My Paintings
In this section you will find some examples of my paintings in watercolour and acrylic. Accompanying some of these will be a brief description of the picture explaining what I am exploring in the work.
Prints will be availble soon, please get in touch if you are interested!
This piece is entitled 'Manosphere' and is a response to toxic manhood.
There is only one man to whom every man and woman should ever want to emulate in their heart and life; He is Jesus Christ. It is here through the work of the cross and within the shelter of a loving secure relationship that we will all find rest for our souls and a point and purpose to our lives. Simply said to become like Him, as the Bible says to be conformed to His image.
Below are three paintings exploring Jesus' parables of loss in Luke 15.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Romans 8:29
This painting is entitled 'Unless'
I am referring here to Jesus' challenging words in John 12: 24
" Most assuredly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies it will bear much fruit"
On this page through these paintings we explore an idea found within my writing, in Christ the human heart is like a garden. An idea that I believe is reflected in the original creation narrative, with Adam and Eve in Eden and then through Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew's gospel, particularly in the beatitudes.
As Father God formed a man out of clay, and breathed life into his soul and to his spirit, so He desires to do the same even today. To form the new Adam, Jesus Christ, in the heart of any and all who choose to walk with Him in the garden of our hearts.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
James 3:17, 18
Seeds of the Spirit
These watercolours are linked thematically to the Garden pictures. They simply are an imagining of the seeds of the Spirit as ...seeds. Indeed, seeds that have landed in receptive soil. You can decide which seed of the Spirit they might represent.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25
On this page we have paintings that are a little more personal.
This picture is entitled 'Growing Up'.
It was painted in response to losing my dad. It is an image that captures an imaginary childhood, I didn't grow up on a farm. However, my dad was a man of the country and he instilled in me a love for this world. An 18 year old version of myself is sitting on the gate looking back at the dog, Tramp, who I grew up with walking in the woods, exploring nature. In the doorway stands my dad as my mum hangs out the washing. it felt good growing up in this family.
Next is a portrait I painted of my wife Daniela, before we were married, taken from a photo.
Below on the left is a painting of our two cavapoos, Percy and Freddy. They are painted as puppies and also as older dogs.
On the right is a painting of Charlie our much missed cavalier, he was a constant prayer partner as we walked together.
In the centre is a portrait of our eldest daughter, Sophie, captured from a photo when she was two.
At the bottom is a sketch I made of my daughter Josie. I was looking after her whilst sitting in gallery and bored, so I thought I would quickly sketch her sleeping in her car seat. She would have been 2 or 3 months old at the time.
I love painting nature, and here is a selection of my nature based work. This is an acrylic painting capturing a bee in a poppy, an image taken from two photographs combined. The rest of the images are painted in acrylics, apart from the watercolour of the reed warbler.
This painting is entitled 'The Vine'.
Here I am exploring the wonderful rich diversity that is to found in Christ and within His true vine.
In the images below other spiritual themes are being explored.
The image on the left is entitled 'Ruach', which is the breath of God.
The image on the right is entitled 'Obedience'.
The central image is entitled 'Eshcol', which means cluster in Hebrew. This is a reference to the valley of Eshcol in book of numbers in the Bible. It is also descriptive to my prevailing hope and expectation that we might rediscover small scale, relational body life as the return of the Lord approaches. An idea captured within my writing.
Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all.
And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.
Isaiah 65:8,9
Local scenes
These images capture St. Peter's Church in Heysham, Lancashire. The image on the left is a collage that includes various features of interest in and around the church. The features include a part of the stained glass window, a carved Viking stone that carries images from the Viking sagas and an infamous grave stone. As well as the ruins of St. Patrick's an 8th century chapel, with its stone cut graves.
