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Current/Recent Postings
Snow!!!
February 20, 2012
I'm not usually a fan of the stuff.
But, when it comes in on the weekend and we have plenty of firewood in and all the makings of homemade mac & cheese, even I won't complain. Even I have to admit it was kind of gorgeous.
And it was all gone from the roads by Monday morning. Truly beautiful.
But okay, that's enough now. I am over winter. Here's hoping it's over too...
photo: View out the window, Sunday at twilight.
Politics & Religion
February 9, 2012
It's hard enough mixing religion and business; I try not to bring politics into the mix of this blog but when politicians throw themselves into religion and business, I feel called to comment.
 I am, of course, referring to the recent mandate from Barack Obama and Katherine Sebelius regarding the implementation of the national health care system. Marketed as a 'women's rights' issue, they have decreed that every employer --with very few and small exceptions-- must provide all sorts of so-called health care under the umbrella of so-called reproductive rights to all employees. Most of these prescriptions and procedures have nothing to do with reproduction but rather the opposite. And the very people who claim to want government out of their bedrooms and who extoll the virtues of separation of church and state see no problem with govenment telling employers what to fund in their employees' bedrooms, no matter if it conflicts with their core religious values.
As an employer who has provided health insurance to employees for two decades, I had been leery of the idea of national health from the start. As a small business, we have paid the full premium for our employees. This has given us a competitive edge in the benefit package we can offer in order to attract and keep good employees; it has also given us some control over what we wish to subsidize. I don't hire smokers or people who look like they can't climb scaffolding. If I'm paying for their health insurance, I think they should make a bit of an effort to take care of their health as well. Similarly, if a Catholic institution is hiring and providing a benefits package, I think any sensible job applicant understands that the benefits aren't going to include medical procedures to prevent or prematurely end life --although they may include more that prolong it.
I think we have reached critical mass on this one. It's not just the Catholics or their bishops who are upset. Every religious leader and believer realizes that if this law and this administration can take on the likes of the Catholic Church on these terms, it can implement any policy anywhere, any time, the First Amendment be damned. Every bishop, priest, parishioner, man, woman, Christian, Jew, Muslim, agnostic, athiest, and apathetic soul should be alarmed.
I am so pleased and proud of my church and my bishops for their quick and decisive response. And heartened by all who have joined the chorus of dissent. And nervous to see how it all plays out and what we all may be called to stand for --and against.
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
Sacred Cows, Part 3: Shoot the Messenger & Honor the Gift
February 8, 2012
So, you have identified the sacred cow in your church and decided it’s time to put it out to pasture. But you dread the parish politics of such a move.
 It’s time to bring in reinforcements.
Dixon Studio has worked with hundreds of churches over more than twenty years. We have credentials, references, and thick skin. We can bring 'before' and 'after' photos to show the improvements made in other worship spaces along with tesimonials from satisfied clients. We also bring compassion and understanding for the attachment parishioners have to the status quo, as well as suggestions and answers for the how and why of moving and improving elements of the church. And we can take the questions and challenges and complaints from the parishioners while you maintain a pleasant pastoral relationship with them.
 But we're not there to impose our ideas on their church; we offer our services to find out what works, what doesn't, what inspires, and what's tired. Then, we propose a master design plan that incorporates the best elements and reworks / relocates / replaces the rest. In the process, we look for ways to reuse the items to which the parishioners have given their talent, time, treasure, and devotion over the years. Mission churches can use some of those mis-matched vessels, one at a time. Those catalog furnishings could suit a small chapel even though they are undersized for your new sanctuary. Statues, banners, and other artwork that don't really qualify as devotional could be moved to the office, school, or narthex to brighten them up. We have found that most donors and parishioners are happy to see their gifts used and appreciated elsewhere --and thrilled to see their own church improve!
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
Sacred Cows, Part 2: Touchdown Jesus & The Importance of Reverence
January 24, 2012
 The University of Notre Dame is home to ‘Touchdown Jesus,’ a large mural which graces the facade of the Hesburgh Library and is viewable from the stands of the football stadium. Cute. Harmless. Sort of Tebow-esque in the way it brings Jesus’ presence into the game.
However, when games are brought into Jesus’ presence, great harm can be done. Tabernacles and altars and crucifixes and statuary should inspire awe and devotion, not ridicule and derision.
I would feel silly praying with ‘Dancing Jesus’ suspended over the worship space and I would find it difficult to concentrate on the miracle of transubstantiation performed at an altar that looks like ‘a brick pizza oven’.
I wouldn’t want to light a votive candle in front of ‘Scary Mary’ or take the time to walk the stations only to find myself in front of something that looks like ‘Jesus Buys Insurance.’
I would be embarrassed to give directions to my church if I had to say that it looked like a concrete bunker or that the landmark out front was the ‘Patron Saint of Scrap Metal.’
These are all funny, snide, and accurate descriptions of bad church art and architecture that I have encountered in churches I have visited. And: they were all described to me by priests, some of whom were the current and embarrassed pastors and some of whom were the relieved neighboring or former pastors. So, know this: if the priests are making fun of the art and architecture of the church, you know the parishioners are snickering too... at which point everyone has lost the mystery and majesty of the sacred space
The point of religious art and architecture is not merely to decorate and shelter; it is to open us up to the mystery and majesty of our faith and to make strong visual statements to accompany our statements of faith. This requires noble materials, quality design, and expert craftsmanship. The silly, cheap, disproportionate, amateur, confusing, and downright ugly have no place in the church.
What are the sacred cows in your church?
If they are more bovine than sacred, perhaps it is time to put them out to pasture.
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
By George! x 2
January 20, 2012
 I love when a day starts like this! Here is the email I received this morning from George, Building Committee Member Extraordianaire at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gainesville, Virginia, telling us of recent visit and compliment from another George:
We had George Weigel as a speaker at the church this evening. The first thing he did when he took to the ambo was to compliment all the people who were involved with the design and building of Holy Trinity. He stated that it was very good to see a beautiful traditional church built in the last few years.
For Pope John Paul's personal biographer who has traveled the world to make a point of the beauty of the design and construction of Holy Trinity is worth passing on to those most responsible!
Well Done,
George
Sacred Cows, Part 1: "We Have to Keep It There Because..."
January 17, 2012
 Last week we visited an old friend who has recently received a new pastoral assignment. He had asked us to come see about some large and small changes on his wish list for the sanctuary and help him prioritize a master plan that will make it work better and look better.
Oh, dear... We were familiar with the building before he ever moved there.
In fact, when I called him shortly after he moved, it was a thinly disguised social call with an ulterior motive: I needed to make sure he knew that big stained glass window had not come from our studio. To his credit –and ours– he had figured that out at first sight. The firm that provided that window has, in my husband’s words, ‘destroyed more Catholic churches than Cromwell.’
So there we were last week, politely discussing details of style, placement, and proportion of furnishings, statuary, and woodwork. And suddenly, hubby spoke the brutal truth: "You know, none of these changes, additions, and expenses is going to have as much effect as would reducing or removing that window."
"I know," the pastor acknowledged," but it was...."
It doesn’t matter how he finished the sentence; the point is that whether it cost a fortune, was given by a beloved donor or in memory of a local saint, or had been there since the church was founded, the pastor felt an obligation to suffer this overbearing work for some reason other than what it contributed to the quality of worship –and to sentence his community to do the same.
The value of liturgical art, furnishings, and appointments should be judged on their ability to create a worshipful environment. Neither size nor expense, sentiment nor history can make up for works that are not liturgically, artistically or anatomically correct.
These sacred cows do not add to the worship experience; they distract and detract from it.
photo: ruins of Tintern Abbey in Wales, courtesy of Thomas Cromwell
Next: Sacred Cows, Part 2: The Importance of Reverence
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
Coloring My World
January 9, 2012
"Artists can color the sky red because they know it's blue. Those of us who aren't artists must color things the way they really are or people might think we're stupid."
--Jules Feiffer, b. 1929
I spent the weekend painting my office in a marathon of taping, edging, and rolling. My hubby, the artist, kept assuring me the fellows who work in the studio would be happy to do it for me. He also worried that the 'shaker beige' I chose might be too dark. And he worried that I was going to tire myself climbing up and down the ladder for hours at a time.
He was right: I am tired. But the color is perfect. And the guys were pretty impressed with the weekend transition.
