Psalm 130

6"x6" Oil on Panel

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Psalms are ancient songs and prayers to God. They express every kind of human emotion. From our deepest longings and tragic failures to our hope in God and exhuberant praise, psalms are bold prayers that continue to give us a voice today. 

This psalm abstract was created just a few days ago. It embodies emotions fueled by coronavirus, lockdowns, and civil unrest, and an uncertain future.

May we learn be more like the psalmists and practice emotionally honest dialogue with God. Even when we have trouble finding the words, we can look to the ancient voices from the psalms to speak on our behalf.

Psalm 130

Holy Mother & Child

Holy Mother & Child

8"x10" Oil on Panel

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What was Mary like as a mother? What was Jesus like as a toddler? These are some questions that I love to explore with imagination and creativity. 

 I imagine Mary to be patient and understanding with Jesus. She had to raise a young child while attending the daily chores of a first century Jewish wife. I would imagine her to be inclusive, and allow her child to explore and discover the wonders of the World.

 I imagine a toddler Jesus to be inquisitive and full of joy. Like most toddlers, Jesus might have been very curious and playful. He might have wanted to participate in his mother's busy life.

 In honor of Mother's day, I have painted a scene illustrating what Mary and Jesus might have been like together in those days. 

 In this painting, Mary is tending to the daily chore of making bread for the family. As she shapes the dough into small loaves, she lovingly lets Jesus "help". In typical toddler fasion, Jesus plays with the dough. He pulls the dough appart and lifts it up to the light as if he is offering thanks and breaking bread. Perhaps he is mimicking their family traditions around the dinner table. 

 The water jar next to Mary alludes to Jesus' first miracle where He turns jars of water into wine—a unique and intimate story which gives us insight into their relationship.

 I hope you enjoy this little work of imaginative play. It is my way celebrating all mothers and expressing gratitude for their sacrifice, patience, and love.

 Happy Mother's Day!

ADVENT: Signs and Wonders

Digital Illustration for 

Rejoice! Advent Meditations with Joseph

Video Series

by Ascension Press

In this digital illustration, Joseph gazes at the wonders of the night sky. It would be hard to know what he thought of the starry sky, but one thing is certain. Joseph would see the stars and remember a God who keeps God's promises.

Remember when God told Abraham to look up to the sky and try to count the stars. "So will be the number of your descendants," God said. And Abraham became the father of nations, and ultimately, a forefather of Christ.

Today, we may see stars for their scientific wonder and the vastness of the cosmos. We may even ponder the greatness of the God who created such marvels. But we can also look to the night sky like Joseph—remembering that God is a God of promises and that God can be trusted to keep them.

Advent: Dark Morning

Digital Illustration for 

Rejoice! Advent Meditations with Joseph

Video Series

by Ascension Press

“Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark.”

― George Iles

In this digital illustration, Joseph opens his door and gazes out into the pre-dawn darkness. Just before the birds begin to sing, all is quiet, peaceful, and still. 

Advent means "Coming." Many churches celebrate Advent as a season of hopefulness leading up to Christmas. If Christmas is the birth of the Light of the World, then Advent is the pre-dawn dark morning we find ourselves in as we awake from our sleep. 

Darkness can be a thing of fear and anxiety. In the dark, we are surrounded by unknowns and mysteries. But if you are assured that a light will soon arrive, the dark can be a place where we can live in hope and peace.

Advent: Early to Rise

Digital Illustration for 

Rejoice! Advent Meditations with Joseph

Video Series

by Ascension Press

This digital illustration imagines Joesph getting up in the early pre-dawn to begin his day with prayer. Some symbolic elements give both context to Joseph's humble surroundings as well as a foreshadowing of some themes the Incarnation would soon bring to us. There is a lamp of oil which reminds us of Advent light and a reminder to keep our lamps trimmed and burning in anticipation for the coming of the Christ. There is also a basin and towel to remind us of Christs's humility and service.

