Pleasant Valley Glass

My name is Dawn Staples-Knox and I was born and raised in Stockton Springs, Maine. After retiring from a thirty-seven-year career as a high school/middle school science teacher, I now have time to commit to my passion for Stained Glass Mosaics. I love being creative and have many hobbies besides glasswork. Watercolor painting, beading, jewelry making, embroidering, sewing, and pottery are just a few.

I started making traditional stained glass projects 30 years ago and loved it. But I noticed I had a lot of scrap glass left over and, having been brought up never to throw anything away, I started making mosaics. I saw a craft book that showed an old window with colored glass glued onto the glass of the window and I was inspired! We had lots of old windows on the farm so I started to think about what I could make with them. Using materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill tied nicely with my collection of glass pieces and my Yankee mindset.

Most of my work has been commissioned by family and friends and now through the Maine Artisans Collective.  Many of my windows are influenced by my passion for science.  Fish, jellyfish, other sea creatures, Maine wildflowers, chickadees, and dragonflies are some of my favorites. Of course, growing up on Penobscot Bay, I also love making anything related to the ocean. Sailboats and lighthouses are often requested by my clients

I chose the name “Pleasant Valley Glass” to honor my grandparents and their small family business called Pleasant Valley Farm. I live in the farmhouse that my grandfather built which is situated between two hills in a valley on Old County Road in Stockton Springs. My husband and I built our beautiful studio next door and it is definitely my happy place.