Scaling up the design!
This week the ball has started to roll on getting the window made!
The first step was to take a template of the top of the window to make sure the shape is correct. All measurements were then noted, including placement of glazing bars and their thickness.
As the window is nearly 9ft long it will be divided up into 3 sections.
Once the outline was drawn it was a question of scaling up and drawing out the design full size (note the concentration here!)
Next stop: choosing and cutting glass…..
Interior panel, Hargrave Church, Northants
Detail of panel, 1 of 4, depicting the Four Seasons.
The chosen design
This design was one of the four shown to the representatives of both the school and church. Having considered all the designs, and my explanation behind them, this was unanimously seen to be the most appropriate and chosen to go before the Parish Church Council and ultimately the Diocesan Advisory Committee.
The central ribbon represents Caroline’s work with female migrants, with the bold bright background representing their hopes and fears and the journey into a brighter, but unknown world. Having been to Australia it is striking how different the colour palette of the natural world is compared to the British Isles. Everything seems to be brighter and bolder. Imagine as an immigrant leaving Britain, spending months at sea, and then landing in Australia, a whole new world.
Alternative designs
Using the collage process, and playing around with it, I eventually came up with 4 designs that I was happy to present to members of the school and church.
The key for me was to have a design that drew your eye across the height of the window. I have, hopefully, achieved this through the use of a central motif, which also echoes the iron bar that runs centrally in the windows either side.
The top left design uses sewing, and specifically the ‘corset stitch’ to represent Carolines work with and for female immigrants.
The central design uses a cross to symbolise Carolines faith- a driving force behind her humanitarian work.
The bottom design uses the ribbon motif to again symbolise her work with female immigrants, but is slightly offset against an alternative background design.
The design process
Using the collages of the student designs, and a cut out of the window, I was able to play around with variations on a theme to find the most interesting compositions.
I planned to use the student designs for the main body of the window, visually tying them together with one main feature down the middle. This feature would symbolise Caroline Chisholms work in some way.
Holy Sepulchre Church
Holy Sepulchre is a Grade 1 listed church in the heart of Northampton, and is one of only a handful of Norman round churches left in the country. The window is to be sited in the central light of a 3 light window that faces south west, in the round part of the church as shown in the images. X marks the spot!
The church has a wealth of stained glass windows including examples by Hardman Studios, C E Kempe, Mayer and Burlison & Grylls so it will be a privilege to have a window amongst such esteemed company.
The Design
As you can see the student designs are incredibly impressive! Fantastic colours and some recurring themes and images.
To create something from all these variations would take a bit of thinking but I finally came up with the option of collage. This is method I haven’t used for a window design since my college days but it seemed the most appropriate way of using as many different designs as possible to create one cohesive window.
I photocopied all of the designs and started to place them in all manner of ways – even weaving them together, as shown in the image. This appeared to work as it showed elements of different designs and allowed me to move things around without having to redraw anything!
Creating a design
Caroline Chisholm was born in Wootton, Northampton in 1808. Well known in Australia for her humanitarian work for women and child Immigrants to that country in the 19th century, it was decided that the town of her birth should also have a memorial to commemorate her work. As she was married in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre it was decided a stained glass window situated there would be most appropriate.
A selected group of Gifted and Talented students from Caroline Chisholm School, Northampton were asked to create their own designs as a response to the life work of Caroline Chisholm. The designs created represent the ideas of travel, hardship, loneliness, education and improvement in social conditions and life outlook. These are all themes associated with the work and life of Caroline Chisholm, and are represented through the use of colour and symbolism. The designs are shown in the image.
Caroline Chisholm Blog Launched
See the making of this new stained glass window to commemorate the 19th Century humanitarian Caroline Chisholm. This project is a partnership between Caroline Chisholm School, Northampton and Holy Sepulchre Church, Northampton. Click here to follow its progress.