By Janay Boyd | Reporter

Nestled in the rolling countryside just outside Waco, Stanton Studios is a place where art meets craftsmanship, tradition blends with innovation, and light transforms into color.

Here, stained glass isn’t just a relic of grand cathedrals and historic homes — it’s a living art form evolving with time and creativity. Samuel Stanton, the studio’s floor manager and glass color consultant, is carrying on his family’s legacy by designing intricate glass works and teaching others to do the same.

Stanton Studios is more than just a business; it is a testament to generations of craftsmanship, faith and a love for stained glass that began with Samuel’s father, David Stanton. What started as a college fascination turned into a lifelong passion, passed down through a family that built both a home and a career around this intricate art, Stanton said.

“[My dad] took a class, and his first piece that he made was actually a butterfly,” Stanton said. “My first stained glass class I taught was a butterfly as well, to pay homage to that.”

Now, with a close-knit team of 16 artists, Stanton Studios continues to craft stunning stained glass pieces for churches, homes and institutions, blending artistry with storytelling. For Stanton, stained glass is more than a profession — it’s a pursuit of excellence, a way to push boundaries while honoring the past.

“That’s not to say there aren’t challenging times that make you really stressful, but I wouldn’t want it to not be stressful,” Stanton said. “You don’t want it to be too easy. You want to feel the growth happening, you know? So, to say that better, I see amazing windows that have been built, and I just think, ‘I want to be one of those people.’”

This spring, Stanton is bringing his passion to a new generation of artists. Throughout March and April, he will hold a weekly introduction to stained glass class where students will learn how to create different suncatchers — ranging from hummingbirds to chickens, dragonflies to tulips. The classes, held on Saturdays from 2-5 p.m., cost $100 per session.

Though Stanton has only recently begun offering workshops, the response has been overwhelming, he said. His first hummingbird suncatcher class filled up almost instantly, drawing in a mix of eager beginners and curious creators looking for a hands-on artistic experience.

“The reason why I did [these classes] is because I am also a student right now,” Stanton said. “I want it to be something that when you leave after three hours, you’re going to feel like it went by like that. But when it’s done, you’re going to feel super exhausted. But how awesome is it that you can hold up something at the end of it and be like, this is something I made myself, you know?”

The growing interest in handcrafts isn’t surprising. Across the country, traditional skills are making a resurgence, and according to The Imperfectly Happy Home blog, it is fueled by a desire to step away from screens and engage in something tangible. Stained glass, in particular, offers a unique blend of artistic expression and hands-on craftsmanship, Stanton said, allowing people to slow down, focus and create something lasting.

Even Stanton’s wife, Abigail Stanton, has found herself drawn into the craft after helping him set up classes.

“I’ve gotten more involved since just helping him set up classes and make these catchers,” she said. “I didn’t know anything before, so I’m slowly getting more into it, definitely more than I used to. It’s a lot harder than it looks.”

Many students come away with the same realization: stained glass requires patience and precision, but with practice, it becomes an enjoyable and rewarding process, he said.

“I haven’t really had to promote this very much,” Stanton said. “People are just hungry for something fun to do like this, and I think a lot of people just see it as a de-stressing activity. Plus, there’s just a sense of fellowship that also happens organically. Everyone leaves [with] friends.”

Beyond the finished piece, Stanton hopes his students walk away with something deeper — confidence, inspiration and a renewed belief in their creative abilities.

“I see people come in and they’re so negative about themselves,” he said. “And then they have that ‘aha, I can do this’ moment. I like seeing their happy faces when they see what they’ve created.”

For Stanton, teaching isn’t just about technique — it’s about transformation. And with each new student, Stanton Studios is preserving the history of stained glass and ensuring its future, one handcrafted piece at a time.