Embedded - permanent words of faith

I was thinking about this the other day. I think a very interesting show to have in the gallery would be a collection of black and white photos of tattoos. They would have to be PG shots of course. All the shots would be detailed shots of tattoos of spiritual meaning. Tattoos that are words from a scripture or a just a verse notation like "psalm 23". But if needed I'd allow some unique icons like crosses and trinity tatts.

I just think it would be interesting to see what verses or words from scripture people have chosen permanently imprint on their body (and life). In addition to the photos, I would want do short interviews with the people. Just ask a couple basic questions. Like why did you get that particular tattoo? when? what does it mean to you now? something like that to include as a personal story to go by each photo. Tattoos always have an interesting story especially ones that are expressions of your beliefs or faith. 


For example, my tattoo says, "for thou art with me. psalm 23" and it is across the left side of my chest. I got it back in Sept of 2009 because I knew that my life was about to enter a seriously dark and lonely time. A time when i would certainly need a daily reminder that even through all of this i am not alone. I have my faith, my friends, and my family. It also fulfilled the need to feel something other than heartbreak and do something self destructive. Like I said it was a dark time. Anyway, Psalm 23 has always been a favorite verse of mine and holds many different meanings and memories. 

This sorta what I'm thinking about for look of the series, but I'd need to work with a photographer. I'd do the interviewing about the story behind the tattoo. Tattoos always have an interesting story especially ones that are expressions of your beliefs or faith. What words have you chosen to embed in yourself?

Refill me

Rise and Fall by Daniel Eatock

I was at a design conference last weekend. One of the presenters (who by the way seemed to have nothing relevant to say about design) was talking about some of his art projects.

One project was a pair of balloons (due to my recent paintings i perked up) One balloon was full of helium it was touching the ceiling. at the other end of the string was another balloon filled with breath. it was touching the floor. it was so cool looking in a way. course i saw it differently than the artist meant it. Think about it. The balloons are the same. Only the inside is different. One is pure, it can fly into the heavens. The other is made of spent and mixed air. Impure. It can float a bit, but ultimately will come to rest on the ground.

There is no way i can breathe helium into balloon. My works would not be enough.

We need to be refilled with better air.

Sending a Prayer series - continued

More sketches for my prayer series. I've moved from the sketchbook to the drawing paper. I've started drawing some 8" x 24" pieces. I hope that these will help me figure out the layout before I step up to canvas. It's a challenge to figure out what media to use. This style is very different for me. These are all in various stages of completion.

"Waiting" -- 8"x24" -- artist watercolor paper -- I'm liking this without the chair. Mailbox is a bit big though.


"Release" -- 8"x24" -- -- artist watercolor paper --Not sure about the tippy toes. Bugs me some.


"Waiting" -- 4"x12" -- -- artist watercolor paper -- I'm not totally sold on that name but that's what I have so far.


"Reaching" -- 4"x12" -- -- artist watercolor paper -- Not sure about that title either.


4"x12" -- artist watercolor paper -- I haven't thought of a title for this one, but I like this kite flyer. He was a surprising successful doodle.


"Sending All My Love" -- 8"x24" -- colored paper

"Bulk Mail" -- 8"x24" -- colored paper -- Loving this one.

Sending a Prayer series - Release concepts

Just some more thumbnail sketches for this series that is going to focus on prayer. I need some good name for it. So going along with the idea of how do you send a prayer to God. I had these impossible to reach the mailboxes. So how do you get a letter in one of these 20 foot mailboxes? What about balloons?

Remember as a kid trying to fly. If only you had enough balloons, just maybe. But how many would it take? How many would it take to send a letter to heaven. Of course, this image also makes me think of Camp Good Grief. Baptist Trinity Hospice created Camp Good Grief, the Mid-South's first children's bereavement camp. I volunteered at the camp once. At the end of the camp, they hold a special bereavement service. During the service, one by one each child who has lost a close friend or family member releases a letter to the person attached to a balloon. There's a lot of tears from kids and adults alike. The kids are from 7 to 12 years old and it is the most moving thing to be a part of the service and camp. You can see a touching video about the camp that explains the camp mission and the service. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeHhz-d-PVU


"Prayer Bag" - stage prop concept (shown above)
find a duffel bag in white or spray paint white. use chicken wire on interior to give shape. add 50 - 100 real white balloons. encourage participants to drop letters of prayer inside.

small doodle in bottom corner is a figure riding in a prayer bag.

"Release" - stage concept and live painting rough Live painting concept. paint letter guy sitting on green. He's releasing a letter and watching it float away. Have a detachable letter. String or ribbons would attach to die cut paper balloon shapes. viewers would be given blank "balloons" to write their prayer on. prayer balloons are added to a blue sheet that is lying on floor. the notes form huge bundle or cloud of balloons. after all balloons are added, sheet is lifted up during a special worship song. Or the paper balloons could be given to the audience during the service with instructions to write a prayer on them and take them to the gallery following the service. then on the wall next to the stairs we could hang the painting and have all the balloons going up the wall into the main gallery.

"Release" - live painting concept detail. maybe a 36" x 36" canvas Live painting concept. paint letter guy sitting on green. He's releasing a letter and watching it float away.

