Hi!  I'm Mary Brophy, owner of True North Stained Glass Designs, located on beautiful Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  This is the culmination of a dream for me.  Since I was a child, I have always loved creating things...drawing, sewing, painting...my art is what fills me up, feeds my soul, and turns on all the lights!  When it came time for college however, I was guided to a practical career in the health care field.  But my right-brain did not go quietly, and what came around the corner next was what turned out to be my “True North”.

By happenstance, I came upon a friend in the midst of creating a beautiful piece of stained glass, and I was intrigued…after that friend taught me the basics of the centuries-old craft, I was hooked.  That was 1978, just the beginning of a love affair with glass.  I have taken several classes from master stained glass craftsmen since that time, honing my skills to create unique works of luminous art.  I am entranced by the colors and textures of this medium and how versatile it can be in the different forms of light, or even in the absence of it…my imagination runs wild with the possibilities of what I can make! 

I begin each piece of glass art inspired by an idea of my own or, if commissioned for a custom design, through collaboration with my client.  Each project starts with a unique, hand-sketched design, keeping in mind where the finished product will be displayed and how to best utilize the colors and textures of the glass specifically chosen for each piece.  I can take an image, an idea from a client, or a photograph and re-create it in colorful, illuminated glass.  A piece of stained glass art can also be attached to a piece of furniture, or installed into the interior or exterior architecture of a space.  The possibilities are endless!  

My work reflects my spirit, creativity, and sense of adventure – I bring this to each piece of art I create, and to my clients when collaborating on custom designs.  I design each piece, small or large, from my heart, crafting an image as close as possible to what I imagined it could be at the start of the project.