Complete with gilding except for detailing and frame.
Click on the photo to enlarge.
Gilding Process
Laying the gold over the bole and size-prepared cross motif.
After rubbing, the back paper is removed.
The adhered gold is then gently brushed of excess.
The gilded cross is later detailed with background color to neaten the edges.
Then on to the next gilded banding.
It's a time-consuming and meticulous process, but well-worth the end result.
In the Details
When the under-painting and the color balance has been established, detail painting begins.
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| Close-up of left angel icon |
The unique drapery shadows and highlights of iconography being added below.
St. Mary's Mural Painting Continued
Next, color is laid into the mural and balance checked.
Below is an example of background lily frieze underpainting and color overlay with detailing.
Here is the center mural panel with detailing added.
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| Right angel full |
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| Left angel head |
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| Right angel head |
The dark shiny red tone behind the angel heads is bole, or the underground for gold leaf that will be applied last. For more information about gilding, click here.
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| Detail with gold leaf applied |
St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral
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| The original designs |
Preparing the canvas and getting ready to build supporting framework
Preparing paint for the marbelling
The artist at work on the faux marble painting
Sketches of the mural figures left panel and center
Right panel detail sketch
"Carving" detail on three lower panels
Gluing canvas to frame with archival BevaGel adhesive
One finished lower architectural panel
Left, center, and right murals in process
Detail right panel
Detail left panel
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.
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.
Theophany Fellowship Hall
Glass mosaic modeled after a fresco at Stavronikita Monastary on Mount Athos.
Installed over door:
Theophany Entry Mosaic
For images of iconography murals we have created at this church, click on the Holy Theophany Orthodox Church link in the left sidebar.
Traditional Mosaic Icon
People often ask us if we have very much leftover glass when we make stained glass windows. That might be the understatement of all time. We have boxes of scrap glass. Of course, some of it is used for future stained glass windows if the pieces are large enough to be salvaged. The smaller pieces, however, can't be utilized for much except mosaics. Cutting the scrap into useable uniform mosaic pieces is quite labor intensive, but it's a good use for the material which is quite expensive.
Here's an example of a mosaic that was created for the church sign at Ss. Peter & Paul Orthodox Church in Kansas. The mosaic pieces have been painted and fired in a kiln to create the details in the faces.
Here, the same mosaic installed outside the church.
This young boy "venerates the icon", a traditional show of respect in the Orthodox Catholic church.
Theophany Temple
The completed iconostasis, half-dome, and altar area. All murals are painted on canvas and applied to the walls, then background painting and stencilling applied in situ.
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