Dedications of recently completed commissions

We now have details for dedications or thanksgivings for each of our three most recently completed commissions:

• The dedication of 'The Baptism of Jesus' by Rosalind Hore will be at St Edmund's Tyseley, 10.00am, Sunday 2nd January 2011. The dedication will be by Revd. Jonathan Evens whose family have donated the painting to the church in memory of his father, Revd. Phil Evens, a former Vicar of the Parish.
• A thanksgiving for the creation and witness of Caroline Richardson's fused glass windows at St Peter's Harold Wood will be part of the Evening Service at the church on Sunday 9th January 2011 at 6.30pm. The preacher at the service will be Rt. Revd. Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford.
• The dedication of etched memorial windows by Henry Shelton and Richard Paton at All Saints Hutton will take place on Sunday 27th March 2011 at 11.15am. This service will be led by the Ven. David Loman, Archdeacon of Southend.

Richard Paton

Windows for St Augustine's Chelmsford and St Barnabas Kensington

Richard Paton graduated from Liverpool with BA (Hons) in Fine Art in 1990 and was then awarded an MA in Visual Culture at Middlesex University in 1998. He is a self taught stained glass artist with 20 years in the trade who started Rainbow Glass Studios, based in Stoke Newington, North London, in 2001 .

In that time Richard has had hundreds of commissions which have required different techniques and designs to fulfill the very diverse briefs. These range from corporate work to individual commissions from the rich and famous through to work in Churches. The variety of glass techniques at his disposal uniquely puts him at an advantage to explore interesting and original work. He also teaches regularly at his studio on weekday evenings and runs Saturday workshops for beginners. His work has been featured on TV and at the National Gallery. He is also on the committee for the Contemporary Glass Society who promote the work of glass artists.

Commission: Fused glass windows at St Peters Harold Wood

Caroline Richardson has just installed our fifth completed commission at St Peters Harold Wood. This commission was for 14 fused glass panels set in steel frames forming two windows; the left window on the theme 'I am the light of the world' and the right on the theme 'I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.' The commission commerorates the completion earlier this year of a major building project at St Peters Harold Wood.

Our earlier completed commissions are:

• Crucifixion and Do this in remembrance of me, paintings by Henry Shelton for the St Lukes Chapel at Queens Hospital Romford (September 2009). Tree of Life, fused glass windows by Caroline Richardson, are also in the St Lukes Chapel;
• Stations of the Crown of Thorns, a set of fifteen paintings by Henry Shelton, for St Pauls Goodmayes (July 2010);
• The Baptism of Jesus, painting by Rosalind Hore, for St Edmunds Tyseley (October 2010) and will be dedicated on Sunday 2nd January 2011 at 10.00am; and
• Etched windows by Henry Shelton for All Saints Hutton with icongraphy depicting Saints Cecilia, Martin of Tours, Peter, Mary, Paul, James the Great, and Margaret of Antioch. A service at which the Archdeacon of Southend will dedicate the windows is planned for Sunday 27th March 2011 at 11.15am.

Future commissions include a holy water stoup for St Margaret Great Ilford and a mosaic for St Johns Seven Kings.

Commission: Etched windows at All Saints Hutton

Yesterday seven etched windows to designs by Henry Shelton were installed at All Saints Hutton, our fourth completed commission. Each window contains iconography representing a different saint, with the seven saints featured being Cecilia, Martin of Tours, Peter, Mary, Paul, James the Great, and Margaret of Antioch.

Henry Shelton's designs have an economy of line and gesture which conjure eloquent and elegant meanings from the most minimal of marks. An earlier commission for etched windows by Shelton can be found at All Saints Goodmayes utilising a similar style but focusing on scenes from the Life of Christ. The etching at All Saints Hutton was undertaken by Richard Paton of Rainbow Glass Studios.

The commission is in memory of Mrs Patricia Harries. Her husband writes, "Henry's designs have come out superbly. I am so pleased that the whole project has gone so well and I am sure that my wife approves as well." A service at which the Archdeacon of Southend will dedicate the windows is planned for Sunday 27th March 2011 at 11.15am.

Commission dedication: 'The Baptism of Jesus'

The dedication of our third completed commission – the painting ‘The Baptism of Jesus’ by Rosalind Hore will take place on Sunday 2nd January 2010, 10.00am, St Edmund’s Church, Reddings Lane, Tyseley, Birmingham B11 3DD.

Rosalind Hore’s painting sees water, fish, cross, crown, dove, fire and light – all the signs and symbols of his future ministry – swept up together to coalesce around the baptised Jesus. Vigorous movement and vibrant colour combine to depict the glory of the Son who is here commissioned by the Father and empowered by the Spirit.

