Preliminary drawing for stained glass window for the Daily Mass Chapel at
Saint Peters Catholic Church in West Brandywine, Pennsylvania
Charcoal and Conte crayon on Strathmore paper
60 inches in diameter
Joseph K. Beyer
$1,200. plus shipping
The stained glass window, for which this drawing is a figure study, was made here at the studio in 2010. For years we have been posing coworkers in the attitudes of Angels and Saints to illuminate the details of a particular gesture. In this case, I began the design process with a long posing session with live models dressed as they appear in the design. While the lighting and poses were staged in-doors, I used Photoshop to relocate the figures into a southwest landscape to heighten the sense of desertion and isolation. Using digital photography affords the opportunity to compare numerous poses side-by-side in real time, but the most interesting reason for invoking the photographic aspect is our collective acceptance of photography as reality. The ubiquitous and ever-present influence of the photographic look has made an impression on all of us, changing the way we see the world, for better or for worse. It would have been possible to draw this pose from direct observation but capturing the image with a lens imposes a “look” that modern eyes accept as “real”.
There are some changes between this preliminary drawing and the finished window, primarily in the sky, which I made less dramatic so as not to divert attention from the figures. The crown of thorns with the rose bloom was a specific request of Father Fitzpatrick, the Pastor of Saint Peters. The friendship we shared and his willingness to risk doing something different made this window, and this drawing, possible.
Joseph K. Beyer
Please contact us for details mail@beyerstudio.com
