St. Timothy's Episcopal Church
As a standing structure in Roxborough since the 19th Century, this small-town country Church on a busy street, is both impossible and yet possible, to pass by during travels; taking no notice of, yet taking notice of, this property, in synchrony. One becomes blind to its existence while staring right at it. It has just always been there.
To appreciate this structure fully one must make the decision to pause momentarily from one’s own hectic schedule and take a walk through the courtyard. It isn't the most magnificent structure in Roxborough but it is magnificent in its serenity and in its modesty.
Despite being surrounded by a hospital, a recreation centre, and houses, it is in its own isolated little world. When one begins the trek through this very tiny enclosure, one nearly forgets that he or she is in Roxborough in the 21st century and imagines perhaps a simpler time of the distant past.
I enjoy walking through the property periodically as a short-cut to the main street. I take a lot of photographs of St.Timothy's and its grounds, (which are beautiful in their simplicity) during the course of each season, annually. I use the photographs as reference points for drawings or paintings, or digital prints. I focus a lot on this property because I am enthralled with it. Simple. Basic. Modest.
I like to walk through the graveyard at night (especially during a lunar event such as an eclipse or a full moon) and during or after a snowstorm, or at the first hint of Autumn as the leaves begin to turn. At dawn or at dusk is preferable, as not only is it extremely peaceful, but she yields good return in pictures as the property is not camera-shy.
This illustration was originally to be an animation of sorts, but I discarded that idea entirely and decided that an drawing only was better. The photograph was taken in the spring of 2006. I began this illustration shortly thereafter. I ceased work on it and began again in November of 2008. I uploaded one of the intermediate scans of the drawing onto my Facebook page in 2009. I ceased work on it until May of the following year. I completed it in December of 2011. I added it to my projects list here, and then forgot about it, with the last upload of the progress on 21, November, 2012. I finally have completed it, today, 5 November, 2014.
Generally, it takes me only a few days to a week to complete a drawing of this caliber, but this one was drawn out (no pun intended) to be a several year project. I kept putting down the pencils and the watercolours, and tossing the drawing aside. I'd throw it into the garbage, and then pull it out and place it back onto the drawing board.
I would work on it for five to ten minutes and then stop; not returning to work on it for months at a time. Perhaps it was my subconscious dealing with my own inner struggle with faith on a personal level that kept me tossing this into the junk pile; or perhaps it was because I simply became bored with my subject? (That happens, sometimes.) Whatever the reason was, I did finally bring it to completion. I am glad that I did.
I do so hope that you are able to enjoy the process with me as the final piece is certainly not my best work. I believe that the personal lesson in this case was about the process, not the finished product. Endurance, perseverance, determination, hope, and yes, even a little faith … that despite how long it takes to complete a task and bring the rough sketches of our dreams into a final finished piece of art, as long as we make the decision to never give up, we can make our dreams a reality.
St. Timothy's Episcopal Church is located at 5720 Ridge Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19128. It is in my hometown of the Roxborough neigbourhood in Philadelphia. I am not a parishioner of St. Timothy's. It is not my desire or intention that the Church be promulgated through my project (no offense).
This link did not exist when I began my project, however, I have found it to be slightly informative whereas it concerns the history of this tiny church.
