Blount County Stained Glass Artists Contribute to DIY Network’s Blog Cabin in Townsend

Wednesday June 23, 2010
Blount County is home to a new kind of log cabin

TOWNSEND, Tenn.- Blount County is home to a new kind of log cabin-one that was designed by 4.2 million votes on DIY Network's companion Web site, DIYnetwork.com.  The cabin, located in Kinzel Springs, will be featured in a 13-part series that will premiere on Thursday, Aug. 16 at 9 p.m. ET on DIY Network, and will be given away to a viewer this fall.  The cabin project, known as "Blog Cabin," is a major convergent initiative with significant components both online and on-air launched this year by DIY Network of Knoxville-based Scripps Networks. 

In February and March, visitors to the DIY's Web site voted on the floor plan, roof, fireplace, window designs, flooring, stair railings, cabinetry, tile for the bath, kitchen countertops and bath. 

"Vacation homes are continuing to grow in popularity," said Freddy James, DIY's vice president of programming. "It was only natural to develop a series around the idea. The online response definitely shows the interest people have in building and owning a log cabin.

"We're fortunate to have the Smokies in our backyard. As one of the top destinations for tourists, it was a great choice for locating our first Blog Cabin. We worked with many of the builders in the area and selected Kinzel Springs based on their floor plans and building site."

Two Blount County artists contributed to the "Blog Cabin" by creating a custom stained glass window that will be hung in the cabin's bathroom.   The window hanging, roughly a two-foot by three-foot piece of stained glass, took about four days to create. 

"The stained glass is a unique contrast to the cabin," said Larry McLain, stained glass artist and co-owner of the GLASSMYTHS.  "The cabin is very rustic, and the stained glass has a modern feel with various geometric shapes and shades of blue in an unusual cabin."

Larry McLain, and his wife Paula, were chosen to design and create the piece of stained glass after DIY researched various artists in the community. 

"We have a variety of local artists and craftsmen that demonstrate their talents at the visitors center," said Deborah Nye, special events coordinator for the Smoky Mountain Convention and Visitors Bureau.  "The McLains regularly exhibit and demonstrate their artistry at the visitors center, and I knew they would be able to create a unique piece of artwork for the cabin."

The McLains have been doing stained glass for seven years.  The couple works out of a small studio next to their home in Walland, which they opened after taking a local class in stained glass basics. 

"After retiring from a career as a Naval Officer, and long family separations, we wanted to do something together. After watching a Bob Vila show that demonstrated stained glass construction, we took the class and decided that it filled our requirement to have fun together while being productive," said Larry.

Today, the McLains do craft shows throughout the Southeast, along with custom commissioned pieces.  Cost of the stained glass pieces they create depends on the size and complexity of the work. 

"We talk to our customer to figure out what they are looking for, and then we have computer programs that allow us to create a design and colors to meet their needs," said Larry.  "With today's technology, people don't even have to come to the studio to pick out the glass-we can communicate through email to create their stained glass piece." 

And that's exactly how the McLain's created the piece of artwork for DIY's "Blog Cabin."  

"We didn't actually meet the DIY folks until we were about 75 percent done with the panel," said Larry.  "Then, two producers, a director, sound, light, and cameraman and the hostess of the show came to our studio to film the work-in-progress," said Larry.  "It was a fascinating experience to see how shows like this are put together and to be involved in the process."  

While at the studio, DIY filmed an instructional video on how to create a stained glass window.  The McLain's showed the entire process-from cutting, breaking and grinding the glass to foiling and soldering.  Viewers will see segments of the shooting on the television episodes of DIY's "Blog Cabin" and will be able to catch the educational videos on DIYnetwork.com as part of the broadband offerings developed for the series.

DIY host and home building expert Amy Devers (DIY to the Rescue, Freeform Furniture) is hosting the network's first interactive initiative, "Blog Cabin," including both the online blog and on-air series, and is joined by twin contractors Chris and Simon Hodshon to get the job done.  Additional DIY experts - Jason Cameron (Man Caves, Desperate Landscapes); Amy Matthews (Bathroom Renovations, Sweat Equity); Karl Champley (DIY to the Rescue, Wasted Spaces); and more are bringing their home improvement know-how and professional skills to the building of the cabin. 

DIY Network's "Blog Cabin" is expected to be completed by mid-summer, and the trials and triumphs of construction, along with best construction practices, can also be followed in a blog on DIYnetwork.com/blogcabin. The Web site will also offer photos and video of the construction process, and encourages users to "blog about logs" at their leisure.   

The GLASSMYTHS create glass artwork in four categories:  three-dimensional sculptures, sun catchers, corners and panels and windows.  For more information about the GLASSMYTHS, please visit http://home.earthlink.net/~mtnavy/.

DIY Network is available nationwide on DISH Network Ch. 111 and DIRECTV Ch. 230.  For additional cable channel designations, check local listings

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