Parents (and people who like to do something with their hands while they watch sessions)!
Click here for a coloring page and discussion questions.
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An old man gazes through a lens. How do we perceive others, and how generous is our perception?
Simone Weil once proclaimed: “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” Attention is rendered in this painting through the motif of a jeweler’s monocle. A craftsman shaping a precious stone demands intense focus and intention. I see this reverberating sympathetically with Weil’s idea of living generously with another.
Another angle of this painting, created in pre-Corona Virus America, is its plea to slow down and to be together with others. This work was born in a lament about my resistance to stop and gaze deeply into those close to me for fear of missing out on something else—something I could not even name. I wanted to stop, but couldn’t resist the pull to be a doer.
True lamentation resolves through sorrow. It is through the storm of sadness of one’s own making that one can see clearly the wounds and embrace the healing of repentance. I am surprised by the change in my own reading of I See You as I Am, Not as You Are. I painted the monocle as a device of distortion—a lament that I do not see as I ought. However, using a monocle as a telescope is folly. It simply bends light into nonsense. But if one uses it to look at objects that are near, it renders those images clear. The difference is proximity. Gaze friend into those near you. Know and be known—let the distortion resolve through attention so you can savor the beauty and glory that will take your very breath away.
Category: Art exploring cross-disciplinary and historical creative community
Artist: Kristopher Orr
Title: I See You as I Am, Not as You Are.
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Date: January 2020
Dimensions: 16 x 20”
For Sale: Yes
To Purchase: https://www.korrart.com/laments/
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The south rose window of Notre Dame de Paris is suspended over a Pike’s Peak landscape, representing heaven’s presence over our daily reality.
Notre Dame Cathedral burned almost exactly one year ago. The tragic event inspired me to hold the beauty of its history even as I watched it burn. We must protect and share the beauty given to us. Painting the rose window was an act of hope. Hope involves grief. When a crisis strikes we feel acutely the eternity God has set in our hearts and we ache for it. Our bones grind as we pine for our friend’s embodied faces, subtle glances and hearty laughter.
I know that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. And today, as I squeeze my eyes and fists together in prayerful lament, I am thankful for something that I can see. I am grateful for the fire that grabbed me and thrust me into creation.
It is my prayer, dear viewer, that this painting will ground you in hope and grant you certainty in the unseen presence of heaven. The Lord is here. He is in this moment the One who came from an eternity of goodness, truth and beauty to be with us. May you feel his closeness, his passion and care for you now. God, give us today our daily bread. Show us heaven. God with us. Amen.
Category: Influenced by a historical work of art
Artist: Megan McCluskey
Title: Breaking Through
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: 2019
Dimensions: 48x72”
For Sale: Yes
To Purchase: https://www.meganmccluskeyart.com/contact
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A bird flies out of darkness and rain towards an illuminated house on a distant hill. As the bird ascends, it becomes translucent where it intersects the house and the pomegranate vine. In the background, a field of stars radiates from the house.
Inception
Homing was created in response to and as a companion to the choral work, Homing, composed by J.A.C. Redford, who wrote both the text and music. As such it is steeped in the cross-disciplinary creative milieux brought to the table by Redford’s lyrics , which are heavily influenced by the images of home and homecoming in J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis, T.S. Eliot, Julia Ward Howe, Leif Enger, amongst others.
Flying High
The visual symbols in Homing echo Redford’s references as well as drawing upon historical iconographic traditions. The bird, a reference to the coming of Spring--new birth--and a metaphor for the soul, transitions from the material world to the everlasting world; it becomes less material as the light shines on it and becomes translucent as it approaches the sun/home.
The Hill
The hill of light contrasts the lyrical and visual references to “the darkness, the forsaken land,” and “the bleak terrain” out of which the bird has flown. The hill is a place with an ambiguous location; a place made to function as a resting place for the house and not as an interest point in and of itself. It also alludes the C.S. Lewis’s “further up and further in,” which Redford echos.
The Homing Beacon
Drawing on Redford’s lyrics that describe Home as “A star of highest beauty in the fields of night,” “Ever white,” and “A homing beacon well beyond the battle lines,” the Home was made to be a source of illumination. It is also the place in which one can go “further in” and it is the “stillness” in the composition that out of which pours the rhythm or the symphony of the universe, like Plato and Aristotle’s unmoved mover.
Vine of Abundance and Promise
The pomegranate vine symbolism functions independent of Redford’s lyrics, but draws upon the tradition of visual symbolism. It is a metaphor of abundance, the perfect garden in Eden, and Paradise. The garden/paradise motif, including pomegranates, appeared on Jewish priestly garments and decorated Solomon’s temple. They also reference the Promised Land: “A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey” (Deuteronomy 8:8).
The pomegranate vine was inspired by those patterns found in traditional Turkish textiles and rendered in a pattern/outline form, as I am accustomed to doing in many of my works. This form is used as a visual vehicle to communicate what is sometimes called “crossing over” imagery—it is between the two worlds. Ultimately, the pomegranate vine came to reference Jesus. Pomegranate and garden imagery link the gardens of worship from the beginning through the end of our world.