A well earned tiredness is satisfying. As is the smell of fresh paint and the effect of a new color for a new year. And it's good for the crew to see that I can do something besides paperwork (although probably just as well that they didn't see me ascending timidly to the third rung of the ladder or they would know just how valuable their scaffolding scaling skills are).
Now I feel like all my paperwork will be done on time and filed away precisely because I will be doing it in this beautiful office. That's not true, of course, but it's a harmless fantasy that may actually have some small effect for a few weeks or months...
For my hubby, the artist, I think it still strikes him as a bit of unnecessary work on my part. And if I could do what he does with color and brushes, I might think so too. But for those of us who have more creative urge than talent, there is joy to be found simply in staying within the lines.
archive under: Personally/Locally: Days in the Life / Life in the Valley
Epiphany
January 6, 2012
 Today is the feast of the Epiphany, commemorating the arrival of the three wise men with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh for the Christ child.
A couple thousand years later, we're still giving gifts to celebrate the birth of Christ, but frankincense may not be an option much longer. Indeed, the world's production of the fragrance is projected to decline by half in the next fifteen years, according to an article in the BBC News recently. That, coupled with the price of gold lately, leaves us with myrrh --whatever that is...
And what with the way the whole economy is, can't we go back to giving gifts on Epiphany so we can get them on the after Christmas clearance sales? Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar: patron saints of savvy shoppers!
photo: detail from entrance window at Catholic Church of the Epiphany; Lake City, Florida ©1993 Dixon Studio.
Trendy v. Classic
January 4, 2012
 We are often asked during the design phase of a window project to work with a currently popular palette. (And, I have to admit, this is usually requested by women on the committee, who are either wearing said palette or have recently repainted their living rooms according to Martha Stewart's latest picks.)
Our wise designer then explains his color theory for visual legacies in the church. "Do you remember harvest gold and avocado green?" he asks. The church ladies wrinkle their noses and nod and one condescendingly remarks, "That's so 70's," to which the designer responds, "Precisely!" He then goes on to suggest that the ladies turn their creative energies -and their current color palette- to choosing the carpet and the pew cushions and any other items in the church which can be changed every ten years or so, along with the style trends, while he will use his talent and experience to create windows in classic color palettes which will be compatible with any trend, and which will last for generations.
And, if that won't convince them, I've just come across the Pantone Color of the Year for 2012. Self-described as the 'global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries,' Pantone sets the standard for color trends in everthing from fashion to furnishings, making it easy for consumers to coordinate everything from their wardrobes to their home decor. This year, the company has declared 'Tangerine Tango' as the Color of the Year. Ouch.
Forty years from now, parishioners could be looking at a window produced this year, depicting Jesus walking on water, clothed in a radiant Tangerine Tango, to which some church lady would disdianfully declare, "That's so 2012!" Or, we can continue to create our windows in classic color palettes that will endure through the ages and the trends.
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
New Year's Resolutions
January 3, 2012
"Do not wish to be anyhing but what you are, and try to be that perfectly."
-- St. Francis de Sales
 This year I am not quitting anything or taking up any new activities. Now, there's a resolution I can stick with!
This is the year of the 'tweak' for me. Everything is going pretty well but it (and I) could always be better.
I will never be one of those beautifully organized people with a place for everything and everything in its place. But I can clean off my cluttered desk more often and keep up with the less interesting details weekly or monthly instead of in a quarterly panic.
I will always be juggling at least seventeen projects and a wish list. But I could pay a bit more attention to realistic priorities and not get stuck at either end of the spectrum spanning daily tasks and future plans.
And, sadly, I am finally willing to admit that I will never again be a size 4. But I can dig those clothes out of the far end of the closet, give them to Goodwill, and go get some in the proper size --at the 60% off sales! Sure beats that treadmill nonsense!
So, I shall strive to follow the advice of St. Francis de Sales. Or, in other words, to accept the simple notion espoused by the Saturday morning philosopher of my youth: "I yam what I yam."
(But seriously: How does Olive Oyl maintain that girlish figure?! I suppose it couldn't hurt to add a bit more spinach to my diet and my 'tweak' list...)
archive under: Personally/Locally: Days in the Life / Life in the Valley
Gone Fishin'
December 21,2011
 Artists and homilists face a similar challenge: How to make the same old story fresh? I mean, really: how much is there to say about the Good Shepherd every three years? And how many times can you create a window of the same scene that doesn't look like the last three windows depicting the same scene?
Sometimes, as architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe said, "God is in the details."
So, today the studio installed yet another window depicting the call of Christ to the fishermen, standing on the shore and declaring, "I will make you fishers of men." Dramatic... but done. Over and over. So this time, our artist decided to focus on the fish. Artistically, he has used the glass and the stains and the shadings in a whole new way to bring light and life and depth and contrast to the composition. Symbolically, he has let us focus on what a tremendous task Christ gives to his disciples; as if trying to haul in a net full of feisty fish weren't difficult enough, he wants them to reel in real people... to stop worrying about how to feed themselves and to concentrate on nourishing the souls of others. And they said yes.
photo: detail of window installed at San Juan del Rio Catholic Church; Jacksonville, Florida
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
Righteous!
December 19, 2011
 "Righteous!" That's what the young traditionalist priest said when I showed him a picture of the tabernacle we had on order for a Tennessee church. He currently serves a budget conscious parish in small town Virginia but someday he may get a chance to build a proper church around such a tabernacle.
Meanwhile, a certain Monsignor on the far end of Tennessee has transformed a mid-century worship space into an elegant sanctuary with this tabernacle as its focal point. The tabernacle, sanctuary lamp, candlestands, bookstand, and other bits and pieces were delivered today, followed by a steady stream of church office staff and curious parishioners sneaking a peek prior to the offical reveal at Christmas Eve Midnight Mass.
The tabernacle is 50" high, weighs 150 lbs., and features St. Michael the Archangel in the top finial, surrounded by the Four Evangelists atop the columns. The door, enhanced with an image of Agnus Dei, opens to reveal gold plated panels all around as well as above and below, bouncing every bit of reflected light around the interior to create the illusion of endless light and glory. Righteous, indeed!
archive under: OMG!
Christopher Hitchens Takes His Leave
December 16, 2011
 Christopher Hitchens has died at the age of 62. This clever writer, pundit, cynic, smoker, drinker, thinker, atheist, and fatalist has left the public stage.
So, how's that atheism working out for you now, Christopher?
Has Mother Teresa forgiven you? And you her?
You haven’t seen her? Oh, maybe you just didn’t recognize her; she was the head of the welcoming committee at the pearly gates, right next to St. Peter.
Yep, the cute, short one with dark hair and dark eyes, looks about 33 years old.
(What? You thought her God would leave her bent and wrinkled for eternity?)
It was she who pointed to your name in The Big Book and shared some sort of inside joke with St. Peter and they both had a good laugh.
So much for your infamous article on "Why Women Aren’t Funny." That chick’s got a sense of humor! A quiet one though; I think she particularly enjoys irony. As do you; I'd like to think the two of you will get along just fine once you get in.
How long is purgatory? I dunno, but you have a lot of folks praying for you here. Still, I expect you may yet be there when I arrive to put in my time for talking so ill of the dead. Wouldn’t mind hanging out with you there; I’ll miss you here in the meantime. I’ve practiced missing you, as you were my only regret when I cancelled my Vanity Fair subscription. I like a fellow who can change his mind in public and write about it viciously well. I just got tired of slogging through the rest of the mean-spirited drivel that wasn’t nearly as clever, well written, or thought provoking as your mean-spirited essays. So, save me a seat –and a cigarette: I miss them too. But, having abstained for a couple of decades, I’m hoping to make it past 62. God willing.
archive under: Miscellaneous & Etc.
 It's a Wonderful Story
December 15, 2011
Here's a heartwarming Christmas story:
Anonymous Donors Pay Off Kmart Layaway Accounts Across the Country
I don't really need to add any commentary to that.
But, if you want to read more details, click here.
archive under: Miscellaneous & Etc.
Tabernacle for Hire
December 14, 2011
 You never know what a day will bring... Twenty-plus years in the church interiors field, and I got a phone call this morning with a request I had never heard before. Could we provide or help locate a tabernacle to be used in a movie shoot?
