Sunnybrook Farm Museum – Willowdale Church Gladious Windows

We started the 6 originial church window restorations with the 2 Gladious Windows. After removing the old zinc frames they both needed much cleaning using Kwik Clean and then polished with Clarity along with new 3/4 inch zinc frames. It took some time with our came bender to get the cathedral top portion bent correctly to fit exactly to the glass window.

One had a cracked piece of background glass on the bottom right and we simply foiled and soldered that piece together as we were unable to obtain matching replacement glass.

All of the windows measured approximately 26 inches wide by 57 inches high catherdral shaped. We had to be very careful not to remove or destroy the etchings on the bottom left hand side, during the restoration process.

Both of these windows were then installed in their original locations in the front of the church by one of their very experienced craftsman employed by Shunda Consulting Construction & Management Ltd.

 

Designer and Original Artist Unknown

Sunnybrook Farm Museum – Willowdale Zion Presbyterian Church

The Sunnybrook Farm Museum is located north of the Bower Mall in Red Deer Alberta.

Here is the link to the Sunnybrook Farm Museum.

http://www.sunnybrookfarmmuseum.ca/

The picture below is of the Willowdale Zion Presbyterian Church at its new home on the museum grounds.

The photo below is of the church SE of Red Deer prior to it being moved in November of 2021 to the museum site.

In the fall of 2021 Shunda Consulting & Construction Management Ltd contacted us regarding the moving of the Willowdale Zion Presbyterian Church from it’s rural location SE of Red Deer Alberta to the museum site. The church had 6 cathedral shaped stained glass windows measuring some 26 inches wide by 57 inches high and they wanted our input regarding how these windows could be preserved while they moved the church some 50 + kilometers. The church was moved in November 2021 and we were commissioned to do the work on the windows.

Subsequent to this the museum had donors that were very interested in putting 4 more new stained glass windows in the church once it was restored at the museum site. The donors gave us their ideas and we proceeded from there.

After the church was safely moved onto a new basement, lots of interior and exterior work was required, including all new windows.

It took many months and many trips from our studio here in Innisfail to Red Deer, to do all of this with the last new window just completed and installed in October 2023.

Stay tuned for the existing window restorations and the designs and construction of the 4 new windows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alberta Welcome – Red Deer Alberta – The Gaetz Memorial United Church

In the late fall of 2014, we were asked to see what we could do for a large church window for “The Gaetz Memorial United Church” in downtown Red Deer Alberta. The church recently installed new main entrance doors, with 2 large windows above these doors.

The church committee provided us with sketch design concept. We once again enlisted the stained glass design experts at Paned Expressions Studios Inc. in Edgewood Maryland USA ( http://www.panedexpressions.com ). Martha Hanson and her design team came up with the “Alberta Welcome” design. These 2 panels each measured approximately 6 feet wide by slightly over 2 feet high for a total of some 25+ sq ft of stained glass and contain nearly 600 pieces of glass.

In the construction of these windows we used a variety of beautiful art glass including Armstrong, Bullseye, Kokomo, Spectrum, Uroboros, Wissmach and Youghiogheny

The windows were a memorial gift from one of the congregation members.

AlbertaWelcomeLeftPanel2015

Design by Paned Expressions Studios

This is the left panel of “Alberta Welcome”. The concept was to show a sweeping design across Alberta and as the windows faced south it was perfect to do this. On the left side of the left panel are located the Cypress Hills of South Eastern Alberta along with a lake in that area, our famous Alberta Roses, and the badlands near the Drumheller area. A road  was designed to run up to a church located within the rolling fields of wheat and canola. The blue piece can be visioned as either a flax field or one of many sloughs located in this area.

The unfortunate part is that we are unable to get a full photograph of both windows together. The reason being that there is a staircase descending  to the front doors on the left side with a wall on the right side, then another set of stairs descending to the church basement.

Design by Paned Expressions Studios

The right panel picture had to be taken from the descending stairs into the church basement which distorts the view somewhat. The 2 panels were designed to flow together therefore some of the crop land and parkland continued into the slopes of forest and foothills rising to the mountains. The mountain is Mt. Rundle located in Banff National Park with its reflection in Vermillion lakes and is a world famous sight to see in our Rocky Mountains west of Calgary, Alberta.

StainedGlassAlbertaWelcomeMay2015

Design by Paned Expressions Studios

To give you an idea as to the scope of this stained glass window here is a picture of them together as they are above the doors of the church, however as stated above not a true indication as to how they look.

If you are ever in Red Deer a visit to the church would be very worthwhile, not only to see “Alberta Welcome” but the church sanctuary which has some of the largest and most beautiful old stained glass windows in Central Alberta.

We are grateful for the opportunity to do this window for the Gaetz Memorial United Church located at 4758 Ross Street in downtown Red Deer.

This “Alberta Welcome” would not have been possible with the outstanding help and design talents of Martha Hanson and her team at Paned Expressions Studios Inc.

 

 

 

 

Miniature Church Stained Glass Window

Quite a few years ago the United Church in Innisfail was making a small model of a church, which if memory serves us correctly, was going to be auctioned off as a fund raiser.

When we saw it we decided to help by adding a small stained glass window which would add to the authenticity of the model church. This was our design.

 

Design by Flory Wilkins

We’re on TV!

Shaw TV Red Deer found our website the other day and decided it’d be a great story to share. Check out the video and let us know what you think!

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