E. A. Hayes Studio

04/23/2026

Due to an excess of inspiration from the Muses, or perhaps from not enough, Modern art has so thoroughly bought into its own myth that it no longer has much to do with the artistic activity of the Ancients at all.

When discussing art, architecture, and really any beautiful thing made by man, the frame of the conversation is always tainted by a thoroughly modern lens. How people today conceptualize ‘art’, especially ‘fine art’ is altogether different than when people thought of art in the past. The mos...

04/21/2026

When dealing with the current liturgical issues it often is impossible to try to study the more sophisticated finesse of what makes church building work. This more advanced issues however do much to elevate the discussion of the more common petty conflicts.

The state of liturgical design has reached such an abyssal point that it would seem that one can only hope for a church building to not be horrid. The fight for generations now has been fraught with so many small obvious design issues (such as a venerable location for the tabernacle) that the sophis...

04/20/2026

It is obvious that modern churches underutilize color in their decoration, but did you know that the modern world has an abundance of chemical pigments that people in prior ages could have only dreamed of?

Did you know that before the 1800's there were few very bright pigments available, and the ones we did have were either very expensive, toxic, or were light-sensitive vegetable dyes? Let's look at some of the best pigments the modern world has afforded us and see why God has provided us with everyth...

02/18/2026

Here we present a project in conjunction with the Polish Institute of Culture and Research.

Historical restorations have very different priorities than restorations focused solely on the pastoral and mystical goods of an image. Here we worked to effect the restoration without altering the historicity of the piece. With emphasis on reversibility, non-invasiveness, and conservation we were able to return the image to its original appearance without destroying its historical value.

We look forward to collaborating further with the Institute in the historical conservation and paint analysis of their extensive archives.

02/17/2026

Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor whom approached the church, St. Joseph Catholic Church in Howell Michigan was able to restore their antique Holy Infant image.

Look how much more serene he seems now. Without the sallow skin, heavy eyeshadow and lipstick that chained the image to the tumultuous 60's when their current building was erected, the image is much more pastorally useful toward the mystical representation the Holy Infant represents.

Targeted donations toward sacred art are the easiest and most effective way for the faithful to ensure their churches become and stay beautiful. If you want your church to be more beautiful, you know who to call.

02/16/2026

Ethan's masterwork in Florence was this globus cruciger for the hand of a Christ image, such as a Holy Infant. The globe itself weighed over 1,000 carats in genuine lapis lazuli, the central gem, a beautiful natural garnet.

The studio's great work has been to elevate the sacral arts in such ways by precise application of aesthetic principles in accordance with the wisdom of Holy Mother Church. This can be effectuated foremost by the use of precious stones, full application of God's providence,in modern materials, and aggressive research into the traditional techniques of the Old Masters.

02/11/2026

We refurbished this simple altar set for Livingston County Catholic Charities for their new facility's day chapel complete with a matching ambo and seating.

The challenge in the project really was making something noble and fitting for the chapel using the very dated material we were given. But with our experience with refinishing products as well as appliques and brass gilding finishes, by collaborating with the facility's secular interior designer, we were able to make something suitable for the design of their building.

02/10/2026

As a training exercise, one of our new apprentices, Olivia, painted this Jesus bust independently. She is settling into her own on the application of hair textures, something we have been looking quite positively upon. How do you think she is doing?

02/09/2026

This crucifix was salvaged from a cathedral in Wisconsin and made it's way to the studio for heavy restoration work. After consolidating the damage through numerous arm and torso repairs we managed to get the stability to a place were we could start thinking about what the new final appearance of the image should be.

The carved wood inset panels of the cross itself are quite rare and valuable, so we decided to allow the image to be shaped from this aspect. In the end we found a dark yet vibrant scheme with minimal blood that served the image well.

Often respecting the original image is the key to ensuring the new aesthetic is successful. Fighting the image always ends with a lack of harmony, something which are inherently un-beautiful. When an image is in accordance with its end, synthetic in itself, and pointed towards its own virtues, it can in turn point towards God.

02/07/2026

The Provost of Holy Spirit College explores why modern church buildings miss the mark in beauty