Fr. Stephen's anniversary gift

Fr Stephen Pugh, Parish Priest at St Margaret of Antioch Ilford, recently celebrated 25 years of ordained ministry and commission4mission received a commission to create a gift celebrating this occasion. The brief included reference to silver, the colour for 25th anniversaries, plus Stephen's love of France and his ministry itself. Henry Shelton rose to the challenge with the image above which was presented to Fr Stephen on Sunday 7th July.

St Margaret of Antioch recently received a special commendation from the Diocesan Advisory Committee in the Diocese of Chelmsford for their commissioning of a holy water stoup by Mark Lewis, which was also a commission4mission commission. commission4mission also gained a second such commendation for etched windows by Henry Shelton and Richard Paton at All Saints Hutton.  

Second commendation awarded by DAC

A second commission4mission commission has been commended by the DAC in this year's awards for the Diocese of Chelmsford. The first was the Holy Water Stoup designed by Mark Lewis for St Margaret of Antioch, Ilford. The second was for the Four Evangelists windows designed by Henry Shelton and etched by Richard Paton for All Saints Hutton. The windows feature symbols of the four Evangelists complementing the earlier set of windows in the opposite screen which features symbols of seven Saints.

Newsletter No. 10 – January 2012

Peter Webb speaking at the Tokarska Gallery Private View

Christmas exhibition at the Tokarska Gallery

Our Christmas exhibition at the Tokarska Gallery featured a variety of c4m artists working in a variety of media (ceramics, concept drawings, fused glass, paintings, painted wooden reliefs), styles (abstract, conceptual, figurative, semi-abstract) and content (biblical scenes, landscapes, portraits, still life, symbolic scenes).

Contributing artists included Harvey Bradley, Colin Burns, Christopher Clack, Ally Clarke, Valerie Dean, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska, Janet Roberts, Caroline Richardson, Henry Shelton, Joy Rousell Stone, Andrew Vessey and Peter Webb.

As part of the Private View Colin Burns performed guitar instrumentals from his forthcoming CD. Andrew Vessey read three poems that, like several of the paintings he exhibited, explore encounters and travels in well-known biblical stories but set into the context of contemporary landscapes of Suffolk and Gower. Peter Webb spoke about creativity as the essence of God in his introductory remarks and Jonathan Evens read his poem on the creative process entitled 'The Mark'.

Marisa Martin, writer of the 'True Colors' column on WorldNetDaily, featured c4m and the Tokarska exhibition in a piece entitled 'Anglicans invite artists back to church' (see http://www.wnd.com/2011/12/372561/). In her article, Martin noted that c4m works to keep alive the Anglican Church tradition of inspiring, commissioning and installing new art but "uses contemporary and decidedly non-traditional art" to do so. She highlighted particularly the work of Peter Webb and Christopher Clack, describing Webb's Supper at Emmaus as "something like a cross between Jack Levine's and Franz Hals' group scenes" and Clack's Descent II as "visually riveting, although spiritually neutral." The question that c4m poses, she suggested, is whether "new and contemporary symbols be found for the traditional images and doctrines of the Christian faith?"

Run With The Fire

A promotional presentation for 'Run with the Fire' is now available to be viewed on YouTube. The presentation outlines the project, shows examples of work included and gives information for ordering copies of the 'Run with the Fire' pack. Each pack includes: a digital exhibition on DVD with a 2 year licence for use in the purchasing church; an electronic book and planning aid produced by three experienced Christian event organisers, with samples and templates to save you time and effort; telephone, skype or e-mail support to help you use the pack effectively; access to a large pool of Christian artists who you may wish to involve in your project.

Each 'Run with the Fire' pack costs £50.00 (any profits, go to Oxfam) and can be bought from http://www.veritasse.co.uk/ or by contacting Sue Newham on 01686 626228.

Member profile: Robert Enoch

Robert Enoch's art is an exciting exploration of colour, form, movement and meaning. He makes artistic interpretations of the Bible in a visionary form and has made installations for the church that visually explore and interpret the Gospels. His films blend social documentary and corporate video. In his photographs he searches the environment for images of piercing meaning among the everyday.

