Passion for stained-glass becomes a business

Her work actually reflects her admiration for this painting style. The drawings on glass are all done with bright colours and the style itself definitely recalls the art of stained-glass.

Now that Corinne has left the tourism sector – she was in aviation for more than 14 years – she has time to paint on every single piece of glass she sees. And she offers her work on sale in shops for both the local market and tourists. She has much of her work on display on her living room table. “I work at home. In fact, when I left the tourism company, I wanted to have more time for my family.” And she is obviously more relaxed now and can spend more time with her two daughters. But this doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have as much work… especially as the end-of-year festivities are not so far away.

Rinco Arts Ltd is the name of Corinne’s small company. Although her dream is to open a shop where she could sell her hand-made glasses, ashtrays, and flower vases, she knows this will take time and she is waiting patiently. “In fact, my main aim was to have more time with my family… I am not sure I’ll manage to cope if I open a shop at the moment so I prefer to take my time.”


Final touch to guarantee quality

There is no other employee in her company. Of course, this means more work for her but it is also a way of making sure she gives the final touch to her products and can guarantee their quality. Now that her creations are not only intended for end-of-year presents as they used to be when she worked in the tourism sector, she has to make sure they come up to a high standard.

Corinne has an album that she shows to potential customers. “If they like the objects, they can buy them immediately but if they want something different, I can also go according to their requirements… They just have to order the colours and type of product they want and they’ll get it.”

Of course, her work doesn’t only come from her passion for painting. She did Art at school up to Higher School Certificate and has taken many part-time courses after that. She often looks at the courses proposed by Arts Academy and chooses the ones that are of interest for her. “Moreover, I have a lot of friends who also make handicraft products and I learn a great deal from them… I have learned a lot of different techniques since I started.”

But one of the things she is most proud of seems to be the fact that she recycles glass. “I never throw away a bottle or jar… I just cut them and transform them into flower vases or candleholders. I even use baby feed boxes as packaging for smaller glasses.”

And she doesn’t intend to stop there… Her trip to Africa has inspired her so much that she wishes to start a new style of painting next year. “The colours and contrasts in Africa are exceptional and I want to do something with that.” But her style is unmistakable… The bright colours and stained-glass window look will always be there!