PANDEMICAL DRAWINGS
May 2020 - October 2023
60 drawings were made in total, 53 have survived. All of the drawings were an exercise of translating bible verses, 35 have been included here. This is the first time in my life that I have used drawing as a form of therapy. I learned that I could internalize scripture to combat fear and anxiety to produce healing. These images reveal my sense of humor with faith, relationship and familiarity with Jesus. Once the images were completed I noticed that pretense had been abandoned due to time constraints and my mental health at the time of creation. For example; it no longer made sense to agonize over; a type of paper, the perceived audience, how to convey this subject matter, what will people think, are these contemporary enough? I made these in the privacy of my studio without anyone but myself, God and a few people who attended my class each week.
During the pandemic, I co-hosted a class on zoom called Art as Prayer. We used a method originally developed by Michael Stoeber, Professor of B.A.; M.A.; S.T.L.; Ph. D. Professor of Spirituality and Philosophy of Religion, Regis College at the University of Toronto. Each session started by discussing an artist who made/makes art about Jesus Christ, then we would pray a short prayer, spend 30 minutes devising a plan and executing a work of art. Lastly, we discussed our creations in a traditional art critique-like format. My aim each session was to translate scripture verses, literally, so that I could deepen my faith in very trying times.
Rembrandt Painted John The BaPtist Preaching in 1634-35, oil on Canvas on panel
JTB spent his entire life in the wilderness and enters the world to address the crowd. The countryside and its properties are part of John's message and part of Rembrandt's scene - the Jordan valley is ready to be filled. This moment captures John’s divine proclamation and the intent focus of his listeners. The low lighting seems to emphasize the solemnity and spiritual significance of the sermon, while tenderly illuminating faces and forms. The composition draws the viewer’s gaze toward John the Baptist, whose persuasive oratory and motion suggest a pivotal moment of spiritual revelation and fervor.
My Piece titled “The Preacher”, 2023, Pastels and colored pencil on taped paper L48 inches x W48 inches in glass black wood frame
Focuses on the power of the Holy Spirit as JTB preaches the message about jesus coming soon. All people who place their faith in jesus will inevitably be gven this power. the holy Spirit as a dove in the far left corner suggests that the power comes from him. Look closely, I drew most of the people from Rembrandt’s painting in the same approximate positions, or at least nearby. they are dissapated beings due to the spiritual Revelation similar to Rembrandt. However, their physicality has changed due to their willing and open hearts. They temporarily transcended to a spiritual space.
No. 37
Pastel and Pencil on Paper 2022
L 24 inches x W 16 inches
In 1601 Caravaggio, an Italian, Baroque master painted this image of Jesus at a supper with his disciples after they walked on the road together. The Bible says they didn’t recognize him until they sat to eat with him and then he vanished. Poof, gone. Caravaggio and I both try to capture the sublime entering the Disciple’s daily routine and the astonishment they may have felt. But I also capture Jesus’ radiance in that moment by reducing the color and Food. this drawing took me 15 minutes, I consider it a sprint.
NO. 59 Self-SIMILARITY: Self-Similarity is when part of an object looks like the whole object when enlarged or shrunk. I noticed that when I was drawing this image of Jesus, it created its own self-similarity. It transferred onto another piece of paper. It’s very faint so look closely. Jesus is self-similar to God and humans were created self-similar to Jesus/God /Holy Spirit. The Sierpinski Triangle could be seen as an example of the relationship between the Trinity and self-similarity. Humans are made in the image of God and thus a proof of this concept. Jesus expresses a self-similarity to human beings through the emotion created in this drawing that He endured on this day, when he was beaten and then nailed to the cross.
INSPIRATION: MATTHEW 27: 46, Genesis 1: 26, 2 Corinthians 3: 17,18
PASTEL AND COLORED PENCIL ON CARDSTOCK
23 INCHES X 14 INCHES
No. 61 Leviathan vs. the holy spirit
oil based crayon, pastel on paper
L 14 inches x 24 inches
No. 10 “Is Satan talking to me?”
oil based Crayon on Paper
L 25 inches x W 19 inches
no. 17 “SATANS DEMISE”
oil based Crayon and Pencil on Paper
L 12 inches x W 18 inches
no. 41
Oil based crayon, Pastel, Colored Pencil on Paper
L 27.5 inches x W 24 inches
No. 5
oil based Crayon and Pencil on Paper
L 12 inches x W 35.5 inches
no. 26 “OVER the falls”
oil based Crayon , pastel and Pencil on Paper
L 26 inches x W 23 inches
no. 27 “Square Halos”
oil based Crayon, Pastel and Pencil on Paper
L 29.5 inches x W 26 inches
no. 28 “Every foot is a shrine…”
oil based Crayon and Pencil on Paper
L 34 inches x W 13 inches
no. 24 “HOLY BOMB”
oil based Crayon, Colored Pencil and Pencil on Paper
L 23.5 inches x W 20.5 inches
no. 30
oil based Crayon and Pencil on Paper
Inspired by Rene MagriTte’s “ son on Man” 1964 and norman rockwell’s “Mr. Apple” 1970,
L 16.5 inches x W 23 inches
Inspired by Rene MagriTte’s “ son on Man” 1964: The phrase son of man from a religious perspective can be interpreted as Jesus Christ. He is transformed by the bowler hat and suit so this is after the resurrection and his eyes can still clearly see. The apple represents original sin (Adam and eve eating the fruit of the tree of life embodied in the apple).
