The arms of the Order of St. John. Click to enlarge. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
Recent Posts
Monday, December 23, 2024
The Arms of the Order of St. John
Sunday, December 22, 2024
Top 10 Favorite Renderings of 2024
10. St. Thomas Choir School
Arms of St. Thomas Choir School. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
St. Thomas Choir School is a foundational school attached to St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The design made the list for the very reason that my rendering of the open and inscribed book marked a first instance for me in going out on a limb and trying something new. What was that? Adding medieval style musical notes to help fill in space while also providing additional reference to the school's purpose.
The school's arms were designed in 1963 by The Rev. Canon Edward N. West (1909-1990).
9. College of Guardians of the Holy House of Our Lady of Walsingham
Arms of the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Our Lady of Walsingham. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
My version of the Holy House at Walsingham. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
8. Princeton University
Arms of Princeton University. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
Armorial flag of Princeton University. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
This rendering made me fall in love in with Princeton's simplicity in its design of arms. Remember, Princeton's arms were assumed in the great American tradition just as those earlier Ivy League institutions devised their own.
I say use the standard heater shield shape and join me in my new love affair of these arms!
7. Woodberry Forest School (WFS)
Seal and arms of Woodberry Forest School. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
The arms of this Virginia preparatory school--much like Princeton--never wooed me in how the school presents them. The eradicated pine trees were far too small in between a rather skinning chevron on the field. Fill the field, I say, and be bold! I would love to know who designed these arms and any rationale too. My theory is that the chevron comes from the Walker arms honoring the school's founder while the three eradicated fir or pine trees create a cant or heraldic pun on forest.
The challenge of creating a seal with the arms while working in the school's motto was quite fun.
Armorial flag of Woodberry Forest School. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
I was pleasantly surprised to see how lovely WFS's arms appear as an armorial flag.
When I applied my methods to WFS' arms, I loved the simplicity and plausible meaning of the design, earning it a spot on the 2024 top 10 list.
6. Lenox School
Arms of Lenox School. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
The design is also a classic la Rose method of what I call an "Americanization" of arms from the old world, and in this design the arms of the Duke of Richmond and Lenox. Given the volume of designs created by la Rose during his career, there's no wonder why he needed multiple methods of differencing his designs. Click here to read more on Lenox's coat of arms.
5. St Edward's Seminary
Arms of St. Edward's Seminary. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
Click here to read more about St. Edward's Seminary arms.
4. Undergraduate Residence Halls, The University of the South
Small selection of arms of various undergraduate residential halls at the University of the South. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
The arms of Dr. J. Waring McCrady of Sewanee, TN. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
3. Hampden-Sydney College
The arms of Hampden-Sydney College in various shield shapes. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
The arms of Hampden-Sydney College, devised in 1976 by the College of Arms in London, caught my eye as an applicant to the school. Upon admission, I became smitten and caught the heraldry bug. The College's arms started it all for me!
The armorial flag of Hampden-Sydney College. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
Moreover, my first sketch for an armorial flag was for Hampden-Sydney in 2014, in pencil no less. Then I could only dream of seeing a digital or even physical version of the flag. I now have my flag flying from my front porch. Being able to render both this past year was a real highlight for this proud alumnus.
Here's to "a glass of the finest." Please click here to learn more about Hampden-Sydney College's arms.
2. The University of the South
The achievement of arms of the University of the South. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
The armorial flag of the University of the South. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
1. The Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem
Row 1 (L-R): Arms of the Order of St John and the US Priory. Row 2 (L-R): Arms of the Priories of England and Canada. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
The arms of the Sovereign Head of the Order of St. John, His Majesty King Charles III. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
L-R: Arms of the Sovereign Head and Grand Prior of the Order of St. John. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
The armorial flag of the Order of St. John. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
Friday, December 20, 2024
Heraldic Freedom & Preservation
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
Colored pencil drawing from 2014. |
Around 2015, digital heraldry was beginning to take off and those artists available for commission priced me out of the market. My solution: colored pencils!
Case in point, please see this amateur drawing of my coat of arms from that time period (never mind the dogwood's flowering variety) to the left. While dreaming of having a full color digital emblazonment of my arms, pencil and ruler brought me closer to those nuances known abstractly in the art and science of heraldry.Vector format designed in 2024. |
The retired arms of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Richmond, VA. The "cathedral of the Confederacy," retired the design in 2015. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
La Rose's proposed design for St. Norbert's College in De Pare, WI in 1925. The College did not adopt this design. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
Thursday, December 19, 2024
The Arms of Church of the Advent Boston
Seal and coat of arms of Church of the Advent Boston. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
You cannot have Advent without the Advent...Boston that is. Hands-down my favorite Anglo-Catholic parish in the Episcopal Church, I have had several deeply spiritual experiences living into the beautiful liturgies at Church of the Advent Boston. Founded in 1884 in the Back Bay area of Boston--Brimmer Street to be precise--Advent is simply the best of Anglo-Catholic liturgy and theology and well worth a pilgrimage.
The parish has a special connection to Ralph Adams Cram (1863-1942) who Shand Tucci (1975) notes Advent became the headquarters for a new gothic liturgical movement which Cram would help advance. Moreover, Cram's first commissions were completed at Advent Boston, such as the furnishings in the Lady Chapel. By understanding Cram's origins in his "gothic quest" we can begin to understand his friendship with Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (1872-1941) and their heraldic partnership. I've posted the link to Shand Tucci's (1975) article below and commend it to the reader.
Coat of arms of Church of the Advent Boston. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
Arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and Church of the Advent Boston. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
Furthermore, the charges in dexter quarter also bear meaningful symbolism as Church of the Advent (n.d.) notes:
"In the upper left quadrant is the red cross of St George, badge of England, surmounted by a circle containing wavy blue and white lines. The lines symbolize water, and the heraldic device is called a fountain and represents a well or spring. This may allude to our roots in the Church of England, but Cross + Well is also a rebus for Croswell, our first Rector."
The parish's arms make a lovely armorial flag as well.
Banner of arms, Church of the Advent Boston. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024. |
Works Cited
Church of the Advent Boston (n.d.). The parish seal. Church of the Advent Boston.
Shand Tucci, D. (1975). Ralph Adams Cram & Mrs. Gardiner: The movement for a liturgical art. Fenway Court, pp. 27-34 https://issuu.com/gardnermuseum/docs/1975_web