God Comes to Dinner
2005
oil and acrylic on panel
8" x 10"
This is an autobiographical version of the Genesis account of Abraham and Sarah entertaining three angelic visitors. Christian tradition interprets this visit as a reference to the Trinity and an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ. The painting contains visual quotes from the famous "Trinity Icon," painted by Andrei Rublev.
Annunciation
2005
oil, acrylic, and gold leaf on panel
10" x 5"
These two small paintings depict an intersection of time and eternity in the moment of decision offered to Mary by the archangel Gabriel. Her assent to God's invitation will open the door to God's redemption, the door to paradise that was shut since the fall. The ladder connecting the realm of history and eternity is a reference to the cross, which becomes for us a tree of life, painted here in contrast with the barren tree of knowledge of good and evil.
The Child as Icon
2005
oil and acrylic on panel
5" x 5"
The simplicity, trust, and openness to reality that characterizes childhood is a doorway to spiritual understanding. In every child the image of God is made visible.
Engagement (Waiting)
2005
oil and acrylic on panel
10" x 8"
The church waits for her bridegroom to appear. As she waits she celebrates her feasts of faith and dresses herself in expectation.
Mystical Marriage
2004
color relief print
14" x 11"
This depiction of Christ and the church uses figure types drawn from both African and Classical sources. The crane is included as an Eastern symbol of marriage, longevity, and eternal life. It is also related to the Western symbols of peacock, pelican and phoenix, all related to elements of immortality.
Fra Angelico Sketching the Holy Family for Rouault
2005
oil and acrylic on panel
10" x 8"
My artistic mentors are depicted here. The Renaissance artist, Fra Angelico, known for the depth of his devotion, provides inspiration for Georges Rouault, described as the greatest Christian artist of the twentieth century.
Mystical Marriage
2005
oil and acrylic on panel
10" x 8"
This painting depicts the union of Lover and Beloved in eternity.
The Magi and Mondrian
2005
oil and acrylic on panel
8" x 10"
The magi represent the cultures of the world, coming from the four corners of the earth to bring homage to the newborn King. Included here is Mondrian, a founding father of modern art, offering a painting of flowers, an image of the natural world, to its creator.
Leaving the Uninhabitable City
2005
oil and acrylic on panel
10" x 8"
This autobiographical statement depicts a scene from the life of Abraham, in which he is called to leave the city and culture of his family, in order to seek God's presence in an uncharted wilderness. In a similar manner, I felt called to leave my training in the artistic culture of modernism behind, to seek God's presence in an uncharted visual amalgam of various historic traditions.