Designing
“Baptism”
by
Karen Whitesell February 7,
1999
[Home]
Peek in the front, ponder from the back, or better yet, sit close to the pulpit
for the best view. It’s been
almost two years now, and I have just installed the stained glass window
commissioned by the Christian Church of Lockwood, Missouri. I would like to
share my experience in designing the “Baptism.”
One window over the
baptistery was to be installed in their new church, and if possible, I was to
use the colored glass panes in the old church that was to be torn down.
I said, “no problem,”
but I had no clue what to design.
Months
passed as we waited for the old church to be torn down.
Steve Lasater, my church committee, started to make some drawings, and I
thought I better get my act together.
I began to research
windows about baptism. Nothing at
the library gave me any ideas. I
searched through all my stained glass magazines, no clue.
I worked the Internet, reading sermons
on Baptism, still no clue.
When
all else fails, read the manual. I
borrowed daughter Angie’s bedside Bible and read all the scriptures on the
subject of baptism.
The story of baptism began
to unravel in my mind. I knew
clearly what I had to represent... Throw off your sins... be baptized... and
receive the Holy spirit. Now, how
to put all that story into ONE pictorial perspective?
I began to draw.
For a window to be structurally sound, it must be reinforced. I placed
three horizontal lines equally spaced to hide the rebar.
Next I drew the arch of the old church to remember it as a
backbone of the community built in 1884.
I went to church service to
photograph the colors of the windows I was to recycle, and while sitting there
listening, I discovered I’d drawn the wrong arch! The arch of the windows had a much sharper top.
I messed up. Then, I looked around and
was astounded to see I had replicated the arch of the PEWS.
I grinned to myself when I saw
all the men building the new church sitting on those pews. The new church was being built by the seat of their pants.
(and the wallets in them). Whew, I
liked my arch shape.
Anyway,
it was supported by steel and reverence for the past.
You will ask, “Why isn’t
the back arch-line closed at the top?” Some may see it as a design flaw, I will see it as the way to heaven is never closed.
Back
to the drawing. To begin my story
of baptism, first, at the bottom ,
from Romans: “...sin’s power
was broken... and sinful nature was shattered.”
Like broken glass, I represented sin as sharp, pointy, dangerous things.
These shards of sin can cut you, hurt you, and I drew/threw them off in
the Baptismal waters.
At
the very top is a descending dove swooping
down. The Bible states that after baptism, Jesus turned and saw the Holy
Spirit coming down in the shape of a dove. Easy Part.
Hard
part: Now, what happens between the
pool of water at the bottom and the dove at the top.
I knew some of the church members didn’t want a real image of Christ,
because no one knows what He looked
like. So, we’re talking
abstract...how do I draw an abstract image?...that’s harder than real.
I began to think in terms of just water.
Water swooping up out of the pool and connecting with the Holy Spirit.
Water coming up and splashing all down and around.
No, no, I didn’t want a fountain!
Erase, Erase.
Back
to the Book. From Corinthians, “God
fills the body with the Holy Spirit.” I
began swirly lines from the pool and up. I
began swirly lines from the dove and down. Down to the pool and back again,
trying to engulf the water. Erasing,
connecting, erasing, correcting. Still,
nothing was working.
Then...I
saw it. In this maze of lines was a
Christ-like image. He was turned
kind of sideways, with his head lowered, like
a humbling experience to be standing there dripping wet in front of people.
I drew drippy lines coming from his forehead, as I pondered this picture.
I saw the line from the dove lassoing the body from sin.
Then, I thought; how will I
show receiving the Holy Spirit?
Then it happened again...the
image before me flipped-flopped, and there He was, turning the other direction,
left arm up to the sky, receiving the Holy Spirit!
Well, I don’t know how it happened, I just looked and there
it was. You know I was blessed with
divine intervention, for I couldn’t have planned it any better.
Tears filled my eyes and do to this day when I tell my story.
This image stood. I didn’t
erase anymore. Since the original
drawing was submitted, I changed many details, but the Figure has stayed as it
was, “created” that day on my kitchen table.
To complete the
background, I added a landscape.
The Jordan River Valley where Jesus was baptized, or the luscious Lockwood land,
or both; for both share the wheat fields. Landscape lines that go through the
body. I imagine that in receiving
the holy spirit, it makes one transparent in terms of the real world around him.
I
submitted my drawing/story to Steve. His
reaction was, how could I not approve this?
We laughed. Same reaction from the building committee, same from the
congregation. Some couldn’t
understand the drawing, so I hope this has helped.
And the river connects
with the pool, and the pool connects with the body, and the body connects with
the Holy Spirit, and the sins are cast aside in this river, and the river
connects with the body....all happening at the same time. I call it abstract realism.
I now view the “Baptism” stained glass window as a symbol of ALL baptisms, all races, all genders, and all ages. My testimonial is: “The Lord will guide your hand.”
Read
about fabricating Baptism
[ Home ] [ Building Renovation ] [ Murray's Vintage Venue ] [ Karen's Stained Glass] [ Argentine Tango] [ Tango Art]