tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67479528593740140932024-02-06T18:47:41.711-08:00The Art CurmudgeonThe Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.comBlogger294125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-68431748897119765722023-04-28T06:09:00.001-07:002023-04-28T07:45:24.902-07:00The InternshipCopyright © Edward Riojas<br /><br />
Busy is good, and I've been busy. I've been busy enough that I haven't plopped
down here on Blogger for months to crank out the latest drivel; busy enough that
a foot surgery and its subsequent recovery put the screws to an already busy
schedule; busy enough that my client waiting list is now two years long and is toying with three. I've certainly been blessed with work, so it's strange that, through
a series of disjointed factors, I'm about to intentionally make things even more
busy by beginning a new endeavor – The Riojas Internship.<br /><br />
Three students, Phoebe Burfeind, Ellen Egger, and Kaylin Ware have already committed themselves to this internship,
which will inaugurate this coming August for the 2023-24 academic
year. Those three students represent the full roster our house can accommodate. Before I totally spill the beans, however, a little backstory is
needed.<br /><br />
This past summer, my wife, Mary, and I finally became empty-nesters. We live in
a rambling, old farmhouse that, among other things, suffered through a hideous
1970s remodel. When our youngest son, Samuel, still lived at
home, his bedroom was given a total makeover with the help of his brothers.<br /><br />
The end result was nice. Very nice. It included new electrical, new drywall, new
flooring, new doors, and a tasteful paint scheme.<br /><br />
It was so nice that, when the nest was officially empty, the remodel rebooted on
an adjacent bedroom, then spread to a third room, with sights put on the final room of the second floor.<br /><br />
No, we weren't attempting to make the house sellable and ride the crazy waves of the housing market. We simply wanted better studio spaces for
artwork and perhaps a nice guest room. Then things went a little sideways.<br /><br />
While delivering two panels to All Saints Lutheran Church in Charlotte, North
Carolina, Mary and I were chatting with Alysha Ware, the wife of Rev. Jeffrey Ware,
and their daughter, Kaylin, who has considerable art skills. Kaylin had been homeschooled and would soon be facing
the prospect of furthering her education at the college level. The specter of iffy art
programs, however, dominated the horizon of collegiate choices. The question of 'What do we do?' was brought
up. Something like a fleeting glimpse of an idea shot across my brain. What had
been pleasant conversation turned a corner into a semi-gelatinous germ of an
idea. And it wouldn't let go.<br /><br />
That was in mid-October. Less than two months later, the idea was solidifying
and I was emailing Pr. Ware, his wife, and daughter, while seeking the advice of
wise Lutherans who had connections within the workings of synod and
education. Mostly, I was seeking their advice on my sanity, but I was also
trying to gauge feasibility and reality. In the end, I simply could not find an
excuse to do otherwise, so I pushed forward with the concept of an
internship.<br /><br />
But why? Why do this? Why now? Why, at this time of my life, should I add more
to my schedule and essentially create more work when others my age were easing into retirement? The reasons were compelling.
<br /><br /><div>For starters, we need more confessional Lutheran artists. I'm tired of feeling like the Lone Ranger of artists when there is plenty of work out there for others. The landscape is also desperate for art that doesn't hale from the 1970s, doesn't insist on being Mid-century Modern, and confesses more than "feeling groovy." Adding three hopeful artists to the roster may not seem like much, but it's a good start.</div><div><br /></div><div>Secondly, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that college programs in general and art programs in particular are in a sordid state. Wishing them otherwise isn't enough. Too often, young, impressionable minds are forced to tinker with worldly trends, broken philosophies, and fetid rubbish in the pursuit of tolerance, acceptance, and social awareness. No trade school inculcates such stupidity, and neither should an art education.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once upon a time, an artist learned his craft – and I use that term in the loftiest sense – as if his life and livelihood depended upon it. Because it did. At the very least, one should learn the rules well before attempting to break them. But now an idiot can tape a banana to a gallery wall and call it "art." Calling it thus, however, does not make it so.</div><div><br /></div><div>It may certainly be argued that I'm a curmudgeon; that I'm an anachronism; that I'm ignorant. I will accept those labels and proudly wear them. What, then, do we do with the parental responses of the three interns – the tear-filled declarations that this internship is an answer to prayers? Those humbling admissions alone bear witness to the state of art education and the dire need to change it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unlike other internships, I will not use the students to clean my studio or do my work or make me lattes. (On second thought, there may be lattes.) That does not mean they will avoid work. On the contrary, they all understand that my teaching methods will be based on experiences with favorite teachers – you know, the ones that did not coddle or pull punches; the ones that expected far more of students than anyone dared, including the students themselves. Interns will work on pieces for their own portfolios, so that pastors, churches, and various institutions can immediately see those things of which the interns are capable.. The interns will learn business practices. They will learn how to handle – sometimes with kid gloves – churchly art commissions. They will be taught the theological underpinnings of sacred art. Above all, they will learn why this vocation is at all worthy and, when done rightly, is truly a high calling.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thus, I am beginning this private endeavor with the blessing of my wife, the interns, and their parents. May The Lord also truly bless this endeavor, to His glory!</div>The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-9169955767389528542022-10-24T07:53:00.001-07:002022-10-24T08:01:08.364-07:00The All Saints Nativity and Resurrection Paintings<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">© Copyright Edward Riojas</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">What follows is an explanation of two paintings recently delivered – and soon to be installed – at All Saints Lutheran Church, Charlotte, NC. The congregation is well into the process of taking an existing, protestant, white box and repurposing it as a confessional Lutheran sanctuary. The focus will be a custom carved crucifix that is currently being created in an Italian sculpture studio.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">............</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGm88hDDVeM0SEmAm-bLe11Aef8Ce1U3y4YrRx1sSAyGX_3yPMgWjU84CAz1P8DhnAsZmA9KOxj5MbIE7d3RQVzDnU5Y0ENYV_3wPQUlZ8OEnV0UH7-hG8tgJFPvLoxJLba9OJOtd_dnAfyE1JpqOzUHlKAJgqyE8211RiLlUZ8FSX47zCMCv_VEOj/s840/ALL%20SAINTS%20duo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="840" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGm88hDDVeM0SEmAm-bLe11Aef8Ce1U3y4YrRx1sSAyGX_3yPMgWjU84CAz1P8DhnAsZmA9KOxj5MbIE7d3RQVzDnU5Y0ENYV_3wPQUlZ8OEnV0UH7-hG8tgJFPvLoxJLba9OJOtd_dnAfyE1JpqOzUHlKAJgqyE8211RiLlUZ8FSX47zCMCv_VEOj/s320/ALL%20SAINTS%20duo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">© Copyright Edward Riojas.<br />Images may not be reproduced for any purpose.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The oil-on-wood paintings were meant not merely to act as
parentheses to a central Crucifix, but to more fully explain Who this was that
was once crucified. In essence, they confess that Jesus Christ is true Man and
true God.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The left-hand panel depicts the Nativity of our Lord. Joseph
looks out at the viewer. His gaze makes use of an old artistic device that
“pulls” the viewer into the painting; it breaks the visual plane and includes
us in this otherwise intimate and exclusive moment in time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Traditionally, Joseph holds a burning candle to show that he
literally carried the Light of the World. He is also traditionally depicted
sleeping to show that he was given instructions through dreams. Unfortunately,
he may be shown doing both (gasp!): Holding a burning candle <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">while</i></b>
sleeping. I have avoided that pitfall, and have therefore kept him wide awake.
