The Artisan’s Mural: A Call to Build What Time Tried to Take Back

Steve Quillian
Apr 30
2 min read

A reflection on calling, sacrifice, and why sacred work still matters

On the side of our building, there’s a mural. At first glance, it looks like a tribute to old-world craftsmanship—saws, windows, trees. But if you look deeper, you’ll see that it’s more than art.

It’s a blueprint. A parable. A sacred reminder of what it means to answer the call of the Artisan.

This post is a meditation on that mural—and what it reveals about our mission, our materials, and the Maker who still calls builders today.

Two Trees, Two Testimonies

Hidden the mural are two trees.

The one on the left stands tall and full, flourishing with leaves. It represents the Tree of the Garden—abundance, wisdom, and the beauty that was once freely given.

The tree on the right has been cut down. From its stump flows red—not sap, but blood. It speaks of sacrifice. The great forests of America fell so that beauty could be shaped—windows, homes, cities. And now, it’s up to us to honor that sacrifice, not waste it.

Every sash we restore is a way of saying: this tree did not fall in vain.

The Hands That Send and Cover

Above the craftsmen in the mural are two outstretched hands—emerging from the rose window like a holy throne.

They are not the hands of man.

They are the hands of God Himself.

They extend in blessing, in protection, in purpose. They don’t control. They commission. They represent the truth that we are not alone in this work. If He calls us to it, He covers us in it.

And the red wings tucked into the artisans’ backs? They’re not imagined. They’re real. They’re the visible sign of invisible grace.

What Was Loaned, Not Owned

We work with natural materials. Wood. Glass. Iron. But none of it is truly ours.

Everything we shape was loaned to us by creation—and ultimately by God. The forests gave, and now we are held responsible. If we do not heed the call, if we do not steward the gifts well, then nature slowly takes them back.

Rot. Decay. Collapse.

But when we answer with reverence—when we restore instead of discard—we align ourselves with something eternal.

Why Window Craft Matters

This is not nostalgia. This is obedience.

We are not trying to relive the past—we are trying to honor it by redeeming what time has worn down. And in doing so, we call forth the spirit of Bezalel and Oholiab—the same Spirit God poured out on artisans in Exodus.

The same Spirit that lives on in the Artisan Army today.

The Call Still Stands

This mural is more than paint on plaster. It’s a mirror for the one holding the chisel.

It asks:

Will you take up the work?

Will you steward what was given?

Will you make beauty that lasts?

This is Window Craft.

This is sacred work.

And this is your call.

Want to Go Deeper?

If this reflection stirred something in you—if you feel the call of the Artisan Spirit—we invite you to join us.

Explore the Five Pillars of Window Craft
Attend an upcoming workshop
Join the movement at ArtisanArmy.com

Let’s frame light. Together.