This Advent season, may we begin our days with prayer, humility and gratitude. May we keep our lamps lit with trust in God's promises.

Joseph the Carpenter

Oil on Panel for 

"Rejoice! Advent Meditations with Joseph" Journal

by Ascension Press

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Advent at Work.

Joseph was a carpenter. He worked daily with his hands—chopping, sawing, hammering, chiseling, and sanding—making things for others. It must have been hot, tiresome, gritty work.  Joseph was a craftsman. It was a career that required skill, devotion, physical labor, and discipline. It also required humility and a dependence upon God and the economy of others to earn a living wage.

When I am working on a painting, my mind tends to delve deeply into a kind of meditative state. Part of me is problem–solving the task at hand. Another other part of me is always thinking about the meaning of the image being created. In this painting, Joseph is putting finishing touches on a table. I wonder what his mind was thinking about as he worked in the months prior to the birth of Jesus. I would imagine there would be mixed bag of anticipation, worry, fear, and insecurity. But there would also be joy, hope, peace, and love.

These are but some of the characteristics that could be found in the man whom God chose to be a father figure to the Christ. It would make sense that Jesus would grow up to be a man of devotion, humility and trust in God. Jesus spent much of his ministry at table with others. Even to this day, two thousand years later, we come to a table to remember Him.

As we ponder the gift of the incarnation this season, may we also give thanks for Joseph. May His devotion to God, family, and work be an inspiration in our Advent lives today.

Daybreak

6"x6' Oil on Panel

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“The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.” –Selections from Romans 13:11-12

“Rise and Shine” is the inspiration for this year’s Advent artwork and design created for First Presbyterian Church, Franklin. The scriptures for this season are about visions, dreams and the dawning of God’s kingdom. The texts also call us to be active participants of God’s new day.

Advent is a time of twilight hope with dreams of peace and joy. As we continue to wake up, we rub our groggy eyes as they adjust to the soft light of God’s love surrounding us. It’s also the time to get up, stretch, and be about the daily work that God has called us to do. Through the gift of Advent, God is making us “Morning People.”

So wake up everybody. 

Let’s get ready to go to work for God’s kingdom. 

It’s going to be a beautiful day.

Miracle Catch

11x14 

Oil on Panel

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Luke 5:1-11

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in 

on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen 

had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one 

belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down 

and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 

"Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Simon answered, 

"Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will 

let down the nets." When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were 

beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. 

And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, 

he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" 

For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 

and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. 

Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." 

When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Comfort Ye, My People

6"x6"
Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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An Abstract Expression from Handel's Messiah
Comfort Ye, My People

Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. 
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, 
That her warfare is accomplished, 
That her Iniquity is pardoned. 
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness
Prepare ye the way of the Lord. 
Make straight in the desert a highway 
For our God. 
(Isaiah 40:1-3)

Wait for the Lord

One of the greatest gifts the season of Advent gives to the church is the gift of waiting. As our attention spans shrink and our cravings for instant gratification grow, the more we need waiting space in our lives. Waiting is a gift that fills us with blessings. Waiting blesses us with hope, wonder, patience and self-control.

This year’s Advent art is an abstract depiction of a dawning morning. It is that moment when the sky glows in soft, low light, but the sun has not yet revealed itself over the horizon. That’s how if feel about waiting for God to act in my life. I feel like I’m never alone, but rather surrounded by God’s presence like dimmed, soft, pre-dawn light. I wait for a fully revealed sunrise over the horizon. The metaphor is also quite true for Christian Advent waiting. We live in the pre-dawn light of Emmanuel while we wait for the full light of Christ’s return.

Accept the gift of waiting this season. Let us slow our rhythms for a fuller experience of time and discernment. Let us enjoy the gifts of wonder, hope and patience. Let us walk towards the horizon in the soft, dim light. God is faithful and will answer our prayers. And sooner or later, the day will come.

Late Light

5"x7"
Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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I finally made it back to the lake this summer. I took the opportunity to paint both impressionistic and abstract expressionistic styles. Here's one that is somewhere in-between. it was painted in the late evening as the sun quickly set.