The candle has been replaced with a lit lantern, and it was very intentional that
the ironwork of the lantern was transformed into a conspicuous cross. The light
it gives far outshines even the star which eventually drew the magi to this
King.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Following a
more probable scenario, a<span style="color: black;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stone</i></b> manger rests firmly in the
foreground of the left-hand painting. European depictions typically show a
wooden manger, but lumber was a more precious commodity in Bible lands and was
reserved for more noble uses. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
Nativity, God became incarnate; there, He dwelt with us. But "the
sign" given by the angels was a decidedly morbid one. The swaddling cloths
and the stone manger pointed forward to an embalmed body in a sarcophagus, an
all-too-soon burial, and a dead God. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The manger is inscribed with, “CHRISTUS REX” (“Christ the King”) and beneath that is “IHS,” an abbreviation for “Jesus,” which is prophetically
circumscribed with a crown of thorns.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the right-hand painting, a similar visual device is depicted: An
empty ossuary serves as a footrest for the resurrected Christ. The God-Man was
dead, but is never to be dead again. It was the practice in the Biblical world
to first bury a body in a tomb, and then later transfer the decayed bones to a
much smaller ossuary. Without having a corrupted body, there was hardly a point
to the tomb, and certainly no point to using an ossuary for His skeletal
remains.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Resurrected Christ looks at us with a reassuring gaze. His head
is surrounded by a tri-radiant nimbus to show that He is a Person of the Holy
Trinity; that He is True God. Jesus holds a cross-emblazed banner, in
traditional fashion, to show that He has proclaimed victory over Hell. The
stone, the seal, and the tomb are all in vain. The empty ossuary is inscribed
with “CHRISTUS VICTOR” (“Christ the Victor”) under which is a “Chi-Rho,” an
abbreviation for “Christ,” circumscribed with a victorious laurel wreath.<span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Satan is defeated and crushed under the foot of Christ. Satan is
undone. Even his fangs lie at the foot of the ossuary.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And in case we may still wonder if this Hebrew Messiah gave His
life for us undeserving goyim, a special tree is planted in that blessed garden
– one into which we have been grafted. The life of Jesus Christ, once given on
a far different tree, now nourishes us, His adopted children.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span><p></p>The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-47048635369708617132022-09-13T13:44:00.000-07:002022-09-13T13:44:43.873-07:00Every Party Needs a Pooper<p> Copyright © Edward Riojas</p><p>I received an invitation to participate in ArtPrize 2022 ages ago, but this artist won't be joining the competition. I know that makes me a pooper, but such comes with the territory of a self-styled art curmudgeon. I have, however, good reasons to avoid the hoopla.</p><p>For starters, my wife gave a rather impressive fist pump when I made the same decision two years ago. That was the last "normal" ArtPrize – when the competition wasn't an off-year attempt to dress up downtown Grand Rapids with ugly sweaters of iffy, public art. But I digress. </p><p>That fist pump was in response to the massive time-suck involved in first creating a piece, then jumping through hoops to secure a venue, dragging the piece down to that venue, hanging around that same venue for two-plus weeks, and then dragging the piece back home. Oh, sure, I usually came home with a prize: A nasty case of influenza from plopping myself down in the world's biggest petri dish.</p><p>And then came Covid. </p><p>Another reason for avoiding ArtPrize is the willy-nilly attitude of the powers that be who run the show. "Let's create a massive, yearly art spectacle for the masses in a small area. Well, let's not make it entirely for the masses – let's make it partially for art snobs. And let's spread it out a bit so hoity-toity art venues can join in the fun. And airports. Let's take some of the prize purse and give it to venues. Especially ones that will win every year. Let's be irresponsible with the funds and cut the prizes. Let's invite musicians and street performers, because we don't understand what the visual arts really are. Artists don't need incentives like goody bags, so let's give them a goody bottle of water. Even if they can drink water from a goody drinking fountain. Let's not do it <i><b>every</b></i> year, because that costs too much – we'll do it every other year, and do something different on the odd years to confuse the masses. They're already confused about art, anyway."</p><p>The bottom line is: They originally created something fantastic but couldn't leave well enough alone, so now it's an embarrassment.</p><p>Speaking of embarrassments, the whole world has clearly become embarrassed for the competition, and the <i><b>real</b></i> international talent is now avoiding us. Sure, ArtPrize statistics show that international participation is growing, but there's nothing to stop lame artists from plopping down pesos or kronor or rubles and thereby be considered international "talent." Once a <i><b>recognized</b></i> international artist is forced to face off with a crappy piece of art created with 10 million sequins – and loses – it's understandable that they would rather seek a stage elsewhere on the planet.</p><p>Art competitions like the Turner Prize and the Kandinsky Prize have such prestige that inclusion in those events is a massive prize in itself. ArtPrize, on the other hand, had to throw bucket-loads of cash to lure such talented artists. But even amounts close to a quarter-million dollars won't entice them anymore – not when sequins are involved.</p><p>It's also clearly evident that art has taken a backseat to agenda in ArtPrize. If you don't support the latest stupid cause or fly a rainbow flag or are the correct shade of non-white or rally to the correct side of the political aisle, then apparently you are no artist. Especially if you don't like sequins. If, however, you vaguely represent conventionalism, representationalism, or religion, then surely you don't belong. Never mind the fact that the Church and classical art carried such sorry-excuse-of-artists, kicking and screaming, to this present day. I've heard, while standing next to my sacred "Adoremus" piece, that "Religious pieces should not be allowed." Sequins, I suspect, were somewhere behind that comment.</p><p>Some may accuse me of elevating art too far above the mundane; of expecting too much of artists; of believing that the visual arts are worthy of being held to the highest standards. I cannot, however, be accused of being a pooper. That title goes to the septic waste that persistently oozes into the nooks and crannies of ArtPrize. When it comes down to the pitfalls of ArtPrize, some of us are simply tired of the stench.</p>The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-36089135883241092772022-07-15T11:10:00.000-07:002022-07-15T11:10:13.997-07:00Clarity Comes into the Picture<p> Copyright © Edward Riojas</p><!--wp:paragraph-->