norman rockwell’s “Mr. Apple” 1970: Norman Rockwell’s interpretative painting, measuring 13″ x 17.5”, is a playful rendering of René Magritte‘s famous The Son of Man using a red apple rather than a green one – and with the apple replacing the man’s head rather than just obscuring it as Magritte had painted. Rockwell painted Mr. Apple in June of 1970 at his home in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
My Drawing is meant to show that even though Jesus was fully human he was also physically Transcendent. I used both the mystery of Magritte’s hidden face and Rockwell’s replacement of the face with an apple However, My choices were to feature the son of man not having a place to lay his head on earth, but showing that his place is really in a heavenly realm ultimately. the apple in both art historical images are showing that temptation is rooted to the physical IE. the human figure. in my drawing, it has a spiritual qualty that is far beyond the earth and less significant when in relation to the son of man. He is Hovering over the earth. and laying in the celestial ether defying gravity.
no. 40 “What our Lord Saw From The Cross REVISED”
oil based Crayon and Pencil on Paper
Original Composition Inspired by James Tissot c. 1890 “ What our lord saw from the cross”
L 31.5 inches x W 28 inches
Original Composition Inspired by James Tissot c. 1890 “ What our lord saw from the cross” My installation with Puffy Drawings and of Hearts and Jesus’ Feet as Accessories to the main image.
2023
Following a career spent painting fashionable society, James Tissot shifted his artistic focus in the 1880s from worldly to spiritual concerns after experiencing a religious vision. The painter embarked on an ambitious project to illustrate the New Testament. When Tissot debuted the majority of his series of 350 gouaches at the 1894 Paris Salon, these works were greeted with great interest.
no. 44 “Scripture also known as Peace is a fuzzy ball”
Oil based crayon, Pastel, Colored Pencil on Paper
L 21 inches x W 22.5 inches
no. 25 “Jacob Wrestling the Angel”
oil based Crayon, Pastel and Pencil on Paper
L 18 inches x W 24 inches
No. 13
oil based Crayon and Pencil on Paper
L 27 inches x W 13 inches
no. 29
oil based Crayon and Pencil on Paper
L 36 inches x W 9 inches
no. 33 “If a ruler listens to lies, all of his officials become wicked. proverbs 29:12”
oil based Crayon on Paper
L 13.25 inches x W 31.5 inches
no. 36
oil based Crayon and Pencil on Paper
L 19 inches x W 12 inches
no. 37
Oil based crayon, Pastel, Colored Pencil, Pastel on Paper
Inspired by Carvaggio “Supper at Emmaus” 1601
L 14.25 inches x W 18.5 inches
No. 9
oil based Crayon and Pen on Paper
L 24 inches x W 9 inches
No. 53
Oil based crayons, pastl, colored pencil and pencil on paper
L 12 inches x W 18 inches
no. 18
oil based Crayon, Pastel and Pencil on Paper
L 24 inches x W 9 inches
no. 19
oil based Crayon and Pencil on Paper
L 34 inches x W 18 inches
no. 20
oil based Crayon and Pencil on Paper
L 28 inches x W 34.5 inches
no. 22 “ self-Portrait”
oil based Crayon, Pastel and Pencil on Paper
L 34.5 inches x W 9 inches
no. 47
Oil based crayon, Pastel, Colored Pencil, Pencil on Paper
L 18 inches x W 23.5 inches
no. 50 “SEVEN”
Oil based crayon, Pastel, Colored Pencil, Pencil on Paper
L 12 inches x W 9 inches
No. 8
oil based Crayon on Paper
L 25.5 inches x W 9 inches
No. 11
oil based Crayon and Pencil on Paper
L 10 inches x W 26 inches
no. 42 “Mullet yard”
oil based Crayons, colored pencils, Pencil, Pastel on Paper
L 21.5 inches x W 27 inches
no. 12
oil based Crayon and Pencil, Pastel on Paper
L 22.5 inches x W 9.5 inches
no. 21 “Supernova: a star that suddenly increases greatly in brightness because of a catastrophic explosion that ejects most of its mass”
oil based Crayon, Pencil on Paper
L 24 inches x W 9 inches
no. 16 “self portrait”
oil based Crayon and Pencil on Paper
L 13 inches x W 9 inches
Italian Master, Michelangelo’s Family home had this image (to the far left) on their wall. It had a painting of Jesus on both sides. That Piece in Florence, Italy Inspired My work of art and rather than paint the crucified Jesus I drew the Lamb as His symbol nstead.. I also combined it with a Self-portrait on the reverse suggesting that i have hitched myself to a star in spiritual alignment with who jesus says he is.
no. 48 “ “THE INCREDULITY OF SAINT THOMAS Revised”
(COMPOSITION INSPIRED BY CARAvaGGIO’S “THE INCREDULITY OF SAINT THOMAS"“)
Oil based crayon, Pastel, Colored Pencil, Pencil on Paper
L 19 inches x W 12.5 inches
no 49
Oil based crayon, Pastel, Colored Pencil on Paper
L 24 inches x W 11 inches
no. 23
oil based Crayon, Pastel and Pencil on Paper
L 17.5 inches x W 24 inches
no. 43
oil based crayon, Pencil on paper
Inspired by Delacroix’s “Pieta” 1850, and Van Gogh’s “ pieta (After Delacroix” September 1889.
L 22.5 inches x W 11 inches
no. 35 “When Mockers Unite”
oil based crayon, Pencil on paper
L 9 inches x W 24 inches
no. 54 “ Spring Has Sprung”
pastel on paper
l 24 inches x 18 inches
no. 55 “The Preacher”
my version of Rembrandt’s “The preaching/sermon of St. John the Baptist”, Created in 1635
pastel on paper
L 48 inches x H 48 inches