Shine

Oil on Panel

For Rejoice! Advent Meditations with Joseph

by Ascension Press

Available for purchase here:

https://www.mikemoyersfineart.com/product-page/shine

Have you ever beamed with joy? Have you ever had a time when you were so filled with happiness that it felt as if you were full of an uncontainable energy that radiated from you?
I have had experiences like that as a parent when I look at my children and marvel at the miracle of who they are and who they are becoming. Even now as my children are entering adulthood, they make my heart swell with pride, joy and love. That feeling motivates me to be a better parent and a more loving person to my neighbors. 

I imagine Mary and Joseph may have had those moments of beaming joy as well. In this painting for Ascension Press, I imagined a moment where the Holy Family is just spending a moment together. Joseph holds Jesus and gazes into the his incarnate eyes. Mary reclines, relaxed and content, next to Joseph as she watches Joseph and Jesus bond. And Jesus reaches out to Joseph the way babies do—full of love, trust, and curiosity. The whole family is in a moment of beaming joy together—illustrated by the flood of light surrounding them.

Advent is over. The baby, Emmanuel, (which means "God with us") is here. Now is the time to bond with Him. Let us make time to get to know Him. Let us marvel at who Jesus was, is, and is becoming. May our time with Him swell our hearts with so much uncontainable joy and love that it radiates out to the world. May that love make us lights to the world with Him. May it make us shine.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Lessons & Carols: The Word

Digital Illustration

Available for digital download

CLICK HERE

The Ninth Lesson: John 1: 1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The Visitation

8x10 Oil on Panel

For Rejoice! Advent Meditations with Mary

Published by Ascension Press

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women,and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Mary Visits Elizabeth

I like to think of this painting as a baby shower of grace. As Mary and Elizabeth meet, the Spirit of God showers them with gifts of assurance, prophecy, joy, hope, and encouragement. These are exactly the gifts and blessings the two mothers need to carry on towards the challenges that lie ahead.

Rejoice! Advent Meditations with Mary

Recently, I was blessed to have the opportunity to paint illustrations for Ascension Press. The artwork was for a devotional guide called Rejoice, Advent Meditations with Mary by Fr. Mark Toups. The meditation guide focused on several key stories in the life of Mary leading up to the birth of Christ. The stories were: Gabriel’s annunciation to Mary, Mary’s visit with Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem, and the Holy Family at the nativity. Each composition was a truly prayerful and meaningful experience. 

In addition to the devotional guide paintings, Ascension beautifully made a companion video series. The series is full of meditations and prayers centered around Mary’s story. For the video, I had the opportunity to create digital illustrations to be shown during the prayerful meditations.

It has been an honor to illustrate Mary’s story. I hope you enjoy these special paintings and take a moment to reflect on the story of the Blessed Mother, her faithful husband and the advent of our Lord, Jesus Christ. 

I will be posting more images from this series and giving you my reflections on them soon.

Click HERE to order 

• Prints of my Rejoice paintings 

• The meditation journal & videos 

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For Unto Us A Child Is Born

12"x12"
Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

An Abstract Expression from Handel's Messiah
For Unto Us  A Child Is Born

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government
Shall be upon His shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
(Isaiah 9:6)

40 Days: Day 3: Let There Be Light

5"x7" Acrylic on Canvas

Available

Last fall, I visited our local Synagogue. During one of the prayers, there was a line about God creating light. There was a footnote on the page that explained that the line is more accurately translated as a "mixing" of light—as a painter would mix color. As an artist, I just loved that image of God mixing the cosmos like colors on a palette. It is also a beautiful way of thinking about the Incarnation—the Light of the World mixing into the lives of humanity. And what does that mean for us when Christ tells us that WE are light to the world?

For this meditation, I played with simple black and white acrylic—starting with the black and mixing in the light with a brush. 

The Word Made Flesh / God Poured Out

9"x12" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it…

…And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:1-5, 14

“who, though he was in the form of God,
 did not regard equality with God
 as something to be exploited, but emptied himself,
 taking the form of a slave,
 being born in human likeness. 
And being found in human form, he humbled himself
 and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him
 and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus
 every knee should bend,
 in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess
 that Jesus Christ is Lord,
 to the glory of God the Father.”  —Philippians 2:6-11

This year’s art conceptualizes the beautiful mystery of God blending with creation. It is an abstract mixing of power and humility, order and chaos, light and dark. For me, “The Word Made Flesh” could also be described as “God Poured Out.” In Jesus, the grace of God poured into creation like a waterfall of sacrificial love. This Advent season let the mystery pour over you. Allow grace to mix with your life. May the unpredictable Word overflow in you heart.