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<p>Rarely do I show photos of a piece before it is finished or delivered to the client — that includes small detail photos. When the exception is made, there is good reason for it. In this case, advice from past instructors made me reconsider what exactly it is that I am doing in a set of paintings destined for All Saints Lutheran Church, Charlotte, NC.</p>
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<p>"Don't pull any punches," is a decades-old quip from a writing instructor. That one has always been easy. Those of you who really know me know that I don't do "subtle" very well. My artistic lines are clear and my colors are saturated. My reds are punchy. Some have even accused me of using child-like colors — whatever <em>that</em> means.</p>
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<p>When creating the illusion of space, my art instructor would often tell us to make the foreground objects so clear that they would "poke you in the eye." As I was working on this current piece, that same sentiment paraphrased itself into, 'Make it so clear that you might trip over it." And that is precisely where Holy Scripture gave me a good slap.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTUzWh4I4wrimKS5Veifc0qmZMKB4BWHphzrbXBOCNQBzbITTbe54d0awtMyVastlsTiwvHYN9xUZiCyHSzs9WXcu0HvAC9cGBaGhPSFAtnspMoKB1HgvFqG1cDjUkk5CBjEoa_iUfJPGRT1SlH9S7CSb5b-ufOcAt10BMbS44kUXoeqoiQmew_8y/s1600/painting%20detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1126" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTUzWh4I4wrimKS5Veifc0qmZMKB4BWHphzrbXBOCNQBzbITTbe54d0awtMyVastlsTiwvHYN9xUZiCyHSzs9WXcu0HvAC9cGBaGhPSFAtnspMoKB1HgvFqG1cDjUkk5CBjEoa_iUfJPGRT1SlH9S7CSb5b-ufOcAt10BMbS44kUXoeqoiQmew_8y/s320/painting%20detail.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of the commissioned piece.<br />Copyright © Edward Riojas</td></tr></tbody></table>
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<p>You see, I was working on one of two paintings for the church, and the painted shapes on which I was working are identical in size and shape, and appear in the same place — about shin high — in each of the two paintings. The left-hand panel is of the Holy Nativity, while the right-hand panel is of the Resurrection.</p>
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<p>The two shapes are very block-like and, had they existed outside of their two-dimensional constraints, it is true that one would be careful to walk near them for fear of tripping. They are stumbling blocks.</p>
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<p>In the left-hand painting, a stone manger rests firmly in the foreground. In the Nativity, God became incarnate; there, He dwelt with us. But "the sign" given by the angels was a decidedly morbid one. The swaddling cloths and the manger pointed forward to an embalmed body in a sarcophagus, an all-too-soon burial, and a dead God.</p>
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<p>In the right-hand painting, an empty ossuary serves as a footrest for the resurrected Christ. The God-Man was dead, but is never to be dead again. Without having a corrupted body, there was never a point to using an ossuary for His skeletal remains. With the Jews arguing amongst themselves over the possibility of a Resurrection, it is no wonder such blocks caused — and still cause — men to stumble. Neither is it any wonder that the philosophies of man still look at the same as utter foolishness.</p>
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<p>It is, however, a blessing to the Children of God when the hidden reality of the Word becomes crystal clear and pokes us in the eye. It doesn't matter that we cannot logically wrap our heads around it, and it doesn't matter if it doesn't fall in line with centuries of man-made traditions. The beauty of Holy Scripture is that it forces us to admit that, in our fallen state, we are weak and vulnerable and in desperate need of a Savior. Holy Scripture pulls no punches.</p>
<!--/wp:paragraph-->The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-42124677701977267372022-02-11T04:36:00.001-08:002022-02-11T04:36:52.434-08:00"Law and Gospel:" A new piece<p>Copyright © Edward Riojas</p><p><i><b>Yes, it's been a while since I graced this blog with my words. You had your break, but now the Curmudgeon is back – well, at least for now. This year's schedule is going to be grueling, so the words may come in at a slow trickle. What follows is a description of a new diptych, "Law and Gospel," which accompanied the piece when it was delivered to the client...</b></i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwZ5m0KJPpoUCb8G59tfBQmMQrKBLSg0wbI0y9VcfMe3fcCmTIOCABK3CYuWBnTICHLM1Y--J1mAcylV3Xg6puMbNLNSv2PHALzdxnU49Polf195jktS5gATwR0e2RnYNPLSeSc9gIr0ycrwjbz7MQq-Pz5_0DfcagSRnp2PFf6XpdE_RzMrGsEBYT=s1350" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="973" data-original-width="1350" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwZ5m0KJPpoUCb8G59tfBQmMQrKBLSg0wbI0y9VcfMe3fcCmTIOCABK3CYuWBnTICHLM1Y--J1mAcylV3Xg6puMbNLNSv2PHALzdxnU49Polf195jktS5gATwR0e2RnYNPLSeSc9gIr0ycrwjbz7MQq-Pz5_0DfcagSRnp2PFf6XpdE_RzMrGsEBYT=w524-h378" width="524" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Law and Gospel" Edward Riojas. 2021. Oil on wood.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>This diptych
attempts to convey, through symbolic reality, Law and Gospel. As Lutherans understand it, the two are so inseparable and so
dependent on each other that it sometimes seems odd that “proper distinction”<span style="font-family: inherit;">
sho</span>uld ever enter into discussion. It is with the same spirit that this piece
was created.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From its
inception, shape and construction drove the piece. It was very intentional that
the shapes of the panels echo the representation of the tablets of the Law
which Moses carries. Moses is depicted as one who delivers the Law given by God, while
Christ Jesus is depicted as <i>THE</i> perfect fulfillment of the same Law. The two literally
hinge on each other.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the left
panel, Moses descends from the mountain. Behind him is the Shekinah – the
cloud of Glory in which the Lord dwells. His presence is symbolized by the
three rays emanating from an unseen source, for no one may see His face and
live.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Unlike most
depictions of Moses, two rays emanate from his shining face – not as the usual
“horned” images of the prophet, but as a reflection of the Lord’s glory, Whom
Moses has beheld. The two rays, however, have a horizontal trajectory and point
to the giving of the Law to all mankind. The face of Moses was painted so that
it is “uncomfortable” to look at it; His blue eyes seem to be etched with the
sight of the Divine.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moses, in his
humility, does not dare touch the tablets, but holds them with the hem of his
sleeves. The tablets are depicted in symbolic form, using a decidedly-Lutheran
twist on the normal Hebrew interpretation. Typically, depictions of
the tablets are boiled down – not to letters, but to numbers.
