I need to blog again today because I want to thank the Sisters of St. Joseph Sister of St. Joseph on the web (They're in Australia!) They have created a beautiful prayer book titled "Act Love Walk." The title of the book is taken from Micah and it states the "values and relationships underpinning Josephite spirituality."
This is what the Living God asks of you:
only this,
to act justly
to love tenderly
to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8
The book is illustrated with photographs and paintings chosen to reflect the thoughts of each prayer guide. Many people in this Internet age feel free to snag pictures from web sites without ever acknowledging or compensating the creators of the images. The Sisters knew it was important to ask permission to use the photographs and paintings in the book.
As an artist I appreciate their integrity and honesty. I was very honored for them to have found my painting and then to have liked it so much they wanted it for their book. I was happy for them to use my painting without charge. (Seriously?! I'm going to charge the Sisters?!) :-)
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| My painting on page 150 |
As an artist I appreciate their integrity and honesty. I was very honored for them to have found my painting and then to have liked it so much they wanted it for their book. I was happy for them to use my painting without charge. (Seriously?! I'm going to charge the Sisters?!) :-)
I painted this picture for the Passion Play Hilldale was doing in 2010.
The Passion Play that year was titled "Journey to Emmaus" and followed the story of the two disciples that Jesus walked with from Jerusalem to Emmaus after His resurrection.
The Road to Emmaus
I saw a painting on line that I liked - but rather than snag the picture off the net and use it I decided to paint one that was similar. So my painting is actually based on someone else's painting, but it isn't exactly the same. What's that saying about imitation being the greatest form of flattery? Something like that.
At the time my son and his family were living with us. My grandbabies were 8, 7, 3 and 18 months old at the time. So it wasn't a time to leave paints and canvases laying around. So I locked myself in my bathroom one morning with some paint, some brushes a canvas board and I painted. Not quite that romantic ideal of setting up an easel and watching a sunset for inspiration...
Now "The Road to Emmaus" is hanging up in my office. (Please ignore the boxes in the corner. I should move them...)
One of the things I like about painting is the cool things that happen by accident when you paint. Not every spot of color is planned: Some just happen, or spill over from another place or what was pictured in your mind gets overtaken by what's happening on the canvas. (If that makes your head hurt to think about, stop thinking about it and just keep reading.)
That's how the "glow" or "halo" ended up around Christ in this picture. I painted the three men walking and it just ended up that the sky made a glow around the center man. I think that's cool.
One of the things written in the book on the two pages that feature my painting is:
* We ask that we may be alert to your presence in our everyday realities.
Walking with Christ each day can be a lot like painting. We plan many things, but we need to be ready to see Him in unforeseen ways.
The Road to Emmaus
I saw a painting on line that I liked - but rather than snag the picture off the net and use it I decided to paint one that was similar. So my painting is actually based on someone else's painting, but it isn't exactly the same. What's that saying about imitation being the greatest form of flattery? Something like that.
At the time my son and his family were living with us. My grandbabies were 8, 7, 3 and 18 months old at the time. So it wasn't a time to leave paints and canvases laying around. So I locked myself in my bathroom one morning with some paint, some brushes a canvas board and I painted. Not quite that romantic ideal of setting up an easel and watching a sunset for inspiration...
Now "The Road to Emmaus" is hanging up in my office. (Please ignore the boxes in the corner. I should move them...)
One of the things I like about painting is the cool things that happen by accident when you paint. Not every spot of color is planned: Some just happen, or spill over from another place or what was pictured in your mind gets overtaken by what's happening on the canvas. (If that makes your head hurt to think about, stop thinking about it and just keep reading.)
That's how the "glow" or "halo" ended up around Christ in this picture. I painted the three men walking and it just ended up that the sky made a glow around the center man. I think that's cool.
One of the things written in the book on the two pages that feature my painting is:
* We ask that we may be alert to your presence in our everyday realities.
Walking with Christ each day can be a lot like painting. We plan many things, but we need to be ready to see Him in unforeseen ways.
