Prayer Kneelers and Adaptation: St. Andrews in Austin

This is just a quick preview - I have just returned from the St. Andrews Upper School Chapel here in Austin, for whom I designed 15 altar rail kneelers about nine years ago. I had never seen them stitched, finished and in place, nor had I even seen the chapel since the glass was installed and the interior finished. It is a joyful and uplifting place, and especially appropriate for high school students. Absolutely beautiful, and I was actually proud of my work - which is rare.

Anyway, I plan to do several posts regarding the adaptation of a theme to prayer kneelers, etc. and how to get ideas and get started. Not today, however, as I have earned a break of a few days (I think)

The first illustration is the "Christ the King" monogram - the Chi Rho with the crown. It's the far end of the 15 kneelers, and the truest colors - It's a drab, cloudy day here in Austin today, and the light wasn't good, but this is about the color of the stained glass window behind the altar on the east wall, which is where I got the inspiration for the backgrounds of these pieces.

The Star of David is at the beginning - the far left end of the rail. I thought it a great idea, as the Disciples are in between, and Jesus was a descendant of The House of David. Also, Michael Dell's children were attending the school at that time, so I thought it especially suitable and appropriate for that reason too. He had donated also a beautiful building to the school - a very generous and civic minded man.

ADDENDUM: I have already had someone comment by e-mail that she likes the color on the top illustration best. To explain - they are all 15 stitched with the same threads, same dyelot. They went to The Yarn Barn of San Antonio, to Bobbi Ravicz, who then owned it, and who has threaded all of my ecclesiastical work (even Church of the Advent in Tallahassee) for the 35 years I've been doing it.

The difference in color is because I was armed with my trusty little Kodak, which I am too dumb to know how to use well, and the faulty light today, as we are cloudy and overcast. This is also a thing one takes into consideration when designing church pieces - the colors in the stained glass, with the light coming through, can drastically alter the way the threads look.