St Augustine Webster Catholic Primary School, Scunthorpe
The School Chapel Window
June 2003
Approx size: 48" x 72" high. (1220mm x 1830mm high.)
Design: R.W.C.
The Virgin Mary is honoured widely in the Christian Church as the mother of Jesus. She has a unique relationship with God and was a great servant of God, both in giving birth to Jesus and rearing him, and in helping to establish the early Church with Jesus' brothers after his death.
Mary is shown above a serpent encircling the globe representing human sinfulness overcome by the Immaculate Conception.
The design for the window was taken from the school mosaic.
The full size working drawing taken from the design is called the cartoon. It is drawn up tonally in black and white including all the leadlines and tracelines.
All the "line" work (tracelines), such as faces and folds in clothing are painted onto the glass. The only pigment used is a black or brown paint, mainly consisting of powdered glass and metal oxides.
These are fired in a kiln between 600 - 700 degrees centigrade to fuse the paint or stain permanently onto the glass.
The painted pieces of glass are arranged onto a panel of supporting glass and glued in place with drops of molten beeswax.
This glass plate is placed in front of a back-illuminated easel. Then paint is applied to the glass with a broad bristled brush used for shading or "matting". Once dry it will be stippled off. This form of painting is used to control or exclude the light coming through the glass.
Stages showing the process of the face being painted.
Once refired, each individual piece of glass is arranged on top of the cutline drawing and framed with strips of lead. These strips of lead have a "H" section to allow the glass to be inserted in each edge.
All the joins in the lead are soldered together on both sides of the window.
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