3 mosaic glass panels of religious figures on the exterior of a church
glass mosaic panel on church exterior showing man in black robes holding quill and scroll
close up of painted glass with beard writing on a scroll with a feather quill in unfinished mosaic piece
close up of painted glass male face with beard in unfinished mosaic piece
bench full of small silvered gold glass squares in rows. Two people talk in the background
two people installing three mosaic glass panels of religious figures on the exterior of a church
3 glass mosaic panels on church exterior, image is centered on the middle figure, a man wearing blue and brown robes with a cross above his head

Perth Art Glass was approached by the committee of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Wattle Grove Perth to consider design and craft a mosaic Tryptic, portraying relevant figures within their religion. To give the mosaic a unique look the design employs a stained-glass design style.

Ian, assisted by our talented staff member Claire, came up with some beautiful figure drawings for the mosaic’s subjects, Saint Aphrem, Saint Peter, and the Virgin Mary. The three figures now enhance the East facing wall of the church greeting the new dawn of each day. We decided that a reflective quality would be fantastic as the sun rose and washed across the wall.

Being a mosaic, we decided on opalescent glass for the figures with some detail being painted on the surface of the glass using high fire glass enamels and the background to be mirrored tiles. All the pieces were hand cut including the 25mm square background tiles. Each piece was fired in our kilns to soften the edges so there were no sharp edges remaining. After this, they were silvered (to create a mirror effect) and a protective coating was applied.
Once all the workshop preparation was done the paint was stripped from the preformed concrete wall, some reference points plotted, and the gluing of the pieces began. Ian, Simon and Claire spent four days on the installation of the project.
The project was developed with longevity in mind. Using swimming pool quality adhesives and grouts, protective coatings and high fire enamels ensures this will be in place for many years for the enjoyment of parish members and visitors. After considerable time, planning and effort, the team can now sit back and be proud of this project for decades to come.
Published On: July 13th, 2021Categories: