I love creating art around a theme or concept and for 2019 that theme is “Immersion”.
I’ve been inspired by how prominent water is used as a symbol in the bible from the sea of Galilee to the many miracles that center around it and I wanted to create a body of art that encompasses that wet and wild imagery.
So, throughout 2019 my media feeds will be flooded with many water based paintings which hopefully will culminate into “Immersion” a gallery exhibit that will immerse you the viewer into this wet, wonderful world.
For now, here is a look at some past and present and in progress pieces to immerse your senses in.
I’ve been thinking about my 2019 exhibit(s) and the theme I keep having come to mind is a series of mixed media paintings based on scriptures that incorporates florals, botanicals and natural elements. There’s so many verses in the Bible that talk about life and growth using plant based analogies that I think it would make for a rich and vibrant series. I have a ton of ideas for paintings and art objects which I will share with you over the next few months. Til then, I’ll leave you with this work in progress flower that will soon be added to my Tree of Life painting.
So sometimes paintings just seem to happen. I’m going about my business and then a canvas kind of screams at me and the next thing I know I have a new painting on the go. That’s exactly what happened with this painting. I wanted to do a lamb piece to go with my series of Biblical inspired animals but I hadn’t planned this lol.
I sat down one morning and it just flowed out of me by the time lunch had come the layout was complete and that’s the way this painting kept evolving. Every time I sat down it was a whirlwind of creation and the next step would be complete. It’s crazy how God can use my talents for his purpose. I thought all along that this would be an Easter piece and I thought for the longest time I would call it “the Passover lamb” but the more I painted and embellished and layered and texturized the more it seemed like it was a celebratory piece. Not a pre-cross sacrificial painting but a joyful conquered death let’s party type of painting and so what’s more jubilant than a wedding.
So here the lamb is clean and radiant. The flowers are in bloom, he is crowned and gleaming wearing his bridegroom clothes of covered in song and ready for the church his bride. The work has been done and now it’s time to celebrate.
Each sets of words woven into the lambs wool is a hymn title, I emphasized the trinity by crowning in in triplicate “holy”s on his forehead.
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He is clean and pure adorned in gold and sparkling rhinestones that flash and glimmer in the light and he seems to radiate and glow.
The birds who fly and adorn him with music singing are gold and jeweled but pale in comparison to the light surrounding him.
New life grows up from his feet and even the earth is growing with hymns embedded in it. I did a double emphasis on “art” along the bottom of the piece because I do believe God enjoys art and to be praised through it as I’ve spoke on in previous posts.
And finally the lambs position of facing straight out at the viewer was intentional because Biblically we as Christians make up the body of the Church, and the Church is the Bride of Christ so here the Bridegroom, Christ is looking at us the Church on his Wedding day as through him we are made pure and holy and most assuredly ready to celebrate.
I used a large variety of materials to create this painting including genuine peridot stone chips, rhinestone crystals, gold leaf, paper clay, modeling paste, acrylic, oil paint sticks, beads and old choir music / hymns.
I’d love to hear what you think of this painting or any of my other works. You can comment below or email me and I’ll be happy to respond.
People ask me all the time where my inspiration comes from and it can be the simplest thing…today on this Good Friday it was the snow.
I was reminded that Jesus died for my sins on a cross in a most cruel manner spilling his blood, giving his life for me. Let me tell you most sincerely that “I” didn’t deserve it and honestly there’s been times in my life that I didn’t want it. I didn’t want the son of God’s blood on my hands. I didn’t want to be the source of his suffering. But most of all I didn’t want to let HIM down again by screwing up.
But here’s the thing. Jesus didn’t stay dead. It wasn’t in vain. It wasn’t death and that’s it. He conquered death, He washed sin away so that I could know Him, have a relationship with Him, walk my life with Him. You can’t do that with a dead man only one that’s truly Alive. God knows that I’m not perfect, He knows that the whole “Free Will” thing will still get me into trouble. But my mistakes aren’t the end. He gave up His life for me out of love not to abandon me when I screw up next, but to help show me a better way. This overwhelming Love and True Forgiveness is what makes me so Thankful that He remembered ME. While he hung there dying in pain on that cross WE were in His thoughts, in His heart. WE were why He died and I thank Him for it.
In a world where true unconditional love seems like a fairy tale it’s hard to accept, but my life is testimony that it exists. He took my brokeness like these stain glass pieces and He put me back together, He washed my sins white as snow and made ME a new creation, a wonderful made piece of Art that Hopefully like light through glass will reflect His Love to others and for that reason I will gladly and humbly accept His Blood on my Hands ❤
Amanda Milke 