained glass artist from Pigeon, in her studio alongside her apprentice, 15-year-old Shawnnessy Renn of Pigeon.

Shawnnessy Renn, of Pigeon, a 15-year-old apprentice to Donna Martin, a stained glass artist from Pigeon, displays a creation of her own design.

Shawnnessy Renn, of Pigeon, a 15-year-old apprentice to Donna Martin, a stained glass artist from Pigeon, displays a creation of her own design.

When someone has a skill or learns a trade, they want to ensure their efforts reach a certain level of competence and professionalism. After mastering their craft, they often look forward to helping someone else carry on that work. Whether they’re in a trade such as carpentry, welding, or plumbing, or an artisan, like a potter, sculptor, or stained glass artist, their desire is to see the skills they’ve attained continue to benefit others.

In order to accomplish that purpose, they may take on an apprentice. An apprentice, a person who learns a skill from an established tradesman or artisan, usually starts from the ground up, with the expectation of low pay until they become competent themselves.

Such was the case for Donna Martin, of Pigeon. A graduate of Cass Tech, in Detroit, Martin took a job with Chrysler Corporation, moving to Florida. Tiring of the corporate life, she used her creative skills to become a journalist, writing feature stories for a local newspaper.

While employed as a journalist, Martin began painting with oils. Always on the lookout for something to expand her artistic expression, she took some classes in stained glass art. Martin fell in love with stained glass work, became proficient, and ended up giving classes in the craft.

Her family had lived in western Huron County since the early 60s, and Martin eventually found her way back to the area. She lived here for a decade or so, and then moved to North Carolina. After a few years, Martin returned to Huron County. She now lives in Pigeon.

Ever the artist, Martin has continued to do stained glass work. As the years passed, her passion for the craft has grown. She decided to take on an apprentice.

Enter Shawnnessy Renn, also of Pigeon. Renn is a 15-year-old freshman at Laker Schools. She is creative herself, and when the opportunity arose to learn how to do stained glass art, she jumped at the chance.

“I love being an artist,” Renn said. “I think it’s a great way to express yourself, and understand other people.”

Renn has painted for years.

“When I was younger, I used to set up my easel and paint in my yard,” she said. “Now I just take a picture of whatever, and then paint it.”

Multi-talented, Renn also does some pottery, wood carving, and charcoal drawing. She also makes crystal and wire jewelry, and is in an art class at Laker Schools.

“I like all crafts,” Renn said.

When a close friend realized Martin was looking for an apprentice, she suggested Renn. The two have been working together for a little more than a year.

“I really like it, from the first day,” Renn said.

Learning a skill like stained glass art has been fun for Renn.

“I’ve learned all the different types of glass, and how to use them,” Renn said. “Like what type of glass looks better with other types. I learned how to cut, and foil, and solder. And, I’ve learned how to grind.”

These are all steps in the creation of stained glass art.

“You start with a piece of glass, and draw your design on it,” Renn said. “You cut it out, and then break it with a thick pair of pliers.”

The cutting tool scores the glass, which then breaks along the line of the cut.

“Then you put a thin metal case around the glass, to solder it,” Renn said.

“Then you pull the pieces together, so they stay in place,” Renn said. “And then you put flux on them, and solder them.”

“Deep curves are very hard to do,” Renn said. “I started with smaller curves, and just kept practicing. It didn’t take me that long to pick it up. I learned fast.”

Stained glass is usually quite colorful. Mostly it’s done with different colors of glass.

“You order them like that,” Renn said. “We did do some butterflies, where I painted spots on them, but we usually just order it, because it’s easier. I like picking out the colors and coming up with the designs. I like the trial and error ... messing up and figuring out where you went wrong. It’s challenging. I like challenges.”

There is a downside to working with stained glass.

“I get cut all the time,” Renn said. “My hands are always really cut up.”

She enjoys being a stained glass art apprentice and has considered making it a career.

“If I could have this as a job, it would be awesome,” Renn said. “I don’t know how logistical that is though, especially right now, because you get artist’s pay, which isn’t great. But, it would be an awesome job. There’s so much variety ... I don’t want a boring desk job, where you sit there and do the same thing every single day for the rest of your life. An artist goes all over the place. You meet a bunch of different people ... and there’s so many different forms of it.”

Working with Martin has been beneficial for Renn.

“She’s interesting,” Renn said. “She’s fun. She talks nonstop, which is fine with me, because I don’t talk a lot. She’s hilarious. She teaches me a lot of good stuff about life in general.”

From her standpoint, Martin enjoys working with Renn.

“She’s very quick,” Martin said. “I think I showed her one time how to do the curves, and that was it. She’s so good at details.”

The idea behind an apprenticeship was appealing to both Martin and Renn. They work well together.

Martin calls her stained glass business Huron Shores. She and Renn sport shirts saying "Stained Glass Sweat Shop. Huron Shores." They may even do a couple of craft shows together this summer.

Martin’s work can be seen at The Brew Moon in Caseville and Pak’s Garage in Port Austin. Examples of her work are on display at the Caseville Methodist Church and the Caseville Historical Society. The stained glass eagle outside of the Caseville School Auditorium is also a Donna Martin creation.