Wayside chapel … steeple project

Some steeples are heroic in architectural gesture. The highest church building in the world (owing to its steeple, of course) is the Ulm Minster in Germany at 530’ (with the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona hot on it’s heels at 566’ – but is unfinished I read). In the U.S., it’s the Riverside Church in NYC at 392’.

Traveling on a major E/W highway, we often pass a welcoming, yet demure little chapel along the way. This roadside chapel offers the traveler a place to stop, reflect, pray, and/or rest. Not much room for anything else – but, with those offerings, who needs “else”.

From the look of the door size, this edifice, thrusting rocket-like from ground-level, soars a commanding 15, maybe 16,’ into the sky … thanks to a robust spire and cross. :). I assume the congregation of Ulm Minster fears not.

What a joy to see this little chapel: roadside, welcoming, clean, and optimistic. So, it joins the Steeple Project.

Below, the initial sketch:

Stay tuned …

Ok, completed, and I’m happy with it.

I finished it with a bit of a different look … most of the previous paintings have been very light in the text area – by design: I want the steeples to pull forward of the background. This one, I’ve painted more full-valued than some of the others.

A detail:

I’ve also done something differently on this one – I’ve inscribed the title on the mat.

sI like this, and intend to go back thru the completed paintings and inscribe them as well. Note: these titles are not the names of the churches that inspired the paintings … rather, they’re my titles of the paintings I’ve done. 🙂

Peaceful travels –

… this painting for sale in my Steeple Project Gallery …