Meet Stella Tharin | Stained Glass Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stella Tharin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stella, what are you inspired by?
Inspiration comes from many things for me, but nature is the main source! I grew up by the beach and my family would go camping in the mountains almost every summer, so I developed a huge appreciation for the outdoors. I love traveling, and always draw inspiration from my experiences and the different scenery I encounter! I’m also inspired by my “spirituality” and bring this element into my work by adding crystals to certain designs. Astrology also plays a role in a few creations of mine, along with when I might release a batch of work!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Being a stained glass artist isn’t what I expected or planned to do in my life. I knew I’d need to do something creative to be fulfilled with my career, and I went to college to figure out what that might be. After a few years of lots of different classes, I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do other than something involving art! I hit a road block when signing up for my next semester, and decided that I could be a successful artist without finishing school.

I was working at a Flaming Amy’s, a local restaurant, while I was in school and continued working there as I figured out what art field I wanted to pursue. I always loved ceramics, so I got a kiln and pottery wheel. I started finding other local ceramicist in Wilmington and found that there were so many talented artists in that field and I couldn’t compare! I realized that there weren’t many stained glass artists in the area that were similar to the style I would bring to that field, and I had access to a whole workshop filled with stained glass supplies because of my mom who has been a stained glass artist for nearly 30 years!

I had always experimented creating stained glass pieces growing up, so I already knew the basics of it. I finally decided that’s what I wanted to do, and created my business Stained and Confused in 2018! Then, another road block came when hurricane Florence blew through Wilmington. A huge, dead oak tree fell on my and my moms shared workshop, along with my apartment upstairs. Luckily, my boyfriend, Daniel, and I were in Hawaii and not in bed when the tree fell on our room at 5am!

After about a year of repairing the building, our workshop was better than ever! I finally did my first ever market as Stained and Confused in February of 2020. I was still working at Flaming Amy’s and found it very difficult to juggle working there full time and trying to grow my business. Of course covid came about that year, and the restaurant closed for a month. This gave me time to really think about what I wanted to do next, and I ended up deciding to not return to the restaurant and to really get serious about my business!

I started connecting more with my local artist/creative community through Instagram and local markets. This helped me get my foot in the door with so many markets and other opportunities in town.

Instagram has also been a huge part of my business’s success! Being consistent with content and connecting with so many more people through the app has helped my business reach others that would never have seen my creations otherwise.

I also have a website that Daniel made for me where I sell most of my art. I’m so lucky to have him, as he helps me with most of my website/technology needs which saves us a lot of money! I love working from home and in doing so, I’ve learned that I’m better at managing my time than I thought. I’m still working on my work/life balance, but I think that’s something that will always be fluctuating.

I’m so happy to be doing what I do, and something I’m excited about for the future is to be a traveling stained glass artist! Daniel and I are currently remodeling (and living in) a 30 foot class c RV. We hope to travel around the country for a year or two with our two kitties while I continue to have website restocks and do little markets I can get into wherever we are!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Wilmington, North Carolina is a beautiful area. I’m so lucky to have grown up here close to the coast. There’s a lot to do here! Obviously, going to the beach is a must. I live right over the bridge from Wrightsville Beach, and maybe I’m bias, but I think it’s the prettiest beach in the area! The water is crystal clear most days and we get really fun waves. I love to surf, and there are plenty of surf schools to take a lesson when you’re visiting!

There’s tons of local restaurants to try while you’re here. To name a few, K38 or Tower 7, Poe’s Tavern, Flaming Amy’s, Indochine, Yosake, The Half, Mess Hall, Sea Level City Vegan Diner, Panacea Brewing Company (the best kombucha ever), Ceviche’s and so many more! All of these have great vegetarian and vegan options too! I eat mostly vegetarian and vegan when I can, so I’m always looking out for that!

There’s always other things to do like exploring downtown Wilmington. There are tons of local shops and bars to visit walking around Front st. The Cargo District is another place to visit to support lots of local artists and business! It’s a very up and coming area with new businesses popping up all the time. Driving out to Fort Fisher and going to the Aquarium or exploring Carolina Beach State Park is another fun day of activities!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Thank you to my mom, Susan, who has taught me almost everything I know about stained glass! She’s been a stained glass artist for about 30 years, owning her own business called Airlie Art Glass, and has been a huge part of why I’m able to do what I do!

Thank you as well to my amazing boyfriend, Daniel, who created my website for me and helps me with the more mundane tasks of owning a business! Daniel is so supportive and understanding during times when running my own business becomes more than a full time job. I really couldn’t do this without him!

Lastly, thank you to all of my friends and family that support me in my endeavors!

Website: https://stainedandconfused.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stainedandconfused

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/stainedandconfused/