Lutherans consider the first table to be comprised of three commandments, which tell us how we should live in relation to God, and the second table of seven commandments, which tell us how we should live in relation to our fellow man. The first table is placed on the
right-hand side – the Hebraic ‘first page.’ Here it must be noted that, in its design, the
crucified Jesus Christ is placed on the symbolic equivalent of the first table,
confessing Him as God. Holy Scripture states that the tablets were written on
front and back. Instead of simple Hebrew numbers, the opening words of each
command are depicted, e.g., “You shall not murder,” etc., in Hebraic fashion. The last two
commandments, as Lutherans count them, share the same opening words, giving
a hint that the words must continue on the back of the tablet.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is
intentional, too, that Moses's garb prefigures a pastor’s chasuble and stole, which
is adorned with pomegranates. The pomegranate’s double meaning has come down to
us through the ages as symbolic of both the abundant blessings from the Lord
and the Resurrection of the Lord, Who burst forth from the bonds of death, once
for all.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the right
panel, Christ Jesus is depicted as the perfect Sacrifice which atones for the
sins of the world and fulfills the Law’s perfect demands. His innocent blood
pours down the cross. Blood and water pour from His pierced side, pointing to
and confirming the waters of Holy Baptism into His death and resurrection. A
skull and bones lie at the base of the cross, symbolizing not only Christ’s
victory over death, but also alluding to the tomb of Adam, from whom sin was
inherited.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Behind the
crucified Christ, the outline of the temple can be seen. Sacrificial smoke and
prayerful incense rise, but there is an end to both as Christ becomes <i>THE</i>
sacrifice and as He becomes our only mediator through prayer. Even in death,
Jesus displays His glory as a Person of the Holy Trinity through the symbolic
use of the tri-radiant nimbus, echoing back to the Shekinah and the Giver of the Law.</p><p class="MsoNormal">................</p><p class="MsoNormal">Giclée prints of "Law and Gospel" are now available by contacting the artist.<br /><b>Sizes/Prices of prints:</b><br />40" [wide] x 28.8" / $215<br />36" x 26" / $180<br />24" x 17.3" / $120<br />18" x 13" / $80<br />To order this print or any other that I offer, please email me at edriojasartist@gmail.com</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-22326382639457575172021-04-02T04:24:00.000-07:002021-04-02T04:24:45.344-07:00 In A Garden<p>Copyright © Edward Riojas</p><p>When creating images relating to Holy Scripture, I like to get things right. In a way, it’s similar to the genre of history painting, in which the artist takes the time to research period costumes, location, and even the weather surrounding a specific historical event. </p><p>Holy Scripture, however, is not simple history. The Word does not always give information that would otherwise seem like straightforward historical data. Most historical information, such as the dress of a Galilean fisherman or the construction of a Jerusalem house, must be gleaned from other sources.</p><p>Neither does Holy Scripture read like a novel. Unless there is good reason to do so, Biblical passages won’t tell the reader whether or not "the sky was ripe with rain" or if a "garment gently played in the breeze." The more romantic corners of our brain are necessarily ignored. That’s because the Bible was not written as a fine diversion for our amusement.</p><p>On those occasions when Scripture does offer narrative details, however, the reader should pay attention. Those things which we often gloss over; those words which are often left in the margins are usually significant.</p><p>St. John’s account of Christ’s burial, for example, is the only Gospel to mention a garden. It is mentioned once, then implied shortly thereafter.</p><p></p><blockquote><p><b>“Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.”</b> John 19:41 (ESV)</p><p><b>“... Supposing him to be the gardener,...”</b> John 20:15b (ESV)</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Of course, we know this. Some artists make the tomb environs look well-kept, with cypress trees, vines, and perhaps a lily or two. Other artists are content to take the minimalist road and stick to a rock garden. Unfortunately, we are usually so focused on the account of Jesus’ death that we often underappreciate the horticultural detail. That is, unless you’re Adam or Eve.</p><p>With the temple curtain torn in two from top to bottom, with unsavory Goyim confessing Jesus to be the Son of God, with graves being opened and saints contained therein appearing to many, this small detail seems a Divine nod to a very different garden. I can see Adam giving the biggest fist-pump ever at John’s mention of a garden. To suffer life-long banishment of some 900 years from the Garden of Eden, only to have the Lamb of God interred in a mirrored location seems no coincidence. To have angels present, sans flaming swords, seems no coincidence, either. Yet there is more.</p><p>Into this garden was laid The Seed. It must first die before springing to life. But unlike other plants with their excruciating germination time, this Stump of Jesse not only sprang to life and became the Vine from which we branch, but It also flowered and became “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” This, in a garden.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8Pjqp9uF0kKIe9F7IO-4vHLnhyphenhyphensUOxNj6M7QKr7ICGYkyF79h3vyuJa57hkNS4LCIMB6g2WOfFo590Nb_rZMOFVxXfOBJwaY3iO_hp1wq0iKN_rVEn0JoKboFv8DQSYvLlje9b3P0kg/s2048/FLANKING+CHANCEL.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1259" data-original-width="2048" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8Pjqp9uF0kKIe9F7IO-4vHLnhyphenhyphensUOxNj6M7QKr7ICGYkyF79h3vyuJa57hkNS4LCIMB6g2WOfFo590Nb_rZMOFVxXfOBJwaY3iO_hp1wq0iKN_rVEn0JoKboFv8DQSYvLlje9b3P0kg/w667-h411/FLANKING+CHANCEL.jpg" width="667" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flanking 'garden' images from a shelved chancel project. Figures acknowledge the central cross. <br />(Collection of the artist)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-46490114206266599762021-01-15T03:32:00.000-08:002021-01-15T03:32:28.938-08:00 “The Holy Ark of the Christian Church”<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZjlfBI-YJGjecsZgH7ML0FilR4L5HFu3HqXgZIH1axlbDwW2FluQxgsSeP1DKvY2Bh8WGCMtJD8e2o_0FY9yvuTUusayBzg_OQETr73H9im8nzu0AZ-GHLcEwfv4lEkgljrdafBMfoc/s1350/ARK+of+the+CHURCH+copyright.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="896" height="537" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZjlfBI-YJGjecsZgH7ML0FilR4L5HFu3HqXgZIH1axlbDwW2FluQxgsSeP1DKvY2Bh8WGCMtJD8e2o_0FY9yvuTUusayBzg_OQETr73H9im8nzu0AZ-GHLcEwfv4lEkgljrdafBMfoc/w356-h537/ARK+of+the+CHURCH+copyright.jpg" width="356" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Holy Ark of the Christian Church"<br />Edward Riojas. 2021. Oil on wood.<br />(Collection of the artist)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Copyright © Edward Riojas</p><p>This newly-revealed painting will be very familiar to some. Last May I offered a nearly-identical coloring page in an attempt to ease any annoyance during self-isolation. While many of the coloring pages were received with enthusiasm, that particular one grabbed considerable attention on Facebook, with more than 200 shares. Attention not only came from the Heartland of the U.S., but also from Canada, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Germany, Poland, Madagascar, Malaysia, and points beyond. Hence, I could not help but flesh out the coloring page into a painting.