End of the beginning

2023 New Years Eve. As I sit on Bell’s Beach in Australia listening to the waves crash, surfers waiting to catch their next wave and the occasional passing beach wander, I reflect on this year. It was an unexpected destination today. Some of this year was like that too. The deep background roar behind the […]

m i c h a e l

Repost…with just over 4 months before I’m back at this date again…3 years later after writing this, and after 3 of the toughest years to get back to a new kind of “normal”. I smile thinking of you. How will this years date be navigated? Watch this space… Each year today comes around. It’s not […]

5 9

It’s that time of the year again where anniversary days are closer together. Happy 59th Michael. That deserves some cake time for sure! I remember trying to take the goofy photo of you sanding back this window for mum in your mask, and how long it took for me to get one with the mask […]

1 5

Miss your face brother of mine, but I know you are waiting. Don’t eat all the cake before I get there.

W I T H E R E D

As I looked back over my notes for this artwork, two words stood out “Sunday’s coming”. My thoughts went straight to my favourite Easter Friday sermon by Dr.Tony Campolo. “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming”. I have included the link below if you’d like to know what I’m talking about. Withered is heart three, in this […]

S E E D E D H E A R T

This heart started as a response to the parable of the Sower and Mustard Seed parable that can be found in the books of Matthew, Mark and Luke. In Matthew it proceeds the Parable of the Sower. In Mark, Jesus Calms the Storm is the next account in the chapter and in Luke Jesus follows […]

F L O U R I S H

Flourish is the second heart, following on from last weeks Seeded Heart. Flourish is a depiction of a healthy heart. It is nourished, thriving, beautiful, brave, vibrant, and full of life that streams of living water pour out of. As this artwork developed the choices of plants were mostly intentional. The white lily is often […]

w a y m a k e r

Waymaker is an artwork that has developed over the last Month or so inbetween other works that have developed in the studio. As the church announced their next series on prayer, I realised why this image has taken some time to work on. It’s larger scale having something to do with it, but also more […]

t o m b

As I have processed the Easter season over the last few weeks this image came to mind. I was also challanged by doing an Easter image that didn’t include the “usual” imagery. This is where “t o m b” comes into being. Just as I can’t see baby Jesus at Christmas without seeing the cross, […]

e m m a n u e l

“God with us” As the celebrations of Christmas become the focus this time of year, I am reminded of some things. Historically and culturally Jesus is not white. I struggle everytime I see white baby Jesus now that I understand this myself. Jesus was Middle Eastern. Historically visual translations of the bible throughout art history […]

p a s s o v e r

As the series “get us out of here” comes to an end in iso church, I am reminded of how the narrative of the Israelites leaving Egypt talked about over the last few months, has given me fresh insights into “known” scripture. This artwork has developed over the last couple of weeks. Today I’ve been […]

s t u c k

In iso church studio time today. Lots of meaty stuff in the menu. This one thing stuck. “God isn’t rescuing the Israelites for them.God rescued the Israelites for him.” He’s doing the same in all our situations. If we are honest with ourselves our focus is often, way too often, on what and how we […]

l e t g o

The journey to this work has come from the devotions I’ve read this week, as well as the book of Acts chapter 2 – 4 as I travel through this again, but slower and seeing what images come to mind, and online church. Last week online church was about using what’s in your hand. My […]

r e f l e c t

This artwork draft comes to life as a response to not just iso church today and the series talking about Moses and the Israelites travel plans. It’s also a heart response to my desire to reflect the Creator of the Universe no matter the trials I may face. It seems simple enough, right? But faced […]

r e c a l i b r a t e

“What’s in your hand” are the words God asked Moses when Moses tried to convince God he wasn’t the man for the job. He was much older and no longer the man of his youth willing to embrace the vigor of justice by any means. Maybe now he stands before God questioning his life purpose. […]