Seriously: Mr. Spielberg and crew are in Virginia, shooting a film based on Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals, about Abraham Lincoln. So, the buyer for the set designer is scouting for items to turn a Presbyterian Church interior into a Catholic looking set for a scene to be shot next week. She called a local Catholic church and the office manager gave her our number.
And actually, we do have a loaner tabernacle. Again, seriously: It was traded in to us by a priest to whom we gave a very good deal on a new tabernacle. We keep it on hand to lend to parishes that have us refurbish or replate their tabernacles, so they have a place of reservation for the Eucharist while their tabernacle is being worked on in the studio. It's an older one and nothing elaborate, which the set buyer and I thought might suit the period and and simplicity of the 1860's parish church of an immigrant community that they are trying to evoke. (Yeah, we know, it probably should have been a high altar with a door in it, but we are talking Hollywood believablity here, an impressionistic backdrop for a quick scene in a temporarily converted space).
So, I emailed her a couple of photos, and also put a call in to the priest who had given it to us, to make sure it would be 'kosher' to use the tabernacle like this. You see, there is a whole marketplace out there of items coming out of closed or renovated churches. Some of the stewardship and sales of these items are handled by the dioceses, others by brokers with varying understanding of or commitment to the church... We work only with churches and only with brokers who do the same; we are not fans of pews in restaurants, communion rails in bars, and so on... So, I wanted to make sure that the loan of this decommissioned piece for use in a film's respectful church scene would be permissible. (Please: no calls from scouts for horror film props.) I think it would be okay because its only function would be to be filmed as part of a composition; it would empty and it wouldn't be opened or actually used in any way...
But, I may never know the answer... I didn't get a call back from the priest yet but I got an email this evening from the prop buyer saying she had found something else. So, we'll have to wait until next year to see what it is...
Watch for the movie to come out in about a year, then watch for the scene in the Catholic church... In the meantime, check out this link to a photo of Daniel Day-Lewis having lunch in Richmond --looking very Lincolnesque!
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
The Twelve Days 'Til Christmas
December 13, 2011
 Shocking but true: Only 12 days until Christmas!
So, this morning we sent out an email offering free shipping site-wide and free gift wrapping on all items on the Christmas Shopping page at the Priestly Life catalog.
This is too good and too easy! But time and quantities are limited...
Offer good December 12-17; no coupon or code required.
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
Another Reason to Read Sacred Architecture
December 12, 2011
 It's not all about us (although, it is nice when it is; see blog entry for Dec. 5, below).
The current issue of Sacred Architecture also has a nice review of the book by our friend and cyberspace pen pal, Fr. James Healy, Building A New Church.
...which, of course, we have reviewed and offer for sale at dixonbooks.com.
archive under: Church & Clergy
News Juxtaposition
December 8, 2011
 In the "About Time" Department:
New Vatican Commission Cracks Down on Church Architecture
And, in the "Just in Time" Department:
Diocese Gets Blessing from Vatican to Buy Crystal Cathedral
archive under: Church & Clergy
Name Dropping
December 7, 2011
My own name got dropped into an article! After receiving the latest issue of Sacred Architecture (noted below on Dec 5), I wondered if anything ever became of the conversation I had a while back with a reporter for The Art Newspaper. So, I checked the site and there is a short article on vintage pieces coming out of churches that are closing or renovating. I am quoted along with some brokers about the glut of items and the falling prices in this market; my warnings about quality and logistics didn't make the editorial cut. But, nice to be included --and nice to note that unlike the European market, we Americans haven't taken to turning old altars into kitchen islands. *Gasp!*
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
Luminous Saints
December 6, 2011
The Communion of Saints is complete! In stained glass, that is. We just got the call from our installers at the church letting us know they have finished securing all seven panels in place.
Beginning with a photo of our own Ronald Neill Dixon working on the full size drawing (below on September 27), I have posted some images of the project from design to painting to glazing (in the postings of November 16, 21, 28, and 29). Here now, a snapshot of a completed detail, showing Maximilian Kolbe (note the barbed wire painted along the strip of lead in front of his arm), Thomas More, and Elizabeth of Hungary, with the hand and flower of St. Therese above:
There are more than 20 other saints in the full window, spanning as many centuries and some 90 square feet of glass. If you want to see more, visit the Daily Mass Chapel at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Hampton, Virginia.
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
Page 7
December 5, 2011
 The latest issue of Sacred Architecture has arrived, which is always a pleasant addition to the day.
But, there on page 7, was a truly pleasant surprise: a nice mention of the Dixon windows recently installed at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gainesville, Virginia!
Our name in print: Yay!
And two photos: Awesome!
And: a photo credit that gives the link to the website with photos of all twenty windows: www.rosarywindows.com
Hmmm: joy and vanity... I'll have to archive this under: Simple Pleasures & Little Vices
Arrival of Advent
December 4, 2011
 It's the second Sunday of Advent and I'm starting to get in the Christmas mood.
It's not about presents and family and feasts for us anymore; in this business, the clients want their orders in by Christmas which means the staff is working overtime making windows, I'm checking in with the European suppliers and the customs agents for an ETA on statues and metalware, and we're all praying to avoid the flu until everything is made and installed.
Meanwhile, I tend to have a bit of a 'bah, humbug' attitude about parties and decorating and shopping, just because there's no time for it. Time. That's what Advent is about though, isn't it? Time and waiting and preparing and anticipating...
And so, I cherish the moments that make me slow down and appreciate all that.
The first one arrived on Friday: The annual Advent letter from Fr. Mac. He writes as well as he speaks, this ever so proper and devout priest, who weaves the wisdom gleaned from decades of theological studies with the crafts mastered in composition classes and elocution lessons of his childhood. We missed him at Convocation this year, but could hear his deep sincere voice in his letter:
"...the Scripture readings of this season's liturgies remind us that Jesus, the Messiah, came into our time and space and taught us how to live as God's people. We can never forget that he came among us as a fully human being and yet, in no way, was he less divine."
Who needs a Halmark card after that?
As Fr. Mac says, "May all the joy, peace and happiness of these days be with you."
And indeed, he brought a bit of all that to us by taking the time to write and share his meditations.
archive under: OMG!
Come Together!
November 29, 2011
 Here is something most of our clients don't realize: On large stained glass projects, we don't see the full window put together until it's installed on site at the church. The windows are built in panels up to about 16 sq.ft., and then transported to the church, where they are installed in corresponding sections of the existing frame. This is as big as a panel can be made in order to be handled in the studio, transported to the site, and supported within the framework.
Sometimes, we preview before we send the window on its way.
This requires placing one panel in one of our storefront windows, and placing another beside or above it. Here you can see two panels of the Communion of Saints window held in place by the same fellows who glazed those panels. I think they're in good company; perhaps it is a preview of the crowd they'll run with for eternity...
(And yeah, that's Maximilian Kolbe on the upper left, partially obscured by the mullion of our storefront window. Oops, must get a close-up of our hero before he leaves the studio next Monday.
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
The Making of a Saint 2.0
November 28, 2011
 So, here's a quick update on the making of Maximilian Kolbe into a stained glass saint, as promised just a week ago, below...
In the making of a stained glass window, each detailed piece of glass is cut, painted, fired, painted again, fired again, and then, often painted or stained and fired yet again. (Aha: that's why it takes so long and costs so much!)
Here is the hand of Maximilian Kolbe, created by the hand of our Ronald Neill Dixon. Note the stripes of the concentration camp uniform on this modern martyr.
To read more about St. Maximilian Kolbe, click here. Warning: Have a box of tissues handy...
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
Giving Thanks
November 24, 2011
 So, it's Thanksgiving evening and the dishes are done and we've just finished the pie. It was a quiet holiday, what with having to get back to work tomorrow and keep the Christmas deadlines on track. I was feeling the usual gratitude for health and work, which carries more significance as we get older and the economy gets more fragile.
And then it all got mushy when I got a text message from a nice church lady who has evolved from demanding client to a dear soul over five or so years of working together: "Happy Thanksgiving Annie and Ron! God bless you." Then came an email from one our diocese's foreign priests to tell me he had sent his check for the albs, and: "Happy Thanksgiving to you. God bless you." This all on top of the loveliest note from a lady who owns a local Catholic store in a faraway city with whom I have been working on a large renovation project at her local parish church: "I'm very grateful God sent you to us." Wow. I'm all blessings and grateful too...