The Intersection: Bird, Pomegranate, Home
The bird and the pomegranate mingle together over the house and into the Home. The pomegranate as a unit reaches out to the bird and visually draws it Home. In a more nuanced gesture, the red from the vine is placed upon the head of the bird, giving the illusion that the vine is growing out to meet the bird and drawing it into the transformation process. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me” John 15:4. Ultimately, the Home transforms and illuminates them both.
Category: Art exploring cross-disciplinary and historical creative community
Artist: Christa Issler
Title: Homing
Medium: Watercolor on hot press paper
Date: 2017
Dimensions: 16x20”
For Sale: Sold
Inquiries: Email artist
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In this Pietà, Mary holds the cross as a symbol of hope through grief. She mourns the loss of her son, Jesus, and she looks up, hopeful for the future of the world and the life to come when he returns in glory. It is Mary's glory to hope. She is a symbol of hope for all who have lost someone or something, for those who have felt the weight of a cross. Traditional iconography of Mary is invoked in this piece yet she bears a cross instead of the infant Jesus in her arms.
Mary’s Hope
For those who have felt the weight of a cross.
For she who has lost her son.
For him who has lost his job.
For the child who has lost his home.
For the church who has lost her body.
With wings like a dove’s
May the Spirit fall
Onto heavy shoulders
Let mother’s care cascade.
Gold light of heaven
Bring warmth and release
Of the fear choking
Our trembling peace.
May the purest of hearts
In childlike wonder
Remind us that the kingdom
Belongs to such as these.
O, star of Mary
Give us courage and strength
To find our way back
To the hidden place.
—Megan McCluskey
Iconographic notes:
Dove wings simultaneously represent Mary’s angel visitations and the Holy Spirit that came upon her.
Red represents Mary’s virginity.
Blue represents Mary’s motherhood.
Gold represents the light of heaven.
The greek symbols read: Mother of God.
The star on her forehead is the traditional Star of the Sea attributed to Saint Mary’s protection of sailors (although its original symbolism is due to an ancient transcription error).
Category: Influenced by a historical work of art; Collaboration with another artist
Artist: Megan McCluskey and Ryan Jones
Artist: Mary’s Hope
Medium: 14k gold leaf, graphite and acrylic on canvas
Date: 2019-2020
Dimensions: 24x36”
For Sale: Yes
To Purchase: https://www.meganmccluskeyart.com/contact
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A haloed head of Christ surrounded by corporate logos appears on a red ground. The head is modeled on a mosaic in Saint Mark’s Basilica, Venice, Italy.
Inspired by Paul’s letter to the Colossians 2:15, Blue Christ and the Powers and Authorities, considers the “powers and authorities” of our own day and asks the viewer to consider the credibility and extent of their power.
I am increasingly intrigued by the history and use of icons in the Christian church. Icons are a lost tool of enchantment and engagement. Historically they were a means to remind the viewer of deeper spiritual realities and to direct the viewer to aspire toward these realities. In stark contrast, the corporate logos within the orb of Christ’s halo direct the viewer to much more material realities and concerns.
This image of Christ is taken from the Crucifixion Vault in Saint Mark’s Basilica, Venice. It has been described as “the coronation of thorns,” the biblical crown of thorns figured as a laurel wreath denoting victory. The face of Christ is blue because he belongs to no particular race or ethnicity.
Category: Influenced by a historical work of art
Artist: Doug Porter
Title: Blue Christ and the Powers and Authorities
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Date: 2020
Medium: 28x22”
For Sale: Yes
To Purchase: Email artist
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This scene was originally created as a backdrop for the live December Christmas episode of the Believe to See podcast. Watch the debate between C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien hosted by Matt Mellema. Note the attention to detail, including a portrait of C.S. Lewis and St. Anselm in the upper right.
The idea behind this piece was dreamed up by members of the Anselm Society leadership team as a way to create a sense of place for our various gatherings, pub nights, and events. It would also provide a tangible image of what the real pub setting might look like as portrayed audibly in the Believe to See podcast.
Terri Moon and I were sitting on a park bench together as the leaves swirled around us in late October of 2019. She shared some of the upcoming plans for the Anselm Society Christmas pub night and sparked my interest when she mentioned the idea of a backdrop for the event. I was feeling thirsty for creation and community after a recent illness and jumped at the chance to make something big and beautiful. In the coming weeks I sketched a plan, invited Anselm Art Guild members to join in on the fun and opened my home for the creation of the transportable mural.
The completed painting represents thirteen artists’ collaborative work including not only visual artists but musicians, writers, an engineer, a graphic designer as well as three young children.
