Stained glass sun catcher of caffeine molecule
Creating beautiful stained glass art requires careful planning and precision as once you cut a piece of glass, there is little room for error. This is something Erin Moffat, a former chemist, thrives on. “I take a lot of pride in my technical workmanship with each step of the process,” she says. “The necessary planning is part of the creative process and it also satisfies the analytical part of my brain.”
Erin at work, photo by Carol Kubassek
But sometimes Erin thinks the most beautiful part of her work is the glass itself. “I often look at a piece of glass and wonder how I could possibly improve on it, as it’s so beautiful on its own,” she says. “But instead of putting the whole thing in a frame, I force myself to cut it up and getting working on a project.” And then she makes her own lovely things.
Erin’s scientific background weaves itself into her work as some of her best selling stained glass pieces are sun catchers, based on two-dimensional representations of molecules such as caffeine, serotonin or dopamine. “I have also done some large mathematical-themed panels based on Penrose tiles, and a few smaller items inspired by Star Wars and Dr. Who which speaks to my geeky, science-y side,” says Erin.
Erin’s glass serotonin molecule
Erin also takes her love of glass to bottles: old bottles she refurbishes by sandblasting and etching to create drinking glasses, vases, candle holders and even serving platters. In fact, you can see Erin’s drinking glass handiwork at Imbibe Food/Drink and The Boathouse, both in downtown Kitchener.
Erin, in vocal action
And if you think her talent ends at glass work, you’d be mistaken. She is also a musician, actor and stage manager for community theatre. She is the Erin behind Erin and Company, a duo who plays local venues, and she plays saxophone in the Hep Cats Hoppers studio swing house band.
She can also be found behind, on and in front of local theatre stages. Having first found a love for musicals in university, she acted and then became more interested in theatre tech, turning to stage managing productions. Lately she is returning to acting and performing in theatrical orchestra pits as a musician. In fact, she says she will play a woodwind instrument in any local theatre orchestra that will have her.
And to blend her two worlds nicely, a large stained glass piece she created hangs over the main entrance of the KW Little Theatre in uptown Waterloo. That’s some nice symmetry.
KW Little Theatre sign created by Erin
You can catch Erin perform her musical talents at Imbibe Food/Drink on March 27 and watch her in the role of Rosencrantz in KW Little Theatre’s production of Hamlet in April and May. Keep up with all of her creative action on Twitter.
P.S. Erin’s favourite topics of conversation: curling and birds.
Red leather booth 