I'm grateful for our vocation which lets us provide beautiful stuff for lovely people for all the right reasons. I'm grateful that so many clients become friends and that colleagues cooperate instead of compete.
And last night, we spotted a four point buck on the back hill. I think he was grateful we gave our foreman the whole week off to hunt elsewhere instead of just giving him access to our land in the evenings!
archive under: Personally/Locally: Days in the Life / Life in the Valley
Getting Thanks
November 23, 2011
 We received a thank you letter last week for our small donation some months back to St. Mary Catholic Church in Joplin, Missouri. Wow. Here is a 70 year old pastor of a church destroyed by a tornado sending a note --with an apology for its tardiness-- to thank us for our assistance and to let us know that the parish keeps us --and all who sent money or things or helpers-- remembered in prayer.
As Thanksgiving approaches, it is a reminder to be thankful for all the things and places and people we take for granted. And an opportunity to pass along our approach to major disasters... Some years ago, a natural disaster hit an area where four churches we had worked with were located. Phones were down and news was sketchy and you just don't know what to do or who to trust to help out... or do you? Aha: we sent checks to each of the churches, along with a note to use the money for whatever was appropriate. No bureaucracy, no celebrity fundraisers, no wondering where the money is going, just getting help direct to those in need.
So, that's what we did for St. Mary's in Joplin and we weren't the only ones because it was the most sincere form letter we've ever got. So many good givers and such grateful recipients. Getting thanks is yet another good reason to give thanks.
archive under: Church & Clergy
Our Lady of the Blue Ridge
November 22, 2011
 Got the latest issue of the Arlington Catholic Herald today and flipped through it right to the last page where the parish profile featured Our Lady of the Blue Ridge in Madison, Virginia --and a nice photo of the window of the same name by our own Ronald Neill Dixon! Awesome! So nice to see his name in print without even sending out so much as a press release!
Lovely photos along with a quotation from the current pastor. Nice to see the work is still appreciated almost 20 years after its installation. Click here to read the article online.
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
The Making of a Saint
November 21, 2011
 More on the Communion of Saints window..
After completion and approval of the design concept, posted below, the window framework was laid out full size (6' wide x 15' tall!) on paper and all details of the individual saints were sketched, along with all cut lines for the glass. This then becomes the pattern for cutting each separate piece of glass.
Stay tuned to see Maximilian Kolbe progress from full size pencil sketch to painted glass...
Photo: full size drawing shows section of window including Maximilian Kolbe, Thomas More, and Elizabeth of Hungary --and the flowers in the hand of Therese of Liseux above.
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
The Communion of Saints
 November 16, 2011
As promised, the first installment of the making of the 'saints' window currently in production in the studio...
At left, is the design for the window, depicting a plethora of saints, spanning centuries and continents. The next few postings will follow one of these holy folks through the design and paint process to give you a glimpse into the making of a stained glass window.
Meanwhile: Check out the eclectic collection of saints and blesseds depicted here:
Peter and Paul, Mary and Joseph, Cecilia, Clare, Therese, Monica and Augustine, Elizabeth Seton, Patrick, Maximilian Kolbe, Thomas More, Damien of Molokai, Vincent de Paul, Francis, Kateri Tekakwitha, Juan Diego, Joan of Arc, Kim Taegon, John Paul II, Mother Theresa, and John XXIII.
Whew! I think maybe our client confused the 'Communion of Saints' with 'ALL Saints!'
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
Holding Space --and plenty of it
November 15, 2011
Really, I promise: photos and blog notes on the Communion of Saints window which I promised back on November 10th, below...
In the meantime, enjoy this bit of humor that truly made me LOL!
St. Thomas Aquinas: the original deep fat friar!
archive under: Church & Clergy
 St. John of Capistrano, 1386-1486
November 11, 2011 - Veterans Day
Remembered as the 'soldier priest,' St. John Capistrano spent most of his life preaching and reforming the Franciscan order. It was not until the age of seventy that he would earn this moniker, when he was sent by the pope to preach a crusade against invading Turks and actually led a contingent which helped lift the seige of Belgrade.
Pulling double duty to defend the souls and the land of Christendom, St. John Capistrano is patron saint of modern military chaplains who do the same.
archive under: Church & Clergy
The Holy Face of Jesus
November 10, 2011
 Yeah, I know, the Holy Face of Jesus officially refers to images such as Veronica's veil and the Shroud of Turin which believers contend were miraculously created. But I think it's pretty close to miraculous that our own Ronald Neill Dixon can spend hours in a dark room painting glass pieces on a light table, firing them in kilns, and produce this gentle image.
This is a detail of a life size figure of Christ, surrounded by more than two dozen saints from across the centuries and continents. When complete, the full window will be 15' tall and 6' across and will be installed in a Daily Mass Chapel next to the columbarium.
Watch for more details of the glass painting process next week...
archive under: OMG!
They're Here!
November 9, 2011
 Two shipments of the new Roman Missals arrived today! It was books everywhere! They came in big boxes on rolling carts to the studio and left in smaller ones to various churches and individual priests --keeping UPS busy on both ends as well as studio staff in between.
We also welcomed a convenient visit from a priest who happily filled his car with 22 copies to distribute tomorrow at a diocesan meeting. (Thanks to Fr. Mike and apologies to UPS; sometimes we get rewarded in mysterious ways for our offer of free shipping.)
I was expecting the shipments this week, but wasn't sure exactly when. So, receiving them both today and wanting to get them all out immediately changed the plans for the day. But, as any true English major will understand, all else stops when new books arrive! And it's kind of humbling and gratifying to be part of the transition to only the third edition of the Roman Missal... Still a bit nervous about keeping up with those new pew cards though...
Tomorrow, I intend to post some pretty interesting photos of what the resident art major has been up to in the paint room... (which, by the way, was part of the discarded plan for this day).
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
Open Hours
November 7, 2011
 Dixon Studio is open by chance or appointment. So says the sign on the front door. (Note: Sign at right is not the sign on our front door, but it is funny.) It's not meant to discourage visitors but rather to encourage them (you) to plan and call ahead so as to avoid disappointment and inconvenience. We do love to welcome our clients --past, present, and potential-- to our workspace. Problem is, sometimes we're all out working in some other space.
This is a studio, not a store or a gallery. It's a place where things are made and then taken away for delivery and installation --without so much as a receptionist left behind. Actually, we've been there, tried that, and weren't any more impressed with her than you were. Instead, we have found it was best to leave you with a cell phone number for those of us working on site and maybe stop in to see you on the way back or to make an appointment for when we could all meet at the studio.
Personal service means we take a personal interest in new projects, and that we personally deliver current ones. So, take your chances, and take us as (and if!) you find us: overwhelmed, in a bit of a mess, and ready to drop it all to show you around and talk about your project! Or, call ahead and we'll do lunch!
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
An Extra Hour!
November 6, 2011
 I do love this end of Daylight Saving Time. Although we pay dearly for it come spring, we can always use an extra hour as the Christmas deadlines loom.
Last Sunday, I was late for church, having had to scrape snow (!!!) off the windshield (in October!) in the dark before heading to the 7:15 Mass. This morning, I was greeted with a gentle dusting of frost and the warm glow of a morning well underway before I was out the door. Ahhhh. Life again makes sense when the neighboring cows are up before me.
The Gospel reading was about the wise and foolish virgins. Perhaps an extra hour is all those foolish girls would have needed to be properly prepared. For myself and fellow procrastinators, here's hoping the Second Coming comes on a day like this...
archive under: Simple Pleasures
Mom's Birthday
October 31, 2011
 Today is my mother's 79th birthday. My sister and I took her out for lunch yesterday and she was looking great, had plenty of energy, and an appetite to match. This is major progress for a woman who, one year ago, had a constant wince on her colorless face, no energy or appetite, and was recovering from a nasty fall which necessitated her move to a retirement community and the prospect of two hip replacement operations.
But this past year (which did include two new hips) was easy compared to converting her fiancé to Catholicism, then losing her beloved husband just nine years later and raising the 2.5 children he left her with (naming my unborn sister after Our Lady of Consolation), completing her college degree, and finally working up her courage to take driving lessons from me (which, for the record, took a bit of courage on my part too).
