A few years ago, a client asked me to make a cross and gave me artistic freedom. The design combines a cross with a liturgical calendar. A bird carved from Peruvian walnut with gilded wings acts as the dial, rotating at the center of the cross. The design also uses negative space in ways that emphasize the natural beauty of the mahogany while reflecting the client’s family; the outermost ring of the cross corresponds with different birthdays as they occur throughout the liturgical year. This design has grown to include the option of elements like relief carving.

As with the liturgical clock, the liturgical cross can also include precious stones (or pearls) and different woods to designate birthdays, saint’s days, or other significant events. As seen in the gallery, the corners of the cross can also be used to feature text (Scripture, poetry) which is burned or carved. They can also feature appliques or relief carvings. The dial of the hand can also be customized to feature either different birds (or animals) in different orientations to the cross. Here, the bird’s features are apparent when removed, but a dial in which the bird can be seen in profile is also possible. Depending on the size desired, the cross can be mounted either with a single nail or with a French cleat.

Over the last couple of commissions, a trend has emerged in clients wanting to use the corner panels of the crosses for quotations, so a special line of design has emerged which features poetry. So far, I’ve created “The Psalm,” “The Herbert,” and “The Eliot.” Check them out below.