The painting has been donated in memory of Revd. Phil Evens, a former Vicar of Tyseley and father of Jonathan Evens, and was chosen by the congregation from a selection of works by commission4mission artists.

Revd. Steve Simcox, Vicar of Tyseley, says, “I think this painting will be very special in St Edmund’s Church. We have mounted the painting … so the prominent thing that is seen as you enter the church is the painting.”

commission4mission Newsletter No. 6

Pottery and paintings in our ‘Peacing Together One World’ exhibition at St Mary Magdalen, Billericay

Newsletter No. 6 – December 2010

Peacing Together One World

Peacing Together One World, our most recent exhibition, was held at St Mary Magdalen Billericay during One World Week. The exhibition was curated for us by Harvey Bradley who also acted as artist-in-residence throughout the exhibition. The exhibition featured a varied range of work by 14 commission4mission artists including our newest members at that point, Richard Baxter and Alan Hitching, both potters. As a result, a significant selection of pottery was shown alongside paintings and sculptures.

Harvey, and his wife Barbara, organised a range of supplementary events during the week which helped to swell the numbers attending the exhibition as a whole. These included a successful performance evening featuring images, meditations, music and poetry readings. Among those taking part in this evening were Colin Burns, Anne Creasey, Michael Creasey, Jonathan Evens and Helen Gheorgiou Gould.

Joy Rousell Stone @ St Nicholas Rawreth

Following from our ongoing exhibition space at All Saints West Ham, a second church has offered space to commission4mission members and Joy Rousell Stone was the first member to take up their offer with an exhibition of landscapes and animal paintings held at St Nicholas Rawreth in October. Joy’s skilful technique and insightful eye were greatly appreciated by those viewing the exhibition.

Run With The Fire

Run With The Fire is an arts project for the London 2012 Olympics organized by CANA, commission4mission and Veritasse based on the image of fire which links the Church’s Pentecost celebration with that of the Olympic runner.

Over 40 artists have applied to be part of Run With The Fire. Artists from South Korea, China, South Africa, USA, Netherlands, UK and the Philippines are all keen to supply artwork for the project. The deadline for entries has now passed. The next stage is the selection of artists by the jury members, all respected Christians with a background in the arts. All artists will be informed of the jury’s decision during January 2011.

Run With The Fire will create an original, international collection of artwork, for churches running community arts outreach projects, linked with the 2012 Olympics in London. Information for churches wishing to use the digital exhibition and put on community events will be produced by Easter 2011. If you wish to put your church on the Run With The Fire information mailing list, please contact Sue Newham, membership@veritasse.co.uk.

Run With The Fire is our first collaborative project but we hope it will not be the last as our Patron, the Bishop of Barking, is writing to a range of other arts and faith organizations to sound them out about the possibility of working in partnership in future.

Member profile: Ally Clarke

Ally Clarke studied Sculpture at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee and is inclined to create installation works complimented by photography, drawing, collage and print. Enjoying creative collaborations, she has worked with other artists to produce film and performance works. Ally views her creative work as a means of investigating the world and presents evocative, personal creations that produce opportunities for reflection and refreshment.

2011 plans

In 2011 expect to see among other initiatives:

• the launch of the Barking Art Trail;
• dedications of commissions at All Saints Hutton, St Edmunds Tyseley; St Peters Harold Wood;
• a group exhibition at the Crypt Gallery in St Martin-in-the-Fields;
• a new charitable constitution presented at our AGM;
• a new publicity leaflet; and
• involvement in the Barking Episcopal Area Art Festival and the Bishop of Barking’s resourcing mission week in Harlow.

Keeping Art and Soul Together

c4m featured in a recent Church Times article entitled ‘Keeping Art and Soul Together’ which can be read at http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=103880.

Run with the Fire: Response

Over 40 artists have applied to be part of Run With The Fire. Artists from South Korea, China, South Africa, USA, Netherlands, UK and the Philippines are all keen to supply artwork for the project. The deadline for entries has now passed.

Run With The Fire will create an original, international collection of artwork, for churches running community arts outreach projects, linked with the 2012 Olympics in London.

The next stage is the selection of artists by the jury members, all respected Christians with a background in the arts. All artists will be informed of the jury’s decision during January 2011.

Information for churches wishing to use the digital exhibition and put on community events will be produced by Easter 2011.

If you wish to put your church on the Run With The Fire information mailing list, please contact Sue Newham, membership@veritasse.co.uk.