Sea and Sky II

8"x10"
Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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Another plein air painting from Florida. This one was made near sunset.

Sea and Sky

6"x6"
Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

Here is a new plein air painting from Florida's Gulf Coast. This one focuses on the color relationships between the sky and the shore. I was intrigued how some of the shadow colors on the shore matched the deeper shades in the clouds. I'm glad I got up early to capture this painting. By the time I finished, a storm front was blowing in.

Plein Air Painter’s Tip: 

Some of you pros may already know this, but today I discovered a handy painting hack. If you're using a french easel, you can position your canvas in such a way so you can use the top of the easel lid to act as a guide for your horizon line. See how the horizon line runs right across the top of the easel lid in the action shot below.

Espressivo

28" x 22"

Oil on Canvas with Palette Knife

Commissioned

Time is long overdue to share some commissions I've been working on. 

This one was commissioned as an anniversary gift to the director of the Franklin High School Band, David Aydelott. It was based on a brilliant photo by Tom White capturing band members in one of their dramatic movements. The task was to blend the pose with the abstract music colors I have done recently. The result is a striking piece illustrating the band's striving for excellence. 

The painting is entitled "Expressivo," which means to perform expressively with emotion.

It was unveiled a few weeks ago at the ban's end-of-the-year banquet. I can think of no better way to express gratitude for Mr. A's artistry to inspire and shape character and talent than a gift of art itself. 

Today, the Franklin Band begins practice for this fall's performances. Go Franklin!

40 Days: Day 39: Shadow

5x7

Acrylic on Paper

Abstract expression inspired by tonight's Good Friday service of Tenebrae.

A Service of Tenebrae, or "Shadows," is based on a twelfth–century late night/early morning service and is an extended meditation on the passion of Christ.

40 Days: Day 38: Mandatum

5"x7"
Oil on Canvas

with Palette Knife

SOLD

"A new commandment I give unto you: 

That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

Today we celebrate Maundy Thursday. The name "Maundy" comes from the latin "Mandatum" which means "Mandate." On this day, we remember Jesus' last supper with His disciples. On that night, he washed their feet and commanded them to do the same. He also took the bread and the cup form the passover meal and declared them as symbols of his body and blood—given for all of mankind. He also instructed them to remember Him in the breaking of bread and drinking of the cup. 

This abstract mashes all of those themes together as an outpouring act of love. 

It portrays the tone of the evening, the call to remember, and the command to love.

40 Days: Day 36: On the Lake

18"x24"
Oil on Canvas

Commissioned

Daily painting is not all about one painting a day. 
Here's one of the many other projects I've been working on.
Commissioned by a fellow lake loving family.

May this lake's serenity bring you some peace today.

40 Days: Day 35: Morning Song II

5"x7"
Oil on Canvas

with Palette Knife

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Here is a little impression from my back yard this morning.

40 Days: Day 23: Beacons of Resilience

8"x10"
Oil on Panel

Plein air with Palette Knife

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Painting from life is a great way to meditate on the world around you. To notice the colors and the structures in our beautiful world is such a blessing. This final painting from Saint Joseph, Michigan was painted plein air on the beach with freezing temperatures and gusty winds. It was enough to make the effort nothing less than pure adventure. The lighthouse in this painting was the location from where the two previous paintings were made. By this time, the winds had picked up greatly and huge swells crashed against the pier.  I could not help but be impressed by the strength of those structures to withstand such harsh conditions. 

Special thanks to my brother-in-law, my host and invaluable assistant, for blocking the winds from knocking my easel over.  I hope to visit this beautiful place again... preferably in the warmer months.

40 Days: Day 22: Michigan Dunes

6"x6"
Oil on Panel

Plein air with Palette Knife

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The wind picked up and the temperature dropped to around 32 Degrees. Waves began to splash up on the North Pier and spray my easel with cold lake water. This was a struggle to finish, but it was so much fun!