The Desire to Create is Inside Each Human Soul – Part 1

Known all over the world for his glass artwork, Tom Holdman has a passion for light and art. He owns Holdman Studios which is about a half hour from Salt Lake City at a place called Thanksgiving Point. We learn about the desire to create art and how Tom was able to overcome his struggles in this part 1 of a 7-part blog documentary series which is in Tom’s own words:

How a Project Begins

Sketch of Christ coming to America for the Brazil Temple.

I come up with concepts and ideas and then we sketch them. It begins as a rough idea sketch and then it gets handed in to the client like the LDS Church and they see it and approve it or make any alterations they want. I take that small sketch and pose models up and then I do a full-size sketch.

Off this larger sketch, I do the art glass itself. One example of is the First Vision in the Palmyra temple. Another example is the sketch of Christ coming to the America’s and now it’s all done and in the Brazil temple.

Getting the Details in the Glass

How do I get all the detail in the glass? If I used normal paint, as it is exposed to the sun, it would start to fade away, so I can’t use normal paint. I use crushed up pieces of glass in a powder form. This paint is actually powdered glass. I mix it with a sugar so it will stick on the glass, but it is just a dust. I put it on and then take a brush and highlight out certain areas that I want to come out. It is like trying to paint a negative. Except also it will alter in the oven a bit too, at times.

Once when I was working on the head of Christ for the Nauvoo Temple, I had painted his head and hair, and then I put it in the oven, and it had to cook for 6 hours. After it was all done, I held the head up and he looked Irish. His hair was red, red, red. The paint alters in the oven. You must know how to mix it.

Painting the head of Christ for the Nauvoo Temple

Growing up with a Stutter

I grew up with a stutter and I had some challenges with that of course. It could have just made me inwardly closed and not wanting to talk to people. There was a time that I was like that. But then I had to ask myself, “Am I going to let this stop me, am I going to let this slow me down?”

This was especially true when I had to make the decision of going on a mission. How can I do that? So I really thought that I wasn’t going to go. Well, I’ll just do what everyone asks you to do to pray about it to get the answer that I already know. That I don’t have to go because I stutter. I got on my knees and prayed and sure enough I didn’t get the answer I thought. My answer was that I needed to go serve the Lord for two years on a mission.

My Stake President set me apart and blessed me with the gift of tongues, that when I needed to speak, I would be able to. And I experienced that on my mission. I could teach people when I needed to. But there were other times when I did stutter and couldn’t speak what I wanted. But I realized that I couldn’t let this weakness slow me down in my life. We all have weaknesses that we hate and wonder why we have this. But if we turn to God, he can make a lot more out of our lives that we thought possible.

When I was in Jr. High school, did I ever think while being picked on that this would become a strength? No, not even. But it happened and it’s been a humbling experience to see that happen in my life.

This documentary will continue in Part 2