The Altar Window at St. Peter's (May 23rd Update)

Meet our Stained Glass Artisans!
Jim Erickson and Annalee Jones

We simply have THE BEST stained glass artisan team on the island!  For the past 40 years, Jim Erickson has specialized in church window design and restoration with a studio on the North Shore.  His knowledge and experience in the field are vast.  He is our stained glass consultant and the one who worked with us in designing the new and improved window.  A colored pencil rendition of it currently resides in the church office.  Annalee Jones is the fabricator of our new window.  Her studio, Glass Rainbows, is on the windward side.  Annalee has an art background and entered the world of stained glass in 1995.  She quickly became known for her meticulously crafted, beautiful work.  Both Jim and Annalee consider the way their partnership for this project evolved to be, well, divinely guided!  Are we surprised?  :)

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This is how it starts...

What you are looking at is a meticulously sketched drawing of one panel of the new altar window.  The pattern must be sized exactly to fit the frame and each section (kind of like a patch work quilt but much more varied and complex) must be sketched out for sizing and labeled according to glass color.  

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​These are the blues!

Blue is just one color in the window....no, that's not right!  "Blue" is many colors in the window as you can see from the samples below.  In addition, there is the center cross which will remain red as well as the browns and grays of the rock on which the cross stands and other colors that will be used in the composition.  Some of the glass in the original altar window will be used to make a unique and special touch--a ti plant at the base of the cross. 

The replacement of this altar window is an emergency project, the need for which was discovered after our construction contract went out to bid.  We are very, very blessed, with the original altar window being a gift from the Kong family in memory of Rev. Kong's father, that the descendants of Rev. Kong as well as the Kau and Liu families are gifting St. Peter's with this window in gratitude for their faithful family members who loved and were dedicated to this church.  What a gorgeous tribute, and huge gratitude from us! 

 In memory and honor of lifelong members Samuel P.K. Liu, Sarah Kau Kong and Christopher S.C. Kong, and The Rev. Ernest Kau, brother of Sarah.  Chris was the son of Rev. Kong, and Samuel and Sarah served as a team at St. Peter's, Samuel as a long time treasurer and Sarah as a long time secretary. The ti plant rising from the rock is constructed of glass harvested from the original altar window. ​