AMILTOND E S I G N   G L A S SThe artwork of Jeffrey Hamilton

Majestas Domini

2009
201cm x 53cm
window to Narthex

St Bede's Catholic Church, Pyrmont

Installed early Feb 2009, this is my most recent religious commission. The brief called for a lively interpretation
of the mediaeval image of Christ in Majesty, surrounded by symbols of the four Evangelists.

St Matthew and St John

A detail from the St Bede's window showing two of the four Evangelists represented by their mediaeval animal symbols (St John is always portrayed as a human angel)

St Mark and St Luke

As with most commissions I carried out a lot of research to find the most appropriate references.

The four Evangelists are from various sources: the angel (Matthew) was derived from a Flemish painting, the lion (St Mark) a much earlier Mediaeval carving in ivory from Cluny, the ox (St Luke) from a stone carving from one of the European cathedrals (can't remember which one now) and the eagle (St John) actually drawn from live photographic reference material.

Contemplation room

1993
153cm x 97cm

Window to side chapel St Catherine's School, Waverley

St Andrew's Anglican Church, Longueville

1989
98cm x 49cm

Memorial Window to Porch

The Armidale School Chapel

2000
176cm x 500cm

Pair of Memorial Windows to Nave

The Armidale School Chapel

2000
176cm x 500cm

Pair of Memorial Windows to Nave

St Stephen's Anglican Church, Adamstown

2003
144cm x 160cm

Double highlight windows over side entry

For this commission I was invited to make a stained glass window based on the Fra Angelico fresco illustrating St Stephen receiving his Orders from St Peter. It was an interesting challenge as the original painting is a horizontal format whereas this pair of windows,divided in the middle by a timber mullion, makes for a vertical picture.

The right hand side shows St Stephen distributing alms to the community. I relished the opportunity to embellish the work with architectural decoration and much effort went into developing the full size charcoal cartoons.

Garden Island Chapel

1997
333cm x 197cm

Window to Memorial Shrine

There is a lot of history on Garden Island. It has been home to the Royal Australian Navy for many years. The Chapel is a two-storey building converted from what was the sail loft, when we had a navy under sail. The jibs for drying the canvas are still in place.

This Memorial Shrine occupies what was once a souvenir shop; the main shop window became this stained glass window commemorating all the sailors lost in service.

I sandblasted the lettering out of blue flashed glass, a two-layered glass of blue on clear and then applied the glass paint, firing it prior to leading-up.

St Columba's Uniting Church, Lane Cove

1995
333cm x 197cm

Window to Chapel (Left Hand Side)

St Columba was an early Irish monk who sailed around the northern reaches of Scotland bringing the Word of God to once Christian communities who had reverted to Paganism. If you look closely you will see a faint outline of the Scottish coastline in the left panel of this large window.

The symbol here is the lower case Greek Alpha, The Beginning.

St Columba's Uniting Church, Lane Cove

1995
333cm x 197cm

Window to Chapel (Centre)

So the symbol in the centre of the three panels is a semi-abstract interpretation of the coracle used by the monk in his travels, superimposed over the cross, which reaches out into the far corners of the two side windows.

St Columba's Uniting Church, Lane Cove

1995
333cm x 197cm

Window to Chapel (Right Hand Side)

And in the right hand side is the Greek Omega, The End. Also in this window you will see a faint image of a stone Celtic cross: one of these carved crosses was erected at every site where a monastery was established.

The intertwining of Pagan and Christian elements is underscored by a border of Celtic patterning embracing all three windows in the set.

The Resurrection

All Saints Anglican Church, Tumut

1997
346cm x 247cm

Triple Lancet Window to South Transept

Coat of Arms

St Lazarus Serbian Orthodox Church
Alexandria

2000
201cm x 170cm

5x light Joinery Window to Narthex

Fr Rade Radan, the commissioning agent for this work, had a very close involvement in the progress of the window, ensuring all the elements to the design were accurate. He supplied me with some beautiful historical books as reference material. The Coat of Arms is actually a coat, worn by the Patriarch of the Church, embroidered in gold thread.

The Patriarch also wears the gold and enamelled crown and the gold chain. Such highly decorated work requires extensive use of enamels, engraving and staining to achieve the desired result.