</p><p>I took the original image and gave it more visual breathing room in order to properly set the stage. Stylistically, there is a subtle homage to one of my favorite artists, N.C. Wyeth, with flavors of his work in the nautical margins.</p><p>The Church has been identified with a ship since ancient times, and has retained that symbolism to this day. Although a different type of nautical vessel, there is a Scriptural connection between the Church and the ark built by Noah. Matthew 24, Luke 17, and Hebrews 11 all give hints of something greater than simple historical accounts of the flood, and it’s easy to see a connection between the unbelieving, fallen state of the world during Noah’s day and the evils of our own day. 1 Peter 3 takes an extra step, connecting the ark and the flood to Holy Baptism: </p><p><b><i>“...when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ...” (1 Peter 3: 20b-21)</i></b></p><p>It should not be surprising, therefore, that Martin Luther included the words, “the holy ark of the Christian Church,” in the Flood Prayer now used as part as the Baptismal Rite. It is from a combination of ancient imagery representing the Church and Luther’s words that I drew inspiration for this painting.</p><p>Unlike the simple sea-faring vessels from antiquity, I used a decidedly robust vessel that will not and cannot founder. It is majestic and massive. One might imagine that it does not even creak or groan under the mounting waves, but plies a steady course set by the Holy Spirit. Its stout bulwarks are formed by two sets of elders – twenty four in all – and its figurehead is the crucified Christ Himself. Two angels collect the blood and water into chalice and font. An image of the risen Christ drives the ship, blessing those who are carried along in safety. The wheelhouse – that seemingly small structure – contains the chancel and altar where our Lord, the Captain, promises to be. Three red banners identify its Master as a Person of the Holy Trinity, while a fourth banner issuing from the risen Christ underscores His sacrificial blood.</p><p>I intentionally placed the horizon at an angle, giving the impression of an unrelenting, angry sea. A foaming skull may allude to the perils of the days in which we live, but it also points to something else: Death by drowning. In Holy Baptism, the washing does not simply cleanse the outer body, but completely obliterates sin, drowns the old Adam, and raises us to life in the New Adam, Christ Jesus.</p><p>...................................................</p><p>The original painting, “Holy Ark of the Christian Church,” as well as giclée prints of the same, are available for purchase.</p><p>Sizes/Prices for giclée prints:<br />24” x 36” / $175<br />16” x 24” / $110<br />12” x 18” / $80</p><p>The original painting, oil on wood, 24” x 36”, unframed / $6,000 (U.S.)</p><p>Domestic (U.S.) shipping is included on prints, as well as the original painting. There will be additional shipping/duty fees on all international orders based on destination.</p><p>To order or for more information, please email me at edriojasartist@gmail.com</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-65347510145199834362021-01-01T06:43:00.000-08:002021-01-01T06:43:15.687-08:00 Old Stuff, New Stuff<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvw9VKfq7wxECsgpm1Pmvg-z4-vIXHZj7OTDI4BvymK3nNWjb4kbIiZn6zKtYYvtuwdOxFaTLrrFKf8Js_K-v4MWkp_xanUcgZjYQ7kWghSZOkV9uY2csNJBP9w-RB1-N0k2O_QFH1IHk/s1350/VENITE+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="1350" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvw9VKfq7wxECsgpm1Pmvg-z4-vIXHZj7OTDI4BvymK3nNWjb4kbIiZn6zKtYYvtuwdOxFaTLrrFKf8Js_K-v4MWkp_xanUcgZjYQ7kWghSZOkV9uY2csNJBP9w-RB1-N0k2O_QFH1IHk/w637-h280/VENITE+copyright.jpg" width="637" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Venite" Edward Riojas. 2020. Oil on panel. (Zion Lutheran Church, Wausau, Wisconsin)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Copyright © Edward Riojas</p><p>I promised myself that I would neither mention by name the previous year, nor the thing that seemed to distinguish it. I just isn’t worth the time.</p><p>It is, however, worth the time to a name a few things that distinguished a productive year for me in spite of “things,” as well as look at a few projects coming in the new year. In spite of my laziness and everything else that hindered, here are a few artistic highlights of this past year:</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">“The Venite”</span><br /></b>A series of four panels, based on the Venite, were completed and delivered to Zion Lutheran Church in Wausau, Wisconsin. The piece makes use of flora and fauna of the Wausau area, and acts as a set of windows for the chapel. Incidentally, another piece of mine, the "Zion Altarpiece," resides in the same chapel.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1k9fzgNZJiBJJuFHfyIylnTWS-Dh4FVy5rYL2p7bj2OY7dNChmUlsxvyTACOSaUmbmkOQFus59kuhzuoJz6K5frkPxv0SQJIFeyT6oGgWeZP1wBmkplnXs7mcu7HWNuDLQHk2_-2h6Q/s1350/THE+HYMNWRITER+copyrightt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1k9fzgNZJiBJJuFHfyIylnTWS-Dh4FVy5rYL2p7bj2OY7dNChmUlsxvyTACOSaUmbmkOQFus59kuhzuoJz6K5frkPxv0SQJIFeyT6oGgWeZP1wBmkplnXs7mcu7HWNuDLQHk2_-2h6Q/s320/THE+HYMNWRITER+copyrightt.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Hymn Writer." Edward Riojas.<br />2020. Oil on panel.<br />(Collection of Rev. Stephen Starke)</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br />“The Hymn Writer</b><b>”</b></span><b><br /></b>Although I had to keep this piece under wraps for much of the year, the commissioned piece was finally unveiled on the occasion of Rev. Stephen Starke’s retirement. (Hint: This may very well be made available as a print during the coming year.)</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">“Ode to the Age of Innocence”</span><br /></b>This large, non-sacred piece was intended for ArtPrize. Along with an endless list of other events, the art competition was cancelled. Still, I was able to indulge in yet another large “troll” painting, thereby increasing the visual clutter of my studio spaces.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Crucifixes<br /></b></span>I made the time to create a distinctly-Lutheran processional crucifix [which still needs a good home], and also executed [pardon the pun] a commissioned altar crucifix. Both were done when the weather allowed me to work in my unheated woodshop.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hardening-Israels-Heart-Church/dp/B088VQ1SHX#:~:text=New%20from%20%2426.99-,The%20Hardening%20of%20Israel's%20Heart%20%26%20The%20Hardening%20of%20Heart%20in,written%20by%20Pastor%20Paul%20Hensel.&text=church%20bodies%20today.-,The%20Hardening%20of%20Israel's%20Heart%20%26%20The%20Hardening%20of%20Heart%20in,written%20by%20Pastor%20Paul%20Hensel.">“The Hardening of Israel’s Heart & The Hardening of Heart in the Church”</a><br /></b></span>Technically, the cover art of this book – my sole contribution – was created in 2019, but I’ve thrown this in because the work, put together by Rev. Michael Holmen, was released this past year.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ethereal-Land-Heavenward-Stairs/dp/1734068345">“The Ethereal Land of Heavenward Stairs”</a><br /></b></span>This book, my third collaborative project with Rev. Tyrel Bramwell, takes a Seussian slant on more serious subject matter. The illustrated book was a nice stylistic change from my other work.