Dedication of etched windows

The second set of etched windows, etched by Richard Paton to designs by Henry Shelton at All Saint's Hutton, were dedicated on Sunday 4th December 2011 by Revd. Bob Wallace, Rector of the parish. The windows feature symbols of the four Evangelists complementing the earlier set of windows in the opposite screen which features symbols of seven Saints.

2012 plans:

Our plans for 2012 include: work on three current commissions; a Central London exhibition as part of the Pentecost Festival; and our partnership project, 'Run with the Fire', with CANA and Veritasse for the Olympics.

c4m artists update

Our most recently completed commission - etched windows by Henry Shelton and Richard Paton at All Saints Hutton - is to be dedicated this Sunday.

Janet Roberts is to have an exhibition at South Woodford Library from 3rd to 12th December.

Our next commission - a holy water stoup by Mark Lewis at St Margarets Great Ilford - has been granted a faculty.

Completed commission: All Saints Hutton

A second set of etched windows were installed today at All Saint's Hutton completing our second commission at this church. These windows, as with the earlier commission, were etched by Richard Paton to designs by Henry Shelton. The windows feature symbols of the four Evangelists complementing the earlier set of windows in the opposite screen which features symbols of seven Saints. Click here and here to see images of the earlier commission.

Commissions update

Commissions are regularly being discussed, explored and developed through commission4mission. We currently have two which are rapidly approaching completion.

St John's Seven Kings have commissioned two mosaics as part of the development of their community garden. These were envisaged as bold, bright works to catch the eye of passers by and draw them into the green space of the garden. Viki Isherwood Metzler has re-created her Graffiti Love design for display on the East wall of the church, while Sergiy Shkanov is currently adding a mosaic to the Trinity sculpture in the remembrance area of the garden. This design of circular and triangular lines connecting three granite shapes is intended to symbolise the constant exchange and interconnections within the Godhead. The church hope to have both works installed for their Patronal Festival this Sunday when they can be dedicated by the Bishop of Barking.

A faculty has been obtained for a second set of windows to be etched by Richard Paton to designs by Henry Shelton for a screen at All Saints Hutton. On this occasion, Henry Shelton's designs are of the four evangelists. The new windows will be located opposite those of the original commission.

Other commissions currently being designed and developed include a holy water stoup by Mark Lewis and an altar frontal by Anne Creasey. Additionally through the art workshop, which was held at St Paul's Harlow and led by Robert Enoch and Dr Philip Jenson during our recent Study Day, we have developed a design for a temporary freize at St Paul's which will tell the big story of the Bible.   

commission4mission banners

We have produced three roll-up banners for display at future events and exhibitions which briefly describe recent commissions, as an additional means of promoting our work of encouraging the commissioning of contemporary art by churches.

The banners tell the stories of comissions by Caroline Richardson at St Peters Harold Wood, Rosalind Hore at St Edmunds Tyseley, and Henry Shelton/Richard Paton at All Saints Hutton.

We plan to use these banners for the first time in our forthcoming exhibition at the Crypt Gallery in St Martin-in-the-Fields (4th - 17th July). 

Dedication of memorial windows

Memorial windows designed by Henry Shelton and etched by Richard Paton were dedicated at All Saints Hutton on Sunday 27th March.

The windows which are set within a screen and depict symbolically a variety of saints were commissioned in memory of Patricia Harries and were dedicated by The Ven. David Loman, Archdeacon of Southend during an 11.15am Service of Holy Communion.

A further commission of designs for the four Evangelists to be placed in the windows of the opposite screen is also underway.

Dedication of completed commission

Memorial windows designed by Henry Shelton and etched by Richard Paton will be dedicated at All Saints Hutton on Sunday 27th March.

The windows which are set within a screen and depict symbolically a variety of saints have been commissioned in memory of Patricia Harries and will be dedicated by the Archdeacon of Southend during an 11.15am Service of Holy Communion. A small reception will follow the service.

A further commission for windows in the opposite screen is also under discussion.

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.

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.

All Saints Hutton commission

These are two of the concept drawings prepared by Henry Shelton for our newest commission, seven memorial etched glass windows for All Saints Hutton. Each window will celebrate a different saint using Shelton's trademark minimal but flowing lines to form symbols of each saint.