An Artists Revelation

This painting was started in 2000. It was painted using Acrylic, on a 5' x 3'9" Canvass. The reason for this painting was to paint a modern biblical theme. I had an idea that a classical paining like those of the old masters like michael angelo and Degas could be reintroduced not as contemporary, but as a new expression of Fine art. A new form of art exists, and i believe God does powerful things. Something interesting happened to me as i developed this painting. There were more than 20 versions, with each one I had used a dramatically different approach, eventually, the art was destroyed. What drives an artist to destroy something they spent time and energy on to create? Hatred? Self-disgust? Embarassment? Fear of how it might be interpreted or misinterpreted? Let me tell you how I did it.

I was put on to painting something that was potentially positively divyn. The initial idea was based upon the Scriptures Revelation 12: 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon,and the dragon and his angels fought back. But was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan Shaitan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him... Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring — those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. Between the first and twenty first versions later, the expression started out in the scriptures, and near the end 4-5 years later, it became about the expression itself. In other words, it became an idol and I felt strongly about it's lingering presence. I realized it was no longer about God, and the original idea to create something to honor those who keep God's commands, but became all about me, my style, my ability, me, me, me. It was destructive to worship this idea of me, and ignore God. I learned, that a humble person can't be humiliated. I show this art today to say that Action and Faith go hand in hand, and I am a student mastering both.