This is the woman who taught me to sew, indulged my love of reading, and gave me a good grounding in the faith. She still mends her clothes and reads voraciously but her devotion to the faith has waned over the years. I don't think her distance from the church comes from a lack of faith, but rather suspect it is the result of an excess of belief: she took her religion so seriously as to believe that everything, including random tragedies, must mean something. She actually believed that life should make sense. But Jeez, if we could know it, understand it, prove it, predict it, and explain it, we wouldn't call it faith.
This past year, she has resurrected some phrases ("God's will") and practices (prayer cards and rosaries!) I haven't heard or seen in her home in a generation. Perhaps it is grace through suffering. Or, maybe it's the meds. Hey, I accept grace and small miracles where I find them. Right, Mom?
photo: Mom & Dad (aka Mary & Phil), voted best dressed couple at the 'Shipwreck Ball,' freshman dance at college, c. 1954.
archive under: Personally/Locally
Convocation Report #4: The Priests, Single & Happy
October 28, 2011
 I have mentioned to a few women that the main social event of the fall season for me is the gathering of over a hundred single men and me. Then I have to explain that all of these men have vowed to remain single and celibate, and that my husband is attending the event as well. Still, it makes for a good conversation starter in the secular world...
But, back to the priests. Have you ever noticed that the people who argue that priests ought to have the right to marry, generally aren't priests? Truth is, I don't know when any of them would find time for a wife; they are in love with Jesus Christ and at the beck and call of every member of His flock.
This year, I noticed a big difference between the convocation for deacons, and the one for priests. Deacons, who are for the most part empty nesters and/or retirees, bring their wives with them to convocation and there are sessions which deal specifically with balancing the demands of pastoral duties and familial ones, and helping the wives to be supportive of all this when in fact, they are having to share their husbands with everyone at the point in life when they thought they'd have them all to themselves.
I don't really want a pastor who has to write homilies and make sick calls in between disciplining his kids, refinancing the mortgage, and making time for a date night with his wife. I don't think most of them want their lives to include all that either. Here's proof: There is a new book out, entitled Why Priests Are Happy which explores this unique lifestyle and the satisfaction and fulfillment of those who choose it. (I sold a few copies at convocation --along with a few copies of Priestly Celibacy Today. Hmmm... perhaps there is a correlation? Maybe we should offer these as set?)
Anyone who thinks priests aren't happy, hasn't heard over a hundred of them singing hymns a capella at morning prayer! But then, I suppose most folks haven't heard that because they are busy with other sorts of social events on their fall calendars.
archive under: Church & Clergy
Convocation Report #3: The Raffle
October 26, 2011
 In yet another attempt to make convocation fun, we always raffle something off. It has to have something to do with the studio or our product line and it has to be significant enough to encourage the priests to enter and, of course, bring their tickets to the exhibit table. In previous years we've offered gorgeous coffee table books, chalice replating, and so on.
This year we raffled off the most gorgeous version of the new Roman Missal, complete with leather binding, gilded pages, full color illustrations, and so on. Worthy, noble, and gorgeous!
And of course, the majority of the priests entered the raffle and enjoyed thumbing through the prize (which was on display at the exhibit table) and the anticipation of winning something that most of their church budgets couldn't justify buying. After all, didn't the Catholic Church invent bingo?
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
Convocation Report #2: The Gift Bags
 October 25, 2011
Besides being a bit of an annual reunion for the priests who are scattered across our state serving a church (or two or three!) all by themselves out in the hinterlands, convocation offers lectures and workshops on a theme each year. While often interesting, insightful, and helpful to their vocations, these sessions are generally held indoors on the nicest of fall days, which can test even a priest's patience and attention span.
So, we have learned that by about the third day, in the afternoon session (especially if they have had free time in the morning), these fellows are ready for a pick-me-up. Thus began the Dixon Studio tradition of gift bags! What lecture hall wouldn't be cheered up with the addition of 125 colorful gift bags on the tables, complete with a tuft of tissue paper peeking over the top? One of the monsignors came on the elevator as I was heading down on Wednesday with my cart full of goodies and said: "You must feel like Santa Claus!"
There is, of course, an ulterior motive to all this: we fill the bags with fun little items to showcase the studio and it's a conversation starter with all these polite fellows who make a point to come by our exhibit table and thank me. This year, we gave away copies of our journal, a lovely little book of The Holy Rosary in Stained Glass which featured Dixon windows, a catalog of metalware, a garment bag for vestments (which, we would be glad to fill with a new vestment for anyone who wanted to shop!), a booklet by Msgr. Stephen Rosetti (whose other books we carry) entitled Our Journey Into Joy, and the ever popular old-fashioned lemon drops.
They seem to appreciate it all, but leave behind the bits of literature and catalogs they don't need which is great because we take those back to the studio for re-use. But I notice there are very few lemon drops left behind...
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
Convocation Report #1: The Priests
October 24, 2011
 So, I am back from the annual gathering of all priests of our diocese for four days last week. You may have noticed that I didn’t post at all during that time; I was up at 6 each morning to chat seriously with the early risers, then hubby and I stayed up past midnight each night laughing with the class clowns. Seriously: it is a bit like high school (but with AP students only) and a bit like a class reunion with so many fellows who are former studio clients and current friends and some who have become friends without ever buying anything from Dixon Studio. It’s a time to renew connections and friendships, display new product lines, find out who has moved where and needs what.
It’s also a time for me to stand back in awe of our clientele. I spent last week with over 125 men who are giving their lives to the church. They have taken vows of service, poverty, and obedience and bring with them enormous amounts of intellect, experience, enthusiasm, and love. There are young fellows straight out of seminary who always knew this was their calling; there are late bloomers with law degrees and widowers with MBA’s who felt there must be more to life; there are immigrants who left their homes and languages in third world and eastern bloc countries to nourish the spiritual poverty in America.
These men sustain my faith in such a personal way. In moments of doubt, one looks at people of faith for reassurance (doesn’t one?) and I am fortunate that most of the people of faith in my life are actually men of the cloth. In the dark night of the soul (otherwise known as 3am by F. Scott Fitzgerald and insomniacs like me), it is reassuring to know that the smartest, kindest (and funniest!) people I know are the truest of true believers.
Image: Appearance on the Mountain in Galilee by Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1308-11
on the cover of the Convocation program, provided by Dixon Studio
archive under: Church & Clergy
 Busy, Busy, Busy...
October 13, 2011
"Without work, it is impossible to have fun."
--St. Thomas Aquinas
"Oh, yeah?"
--Annie Dixon
archive under: Notable Quotables
Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster
October 12, 2011
 As noted in previous postings:
It has dawned on me that the studio's business plan consists of selling luxury items to a charity.
and:
I got a bunch of books at the Green Valley Book Fair and am devouring them in no particular order.
Thus, I am intrigued as I work my way through a book (the title of which is the title of this posting) on 'the luxury fashion industry today,' that was published in 2007 --back when people still had disposable income and different priorities. Still, the history of some of the fine old fashion houses spans wars and recessions and a depression and so it is interesting in the 'today' of 2011...
Some tidbits worthy of an underline or a dog-eared page thus far:
"More than two hundred thousand women worldwide wore couture in the 1950's. It was an expected part of a bourgeois woman's everyday life. Today, in comparison, a mere two hundred women worldwide buy haute couture." Kind of like large donor families in the church then and now?
From the postwar era to the early 1980's at the house of Vuitton, the family saw themselves as "gatekeepers, not innovators. Vuitton made old-fashioned luggage the old-fashioned way for a limited --and aging-- clientele." Move ahead 40 years and substitute 'ecclesiastical artwork' for 'luggage' and: Hello, Dixon Studio.
"In the old days, when luxury brands were privately held companies, owners' ...primary objective in-house was to produce the finest products possible." What? This has gone out of style?
Must keep reading, hoping for a happy ending for all of us who believe in great design and fine materials and excellent service to our loyal clientele...
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
Perfect Priests
October 11, 2011
Thanks to the Adam's Ale blog for this contribution as I am prepping this week for next week's Convocation of Priests of our Diocese... I got a laugh out of it, and suspect my priest friends will as well! Enjoy:
 The results of a computerized survey indicate the perfect priest preaches exactly fifteen minutes. He condemns sins but never upsets anyone. He works from 8:00 AM until midnight and is also a janitor. He makes $50 a week, wears good clothes, buys good books, drives a good car, and gives about $50 weekly to the poor. He is 28 years old and has preached 30 years. He has a burning desire to work with teenagers and spends all of his time with senior citizens. The perfect priest smiles all the time with a straight face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated to his work. He makes 15 calls daily on parish families, shut-ins and the hospitalized, and is always in his office when needed.