The art we offer here is an invitation and a response. We hope it draws you near. We pray it causes you to remember, to contemplate, to wonder. We inched up close and focused our eyes and trained our fingers and breathed in and out on this canvas. We worked in unison for the joy of friendship and community in response to the love and care we have received.
When the deep in you calls to the deep in me, something tears. A crack opens in the grind of sin and death and heaven seeps in while joyful, worshipful creation plays out.
The piece is entitled Invitari or “to invite” because that seemed like a fitting way to describe the Anselm Society. Come see the beauty we have prepared for you, taste goodness, sharpen your mind, laugh, think and wonder as your heart aches for heaven. You’re invited to allow others to delight in your God-given shine of glory too. Like a fire kindled in a cold room, one must draw near to receive warmth. Let’s make space and time for our spirits to sing together as we worship our Creator in unison. There is a place for you here just as you have made space for us, just as Jesus has made a way for us all.
Parents (and people who like to do something with their hands while they watch sessions)! Click here for a coloring page, discussion questions, and an opportunity to create.
Category: Collaboration with another artist
Artist: Megan McCluskey, Ariane Peveto, Jackie Peveto, Daniel Sorensen, Paulette Triplett, Kory Denmark, Kris Jaeger, Terri Moon, Teressa Mahoney, Jane Scharl, and Clio, CJ, Cormac McCluskey
Title: Invitari
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Date: 2019
Dimensions: 8’x11.5’
For Sale: No
Inquiries: https://www.meganmccluskeyart.com/contact
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A swallowtail butterfly dominates an illumination of 2 Corinthians 5:17. Beneath the butterfly, the ornate text is surrounded by intertwining botanicals, which subtly integrate the egg, caterpillar, and chrysalis life cycle of the swallowtail.
Three sources influenced my vision for New Creation: a love of illuminated manuscripts, 2 Corinthians 5:17, and the natural world. The beauty, variety, and complexity of the illuminated manuscript tradition influence the style and format of the composition. I paired this with my love of 2 Corinthians 5:17, which has always been a favorite verse, particularly when I met Christ in my teens.
I am also inspired by the natural world, particularly that of California and Colorado. In both states swallowtail butterflies visit lilac bushes close to family homes. Butterflies have a rich heritage of symbolizing Christ's resurrection, which pairs well with the redemptive theme of the verse. The life cycle of the butterfly is nestled in the border of the composition, including the chrysalis, where the miraculous transformation from caterpillar to butterfly takes place.
On a practical level, the metamorphosis of the butterfly also serves as a symbol of hope to me in my artistic endeavors. Often as artists, we become frustrated or discouraged in our art making process. It helps to think of that part of the creating the "green goo" stage as when the Caterpillar inside the cocoon is like green goo as it transforms into a beautiful butterfly. I learned this idea from an art teacher and pass it on to my students. It has helped me and my students persevere in our artistic endeavors.
Category: Influenced by a historical work of art
Artist: Lisa Nowak
Title: New Creation
Medium: Watercolor, gouache and acrylic on mulberry paper infused with gold threads
Date: 2020
Dimensions: 11x14”
For Sale: No, Accepts Commissions
To Purchase: LisaNowakArt.com
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Three crosses on tea bags depict the crucifixion, with Christ in the center and the two criminals flanking Him.
My initial inspiration was an old song by Sheila Walsh called “The Third Cross.” Both her song and this work of art are based on Luke 23:39-43. One of the criminals hanging beside Him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself - and us, too, while you’re at it.” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Crucifixion death could take hours or days depending on the person and how they were treated. Jesus gave redemption to the criminal who rebuked the other for scoffing and asked Jesus to remember him. Jesus assures him that he will be in paradise the same day. So that criminal died in hours. I have to wonder if the other criminal lasted longer and had time to consider the rebuke he received, the request the other made of Jesus, and the promise Jesus made as a result. Did he repent also?
Category: Influence by a historical work of art
Artist: Kris Jaeger
Title: Grace for Repentance
Medium: Ink and watercolor on tea bag
Date: 2020
Dimensions: 10x8” (framed)
For Sale: Yes
To Purchase: Email artist
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This sculpture was created to symbolize the creative synergy that exists between members of the Body of Christ and the Holy Spirit. The words on the hanging pendants are the Greek and Hebrew words for “create,” “Holy Spirit,” and “fellowship.” The base is created using the symbols for “Alpha” and “Omega,” symbolizing God the Father as the beginning and the end of all creation. The artists found inspiration in how the interdependence of each of the shapes upon the other reflects the interdependence that Christian artists have with each other and the Holy Spirit.
The form of this sculpture was inspired by the work of Alexander Calder. Calder was an American sculptor who is best known for his innovative mobiles (kinetic sculptures powered by motors or air currents).
Category: Collaboration with another artist & historical influence
Artist: Nancy Soderstrom and Kory Denmark
Title: Synergy
Medium: Mixed media: ceramic, wood, and metal
Date: 2020
Dimensions: 2 x 2 x 2’
For Sale: No
Inquiries: Email artist
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