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The Highest Form of Hope

 

Favorite Paintings Part One

I started a number of posts in the past few weeks, but finishing them is just not happening.  It seems I have very little to say these days.  So to make the best of this case of writers block, I have decided that for the next few posts I'd share some of my favorite paintings and artists with you.

I think a few of these have been posted on my blog before, but I never get tired of them (I'm sorry if you have).  And I'm looking forward to this spring when I'll finally be able to see some of these paintings in person!  I can't wait!!!


Flower Myth  Paul Klee, 1918
Paul Klee is perhaps my most favorite artist of all time.  Sometimes I catch myself day dreaming that I'm taking classes from him in at the Bauhaus.  His paintings are luminous, hopeful and mysterious with a very strong sense of design and color.  The philosophical element of his work is intriguing as well.  Myths, narrative, story, are words that spring to mind when I think of his work.  And as far as the cliche of the "tortured artist", Klee was a committed educator, humble, thoughtful and principled, and an all-around likable person.  It all just adds to my admiration of him.


View of Lake Geneva from Saint-Prex  Ferdinand Hodler, 1901
Another Swiss artist (there are so few!).  Hodler is known mostly for his figural work, though prefer his landscapes.  


Monk By the Sea  Casper David Friedrich, 1809
There's a strong existential quality to Friedrich's work.  This painting is far ahead of its time. It's been a favorite background for my desktop over the years!


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Reading the Bible... Again.

A long, long time ago (I think it was within the first five posts on this blog) I wrote about my troubles with reading the Bible.  I had at one time been an avid (or religious) reader.  I read through the Bible cover to cover in my graduating year of high school and twice more during my two years at Bible College.  But since then sporadic (or maybe non-existent) would be the best word to describe my commitment to this discipline.  It's certainly a little guilt-inducing that I would much rather read what someone else writes about the Bible than reading it myself.   
I have wondered for a while why this was, but any commitment to changing has been put off, or blamed on having small children, or maybe it's that I really didn't want to change... Or maybe I just wanted a break (is that allowed?).  Putting it off has become more difficult the past few weeks because of numerous things, but particularly because of Jeff's sermon series and Sunday school class.  

I guess most of my aversion to reading the Bible regularly stemmed from a couple difficult years in Bible College -  I had very high expectations of what studying what I believed would entail.   I don't want to paint all Bible Colleges with the same brush, but many I came into contact with saw scripture as God.  They would have rather held onto some obscure verse with a death grip than acknowledge that the gospel, the story of Jesus, or an understanding of grace contradicted their interpretations.  The words were more important than the Word (incidentally, I've started my reading in John 1, my most favorite passage in the Bible - John 1 is where it all comes together for me).  And if these words were indeed of the highest importance, the logical conclusion was to read the Bible all the more religiously; looking for direction for my life hidden within verses and numbers and stories.  I found comfort in scripture, found knowledge in scripture, rationalized poor decisions through scripture, found self righteousness through scripture...  But I didn't find God.  And after a couple years I found that I had such a skewed view of who God was, that I was ready to give up and throw in the towel.  That is how my regular Bible reading ended.   And since then, though I've become increasingly passionate about learning who God is, reading the Bible on my own seems strangely dangerous to me... 

... Like walking down a dark alley alone.  
 

Devotion is more important than doing devotions (thanks Kelly), though the two are both intwined and codependent.   Maybe I did just need a break... needed to refocus, needed to get better acquainted with Jesus before I tackled Judges (something tells me I'm not quite ready for reading that alone).  But in the end, I guess I do have a higher opinion of scripture than I once did.  Before I read it selfishly - looking for answers, looking for justification, looking for truth, looking for love.  Now, maybe I can just read it for what it is.  

And that should be more than enough.        

   

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New Website!

So I have a new Art Website!   It's still in progress... hopefully I can figure out how to get a less complicated web address, but not bad for a couple hours in the afternoon!  And thanks to Cora Lynn for the beautiful pictures (a much needed improvement from my point and shoot camera)! So if you're not sick of looking at my paintings, feel free to check it out - the link is under my little profile picture in the top right.  Enjoy!

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Light

Georges Rouault Christ in the Outskirts (1920)

Light. 

Light in the darkness.  Small and unnoticed.  Like the yellow sliver against the carpet under my bedroom door.  At first it makes little difference.  The room is still dark, I still cannot see.  But my pupils open and my eyesight adjusts, and progressively, I begin to see my surroundings.  The shadow of the clock on the wall, the foot of the wire frame bed, clothes crumpled on the floor... Where there was blackness, now there is form.   


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