Mandy Archer is a talented young artist from Beaumont, AB. She recalls that even in first grade she would reproduce pictures for her book reports in meticulous detail. After graduating high school, she spent four years in South Africa where she began to appreciate her gifts more fully, and her artistic talents blossomed to a new level.
“To create visual art,” she says, “is something that brings me great joy and focus when life can feel crazy.” She has done paintings, detailed pencil portraits and murals among other things. She was confronted with a whole new challenge when her pastor invited her to develop a series of stained glass images in the windows of the Beaumont EMC sanctuary that would tie in with his sermon series.
Having to work in a new medium with the added pressure keeping pace with a sermon series challenged her and forced her to grow in her creative capacity and time management. She notes: “It also challenged me to view my beliefs; how I see God and His story; from a different perspective, wrestling with my theology in a hands-on kind of way.”
The finished project encompasses 16 faux stained glass windows, which together, portray the story of God and humanity from Creation to Revelation. The images were created on plexiglas with paint and black tape.
In the accompanying video, you’ll meet Mandy, and hear the story of how her stained glass windows continue to speak.
