One in the Spirit

The pastor of St. Owen Church in Bloomfield Hills, MI asked me to create a backdrop for their baptismal font just off the main sanctuary/altar is this contemporary/classic church. Unfortunately, the wall he had in mind was painted, poured concrete divided into ten, 10-foot long by aprox 12-inch wide sections on a slight curve so no two widths were exactly the same. I designed a polytich wherein each segment was cut into two lengths so I could work on a couple of shorter lengths at a time in my 10'x'10 home art room! I painted the design on strips of 1/4" MDF then began cutting and affixing the glass. I'm estimating about 20,000+ pieces. (As Spectrum was closing I was racing to Delphi regularly to grab sheets from the final shipments - very stressful!!!)

The finished panels were grouted in Pecan-colored grout so that "earth" would find it's place in this piece so full of the other elements of fire, air and water. The warm, golden brown played well off the wood tones in the church. Parishioners response has been the best compliment I could get: "It looks like it's always been here."

• stained glass
• Mosaic