 Medlyn Stained Glass and Artistic Iron Studio has been a notable St. Thomas landmark since its opening in 1996 by Jim and Janet Medlyn in 1996. Originally named Medlyn Stained Glass and Jewellery Studio, Janet is a trained gold silversmith who attended George Brown College. Jim did stained glass (along with many other mediums) after attending Fanshawe College for Fine Arts. Their daughter Katherine Medlyn now owns and operates the second-generation artist studio with her partner Bobby, who specializes in artistic iron.  Jim Medlyn with a piece of his stained glass. “Even before [opening the studio in 1996], my parents were serving the community for years and years,” Katherine explained while giving us a tour of the studio. “My mother [Janet] worked out of our home prior to [opening the studio], and my father did all sorts of fun stuff.” She still has many of her father’s different medium pieces, machines, and more around the studio- fond reminders of his creative mind and impressive range of skills. Growing up, Katherine’s dad was in the studio 6 days a week, making it a second home for her. Located at 643 Talbot Street in St. Thomas, the studio still stands in its original historic building, which had its first tenant in 1910. Katherine spent countless hours learning to do paper crafts and making projects out of stained glass scraps. “McDonald’s and making stained glass teddy bears,” she laughed. “I could make whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, with whatever scraps, so the scraps are still my favourite thing, especially around Christmas time.” In addition to scraps, Katherine made her first official stained glass project when she was 8 years old. “[As a kid] I was at the bottom of the totem pole around [the studio], and I got all of the super crappy jobs and all of the cleaning jobs,” she said. “But they taught me how the real world works, and it’s how I learned. By doing repairs and deconstructing other people’s projects. I learned some really cool and helpful tips.”  Katherine with one of her early stained glass projects. Katherine’s dad, Jim, died when she was only 17, and while keeping the studio going with her mother, Janet, Katherine said she didn’t realize quite how much she had learned from her parents. “He [Jim] taught me to be resourceful and creative, and I believe everything I do is an expression of my creativity,” she said with a smile. “He also preached that you can do anything a boy can do and better, not just the same but better, so don’t undervalue yourself.” Now Katherine and her partner Bobby continue to run the studio, keeping the Medlyn family legacy and quality craftsmanship that lasts generations alive. Katherine continues to offer custom-made stained glass pieces alongside pre-made products, repairs, and other glass, mixed media and jewellery (including watch battery replacements). Bobby, who went to school in British Columbia for aerospace tooling, specializes in ironwork. Together, they balance each other out well, with Kat being more creatively minded and Bobby being more logically minded. “[Bobby] likes to say he can make anything from a drawing, like if I draw it out for him he can figure it out exactly,” Kat explained. “I do the designing, and he does the heavy lifting.” Carrying on a family tradition and business is tough but rewarding, and the Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC) is happy to be a helpful resource. “[SBEC] really helped us get through COVID,” said Kat. “We made it through the first round, but that second round was a killer; it was nice to have somebody to talk to through it. For sure [reach out to SBEC]. I think not enough people know about them. You still have to put in the work, but just having the information is a really good jumping point.” Kat’s future dreams for Medlyn Studio have already started, which include her passion for teaching. “I’ve always enjoyed teaching, and I think that’s because my father had so much patience for me,” Kat said, smiling fondly. “I would really love to change the direction of the studio to more of an experience.” Medlyn has started offering stained glass workshops, where you can sign up for different projects and have Kat guide you through making your own stained glass project. So far, classes have completed projects like bees, dragonflies, butterflies, sun catchers, bats, snowflakes, keys, and more. Kat opens the studio for private showings and encourages people to contact her to plan a visit, as the studio doesn’t keep ‘regular’ business hours. Keep an eye out for workshops on Medlyn’s Eventbrite page, and try your hand at stained glass while experiencing the history and magic of Medlyn’s! If you go
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