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.

Andrew Vessey

The Revd Canon Andrew Vessey is an artist-priest who, while believing it important that Christian art connects with wider society as well as church members, thinks the particular duty of the artist who is a Christian is to develop images and symbols that stretch the meaning of our inherited biblical visual vocabulary.
His own major oil or gouache paintings grow from within particular landscapes in which he has come to see and feel the presence of saints and angels, to the point of becoming a setting of a particular biblical story in a contemporary setting. These studio works are supported by poems, written to explore the same theme both before or after the painting takes place. Other pictures will directly record in ink or pastel the changing light, impact of seasonal differences and the weather, especially around the woods and fields and along the estuaries of northern Suffolk.

Andrew trained at the Chelsea College of Fine Art and Bishop Otter College of Education. His ordained and parish ministry was in Suffolk, Worcestershire and Swansea. He has exhibited at Bury St Edmonds (1968/70), Bath (1975/76), Salisbury (1983), Worcester (2003), and Swansea (2008/11).

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.

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.