Artist's Statement

Artist's Statement

An Austrian nobleman was expected to follow the family line in politics. But an encounter with God through a gallery painting changed the direction of his life. Depicted before him was Jesus Christ crowned with thorns. Below were the words, “This I have done for you. What have you done for Me?” Profoundly moved, the youth responded, “I will do more.” The young man was Count Zinzendorf. He gave his life for the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom. Establishing a safe haven u

Painting a Believable Stone Finish

Painting a Believable Stone Finish

I value truth in materials in 3-D art making. But sometimes engineering and budget concerns make compromise the reasonable thing. In the proposal drawings for Gordon-Conwell Art Commission, a gothic arch would act as a visual unifier organizing multiples within. Lending its rich conceptual freight, it would serve as a link between the church past and the present. After a search for a ready-made arch, I came to the conclusion that in order to not compromise on quality and

Building a 20’ Gothic Arch

Building a 20’ Gothic Arch

I value truth in materials in 3-D art making. But in this project, engineering concerns, public safety and budgeting nuanced the considerations. In the proposal drawings for Gordon-Conwell Art Commission, a Gothic arch would act as a visual unifier organizing multiples within. Lending its rich conceptual freight, it would serve as a link between the church past and present. After a search for a ready-made arch, I came to the conclusion that in order to not compromise on q

Art Education: Nuturing Creative Capacity

Art Education: Nuturing Creative Capacity

There is a little girl in my life who I love profoundly. She is actively developing her sense of creativity in words and in art. In particular, she has a keen facility for color and shape. I want to nurture that. As we read stories, we not only focus on the words, but take time to examine the illustrations to cultivate an appreciation of the artist's work. At the local library's creative kid's morning, we were given a gopher puppet to color. She went straight for the or

Giving God Control

Giving God Control

I have struggled with what it means to let the Kingdom of God reign over my art. God has been so gracious, so fulfilling, and so satisfying. Yet when it comes to art making, why the temptation to hold-back? Peter Kreeft rightly points out, We're all insane. Perhaps I fear that I’ll have to do those sentimental paintings of Sunday School, or produce the tchotchkes in the Christian stores. Perhaps I draw comparisons between working with God and many a well-intentioned collabo

Eyes to See God’s Glory

Eyes to See God’s Glory

Often I find myself mourning the fact that I didn’t keep a female cardinal feather found on a walk. There it was on an old quiet South Carolina road under the shade of low hanging oak trees and Spanish moss. The color complexity was too great for my eyes to comprehend. How could such a small space contain so many shades of pink to carmine, invading orange and dancing with grays at the same time? My walking partner commented on my silence. All I could express was that I wa

Etching and Patination of Metals

Etching and Patination of Metals

Metals wear beautifully over time. Considering that most of the elements on the periodic table are metals, they readily engage in a wonderful interplay when placed with other elements. Much of my time in graduate school was spent working on ways to age metals, burying them in the dirt or salts and acids. Metals are quite responsive and any experimentation can bring exciting and unexpected results. My initial motivation was to make objects that look like artifacts. Out of th

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Etching and Patination of Metals

Etching and Patination of Metals

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M. Spinks Art