More Church Work: Pew Kneelers

I found these pictures in an old file I was looking through last night - surprised I had forgotten about them. A number of years ago I was asked by St. Martin's in Houston to work up a plan and make a bid on doing 300 pew kneelers for them - but I decided, after looking at the project, that I really didn't want to spend the next six years of my life painting them, so declined. I did work up some designs, tho' - and was rather pleased with them.

The small picture at the top left is of a part of the stained glass that was planned for this cathedral. Beautiful beautiful glass!! When I am asked to do something for a church, my first consideration is the stained glass, besides the name of the church. This particular motif would have lent itself well to repitition on 90" long kneelers. The painting on canvas is to scale at ca. 5" high. I'm thinking now that the design, in the same proportion as it appears here, would make a very effective single prayer kneeler.

The next picture is the symbol for St. Martin, and represents the accepted story of his cutting his cloak in half in order to share it with a beggar. Again, these images were inspired by the stained glass.

Another chapel I did using Saints' symbols with the stained glass in the background, was the St. Andrews Upper School Chapel here in Austin - the stained glass was awesome, so I used it as a background, and put a shield with the symbol of each of the apostles in the centers - 15 in all, as I began with the Star of David on the left end, and finished with the Alpha and Omega on the right end. I have never seen these finished and in place, although it has been a number of years - I'm hoping to go out there next week to take pictures.

Meanwhile, this (also in that old file) little square is what I painted as thank you's to be given to the people who stitched the cushions. It's a tiny thing, with the stained glass in the background and St. Andrew's shield with his cross in the center. This is a paper copy of the canvas, so those spots on it are water spots where I spilled something on it.

Next I think I need to go back to Tallahassee and see the work I did for the Church of the Advent there years ago - I never saw those finished either, but my daughter-in-law and her mother, to my amazement, said they go there often, and had no idea I had designed the altar rail kneelers. These cushions go all the way around the altar, so I was able to make the corners "seasonal" with appropriate Florida things that also have ecclesiastical symbolism - like dogwoods and butterflies, etc. (Monarchs migrate through the region.) As I remember, the theme of the wheat and grapes is what ties these cushions together.

I'm wanting so badly to go back to Tallahassee and see springtime there again - it's been a long time. I think this might justify it!!