Reverse Glass Painting

Explore your artistic side at the Elkhart County Historical Museum by learning the folk art tradition of reverse glass painting. On Thursday, February 19th at 7:00 p.m. the museum will teach a class on creating these beautiful paintings popularized locally by Mennonite and Amish artists.

Often referred to as “mottos,” reverse glass paintings generally feature a scriptural or moral phrase surrounded by pictorial elements from nature such as flowers, birds, plants, and butterflies. As the name implies, the designs are painted on the backside of the glass with a mixture of opaque and translucent paint. The design background typically has a solid color, with black being the prominent color choice before 1940 and white in the years after.

There are several different styles of reverse glass painting, but the class will focus on the technique often called tinsel or foil paintings. In tinsel painting, a sheet of crumpled aluminum foil is placed between the painted glass and the cardboard backing. The foil shines through the translucent areas of paint adding a depth and sparkle to the finished piece.

Workshop attendees will also have the opportunity to view multiple historical examples of reverse glass paintings made in Elkhart County. The height of reverse glass painting was from 1930-1960 While the popularity of the art form has diminished, there are Elkhart County residents who have kept the tradition alive.

Workshop fee is $2/person to cover supplies. Pre-registration for the workshop is also required. For more information or to sign up, please contact Rebecca Oestreich at 574-848-4322 or rebecca@elkhartcountyparks.org.