This painting was done for my sister. She loves dolphins, and she asked me when I
would paint a picture for her. When I considered doing this painting, I thought about
how I could design an illustration that would use the names of fish to teach her the
attributes of Jesus being the Son of God and Savior of the world.
The names of the fish who reveal something about Jesus’s attributes are labeled in red,
just as in a red-letter edition Bible, the words spoken by Jesus are printed in red.
The names of the fish whose labels are blue are different breeds of angelfish.
Three dolphins represent the trinity of God—the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.
The silhouette of the three men on crosses represent the price Jesus paid on the cross
to buy man out of slavery of sin and deliver man from being cast into the eternal lake
of fire.
The black-and-white fish is called a sheep head. John the Baptist called Jesus the lamb
of God, who would take away the sins of the world.
The reddish-orange fish is called a flaming angel. John said that he baptized people
with water to call themselves back to God and to repent for their sins. He said that
Jesus would baptize with fire the person called the Holy Spirit. The gold-yellow fish
is called the shepherd angel. In the Bible, Jesus is referred to be the Good Shepherd
because He takes care of His followers as a sheep herder would take care His sheep. He
provides for their needs and protects them from danger.
The brown fish with the fanned-out fins is called a lionfish. The Bible call Jesus the
lion of Judea. Jesus first came to the Earth to deliver mankind from sin by offering His
life to pay for our sin. The second time He comes, He will come to set up His earthly
kingdom and rule over all the nations for a thousand years.
The small fish with a scarlet head is called a king demoiselle fish. Jesus will have all
authority to rule over all the nations given to Him from God the Father.
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SALVATION
The large orange fish with the green fins is call a rainbow parrot. The rainbow represents a covenant between man and God. Just as God put a rainbow in the sky once
the great flood ended to remind man of God’s promise not to destroy the world by
flood again. So, do we have a covenant through the blood of Jesus that if man will
accept the terms to be delivered from sin, its eternal punishment, and turn from pursuing a rebellious life toward God, God will give them eternal life.
The sleek brown-and-white fish is called a schoolmaster. Jesus spent the last three years
of His life teaching about who God is, what heaven is like, what hell is like, what sin is,
and how it keeps man separated from God. What is God’s plan to redeem man from
sin? He taught how man should live to be pleasing in God’s sight.
(October 28, 2017)
I’m fascinated in how something may make you feel. For instance, I’m deeply moved by images of outer space from the Hubble space telescope, but I do not try to recreate those photographs in my work. What does not exist in those photos, is how they may make us feel. This is why you won’t see any “realism” in my art. When we send astronauts to space, they can discuss factually what is happening, but what truly moves human beings is when astronauts describe how they felt while they were there. So, I choose to express how I feel, as opposed to illustrate what I see.
I painted this illustration to publicly proclaim the biblical account of a six (literal) days creation by the Holy Trinity to be the true account of the origin of all things that have been, are now, and will exist. I believe the evolution theories have many holes in them and lack sound evidence to declare evolution as the true account of the origin of all matter. I believe schools should teach both theories, and let the student decide which is truth for themselves.
The three figures of light that are holding the hourglass represent the Trinity—the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit—Who together created all things. The background of the painting is supposed to illustrate that the Trinity created all things from nothing. The hourglass is supposed to appear to be made of pure gold, representing a creation without corruption and decay, which would later be part of the curse the creation would be subjected to because of man’s sin.
The top and bottom bases of the hourglass have the icon of the moon and sun six times to represent the six days of creation.
The six spheres floating inside the hourglass represent the six (literal) days and what was created on each day. The first day, God separated the darkness from the light. This sphere is placed at the bottom of the hourglass because sand in an hourglass always flows down.
The second day, God separated the sky from the sea. This is represented in the sphere located at the bottom right of the hourglass.
The third day, God separated the land from the waters, represented in the top half of the sphere. The bottom part represents the plant life that was created on the same day.
The fourth day, God created outer space: every star and planet. God mentions the sun was created to light the earth by day and the moon to light the earth by night. This is represented in the sphere located at the top middle of the hourglass.
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The fifth day, God created the creatures of the air and the creatures of the water. This is represented in the sphere located in the top right of the hourglass.
The sixth day, God created both the land creatures and man. This sphere is located in the top left of the hourglass.
(October 28, 2017)
Post London / Stray Kids gig reflection time…
Never thought I’d be gushing about those guys through my art, but who cares? Here’s a band who knows how to put on a good show! Amazing stuff :-)
Medium : Pen and Ink
size : 11'' x 15'' Bristol Board
Date : 1993
This study of a piano was done for a woman who was a missionary with her husband. They served in a Christian ministry that reached out to military personal and their families, through the teaching of the Holy Bible and showing hospitality. They have been missionaries most of their lives. I met them while i was a summer missionary the year I was in college. I went back two more summer to help , and they became my friends. The woman is a gifted piano player, so I was asked if i could do an illustration of her piano for her. This couple have inspired me through their dedication of using their lives to serve God through serving others, that many may know God through the teaching, and living out the Word before others.
An article/rant/annotation to an illustration. A #Hackney bar and its flies.
This picture is not as sad and blue as it might at first seem, I promise.
It is early in the week and the pub becomes the territory of the most outspoken drinkers. Raised somewhere between Churchill and Harold MacMillan, a night such as this is time for them to spin out a yarn of nostalgic fantasy. Encouraged by the lack of a crowd and with space to fill, statements start to fly.
In the opening rounds the barman athletically hits back with factual blocks and reality-check haymakers; statistics and personal experiences are given. Two histories cross examined, one where 1982 means Thatcher and the Falklands, the other renders Reagan and the AIDS crisis. Stoicism and national pride vs mental health and realism.
In the latter rounds the barman is fatigued, swaying on the backbar, glasses begin to stack up as form begins to drop. The older men seem stronger than ever.
The barflies come in close now, they scrutinise his generations work ethic and make wild political comments on poverty, immigrants and the minimum wage.
The barman is close to sheer bloody despair, he maintains his defence and focuses on breathing while maintaining his professional stance.
But at the end of the night the barman knows HE will ring that bell, they will politely leave and they will return again in a week and maybe, just maybe there will be a change, common ground or maybe at least polite silence.
But what these interactions have given despite the salt in the eye is community and an exchange between generations, culture and class of those participating. No home is ever straight forward, no relative without their good and bad traits and in a world where we often slide into echo chambers online or in our physical environments, the pub is still a place where society is family, face to face, pint to pint. Or maybe it's just a room with alcohol on tap?