Thou Art With Me - Live painting concept

Highpoint Church contacted me about a week back. They were looking for someone to do a live painting for an upcoming special event. It looks to be a very inspiring event and very relevant given the economic times, the emotions of the holidays, and the start of the new year. When Life Hurts is Saturday, January 3, 2009 Highpoint Church welcomes Ravi Zacharias to Memphis, TN. From their website:

Where is God when life hurts?  We've all faced difficult circumstances and asked this question. Unfortunately pain and struggle is part of the human experience; thankfully we do have a God who cares.  International Christian author and speaker, Ravi Zacharias will help you see where God is when life hurts.

I was asked to do a live painting to match the theme, but they ended up having some last minute changes and decided that it would be best not to have art that night. Oh well, maybe some other time. Here are the rough concepts for the painting i would have done.

 

I think that I would have rather done the thumbnail on the left. A profile figure would be easier to paint in one sitting. There are always limitations when doing a live painting. 

Here is the small painted version I started. It's just a rough and I didnt finish the figure in the middle since the request was canceled. But I think you can see where I was going. Yes, it's inspired by another Stirring Artist's work. Teresa (Terri) West Cater is awesome. She use to be the gallery manager at The Stirring but sadly she had to move far far away. Her work is incredible and her ability to capture so much emotion in her realism painting is breathtaking. Her painting Lamentations is chilling. My concept was to simplify the piece (because face it I am not that gifted) and make it interactive. People would come up at the end and write in black ink on the red back ground their worries, fears, pain, etc. And/or they can write in white ink on the hands of the Lord comforting promises, scripture, words about God such as "I am with you, savior, grace, renewer, redeemer, I will protect you." etc. 

A springtime sermon idea

http://www.freshworship.org/node/456

"Beauty from Ugliness. As we sometimes (so often?) fall under the crushing weight of temptation, who could imagine that something so beautiful could arise from something so ugly? With God all things are possible."

there's a sermon and take home right in there. a couple of big bags of bulbs cant be too much. We hand them out to folks as they leave. walk out video... find one of those stop action films of stuff growing. bingo.

Like the idea? Take it. What songs would you put with it?

More mailboxes from Eurydice

This is a continued post from Nov 17. I've doodled some more "on high" mailboxes for my concept of a stage design and paintings for a sermon series on prayer. I'm going to see the play again. It's that good.

 

I'll give this letter to a worm. I hope he finds you. Love, Eurydice – from Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl

I like how they look as like mailboxes you might find in a Dr Seuss book. I loved those books as a kid.

Another rough sketch for a live painting

Together

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Ephesians 2:21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.

The concept is a combination of the two verses. The figures are rising out of or bursting through the structure of the church. It's to illustrate that the people and community of believes are the church and are greater than the mere building. The shadow cast by the group reenforces the church symbol.

Concept for a Live Painting at Church

Nail scarred hand

Luke 24:36-39 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."

John 20:27 Then Jesus said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

We regularly do live paintings at The Stirring were I go to church. Here's an idea I had for Easter. Then near the end of the message, I would complete the painting and moved it and the easel to the edge of the stage so that people could easily reach it. Next I would place my finger in some red paint and put a red thumbprint in the center of the hand. Then the pastor would encourage people to come forward and do the same. They would also get a wet wipe to clean their finger. By the end, there would be a large red spot made of all the individual prints. Sort of a symbolic a placing your sins in God's hands and then being wiped clean.

Grace Like Rain - Wash Me - Live painting concept

http://www.alexandreorion.com/ossario/video.html
reverse graffiti. art made by cleaning dirty city walls...hmm that's cool. I also really liked this church's CLEAN event.

How could i use that? why not do a painting in white on a black background. Seal it up so the white stays white. Then use charcoal, dirt, etc to cover up the entire piece. So at the start of the service, its just this dull black piece. Instead of painting, I'll use sponges and cloths to wash the surface to slowly reveal the white under painting.

Theme of the painting is from the song "grace like rain"
Grace like rain,
falls down on me
all my stains are washed away

Title of painting "Wash Me"

Then we should play "Grace like Rain" and to sing it so that it is last song before the sermon. By the end of the song, the painting would be washed clean to reveal the art underneath. I like the idea and symbolic image of finding beauty underneath an ugly mess. It may take a couple of tries to get the piece to work as I envision it.

Concept inspired by the play Eurydice

I went to the University of Memphis this past week to see their production of Eurydice. It was so amazing. The music, the acting, the sound, the lighting, the set, the props... everything. I must have a half dozen ideas for paintings inspired by the play. 

First of all, I want to steal their mailboxes. In part of the play, the dead characters in the Underworld try to send letters to characters still alive in upper world. To help illustrate the difficulty, the stage has about a dozen mailboxes on long slightly curved poles. Like 15-20 feet high. the whole concept of how do you send a letter to above and how can you receive one from below is very spiritual to me. 

I loved the visual. It's like mailboxes for on high or a metaphor for prayer. I want to do a couple of paintings based on them. I also want one actual mailbox on a high pole for a set piece for The Stirring. We could do a sermon series on prayer; Enough postage: how do i get my prayer to God, Return address: will my prayer get returned unanswered, Tracking Number: when will i get an answer... etc. you get the idea (i'll let the guy doing the sermon worry about that).