Holy Rosary Catholic Cathedral, Vancouver, BC

“I find the work we do so rewarding; especially when we are called upon to meticulously restore windows that are so badly damaged that a box of fragments is the only clue left to its original state.” - John Gilroy

Project Overview:

The original window was over a hundred years old and the damaged head had been painted by a Victorian master glass painter.  This type of restoration was the staple diet of the work we had to perfect as apprentices; learning to recreate multiple styles of painting taught us a painting “language” that we could hone and adapt in our own work.

Concept to Completion:

From the remaining pieces the colour and type of glass was established. We could also determine the binder used in the original paint, whether it was oil or water based, and the depth of tone, strength of line, and above all the painting techniques employed by the original artist. Even down to the application of silver stain and to what depth and temperature we would have to fire the new piece so as to have it match the original as closely as possible.