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4JKPXnBP_RjHFC5h3TeOlhUj0f3KkCU1BYrGSagXV9eMLShr7M5nLSqP5sVD6gSpS6xSV3RCKv1DvOESCS5b_db9vRwLjqvlfVtDKCTKLi0NHdyiXrvwyzb71JLmWGQY-36tu2xIO60/s640/AGE+OF+INNOCENCE+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="364" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4JKPXnBP_RjHFC5h3TeOlhUj0f3KkCU1BYrGSagXV9eMLShr7M5nLSqP5sVD6gSpS6xSV3RCKv1DvOESCS5b_db9vRwLjqvlfVtDKCTKLi0NHdyiXrvwyzb71JLmWGQY-36tu2xIO60/s320/AGE+OF+INNOCENCE+copyright.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Ode to the Age of Innocence."<br />Edward Riojas. 2020.<br />(collection of the artist)</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b style="font-size: large;">“The Wolf and The Lamb”</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span>This may be a bit premature, but the bulk of illustrative work has been completed on a yet-to-be-released book by Rev. William Weedon. I jumped style again and resorted to one of my older tricks – pen-and-ink stippling – for the children's book illustrations. Keep your eye on the horizon for this.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.ecclesiasticalsewing.com/">Ecclesiastical Sewing</a><br /></b></span>I worked on various projects for the stellar – yes, I said stellar – vestment/parament company, Ecclesiastical Sewing, during the year. It’s always nice to bring my “A” game to their table. Some projects have exacting custom requirements, while others have a much broader appeal. I look forward to continually upping the game for pieces that are not only gorgeous, but are also confessionally Lutheran.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Speaking up<br /></b></span>“Extrovert” isn’t the first thing that should come to mind when contemplating this artist, but I was asked to do an <a href="kfuo.org/2020/11/10/concord-matters-111020-concord-matters-for-making-sacred-art/">interview with KFUO’s “Concord Matters” host, Rev. Sean Smith.</a> I gave my two cents-worth on the subject of artwork in the sanctuary, and was apparently able to string together whole sentences in the process. We’ll chalk it up to the wonders of modern radio.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>What’s Coming on the Horizon<br /></b></span>While a mountain of proposed projects are still in a fluid state, a few things are pretty much set in stone. I have one non-commissioned painting on my easel, and at least two other non-commissioned pieces are ready if time permits.</p><p>An article I wrote on sacred art has been accepted by <a href="https://logia.org/">Logia: A Journal of Lutheran Theology</a>, and will be published in its Easter edition. </p><p>Following in that same vein, I’ve recently written a series of nine articles for <a href="https://www1.cph.org/witness/default.aspx">The Lutheran Witness</a> that deal with sacred imagery. This little project was born out of negative feedback on the December 2020 cover art. It was seen as a teaching moment, so hopefully I will straighten out some misconceptions about sacred art. At the very least, I will offer a much better target for rotten tomatoes.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-65237978948770885522020-12-11T04:21:00.000-08:002020-12-11T04:21:07.634-08:00 “Parthians and Medes and Elamites”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUKAPOgE_GDmaZJ2eruP636haxBfrhhOQ5vYRQ8RjhvgIjA0dJ340TSMtlvN1Q9e70zrTDAjMh1vyrXHjUzH_leo7J3prCSlINK-idvUvhh8sz3myFbZx5uzBMBq57PTes0cMcYqV_zs/s2910/PORTUGUESE+ORDINATION+HEAD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1081" data-original-width="2910" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUKAPOgE_GDmaZJ2eruP636haxBfrhhOQ5vYRQ8RjhvgIjA0dJ340TSMtlvN1Q9e70zrTDAjMh1vyrXHjUzH_leo7J3prCSlINK-idvUvhh8sz3myFbZx5uzBMBq57PTes0cMcYqV_zs/w622-h230/PORTUGUESE+ORDINATION+HEAD.jpg" width="622" /></a></div><p>Copyright © Edward Riojas</p><p>Long ago, when the Iron Curtain was a viable thing, I had a conversation with a friend about the “Evil Empire.” The phrase, “Bomb them back to the stone age,” was lobbed out in the open. Strangely, I wondered in that very macho moment if any of our enemies were praying for us.</p><p>We sometimes assume too much. Americans in particular have a knack for thinking the rest of the world wants to be like us. We often feel we are at the epicenter of many things. Freedom comes to mind. So does modernization, as well as economics and natural resources and health care. At other times, our feelings of self-aggrandizement drift into areas where they don’t at all belong – places like theology.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_AtiSUkdBTxsCvvRcIHBhEUyV6NF4OFvwmb5zGxe6MM2l1J2DC4OSnBtKyKVkHJW0JFE5n2Er_H0ixYsQ07O0RUdJPKrtNO6SDczh_gzmmFyrk6WMpEInuqQ7ip5hpefjPyxeXBZ35Y/s1050/GERMAN+BAPTISMAL+CERT+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="678" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_AtiSUkdBTxsCvvRcIHBhEUyV6NF4OFvwmb5zGxe6MM2l1J2DC4OSnBtKyKVkHJW0JFE5n2Er_H0ixYsQ07O0RUdJPKrtNO6SDczh_gzmmFyrk6WMpEInuqQ7ip5hpefjPyxeXBZ35Y/s320/GERMAN+BAPTISMAL+CERT+small.jpg" /></a></div><p>Perhaps we take cues from the now-emasculated British Empire in thinking we have a monopoly on the Gospel and that the Lord needs us specifically to spread “our” excellent theology. It’s important to remember that way before English speaking peoples ever had it spoken to them, the Gospel often came from Germans or Swedes, who in turn might have received it from Italians and Greeks, who possibly received it from Parthians and Medes, who received it from a handful of Jews. As recipients of the Gospel go, we are about as far from the epicenter as one can get.</p><p>I was recently tasked with converting a couple of my designs into a different language. My initial, knee-jerk reaction was to hold off on the requests and even ignore them, but that was just me being a jerk. In the end, I ignored the possible hassles of international trade, and simply focused on the request; a fellow Christian was in need of something I had, and it mattered not that they lived a bit further afield than my little bubble.</p><p>Hence, an ordination certificate was translated into Portuguese for use in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil, which is in fellowship with the LCMS. A young pastor asked, and I simply couldn’t find a reason to refuse.</p><p>A Baptismal certificate which I also created was translated into German by Rev. Peter Gürth for his congregation, and is now wending its way to the Old Latin School in Wittenberg. I donated the digital file to them so that it can be domestically printed and its proceeds directly benefit the organization.</p><p>It is a great honor to fulfill such modest requests from the Church at large. The greater honor, however, lies at the feet of our Lord, Who sees fit to spread His Gospel through the words and actions of “Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians.” We might add Germans and Brazilians and, perhaps least of all, Americans.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-51880677815216653782020-11-20T04:21:00.000-08:002020-11-20T04:21:19.905-08:00 “From My Walls To Yours”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHgZQSDzBSKqDd_E58iblIDR5gG8NSbDa0ce_S2WJtu1_FnzHNv06x2Vc0iP93qn-4p4EoE1fFJXW-F-UJCbzgqQOCBBLXy7Bd3tlG8N7oVyB-n-KdY2PUyqsE4Vw7Fnt4PRzK_8oeZg/s640/RIOJAS+PROCESSIONAL+OVERALL.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="185" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHgZQSDzBSKqDd_E58iblIDR5gG8NSbDa0ce_S2WJtu1_FnzHNv06x2Vc0iP93qn-4p4EoE1fFJXW-F-UJCbzgqQOCBBLXy7Bd3tlG8N7oVyB-n-KdY2PUyqsE4Vw7Fnt4PRzK_8oeZg/w106-h369/RIOJAS+PROCESSIONAL+OVERALL.jpg" width="106" /></a></div><p>Copyright © Edward Riojas</p><p>The walls of my house simply can’t handle any more artwork. Neither can the closets, with artwork stacked sometimes ten deep with blankets to protect them, nor can my art rooms, with artwork peeking from behind other artwork like Russian nesting dolls. I needn’t mention the five cases filled with newspaper illustrations from another life, and I don’t need to bring to mind countless other images that have been all but forgotten. Every nook and cranny of my house is filled with artwork, and I need to declutter -- if that word even applies.