If your priest does not measure up, simply send this letter to six other churches that are tired of their priest, too. Then bundle up your priest and send him to the church on the top of the list. In one
week, you will receive 1,643 priests and one of them will be perfect. Have faith in this procedure.
One parish broke the chain and got its old priest back in less than three weeks.
archive under: Church & Clergy
Planning Accordionly
October 10, 2011
 Getting ready for yet another Convocation: this one being for the priests of the diocese... Gotta get the program formatted and proofed, raffle tickets printed, presentation books presentable, and, most importantly: lemon drops packed into gift bags. (It wouldn't be Catholic Convocation without those Mennonite lemon drops from the Shenandoah Valley!) Another exercise in doing 'little things with great love,' as I work through the tedious tasks on the long list and plan for all to be ready to load up on Sunday for a drive to Tidewater.
Meanwhile, hubby is already doing his bit, playing the accordion as the soundtrack to my waiting assembly line for name badges for 150 priests. And after 15 years of convocations, I would know most of their names even without nametags! Here's hoping they remember the Dixon name when it's all over!
archive under: Simple Pleasures & Little Vices: Books/Music/Food/Drink
Roger Williams: More Pancreatic Cancer, Another Obit, and a Dixon Window
October 9, 2011
 Pianist Roger Williams died Saturday at the age of 87 of pancreatic cancer. He is best known for his tune, "Autumn Leaves," which was the best selling piano recording ever. He is known in some circles as a pianist at the Crystal Cathedral for 35 years, before leaving two years ago amidst Schuller family squabbles. And a very few people know this: Our own Ronald Neill Dixon designed the stained glass window for his mausoleum.
Seriously: Check out this line from the article in today's Orange County Register: "Williams is expected to be buried in a mausoleum at the Crystal Cathedral Memorial Gardens. His room has a lighted stained glass panel with a man in a white suit playing the piano." Yup. That's the one.
More little known facts...
My beloved did indeed design the window in the mausoleum, over ten years ago. That was long before the Schuller family squabbles, or the Crystal Cathedral's bankruptcy, or the bid by the Catholic Diocese of Orange to buy the cathedral.
And a question...
Will the remains of the talented musician (born Louis Jacob Weertz, son of a Lutheran minister) who took the name Roger Williams (after the English Protestant theologian who founded Rhode Island) spend eternity under the pastoral care of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Orange, and the glow of a Dixon window?
archive under: Miscellaneous & Etc.
Steve Jobs: Posting 2.0
October 6, 2011
 Life is sad, short, and not our own. Nice to see someone make the most of his. And nice to see the media celebrate the life and the accomplishments of a visionary, a businessman, a kid who didn't finish college. Sure, eulogies for politicians and movie stars are interesting, but all the outpourings of admiration for a guy who simply pursued a dream and gave us new tools to pursue ours is refreshing.
I ran across this quotation from Steve Jobs, reflecting on a class he audited after he dropped out of college: "If I had never dropped in on that single calligraphy course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts."
So, the Mac --and every other computer that had to compete with it-- had typefaces and fonts and kerning and column justification and breaks. As a printer and typesetter in my former life, and publisher of a blog and the studio's journal in my current life, I thank Steve Jobs and his mega team of mega geeks for giving me all these tools on personal computer! Not since Henry Ford has an American innovator taken a new concept and made it available to everyone. Of course, just as everyone who can afford a car is not necessarily a good driver, neither is every eager purchaser of the latest Mac, ipad, or pc a great writer or page designer... but it's nice to have the tools to try.
archive under: Miscellaneous & Etc.
Steve Jobs: Short Life, Long Legacy
October 5, 2011
"Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly."
– St. Francis de Sales
"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life."
– Steve Jobs, 1955-2011
"Almost everything: all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure. These things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose."
– Steve Jobs, 1955-2011
 I wonder sometimes about destiny, coincidence, and plain old dumb luck. Seems to me Steve Jobs was the right man at the right time and place and *shazam* he changed our world. Not that he didn’t have his share of difficulties and disappointments, not the least of which was coming to terms with the fact that his amazing life was going to be a short one. But had he been born in a different time and place, perhaps his vision and brainpower would have been ill suited to his lot in life as a young farmer, pioneer, or soldier. How many brilliant visionaries were born before the world was ready for them? Or died before their (even shorter) lives came to fruition? How fortunate we are to live in a time when 55 is considered a young age to die! How fortunate Steve Jobs was to live in a world that allowed him freedom and opportunity to pursue his vision!
These are the moments I reflect on the fact that we get one life, and a random bit of luck and opportunity.
And that life --and hair-- improves after high school.
photo: Steve Jobs' yearbook photo.
archive under: Miscellaneous & Etc.
The Future of the Church
October 4, 2011
 "As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it."
– Antoine Saint Exupéry, Writer/Poet/Aviator, 1900-1944
It’s Sunday morning. Do you know where your children are? You’ve sent them off to college and you hope they are at Mass. But have you put the same effort into their gaining entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven as you did into their gaining admission to the right college? As Catholics, we choose life, we respect life, but do we support the spiritual life of those precious children as they approach the precipice of adulthood in secular schools?
Many assume that campus ministries are fully staffed, funded, and appointed by the college or the diocese or the local parish. They are not. Rather, they rely on small staffs, student volunteers, and receive some funding (and a sorry assortment of hand-me-down furnishings and artwork) from some combination of these sources, mostly making do with little space, less money, and lots of enthusiasm.
Dixon Studio has had the opportunity to work with some campus and youth ministries in the past few years, leaving me impressed by this unique ministry and truly surprised by what they do –and by what they do without. But while I was pleased for the opportunity to provide bargains (and even a donor) for basics such as processional cross, crucifix, and tabernacle, I was surprised that such items were not already in service.
As a new school year commences, I would like to suggest that if you give to an alumni association, consider giving a portion to the campus ministry at your alma mater. If you send a child to college, send something to the campus ministry: a note to the priest / funds for the center / prayers for the students. If you attend college sports events, arrive early and drop in on the Catholic Campus Ministry and meet the spiritual student athletes who bring a youthful energy to their faith –which can infect yours.
Invest in the future, one student or campus ministry at a time.
archive under: Church & Clergy
Happy Priests
October 3, 2011
 On Friday, we received our first copies of the just released book, Why Priests Are Happy for the Priestly Life catalog. I ordered it a couple of months ago, intrigued by the title and knowing it to be true. Funny thing is, just the day before the shipment arrived, I ran across an article in Forbes on The Ten Happiest Jobs, which ranks job satisfaction and -surprise!- notes that members of the clergy are the most satisfied with their jobs. I suppose it helps that they love their boss.
I was also heartened to note that the Forbes survey ranked authors as the 4th happiest profession, and artists as the 7th.
I suspect that those of us who write and draw for happy priests are even happier!
archive under: Church & Clergy
A Wide-Eyed Eye-Opening
 September 27, 2011
People often assume they know what we do in the studio. Until they visit. Then it's wide-eyed wonder as they take in the scale of things and the number of tedious tasks involved in all the artwork and craftwork.
Tom, local businessman and civic do-gooder, stopped in yesterday. We run into him and his wife around town and at charitable events but, as we were walking through the art room, he stopped and I realized he hadn't been in the studio before. He was taking it all in: the walls full of design archives, the drawing table and hundreds of colored pens, the pulleys on the walls, reaching up to the 14' ceilings, the 16' long work table with a full size drawing covering it all.
Then came the questions: What are you working on? How long does it take? Who are all those faces in the drawing? You have to outline each piece of glass before you cut it? How long does that take? How do you get it to the church? Where do you find employees?
And so on...
And next Sunday, he'll go to church and he'll stare at the stained glass windows in a whole new light.
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
photo above: full size drawing in progress
Deacons' Convocation
September 26, 2011
 I haven't blogged in a few days because I've been hanging out at our Diocesan Deacons' Convocation.
They gather each year for continuing training and education, administrative updates, and good old fellowship and prayer. And they are kind enough to invite me to exhibit the studio's wares.
