Monday, May 2, 2011

Philadelphia Seasonal Banners Finished!



Philadelphia Gold and White Seasonal Banners by Kristen Gilje

Kristen painting

I've just finished and mailed 3 pairs of seasonal banners for Shaeffer-Ashmead Chapel, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. They are silk dye on crepe-backed silk charmeuse, 16 feet long and 45 inches wide.




Green Banner from a Ladder
My husband made a wooden stretcher frame to those dimensions and added legs. We put it in the living room/adjacent room after moving the couches out, and lived around this big project for many weeks. I was only able to imagine them hanging, since they were horizontal, and had to get up on a ladder to see the whole thing as best I could.

When they were finally done I brought them downtown and hung them from a high railing. It was the first time I could see them how I had imagined them, vertical...and I was very pleased. It's hard to make something so large without having a good perspective on it until it's done.

In Perspective



Philadelphia Purple Season Banners by Kristen Gilje





Philadelphia Green Season Banners by Kristen Gilje


Now I'm waiting to see how they fit into the chapel space. Hopefully I'll have gotten the architectural proportions just right, and they will be neither too big or too small. Just have to wait and see...

If you'd like to see a picture of the Shaeffer-Ashmead Chapel and more on the process of making these, go to
the blog I set up to communicate with the people in Philadelphia:

Color for the Chapel
http://chapelbanners.blogspot.com/

12 comments:

Laura said...

These banners are radiant, Kristen! Thank you for sharing them.

Kristen said...

Thanks Laura. I'm glad you like them.

Taryn & Trena said...

I just saw this too!! I LOVE THEM!!! Yippee!! Can't wait to hang 'em up!

Sidney said...

sweet! you did non-representational very well!

Amanda Range said...

Hi, Kristen, I'm a senior at LTSP and I think the banners are beautiful! I know they will look amazing and incorporate God's beauty into our chapel well. We'll see them soon! Thanks for your hard work.

kat said...

Thanks for sharing your process, it was interesting to see you surmount the challenges.

How to paint landscapes said...

These are really huge paintings! Good job on the paintings! thanks for sharing!...Daniel

Unknown said...

Hello, Kristen - I'm the Chaplain at the seminary and the banners not only add luster to the chapel but are magnificently evocative. Thanks so much for your creative contribution and all the best for your ongoing work.
Jayakiran Sebastian

Kristen Gilje said...

Thank you everyone for the encouragement and feedback. I am really honored to have them hang in the sanctuary. I hope they do their job for many years,reflecting and supporting the seasons of the church through color.

Kristen Gilje said...

Jayakiran, Thank you very much for the opportunity to make these pieces for your chapel!

Christopher said...

I wanted to let you know how much we appriciate these banners, they change the whole feel of the chapel!
Peace,
Chris

Kristen Gilje said...

Thank you Christopher. I'm so glad they work well and that you like them. Let me know if you want some Pentecost Red ones!