Amid the crazy task of cleaning out the studio’s old barn in Conestoga, I had to deal with many beautiful architectural bits I’d collected over the decades. I found it an arduous task to perform, and by the end, I was feeling pretty confused about the significance of many of the pieces. Some were gifted, some were burned, and I kept very few in the end.
One of the few bits I did pack in our shipping crate was the old 1800s wainscoting from Goderich and a set of turn-of-the-century church pillars from Cambridge. However, when I first unpacked them here in Penhold, I thought I had made a mistake as they were both too worn and dark to frame my work’s bright colours and gold. However, before discarding them, I decided to try stripping them to see what was underneath. I’m happy I did. The tone given to its century-old oak wood is quite beautiful, and I believe in this restored form, they will be a wonderful frame for the studio’s new chapel.