This is one of my favorite parts of the job, which I describe as 'bragging about my husband.' Truly: what would be considered PR in a more corporate environment is just me enthusiastically and sincerely touting hubby's talent.
photo above: Dixon Studio display at the convocation
But with twenty plus years in business, and dozens of projects in our own diocese, there is a solid professional and corporate structure to back up that personal enthusiasm. And there was lots of enthusiasm from the deasons over our new line of vestments and stoles! (Indeed: some of their wives and I were envious of the gorgeous embroidery they get to wear!)
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
Honky-Tonk Hum-Drum
September 20, 2011
 Not much time or energy for much of a blog post tonight. Too busy with all the little details for the Deacon Convocation: copying, collating, stapling, and folding programs and catalogs and brochures. All the little things that must be done in a small business with big dreams.
But, as Bill Cosby says:
"There is no labor a person does that is undignified, if they do it right."
Or as St. Therese called it, doing "little things with great love."
Besides, I had Joe Ely on the stereo in the background which always makes the mundane more enjoyable. So much so, in fact, that this post is going in the 'fun' archive instead of the 'business' one. Honky-tonk hum-drum, indeed.
archive under: Simple Pleasures & Little Vices
Sartorial Statements
September 19, 2011
 We Catholics are pretty good about getting to church; not so much about getting dressed up for it. I used to tell our employees that our dress code is ‘if you wouldn’t wear it to church, don’t wear it to work.’ Then I looked around the pews one Sunday in summer and thought I’d better upgrade our studio dress code.
A few years ago, we were working with a church where the music minister had some connection to Dave Brubeck, which resulted in said jazz master premiering a new major work at said church –and us being treated to front pew seats!
Hubby wondered what we should wear. "What? It’s at St. Suburban Church; they never dress up there," I scoffed confidently. Yeah, right. For once, we didn’t feel over-dressed at church.
Hmmm. Maybe if we all envisioned God in a tux, we’d dress better when invited to His table?
archive under: OMG!
Will Work for Food
September 18, 2011
 We have been working with a parish committee for the past three years (!) on a beautification project. We’ve been through a recession and a change of pastors in that time, and still the committee and we plodded on, creating a master plan for stained glass, sanctuary enhancements, statuary, and other details.
Then, came the moment of truth, when the art & environment committee realized their work was done, and it was time to present it to the parish and seek funding. There is always a hesitation here, as the committee hopes their vision will be embraced by their fellow parishioners. And indeed it was!
A fundraising committee was formed to pick up the project and invited us to come to the presentation of the proposed artwork to potential donors Saturday night. We would have gone anyway, but this came complete with drinks and dinner. Dixon Studio: will work for food.
After dinner, everyone from the Women’s Club to the Knights of Columbus to individuals and families signed up to pledge for certain items or the general fund. By the end of the evening, over 80% of the total project was sponsored!
It’s humbling to realize that our livelihood depends on donations. And truly inspiring to hear from some of these donors as to what inspires them to give.
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
Where Jesus Lives
September 15, 2011
 I am working on a tabernacle project for a sanctuary renovation. The last tabernacle we installed was for a college campus ministry with little space and less money. But we found them a handsome little bronze box with enamel accents --and a donor!
This one is at the other end of the spectrum: over four feet tall, a hundred and fifty pounds, and gold plated --inside and out. For those rare parishes that can afford such a thing, it is worth every penny. But it's a leap of faith to place an order for one based on a photo in a catalog (and my enthusiasm), so I rely on previous purchasers to take an occasional call from a prospective purchaser. They graciously take the call and always say how impressed they are with the quality and the craftsmanship.
My favorite endorsement was the pastor who saw his new tabernacle being installed and exclaimed, "Jesus is gonna love his new home!"
Photo above: Tabernacle installed at All Saints Catholic Church; Manassas, Virginia, 2010
archive under: OMG!
Notable & Quotable
 September 14, 2011
[It is perverse] to imagine that our enemies can do us more harm than we do to ourselves by hating them, or that by persecuting another man we can damage him more fatally than we damage our own hearts in the process.
--St. Augustine, Bishop & Doctor of the Church, 354-430
archive under: Notable Quotables
Stoles & Chasubles, Brocades & Embroidery...
 September 13, 2011
Vestments: the fabric of your spiritual life.
In seasonal colors and elegant embroidery, they are a statement of faith and a fashion statement.
The priest does not merely 'say' Mass, he 'celebrates' it; his vestments should do the same!
The studio has recently added chasubles and stoles and albs to its catalog line. Not content to offer the usual designs and fabrics from the usual suppliers in the big catalogs, we have partnered with two European and one American firm, all of which have earned solid regional reputations but little exposure in our core region.
Today, I received a shipment of deacon stoles just in time for the upcoming conference, noted below. Lovely stuff: rich tones, gorgeous fabrics, elegant embroidery! I'll be showing this smattering of samples and handing out catalogs with more options and invitations for special orders.
archive under: church & clergy
Deacons
September 12, 2011
 Spent the weekend getting ready for the upcoming Deacons' Conference. Deciding on a selection of books to take, as well as other items from the Priestly Life catalog to display. But mostly, working on the program: formatting the schedule and laying out the cover. Found this lovely image of "St. Lawrence Distibuting Alms" by Fra Angelico for the cover illustration.
Pope Paul VI restored the permanent diaconate back in 1967 and it has become a strong presence in the American Catholic Church. I remember what a happy fuss was made when our suburban parish installed its first two deacons a few years later.
All across this country, these husbands and fathers and neighbors relieved the parish priest of a few duties -while raising teenagers! They helped the church survive the priest shortage, both by their day to day efforts and by their example which inspired a few of those teenage boys to become the deacons and priests of the future.
archive under: church & clergy
Religion and Politics
September 9, 2011
 I commented briefly last week on the fact that the 9-11 memorial observance in NYC will not include any clergy. Odd. Now I hear that the Southern Baptists are upset that the Call to Compassion event at the National Cathedral in Washington, which is billed as an interfaith effort, will include Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims but no Christian Evangelicals. Much hullabaloo about it all, and little mention of the fact that there is no official Catholic presence there either. Seems the Cathedral folk view themselves as fully representative of the Christian faith tradition. Also odd.
Snooze.
I’m not sure what is going on here, but here’s the good news: The pastors and bishops who have been snubbed at these events still have their day jobs and their day is Sunday, the day on which the tenth anniversary of 9/11 just happens to fall.
See you in church.
Let’s all say a prayer for each other, our friends, our neighbors, and our enemies. And for world peace.
archive under: OMG!
Family Notes
September 8, 2011
Pardon the terribly personal indulgence here, as I announce the fact that my niece, one Miss Tori Dixon, is currently competing at the European Equestrian Eventing Championships in Portugal for Team Ireland (in the Under 18 category, even!). So far, so good, as she has top marks in Dressage –but the German team has yet to show their stuff, and then there is the cross country competition.
By Monday all events should be complete and all results in, at which point, proud Uncle Ron and Aunt Annie will be scouring the Irish Times for news, and passing it along... Erin Go Bragh!
archive under: Personally / Locally
First Name Basis
September 7, 2011
 I think titles are more useful than stuffy. They acknowledge a person’s position, generally one of authority, whether bestowed, inherited, or earned, and bring with them a certain level of respect and distance, along with basic ground rules for the relationship, which sets everyone at ease.
It’s helpful to know how to address someone in writing or in person, just by checking in with Emily Post and the rules of etiquette. I am so ‘old school’ on this that I automatically refer to or address a new priest acquaintance as "Fr. Sirname," until invited to do otherwise. If he chooses to make the correspondence or conversation more casual, I have learned to like the " Fr. Bob" form of address; although it would have been considered blasphemy when I was a kid, it's quite common these days and friendly while still acknowledging the pastoral position.
A few years ago, I met a priest at a regional conference of diocesan tribunals. I noticed his nametag and remarked, "DiNardo: that was the name of my pastor when I was a kid." He perked up and asked, "Really? What was his first name?" I was stumped, laughed, and answered, "Monsignor."
archive under: Church & Clergy
Worth Quoting
September 6, 2011
Abstract art is a product of the untalented, sold by the unprincipled to the utterly bewildered.
– Al Capp, Cartoonist, 1909-1979
Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere.
