DESIGN STATEMENT:

The relationship to the original cross bearer window was maintained by creating a new window with the same hand-blown antique glass and the same fresh, intuitive quality to the drawing of the lead lines and creative composition.

An etched glass was added to the exterior protective glass.  The idea is to add detail and to add a sense of dimension to the stained glass window when seen from the interior.  The window will be seen for the most part against the sky, the etching will help to create some interest in the glass, a parallax view.  The etched glass on the exterior will enhance the lighting of the stained at night, spotlights from outside in the landscape will catch the etched pattern illuminating the stained glass window.  Opal and opak glasses were also included to further enhance the lighting of the window at night from inside and outside.

Early in the design process the circles in the stone tracery were rotated into a horizontal alignment thus serving to de-emphasize the circle form.  The setting for the stained glass window achieves more balance in this way.

Alpha and Omega and cross were chosen as a symbol for the center. This brings Christ into focus as the governing force of the composition, and by analogy, in the life of the Christian.

Rose window pattern: a visual labyrinth, expanded infinity symbol, Celtic design, Young talked about adding a different type of glass, still hand-blown, but an opal streaky and solid color opal to the rose window pattern.  This will bring some emphasis to the pattern, create an interesting (mysterious) visual relationship between the exterior clear etched glass pattern in the safety glazing system and the rose window shape. 

The committee like the reds shown in the next design, and understood that the rose window pattern would be done in warmer colors, comments made about defining more clearly the transition form the heavenly colors in the center and the earthly colors on the exterior.  The red shapes in the outer area of the design could be interpreted as suggesting the Methodist logo symbol.

Creative nature of god, center represents order, outer area of circle represents the known tangible world, earthly colors of green gold, browns, ambers and red.  Chaos moving to order.  The creative spirit of god that infuses all things, known and unknown becomes the background behind the entire window.