Skill & Reverence

Restoring the majesty of a 107-year-old church is nothing to be taken lightly and that responsibility has fallen on the shoulders of an exceptional Du Quoin painting contractor, Eric Graham, owner of Graham's Painting.

It's a 33-year-old company passed to Graham, 45, by his father in the year 2000.

Graham has three painters on his team and he is working closely with Ted Mueller of Chester, who will be the decorator/consultant. Ted has decorated dozens of churches throughout southern Illinois over the past several decades

Eric brings to the month-long redecorating project both an uncommon skill and a profound reverence for what the church is about. Over the next month, the church and Eric will become one. Eric admits to sensing both the history and depth of faith as he comes and goes around the altar, pausing almost as if to say "pardon me."

Work began last week and has already posed some unique challenges--tall ladders that reach from the choir and organ loft to the bell tower, the archways and buttresses . vaulted ceiling and, of course, the challenge of painting up to, but not crossing over onto the gold leaf accents.

A small manlift with a long arm is actually being brought into the middle of the sanctuary that will take painters up to most of the ceiling. It is more practical then the massive amounts of scaffolding that would have to be leased.

Cracks are being filled before the application of a flat paint, which is being accented by a slightly deeper semi-gloss on some of the woodwork.

The paint scheme is similar to the current palette, with deeper colors and more shades in order to enhance the church architecture.

There are many decorative enhancements including: faux marble surfaces to the columns, enhancing the sanctuary ceiling, further framing the stained glass windows with complementary shades of paint, highlighting the Stations of the Cross with a background and re-painting the bases and perhaps adding some iconography to the walls of the sanctuary."

"On something like this you have to slow down and take your time," said Graham, who bid the project last year. Committees had to meet. Special insurances had to be acquired. Equipment had to be leased. With Eric and Ted's vision, the result will be stunning when the work is finished before the Easter season.