Friday, August 9, 2013

Liturgical Art for Lutheran Church

Church calendars say that we are now in "Ordinary Times", that is, beginning with the first Sunday after Pentecost and going through the last Sunday before Advent. 

Creating some art work for the church for the fall season in Ordinary Times led to begin painting a triptych in acrylics.

Each canvas is 2 feet wide by 3 feet in height. The canvases will be spread out with twelve inches between each, creating a larger object for the church sanctuary.  Upon completion, the mathematical calculations end up with the triptych being 8 feet wide by 3 feet high.

The husband first made this large easel so that all three canvases could be worked on simultaneously.  He spent a couple of hours making it, and so far, it is doing the job of holding the canvas frames.  Just have to be careful of the wind coming up as it is on the outside covered patio.  So far, I've been hit in the foot by one falling canvas.  A small bruise was the result of the canvas escaping from the easel.  What one won't do for art, right?


These pictures gathered from Pinterest and the internet gave pause for thought and inspiration.


(Most of the saved images are on my iPad, so I just took pictures of the pictures through the film screen saver, but you get the idea.)


 
Here are the canvases in process:

 

 
The picture above shows the bottom of the middle and the end canvases.  Both need shadowing and more details.  A light at the end of where the trees meet up will be painted in, along with a person and perhaps a dog at the end of the path.  I have an idea of what this triptych will represent to me, but I would be very interested in what you might think about when viewing these canvases.

For even more inspiration, you might like to listen to this magnificent rendition of an old hymn.



Be Still My Soul by Lisbeth Scott and Paul Swartz

10 comments:

  1. oh wow lovely ..the pathes we travel?
    5 layers of polish huh?
    (:)
    will give it a try..
    thanks Nancy(:)

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  2. I really admire the deep dedication of your faith. I am really amazed at your works of art here.
    To me … I feel like they say, even though I may feel I'm alone on a certain unknown and dark path, I am never "alone" nor is there no hope or light. It's like light will always break thorough some how to light the way and to embrace me in comfort and strength.

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    1. That is a very thoughtful response, Stephanie. Thank you for your comment and response to the question. Yes, I do believe we are never alone.

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  3. What an exciting project Nancy! I'd really like to see a bit more of your painting before giving you a definitive impression but my first impressions so far are drawn both to the sense of the clarity of the path through the trees - it has a momentum and purposeful ness about it and also the gaps between the trees and because of the way you say the panels will be displayed, this will be accentuated by the gaps between the panels themselves. The gaps allow surprises along the way, blessings filter through the leaves like the shafts of sunlight, the winds, cold or warm, blow through and are experienced by the traveller on his way, he or she is sheltered from the worst of the rain by the canopy above him "the everlasting arms" from Deuteronomy, but if there's a downpour he or she will still get wet. And because it's autumn at least in the images you've chosen for inspiration and I suspect also in your finished painting though I can't wait to see!, there is the suggestion of the leaves of the past season drifting gently down on the walker - reminders and memories of all that's past - beautiful, fragile, no longer a present reality and gracefully surrendering to the passage of time yet also a reminder that come the Spring, new growth will return. I think the fact that you see the back only of the walker suggests an "at easeness" with what is passing, a kind of truce with the fact we are mortal and we have to let go of the past. None of this may be at all what you have in mind of course and as I say I'd like to see how the mood of your painting develops before giving a final verdict as it were! You are very talented and your church is very lucky indeed to have you paint a triptych like this for them. Happy painting! And by the way your husband is a star for that easel - it's brilliant! E xx

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  4. Don't know why the iPad made purposefulness two words! And reading through my comment I realise there should probably be a lot more punctuation - sorry, got carried away! E x

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  5. I like this a lot -I think different people are going to see different things. For me, even before you have painted the light, I knew it would be there and it immediately reminded me of my mother who was a clairvoyant and believed in lost souls, an afterlife and a guiding light - many people I am sure will see the light as God and their destination. It looks like a safe, comforting journey's end to me too.

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  6. Gorgeous! TALENTED lady! Have a blessed day dear Nancy, HUGS!

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  7. I can't wait to see it all. You are very , very talented. Paths are especially important to me-long story-so I look forward to seeing this all done.

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  8. These are amazing, Nancy. What a beautiful way to use your gifts. I love the strength of the trees sheltering the path.

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