Design ideas for St. Catharine of Siena

(Originally posted in 2008 and bumped up for reconsideration and additional design discussion with client.)

We've been away working on some church murals at another church, but had a break to moodle some more designs for the clerestory windows at St. Catharine of Siena. Here are variations and ideas:




All are in the $2,000/each range x eight windows, except for the most simple bottom window which is less.
Cost is determined by various factors, including the number of pieces of glass in the window, the particular glass chosen, whether glass-painting is involved, and the materials market in general.

Because glass and metal are selling at all-time highs right now, quotes we send out to clients are only good for three months. The stained glass industry is very labor and energy-intensive, not only because they require huge inputs of energy to manufacture, but also because they are not common commodities, often being imported from overseas. Many art glasses, for example, are manufactured in Europe. High oil costs immediately drive the cost of shipping up, and thus the cost of glass. This is above and beyond the intensive energy useage required to run the glass furnaces and manufacture the glass to begin with. The lead came cost is also being driven by scarcity of metals, so this is another factor to consider.

Below are suggested designs for windows in the choir portion of the church, four total which will each have a different symbol for the four evangelists. This one is for St. Luke. Here are two possibilities, and at bottom left the beginnings of a third:


These larger windows will cost from $3,000 - $4,000 each.

If symbols of the four evangelists aren't what the church would like, another option would be full-figure depictions of the saints. These, of course, would cost a bit more.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

You'll find Our Lady of Guadalupe in most Catholic churches in the region, and St. Catharine's is no exception. You can also find her in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome.

This sculpture is yet another by Norbert Ohnmacht, who also created the crucifix over the altar. You can read more about Norbert here.

Patron Saints

Who amongst us doesn't like the idea of a patron saint? Each profession has one. St. Luke is often acknowledged as patron saint of artists, glaziers, and stained glass workers, amongst a host of other careers including physicians and policemen. But, some sources cite St. Mark as the patron saint of the arts. Today, I found a source that acknowledged St. Michael the Archangel as the patron saint of artists. We knew he was patron saint of armies in various religions. I suppose that's the main job. Well, it's fitting. Any job including one in the arts can be an uphill battle some days. Here's a mural section of St. Michael being completed for an iconography commission at Ss. Constantine & Helen in Colorado Springs. He's life-size. The halo is 23K gold leaf.