“From the cave paintings in Lascaux to the hieroglyphics in the pyramids, we have always felt artfully inspired in the places we feel spiritually connected”.

You cannot talk about St. Katherinekirche without mentioning the stained glass, it is so well and lovingly maintained. You can find it in Oppenheim, Germany – it stands out as a beautiful Gothic cathedral filled with stained glass. Its construction started in 1225 and parts of it have been skillfully refurbished after WWII damage.

While the indoor part of the cathedral was closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been lucky enough to walk its halls before. It is the venue of many concerts and musical events because of the beautiful interior that includes a fully functioning organ.

While walking the grounds of the cathedral you feel like you have entered into a time before the Renaissance. Between the gorgeous stained glass, the incredible Gothic nature of architecture, and the gargoyles looming above you – it can feel like you have stepped back in time.

We were so inspired by the concept of stained glass that we decided to paint our model with a traditional stained glass pattern. Many might have the misconception that stained glass is just painted glass, but that’s not completely accurate. The rich range of colors is provided by dyed ground glass particles glazed onto the glass itself. To make the picture more vibrant, in more recent years, artists have used different colored seals to enhance the color.

What is debatably the most intricate and technically difficult part about stained glass is the assembly of it. When the glass has been cut and colored, the pieces would be mounted together with lead joists. Traditionally in the early Gothic windows, they would put extra rods in to support the weight of the glass, this process is called ferramenta.

Stained glass captures sunlight and casts a colored shadow. Its purpose in churches was to illustrate some of the stories in the Bible. Its a tale as old as time for humans to take a place that they feel is special and create art in it. From the cave paintings in Lascaux to the hieroglyphics in the pyramids, we have always felt artfully inspired in the places we feel spiritually connected.