Petra “Pete” Flynn Shares Her Love of Stained Glass

Some artistic endeavors are a true labor of love. For Petra “Pete” Tortorelli-Flynn, HD, Santa Barbara, California, one project took seven years to complete before she gifted it to her church. The nine-panel stained-glass window now graces Saint Joseph Chapel in Carpinteria, California, adding vibrancy to the knave of the Catholic chapel.

Pete’s artistic journey began long before the installation of this beautiful display. While still living with her parents, she took painting and woodworking classes, looking for a creative medium that interested her. She loved the bright colors she could achieve with watercolor painting, but missed having lines to follow.

In 2006, Pete signed up to take a stained-glass class at Santa Barbara City College. She recalls, “Our instructor gave us a small pattern and we took colored glass from a bin she provided…I gravitated to the brighter hues, the bright reds, blues, yellows, purples…Color turns me on! With that first project, I was hooked!”

Pete started by making small pieces for her mom and her own house; gradually, Pete increased the size of her pieces until she was filling large windows with her designs—trees, flowers, cats, fruit, birds, flags, the U.S. Marine insignia…she has made in total about 72 complete stained-glass pieces.

Pete took on her biggest challenge in 2016 as she sat in Saint Joseph’s Chapel. Behind the main altar, there was a set of clear glass windows surrounded by an “ugly curtain,” as Pete describes it. She envisioned how a stained-glass window could enhance the wall, and she drew out designs on paper. Pete brought three ideas to the leaders of the church and within a few weeks, she had permission to proceed. She told them up front that she wanted to donate the windows.

“Measure twice, cut once,” turned into “measure several times.” There’s no flexibility or easing in with glass; the drawing must be exact. Pete laid out large sheets of paper on the floor, drew the window perimeter and sketched out her design, treating the nine panels as a single image. She drew circles starting around the main image, the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Each circle was larger than the next and they were equally spaced for the graduated colors. She accommodated the wood window dividers, then marked on the pattern the color of each piece of glass she planned to use.

Finally, she was ready to start the actual stained-glass panels. Pete cut large pieces of plywood and added wood borders to indicate the outside edges of the glass panel. Then she began the painstaking process of cutting pieces of glass the exact right color and size, using the paper pattern as her guide. She leaded and soldered them in place as she went along.

As she finished each of the nine panels, she carefully transported them to the chapel, where they were stored in a closet. After seven years, the nine sections were ready to install. Pete submitted another proposal to the church: hire Jeff Tortorelli of Tortorelli Creations, a company that specializes in finish woodwork in churches and synagogues, to build a quality wood surround and to install the windows. The church approved the expense, and the windows were installed in 2024, with Pete present every day of the installation process, trimming leading as needed for a perfect fit.

Pete says her love of stained glass started with the church. “Catholic churches are known for their stained-glass windows, and I always thought they were so beautiful!” It is fitting that now she can enjoy seeing her own work as it inspires other parishioners.

Pete’s Connection to P.E.O.

Pete’s next-door neighbor, Rachel Hayman, HD, Santa Barbara, California, introduced her to P.E.O. “Rachel really liked my daughter, Tiondra. In 2010, when Tiondra was accepted to Moorpark College’s Exotic Animal Training and Management Program, Rachel helped her apply for a scholarship. After Tiondra received two scholarships from Chapter HD totaling $1,200, Rachel invited me to join P.E.O., which I did in 2013,” Pete explains.

Soon after joining Chapter HD, Pete accepted the nomination for the chaplain position; then she served as recording secretary for one year. In 2019, she agreed to be chapter president, a position she held for two years as the chapter learned to navigate Zoom meetings during COVID. She is an active participant in the chapter’s book discussion group, which meets monthly, and she enjoys contributing crafts for the chapter’s fall fundraising effort.

“I really like the women in P.E.O., and it’s nice to have lady friends,” said Pete. “I enjoy carpooling to the meetings, and I have made some close friends as we drive. And, the fact that we are helping many young women achieve their education dreams is a wonderful bonus to belonging to this organization!”