Sarah Hall's Luminous Vision

When she was nine years old, Sarah Hall's father joined the restoration committee at their parish church. Every weekend,

Sarah accompanied her father on trips to other churches where they hoped to glean ideas for their own renovations.

In these committee outings, Sarah fell in love with stained glass. Today she is considered Canada's pre-eminent stained

glass artist, having won numerous awards for outstanding liturgical art. Her creations grace churches, synagogues, schools, religious communities and hospitals throughout North America, including Toronto's Michael Power/St. Joseph's

Catholic High School, and Immaculate Conception Church in Woodbridge.

Hall recently completed one of the most ambitious stained glass projects on this continent: a 278-square-metre window wall for St Andrew Church in Columbus, Ohio.

Now Hall has woven 20 years of experience and craftsmanship into her first book. The Color of Light is not just another "picture book" of stained glass throughout the ages, although the photos in Hall's book are many and striking.

Instead, The Color of Light is the first book of its kind to walk congregations step-by-step through the exciting, often overwhelming process of commissioning stained glass for their own community.

The Color of Light features a brief history of stained glass, from medieval times to the present. Hall clearly describes the various

techniques and treatments for glass -- such as painting, sandblasting and engraving -- and the genesis of a project, from design to installation.

Having worked with dozens of committees over the course of her career, Hall is ideally suited to offer advice on how to choose stained glass artists and collaborate with them on projects. She offers concrete, practical advice on everything from budget and materials, to organizing the final installation ceremony and caring and maintaining for the new windows.

Hall also offers a "To Do" list for committees and congregations, and answers common questions: Who should be on our committee and how large should it be? How much do stained glass windows cost? (Like everything in life, Hall cautions, you get what you pay for...) How do parishes raise money for the project, and how much input should donors have in the final design?

Hall gently cautions that the windows chosen must fit in with the building's over-all history, mission, purpose and design. Most people prefer "traditional" windows, but they probably won't suit a modern church; moreover, the word "traditional" can mean "gothic" to one person and "renaissance" to another.

A good artist works hard to clarify the committee's vision and collaborates with them to design a work of art they can all live with

and be proud of.

For clients who can't organize the sort field trips which so influenced Hall as a child, she's also developed a unique adjunct to her

book. Her Toronto studio offers one-day Colour of Light workshops, providing an opportunity to view slides of stained glass works in various styles and price ranges (such as those seen here). With Hall's considerable expertise at their disposal, committees can learn to avoid costly, contentious "on the job training" once the process is underway.

The Colour of Light demystifies the awesome responsibility of commissioning a stained glass work. Anyone from parishioners and

clergy to architects and liturgists will find it a valuable resource.