Funny Turquoise Bird

Tom O’Connell, a 50-year advertising veteran, lived many years in France, Italy, and Germany.  It was particularly his eight years in Italy that developed a keen interest in stained glass.  This ultimately led him to take practical courses back in the States under the direction of Fabio Pizzolli, a world-renowned stained-glass artist who specializes in glass restoration. Tom then took an extended apprenticeship in Siena at the studio Vetrate Artistiche Toscane under the direction of owners Gianni and Massimo Bracciali.  There he fine-tuned his skills in cutting, painting, and assembling stained glass panels, which had been commissioned for the Villanova University in Philadelphia.

Passionate about his glass work, Tom works to create relatively small objects, sometimes whimsical and abstract, but mostly practical, to help bring the beauty and fun of glass to people’s homes.

His business and studio operate as Siena Stained Glass LLC, which was formed in 2019, located in Stonington CT. O’Connell’s glasswork is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.