</p><p>Most everyone knows that I sell giclée prints of original pieces, but not everyone knows that many of the originals themselves are for sale. I do realize that there is an inherent sticker shock associated with original artwork, but keep in mind that weeks and months of work went into each piece and as I’ve been told many times, “The workman is due his wages.” Whether or not you can afford a Riojas original, here’s your chance to peruse pieces that are languishing on my walls. Perhaps one of them will beg to be on <i><b>your</b></i> wall...</p><p><b>“Gospel Processional Crucifix” Approximately 81” tall, with base. $15,000. </b>This non-commissioned piece was the focus of an earlier blog post. The black walnut staff springs from its VDMA base, and the bronze corpus [of my own design] hangs on a black walnut cross, which is supported by an image of the Church and the four Gospel writers.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4REQt8mRDXllwy2sYnad-NEnDDKcVWsPRXJt_Kyg_WE8kZ5k-5EmUuZMW58-mgYXNlSAZHQIyaQY0QibqS-h85ocvxgGWSQ_W7gnqCVD1o8H4IP33XXZNALDGuytDkW8Xz_kFX_B-U8/s1200/St+MICHAEL+CONTENDING+copyright.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="805" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4REQt8mRDXllwy2sYnad-NEnDDKcVWsPRXJt_Kyg_WE8kZ5k-5EmUuZMW58-mgYXNlSAZHQIyaQY0QibqS-h85ocvxgGWSQ_W7gnqCVD1o8H4IP33XXZNALDGuytDkW8Xz_kFX_B-U8/s320/St+MICHAEL+CONTENDING+copyright.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><b>“Saint Michael Contending [With the Devil Over the Body of Moses]” 28.8” x 40.5” Framed. $10,000. </b>This piece was recently returned to me after a long stay at the Fort Wayne seminary. It’s weird and wonderful and packed with theology. And it’s for sale.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Jwk17AVaEsJcFt3nRpgAiEWrOJDO5lWEF1wjgS9zFjfih2VEtC133USkwPrRTjJpvjne8G2KjwQ2DNSnl-S7EA80EZE_q_ScxuFlNc9SWeCxQi8RnD5IEDiPuB4DWVafumv0VX02QQM/s1400/Gabriel+copyright.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="831" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Jwk17AVaEsJcFt3nRpgAiEWrOJDO5lWEF1wjgS9zFjfih2VEtC133USkwPrRTjJpvjne8G2KjwQ2DNSnl-S7EA80EZE_q_ScxuFlNc9SWeCxQi8RnD5IEDiPuB4DWVafumv0VX02QQM/s320/Gabriel+copyright.jpg" /></a></div><p><b>“Archangel Gabriel” 18” x 28” Framed. $3,000. </b>This piece was also returned from Fort Wayne. In case you can’t see from the online photo, the piece is composed entirely of miniscule dots. I created “stippled” illustrations ages ago, but carpal tunnel syndrome is indeed a thing and I thought it wise to back off of the physically-demanding technique, saving it for very special pieces like this one.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtJd_pURc3T9b3t9h1mUtYGz4TJuxfXq8kV-VDnPAZA4XwJFmImKBoJnuNXHhSCXI6GDwgwdiMn80Wp9FovOMh8LU1NtkStMENJI0MDrOjnIM1U4SU7RK7lz6ym-KHedL_vk4VPjW4Fm4/s1050/ARCHANGEL+MICHAEL+copyright.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="571" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtJd_pURc3T9b3t9h1mUtYGz4TJuxfXq8kV-VDnPAZA4XwJFmImKBoJnuNXHhSCXI6GDwgwdiMn80Wp9FovOMh8LU1NtkStMENJI0MDrOjnIM1U4SU7RK7lz6ym-KHedL_vk4VPjW4Fm4/s320/ARCHANGEL+MICHAEL+copyright.jpg" /></a></div><p><b>“Archangel Michael” 34” x 49” Framed. $5,000. </b>This piece is an old friend, and is a visual reminder of those who do the will of God perfectly, while protecting us from the evils of this broken world.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinr2nQltGJfdhwIl_Z0Eu8mVdD3wcnoApK-BlELO25w_4N7qdAfClu6TWcIBLx4jhASyDUBrpAIABeRpCeobIUJijyP0t5YNnKN4iTbASP8jRxf1WBmVK4nbcqmchaHIY7gjzs5j8PXiQ/s1350/AMBREI+copyright.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="820" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinr2nQltGJfdhwIl_Z0Eu8mVdD3wcnoApK-BlELO25w_4N7qdAfClu6TWcIBLx4jhASyDUBrpAIABeRpCeobIUJijyP0t5YNnKN4iTbASP8jRxf1WBmVK4nbcqmchaHIY7gjzs5j8PXiQ/s320/AMBREI+copyright.jpg" /></a></div><p><b>“Ambrei as Potamiaena” 48” x 84” Unframed. </b>While depicting a martyred saint from the early Church, I can also see this hanging in an entry foyer or some other calm, but dignified space. This pleasant piece currently commands the "Pirate Room" in my house. See what I mean about clutter?</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp14wVb2jnyy4bCxlP9r2ZJCtMsBTTNI6N0gH2J_AmmFaWvPGGLqxxlLjtGUyz0s1IPOJ03CpVb_QAtDTMAjyFCMzFrjPehmDaFyI7PGNua0Auo9XccQleNnXfhqQgf1aLRw-swP3ClEY/s1080/PRECIOUS+copyright.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp14wVb2jnyy4bCxlP9r2ZJCtMsBTTNI6N0gH2J_AmmFaWvPGGLqxxlLjtGUyz0s1IPOJ03CpVb_QAtDTMAjyFCMzFrjPehmDaFyI7PGNua0Auo9XccQleNnXfhqQgf1aLRw-swP3ClEY/s320/PRECIOUS+copyright.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b>“Precious in the Sight of the Lord” 31” x 37” Framed. $5,000. </b>Unlike ‘Potamiaena,’ this is the sort of image that takes some getting used to. While comforting, the image is somewhat better suited to sympathy cards instead of residential walls. That being said, it confesses mightily, whether in the home or on the wall of a Christian institution.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv71RSRV3hZbr_dkQ6xroSBvvBAiprHFKcdJgI4o-ayaVTsJ9j0DyqBj-KUJVM976T-s0JAHu-L_XHFk3iRIa-5A1eWTIBKqCQL46U9r7csIXeelHkJJ3ZfgzcsT1l4K8lZu-nwCJGkRM/s1350/O+THAT+MY+WORDS+copyright.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv71RSRV3hZbr_dkQ6xroSBvvBAiprHFKcdJgI4o-ayaVTsJ9j0DyqBj-KUJVM976T-s0JAHu-L_XHFk3iRIa-5A1eWTIBKqCQL46U9r7csIXeelHkJJ3ZfgzcsT1l4K8lZu-nwCJGkRM/s320/O+THAT+MY+WORDS+copyright.jpg" /></a></div><p><b>“O That My Words Were Written” 37” x 70” Framed. $10,000. </b>The words of Holy Scripture are enough, and are sometimes sufficient as a painting. Although he was arguably the most pitiable of men by the world’s standards, the comforting words of Job point to a greater reality that, by Faith, was already Job’s – and it is ours, as well.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7ZgLW5aEqbsAE1hETTX6EqkF7mau95w2yMtbaq5phiG2OmJtWJHPZFCLa_v-m48-6H5XwCBWZQnzr9sEgXlU6KzB7bojwuGUK36IHYJF-5BwKPkOjwW1MTMfiZLy9Qyr9UikEiqFTHY/s1350/TWO+MEN+copyright.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="676" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7ZgLW5aEqbsAE1hETTX6EqkF7mau95w2yMtbaq5phiG2OmJtWJHPZFCLa_v-m48-6H5XwCBWZQnzr9sEgXlU6KzB7bojwuGUK36IHYJF-5BwKPkOjwW1MTMfiZLy9Qyr9UikEiqFTHY/s320/TWO+MEN+copyright.jpg" /></a></div><p><b>“Two Men Went Up To Pray” 24” x 48” Unframed. $5,000. </b>This is one of several pieces which I was simply compelled to paint. The focus of the painting is neither the proud pharisee in the center of the piece, nor the cowering publican in the shadows. Rather, the point of the piece is a shrouded Figure ascending the stairs, Whose outstretched, pierced hand, touches the shoulder of the penitent.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElSQBnYWbLn3DyN4rTpBiRngtGRJovycHNv5WznDn4ok3c-4TiU2icd5LnuVHL1vkVYF2uz38c2Unfc3Jmg0pe4U82kX9sflhegt91IYtbfn8UyIBV0GBTOyS_MVr_wCuro6-v7ePKB8/s900/SLOTTET+FRAMEcopyright.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="900" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElSQBnYWbLn3DyN4rTpBiRngtGRJovycHNv5WznDn4ok3c-4TiU2icd5LnuVHL1vkVYF2uz38c2Unfc3Jmg0pe4U82kX9sflhegt91IYtbfn8UyIBV0GBTOyS_MVr_wCuro6-v7ePKB8/w444-h276/SLOTTET+FRAMEcopyright.jpg" width="444" /></a></div><p><b>“Under Slottet Bron” 156” x 96” Framed. $20,000. </b>Not every piece I create is considered “sacred.” I occasionally make things that are intended for the simple enjoyment of the viewer. Those pieces are, however, handled with the same high standards which are expected of any God-given vocation. This piece is so large that its carved frame has been disassembled and is in various locations of my home [and barn]. The unframed painting itself hogs one entire 11-foot wall of our living room. To be frank, I would love to see this in a beer hall or in a Scandinavian environment or, as some have suggested, as a rather large headboard.