– GK Chesterton, Writer, 1874-1936
archive under: Notable Quotables
Seeing Double? Or a Blind Spot?
 September 5, 2011
Four of the recently ordained priests in our diocese are twins. Is this a coincidence or a demographic for priests in general? Are twins more capable of commitment because they know they will always have each other? Are parents more supportive of a son pursuing a vocation, if his twin marries and provides them with grandchildren? Interesting questions to ponder...
And here are some others:
If a woman has a ‘right to choose’ to end a pregnancy, does she have a right to choose to reduce the number of babies she is carrying from too many to two? How about from two to one? Why are doctors and their staffs grappling with the ethics of this? Does an aborted fetus seem more like a baby if its twin goes to term? Have the pro-abortion supporters found their own ‘slippery slope’ of morality?
Ruth Padawer has discovered some discomfort with too many choices in the pro-choice camp. Read her article, "The Two-Minus-One Pregnancy" in the New York Times of August 10, 2011.
And see the Pro-Choice (Not!) button, above, and others in our clergy catalog at www.priestlylife.com
archive under: Church & Clergy
Artists Need Not Apply: Labor Day Thoughts
September 4, 2011
 A fellow stopped in last week to see if we were hiring. He said he’s an artist, just moved to town, and he seemed pleasant enough. Must have run out of canvases though, because all exposed skin from his t-shirt sleeves down to his wrists was covered in ornate tattoos. Portions of his face too –although not overlapping the piercings.
Truth is, we’re not hiring. And, if we were, it wouldn’t be for artists, tattooed or otherwise. Our mission is to execute in various media the designs of the artist whose name is on the studio. When we hire, it’s for craftsmen and installers, maybe a bit of office help.
There is something oddly appealing about creative work, which causes a lot of people to focus on the ‘creative’ end of things rather than the ‘work’ aspect. Although the end products are beautiful, they require tedious and laborious efforts in the studio and on site: measuring, scheduling, ordering, more measuring, cutting and pasting, painting, curing, soldering, polishing, hammering, drilling, loading and unloading trucks, climbing scaffolding, and so on.
Truth is, the ratio of inspiration to perspiration is surprisingly low. One good design can create work for quite a few people for quite some time –and a thing of beauty for generations of churchgoers.
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
 'Thank You' Notes, parts 2 & 3
September 1, 2011
This morning, the pastor chimed in on the recently installed windows in the adoration chapel, as follows:
Annie,
The windows are beautiful. The colors, including the blue/red along the edges, are tremendous.
I think St. John Vianney was captured very well in his features.
St. Clare’s window has different possibilities for meditation.
St. Tarcisius came out very well too. I think these saints, if they were not already honored in our parish, will be.
Thanks again.
Wow. You're welcome.
And thank you for the commission. And the compliments,
which I will pass along to the artist, my beloved.
And: Thank You for teaching me more than I ever knew about St. Clare, and for introducing me to St. Tarcisius, patron saint of altar servers and first communicants.
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
'Thank You' Notes
August 31, 2011
"Every time we remember to say "thank you", we experience nothing less than heaven on earth."
--Sarah Ban Breathnach, Writer, current
 This is the sort of thing that makes it all worthwhile: an email note from a parishioner who volunteered to facilitate the stained glass window project. Read on...
Hi Annie,
I can only speak for myself here but I think the stained glass windows look wonderful. I was lucky enough to see them both in daylight and in darkness and they are beautiful either time. At night, the Chapel lights are always on and the images show up stunning from the street view -- in the daytime, the images bring a warmth to the Chapel that our "green curtains" just couldn't capture :-)
I'm sure our parishioners will be very impressed when most of them see your work this weekend.
All I can say is thank you Annie for what looks beautiful to me and thank you for putting up with my somewhat constant inquiries -- I hope I wasn't a burden to you --
PAX
Bob
PS -- I would also just like to thank you for the timely delivery and to compliment the folks that came to install them -- they were very accommodating.
Burden?! This fellow made sure the project happened! We live on donations, organized by volunteers, and then, they thank us! --and our installers.
Photo above: detail of St. Clare window
one of 3 windows in adoration chapel, installed today
"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention."
--Oscar Wilde, author, 1854-1900
Everytime I get a thank-you note or a compliment, it reminds me to look for a legitimate opportunity to pass it on. Makes me wonder why anyone would pass up such an opportunity to thank and motivate others --for free.
archive under: The Business of Art & The Art of Business
 One of Those Days...
August 30, 2011
So: The guys were loading three restored statues onto the truck this morning –and bumped one of them on the door jamb. We had to send them on to deliver the other two, and the stained glass windows at the other church; tomorrow they will make the trip again. Once everything is back in place, I will post some impressive 'before & after' pictures.
So then: I checked out the email I sent to clients and friends (aka "y'all") about the new Roman Missal. Lots of hits on the website but no inquiries or orders... that’s odd... So I tried the order page myself and found it wasn’t working! Something about the spam filter was filtering Everything. Worked fine when I set it up last night...
Suddenly: this Tuesday felt like a Monday.
 So: Ron did a bit more ‘reconstructive surgery’ on the statue, and I posted a ‘technical difficulties’ notice on the catalog website with direct contact info and got on the ‘live chat’ screen with the geeks on the west coast who host the website –once they got to work at (our) noon!
Seems it is all back to normal now: statue is again beautiful and will be (re)delivered tomorrow, and the website is fully functional and accepting orders. (So: order now.)
So, you see, no matter how much you like what you do, and for whom you do it, it is still work and it still comes with its own aggravations and inconveniences.
But, unlike the usual ‘job’ and its aggravations and inconveniences, the products of all these problems will have a lasting legacy, which does tend to overshadow the daily discouragements.
archive under: The Business of Art & the Art of Business
 No Trappings for Trappists
August 29, 2011
A priest stopped by the studio last Friday on his way home from retreat.
I think of him as fairly traditional, liturgically and artistically.
So I was somewhat surprised to hear his appreciation for the retreat’s chapel, which he described as quite austere.
"Oh," he said, "but it works for a monastery and a retreat center.
A parish church needs visuals, especially for the children."
Aha: Trappists don’t need all the trappings and visitors are trying to get away from all distractions –including the children.
Architecturally and spiritually, there is a time and a place for a variety of sacred architectures and interiors.
If designed well, constructed of worthy materials, and appropriate to its place, purpose and participants, any style of building and decoration can be beautiful –and an aid to worship. But when a beautiful thing is out of place, all you can see is how awkward it is. Kind of like a certain (now retired) devout parish priest whom I always thought would have made a wonderful monk. Hermit, even.
archive under: Church & Clergy
The Biblio File
August 24, 2011
Went to the Green Valley Book Fair this morning... which turned into this afternoon...
which resulted in this eclectic collection of 17 books, totaling a mere 70 something dollars:
Wild Jams & Jellies: Delicious Recipes Using 75 Wild Edibles
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Moreland, Indiana
Irish Traditions
Handbags: a Field Guide
Life: The Movie - How Entertainment Conquered Reality
Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Breweries
An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church's Strangest Relic in Italy's Oddest Town
Gothic Arches, Latin Crosses: Anti-Catholicism and American Church Designs
Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster
The Best American Travel Writing 2009
Free to Choose: The Classic Inquiry into the Relationship between Freedom & Economics
Exreme Pumpkins: Diabolical Do-It-Yourself Designs
Handbags: What Every Woman Should Know
On Art and Life
The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World
Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art
They are listed in no particular order above.
Hubby picked two of them, I picked one for hubby, one for my sister,
and I may forward one to my mother. Can you guess which is which?! Ha!
 I had heard of exactly two of them previous to picking them up.
I was also familiar with a few of the authors:
John Ruskin, Simon Winchester, Milton Friedman.
The rest were: "Looks interesting and costs less than a magazine!"
Will be back with periodic reports as I slog through them or pass them on.
I so don't understand that Kindle thing...
How do you flip through it and get a sense of book?
I just love tables and shelves full of various sizes and bindings and colors, love to pick them up and rifle the pages to see what size the type is, whether there are any illustrations, what sort of paper it is printed on.
The cheapest book I got ($2.50!) is a little paperback gem,
a reprint of works from 1859 with an embossed cover. Lovely.
archive under: Simple Pleasures & Small Vices
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