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JORDAN RIVER

This is an oil painting on hardwood panel. Most of us are aware of the pivotal and historical moment when Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River. On the left is John symbolically holding a water jug. On the right is the brother of Jesus, James who holds a wonderful gold crown. Most of the apostles including James believed Jesus was in fact the Messiah who would be the new King, the new leader of the Jews. The crown is symbolic of the way they were thinking.

We know that the mission and purpose of Jesus was essentially two-fold: To proclaim the inheritance provided by His Father (our Heavenly Father) for every person – specifically sonship and daughtership in the Father’s Kingdom. This inheritance was all inclusive. The second was to declare the Father’s great and abiding love for all of Humanity…His infinite mercy to every soul, regardless of status. During His short ministry before and after the babtism these were the two essential messages he spoke about over and over and often in parables.

The diagonals and cubistic imagery is there to show how so often this is misunderstood – that we have a difficult time seeing through a long history of subterfuge, even today. We need to look more deeply into our own experience and our own true feelings to see the actual reasons for Christ coming to our earth when He did. By getting beyond our prejudices we can ‘know’ Jesus in a new and vital way. It is my hope that by contemplating the painting honestly our own hearts and minds will open more to His core message of love towards all men.

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Large Abstract Art for Office Walls

The use of large abstract art for office walls adds character and interest to an otherwise bland interior.  Large abstract art is often placed in foyers or long hallways but also in individual offices.DSC02539.jpg

Here is a quick primer on selecting abstract art for your office environment :  Scale is critical.  Choose a piece of art that has a scale that fits the location…too often a painting is selected which is too small and is dwarfed by the surroundings.  A painting should be about three feet off the ground and two to four feet from the ceiling.  The painting should have an impact on the space.

Abstract paintings typically come with four or five distinct styles.  A first category would be geometric abstracts where hard, sharp lines define the spaces and shapes.  A second would be what I call organic abstracts where all shapes and lines are not straight or linear but softly curved.  A third style uses very dramatic, sweeping segments which may represent nature.  Cubistic abstracts are still very interesting, often denoting city scapes.  Richter made famous the drag paintings and these tend to be very elongated, horizontal impressions which also are quite dramatic adding impact to an interior wall space.

Interior designers can be helpful in choosing a style or genre.  Artists themselves can be consulted, often providing a no cost initial consultation to determine which type of painting would work in a particular environment.  Sometimes where there are many, many walls such as at universities or hospitals a theme will be chosen.  This theme might revolve around a certain color scheme.  By its nature abstract art often translates very well in large scale – something more realistic scenes are unable to accomplish.  Large abstracts come either framed or un-framed and original paintings can be truly stunning – greatly enhancing interior environments.