Ecclesiastical

This section of my website features work I have done in churches over the years. As a committed Christian I enjoy the opportunity to combine my spirituality with my artistic work in a more explicit way. For those of you who do not subscribe to the Christian faith I hope you will tolerate the statements of faith that I make here. The work shown includes murals, liturgical banners, altar frontals and frameable paintings etc.

Advent sanctuary wall banner (acrylic on paper 2.45 x 2.76m)
I wanted people to realise that Jesus is the Cosmic Christ, The Word, through whom all creation has its being.During advent we yearn for him as we prepare for the celebration of His incarnation as one of us.

Advent nave banners with Christmas sanctuary hangings
Here you see side banners of Advent literally leading up to the sanctuary Christmas banners. All the banners are cloth. White lettering was adhered to the advent banners. They were added in pairs each week as Christmas approached finishing with the red ones on the sides of the sanctuary on Christmas Eve.

Christmas sanctuary hangings
The different pieces of cloth were hung like sails. The central piece of cloth was painted with chevrons that echo the shape of the tabernacle. The painting of the Madonna and child was done in acrylics on hardboard.

Christmas sanctuary hangings
Close-up

Lenten banners
As each of the 6 weeks of Lent progressed another banner (acrylic on paper) was added onto a wire accross the nave.

Lenten banners
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Easter banners
It was decided to simply use colour and shape to convey awe for the Resurrection. All six banners are made from coloured cotton/polyester cloth. The pieces for each banner, along with an appropriate diagram, were distributed to a couple of people in the parish who sewed them together.

Easter banners
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Altar frontal (acrylic on paper)
This altar frontal was for one of several themed masses for 1st Holy Communion preparation.

Altar frontal (charcoal and acrylics on paper)
This altar frontal was used for First Holy Communion masses and the feast of Corpus Christi. As Christ is the Lord of all creation I wanted to make the connection with nature. Gold paint has been used for the border.

Altar frontal (charcoal and acrylics on paper)
Close-up

Altar frontal (charcoal and acrylics on paper)
This altar frontal, with its theme of spiritual surrender was used for the conferring of the Sacrament of Confirmation. I wanted to evoke a personal Pentecostal experience for the candidates. It was also used for the feast of Pentecost. Gold paint and irridescent medium have been used.

Stained glass window design (4m diameter)
I had a lot of design input when my church Our Lady & St Joseph, Hanwell was being refurbished including repositioning the crucifix and designing a new stained glass window. I had often felt that the magnificent crucifix we have was not giving the right message in context. It portrays the dead Christ. I wanted to portray resurrection. As we could not pierce the sanctuary wall the glass is backlit by a lightbox. My design was actually executed by the stained glass artist Sophie DeSouza. The crucifix hangs in front of it over the altar and the bottom of it has been pulled back so that it is tilted. This has the effect of making a much more dramatic statement and now a connection is made with sacrifice on the altar below and resurrection in the glass behind. The glass design is sympathetic to the original existing stained glass in other parts of the church.

Stained glass window design (4m diameter)
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Stained glass window design (4m diameter)
Close-up

Restoration of chapel mural (before & after)
This mural was originally painted by my grandfather, Archibald Jarvis, back in 1922 in St Austin's Church in Wakefield. It was rediscovered in 1991 when the church was being renovated and they were stripping wallpaper in a side chapel. The mural had been covered up with wallpaper for 40 years and was darkened and damaged. Ironically, when I first saw it there was a coffin in the chapel inside which were the remains of the priest who had been responsible for covering up the mural. When my grandfather originally painted the mural he stayed with a family in Wakefield and borrowed their daughter to sit for him when painting the Madonna. He subsequently fell in love with her and married her. I can recognise the youthful idealised face of my grandmother without her glasses on. Originally there was an angel in the sky on each side but as the later addition of a false ceiling had cut them in half I edited them out.The work involved careful cleaning, surface repairs, reconstruction of missing areas and touching up.

Restoration of chapel mural (before & after)
Left section

Restoration of chapel mural (before & after)
Central section

Restoration of chapel mural (before & after)
Right section

Repainted crucifix (before & after)
Front

Repainted crucifix (before & after)
Back

Sanctuary banner (charcoal and acrylics on paper 3 x 3m)
This large sanctuary banner was made for the renewal programme we had in the RC Archdiocese of Westminister entitled "At Your Word Lord".I took the logo of the programme and created a more graphic depiction of it. The theme of the image comes from the scripture where Jesus told the desciples to launch out into the deep after they had caught nothing all night.

Sanctuary banner (charcoal and acrylics on paper 3 x 3m)
Close-up

Background banner (charcoal and acrylic on paper 3 x 3m)
This banner was created for St Thomas of Canterbury Church in Fulham. The church itself was being renovated and masses were temporarily being celebrated in the school hall. The idea was to use the banner as a backdrop to help to set a sacred space and to help parishoners to feel at home. As this was to happen during more than one liturgical season the theme had to be be fairly general. As the make up of the parish is quite diverse this was reflected in the various people porteyed in the background. The gothic trefoil cusps in the corners were intended as a link to the Pugin architecture of St Thomas of Canterbury church.

Icon (egg tempora and gold leaf on gesso and board)
Painted after a Ukrainian icon - The Pantocrator

Artist's Dedication (oil on canvas, 116 x 91cm)
Inspired whilst kneeling down in church, looking down and offering myself to God.

The Clearing (oil on canvas 80 x 62cm)
This painting is to do with finding a sacred space within.

The Mirror (oil on canvas 70 x 99cm)
Underpinning the composition of this richly symbolic painting is the face of Christ who is always there in our lives whether we realise it or not. You can choose to pull the blind down and be closed to the inner life or, like the inner child you can joyfully recognise the mind of Christ and not be afraid.

Vita Nostra (oil on canvas, 85 x 170cm)

Mission mural
This was a temporary mural for a mission at a 7th Day Adventist church. Although designed by a graphic artist who is one of their parishioners, I executed it.

Mission mural
Close-up

Pricing & Preparation

Short YouTube film of the artist at work