The work began with the conception of the idea. Tom met with the architects on January 4th, 2001. They knew where they wanted to place a stained glass window, but all they had for him was the size of the opening. Responding to their request for ideas as to the theme of the proposed window, Tom replied: “Being in the baptistery, wouldn’t it be wonderful to show Christ being baptized?”
Read MoreA distinguished window was needed for the temple, one that would make patrols feel the wonder and awe that Joseph sensed on that lovely morning. After much brainstorming and pondering, Tom and Gayle used this objective to blend the vision of Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ in many aspects of the temple glasswork.
Read More
Tom Holdman has always had a slow tongue and he needed to find ways to speak with others. He discovered that through art he could express himself. This proved to be a powerful tool for a man who was desperate to express himself. Ultimately, his true release was found through his art. He emerged passionate, triumphant and fulfilled.
Read More
To celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2016, the largest university in Utah, UVU unveiled an impressive public artwork of phenomenal proportions: The Roots of Knowledge. This large-scale and vivid permanent exhibit entails the ancient story-telling art form of stained-glass windows, in a secular, modern setting.
Read More
I believe that as artists, we do have a great responsibility to help to inspire others. How can I do good art without tying into my own spirit? My spirit ties into God’s. It is all about emotion. I had a big struggle when I was growing up with speaking to people because I had a severe speech impediment. I stuttered all the time. I had to look for other ways to express myself so I could speak to people. I would do artwork all the time.
Read MoreChrist’s head has got to be the hardest piece of art to do. This is because everybody has a personal relationship with Christ in their hearts. His image has to show that he is strong, yet humble, he is meek and compassionate. All these emotions rolled up into this head. That is no small task as an artist trying to portray that.
Read MoreHow can I educate myself? What I did was make a couple art glass windows and I earned enough to spend a whole month traveling through Europe. I was staying in hostels, living on nothing, and looking at the great cathedrals. I would look at their art glass and see how it would inspire me.
Read More
Glass really does inspire people. The whole history of how it was invented is intriguing. Why did it come alive? During the medieval times there were a lot of peasants who could not read. The church would illustrate the scriptures in stained glass so the normal person could relate to it like scripture. There also weren’t any handy bibles around. They were all hand-written bibles. Stained glass really came alive to tell the scripture stories.
Read More
