The Shamrocker


St Patricks Day today so I would like to introduce you to The Shamrocker. The initial idea here was to do a skull design with an Irish influence, hence the shamrock leaves on either side. I love making skulls, so for this bad boy, I wanted to give him a top hat that seemed to fit the design quite well. I made the hatband a creamy white and put the same colors into the border. The black and white reminded me of a pint of Guinness so my design was complete.

The Shamrocker stained glass panel featuring a Skull in top hat surrounded by shamrock leaves, designed by David Kennedy

A Bit About The Construction


I use a Taurus 3 Ring Saw to cut out the skull pieces, it’s very useful for the eye sockets and around the teeth. There are 16 of these, all separately cut out. I start by cutting small rectangles and then shape and fit them using a grinder. It’s quite slow and tedious and to be honest, you feel a bit like a dentist when you are doing it, worth it though to give him a cheeky grin. The skull and the hatband are Uroboros Glass, the background is Youghiogheny Stipple. Shamrock leaves and the solid black is Bullseye Glass

Some background Of The Idea


I like to do a bit of research before I develop an idea. There is more influence now with visual images than there has ever been. Trying to come up with original work is the holy grail for me. So when I get an idea I put in a few searches and see what pops up. The “gentleman skull” seems to be the most popular description in the world of tattoos. He’s a man who likes to party and enjoy the journey of life while tipping his hat to the reaper.

Pirate Skull

Cobweb Eddy

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My name is David Kennedy and I create stained glass patterns and designs. These are downloadable PDF files and they are available to buy on this website. If you would like to view the selection please visit the Patterns Store to see the full range. I work in both lead and copper foil which enables me to produce a wide range of different styles. These are skills I have developed over the last 35 years of working with glass.

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