Observing Lent through the arts
Rembrandt van Rijn’s The Return of the Prodigal Son, c. 1661–1669, was used for a devotional on Luke 6:37-38 and Luke 23:34. The liturgical church has two seasons of preparation: Advent, which leads to Christmas, and Lent, which leads to Easter. Advent is an unabashedly joyous time, in the arts as well as in life. …
Taking chances, redux
I can’t decide whether to call it The heavens declare the glory of God or This Little Light of Mine. It’s a terrible photo, but it’s difficult to shoot a dark painting when it’s still wet and glossy. Photographs exaggerate the chroma and contrast of the Northern Lights; they are more ephemeral in reality. They also …
Taking chances
Winter Lambing, 48X36, oil on canvas, by little ol’ me. Critiquing a painting this week, I focused on the concrete: there isn’t any texture in the background, the yellows are too cool, the vase is too busy. A few hours later, my student looked at my Winter Lambing and said, “I’m playing it too safe, …
Really big art
Bronze Colossus of Constantine, 4th century Roman. Not the one you expected, was it? Having finished the first of my seven large (48X36) paintings for my upcoming show at Roberts Wesleyan, I’ve been thinking about why people are motivated to make really big art. Roman emperors erected colossi of themselves to publicly declare their omnipotence. …
What work are we doing here?
Getting there. It should be done tomorrow, I swear. I’ve been dogged by illness this whole winter, but by the grace of God something is coming together for my upcoming show at the Davison Gallery at Roberts Wesleyan. I promised the gallery director a postcard image this week, and a postcard image she shall have. …