</p><p>If you are interested in any of these pieces, OR any of the prints that I offer, please email me at edriojasartist@gmail.com</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-66641869478058041602020-11-06T05:27:00.000-08:002020-11-06T05:27:30.476-08:00 “The Chancel: A Foretaste”<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUP6EjLFIFmDQgc-yzHy6zFycz1wv82Eza9u4aThxlO5jS7fy16KO1O67ytA1dFlatens3z1rHvae15PvPuIKbovYd9i-70jHOt7oDiPpVC8EmQD7huUD2BDp2Wwdz-Tn4p5OHsC50Ko/s1800/chancel+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="1800" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUP6EjLFIFmDQgc-yzHy6zFycz1wv82Eza9u4aThxlO5jS7fy16KO1O67ytA1dFlatens3z1rHvae15PvPuIKbovYd9i-70jHOt7oDiPpVC8EmQD7huUD2BDp2Wwdz-Tn4p5OHsC50Ko/w422-h364/chancel+1.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A proposed chancel<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Copyright © Edward Riojas</p><p>It is perhaps fitting that this, the second of several related posts, follows on the heal of All Saints Day. But more on that later.</p><p>These drawings are of a hypothetical church building. They are not necessarily how a church should look, but rather are meant for the contemplation of any church and the purposes for which that church exists. This week’s installment takes a look at the chancel.</p><p>At first glance, the designs may look familiar, and I wouldn’t doubt that a similar structure can be found somewhere in Christendom. Its general shape is a quadrant of a sphere. This gives a nod to an interpretation of Biblical description of heaven as being of equal width, length, and height. Usually this is taken to be a cube, but a sphere could assume the same dimensions, and the sphere – or orb – has always been symbolically associated with the fullness of heaven and the created cosmos.</p><p>The meaning behind the design, therefore, is to show that heaven descends here to us. Specifically, this happens in the Lord’s Supper. The idea of descending is further underscored by a figure of the living Christ, in front of an empty cross, and suspended by cables that converge downward toward the altar. The altar itself is in the center of the assumed sphere.</p><p>On the wall of the dome-like chancel is a fresco of ranks of angels in adoration. The dome, being devoid of anything besides its two-dimensional fresco, would act as an acoustic amplifier.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYmUCCQg7Q32CUZZSaSChz719ff0r6-FIeBIxax2Iolm1mk_yrCQO7dxylW-Ukhv2czDOrdJ4NCvKdepbi_OAcUFGSKkQVASQoefyeTpf9HbY5n5I8j5GoYeXmFFwfOGTT2YV22i0LsQ/s1800/chancel+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1503" data-original-width="1800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYmUCCQg7Q32CUZZSaSChz719ff0r6-FIeBIxax2Iolm1mk_yrCQO7dxylW-Ukhv2czDOrdJ4NCvKdepbi_OAcUFGSKkQVASQoefyeTpf9HbY5n5I8j5GoYeXmFFwfOGTT2YV22i0LsQ/s320/chancel+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Altar with tiled design<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Obvious omissions are pulpit, lectern, and chairs for clergy and acolytes. This follows an older design of moving the pulpit out into the sanctuary, but it also points to a greater reality: This is where Christ comes to us; this is where His real presence is manifest; this is where He IS. No one presides over the altar, nor do they serve there, but Christ alone comes down to us and serves us. This is the Divine Service.</p><p>Seats for clergy and acolytes, simple plinth-like structures just outside of the chancel proper and at the base of the arch, would accommodate seating when necessary. On one side, a simple, bisecting screen would create a confessional space.</p><p>A circular Communion rail and raised platform would fit within this sphere quadrant. There would be no carpeting, giving more punch to the acoustics. As if issuing from the altar, a path of blue inlaid tile, edged by red tile, would run the entire length of the sanctuary and into the baptistry opposite the chancel. The patterning would suggest a flood of water and blood, connecting the sacraments of Holy Communion and Holy Baptism with the crucifixion of Christ Jesus. But there is more.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8FMBoUnJaXARZDD-3RXrYqlmPenvj9pKjywG1EJzq33W0m7-ka0ZjtHMJ3QVmLQmYaNIUotZrMY0-EBF77W08Sq-exO-VZiKg9HwydHrvIFcVWz9nzgoQ1sB3CYNeUagQN8O64qQz70/s1800/chancel+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="1800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8FMBoUnJaXARZDD-3RXrYqlmPenvj9pKjywG1EJzq33W0m7-ka0ZjtHMJ3QVmLQmYaNIUotZrMY0-EBF77W08Sq-exO-VZiKg9HwydHrvIFcVWz9nzgoQ1sB3CYNeUagQN8O64qQz70/s320/chancel+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Transparent memorial blocks</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />The Communion rail would be in the round, but only half would be used by congregants. A gated railing would bisect the platform. The “gates” would be intentionally narrow, and would be embellished with Alpha-Omega and Chi-Rho, pointing to Christ as the only gate into heaven.</p><p>What lies beyond the gate are those whom we cannot see, but who share in the Lord’s Supper and the foretaste of the feast to come. The floor of that side of the circle would be a memorial to those who have gone before us. Names would be inscribed on transparent acrylic blocks. They would be stacked, layer upon layer, so that they could be read into near infinity. This acrylic assembly would be illuminated from below, giving light not only to those in glory, but also to the entire angelic dome. </p><p>The words, “...together with angels, and archangels, and the whole company of heaven” would make much more sense in this sort of chancel, and we would be compelled to confess it – not just verbally, but visually, as Christ descends to His helpless children and feeds them with His own body and blood.</p><p><br /></p>The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-54825854982977047842020-10-30T05:31:00.000-07:002020-10-30T05:31:30.163-07:00 “Making An Entry”<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7xinyh0dVreERaj1jzRaA2gYSaGwSBGk6QUGK-HlmF3CWmnpD4RjTakO3poBaofiqmWKIHOsYVnwTORKC7_VYElHjRV5Zg23hPzgX0IC9DOMbAaxINDp7lu_EpXgr9UurUQjkdTw7XE/s1800/baptistry1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="1800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7xinyh0dVreERaj1jzRaA2gYSaGwSBGk6QUGK-HlmF3CWmnpD4RjTakO3poBaofiqmWKIHOsYVnwTORKC7_VYElHjRV5Zg23hPzgX0IC9DOMbAaxINDp7lu_EpXgr9UurUQjkdTw7XE/s320/baptistry1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutaway of the Baptistry<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Copyright © Edward Riojas</p><p>This is the first of several posts that will be dedicated to a set of drawings in progress. The drawings are architectural in nature, though I do not claim to be an architect. The closest I can get to that vocation is claiming an older brother who IS an architect, and in admitting that I occasionally helped him with college projects. I can also claim to have learned rudimentary knowledge of blueprints when translating them into cutaway drawings during my 31-year tenure in the newspaper industry. No one has asked me to create these drawings – like a few other “odd” projects, I was simply compelled.</p><p>Originally, this post was to be called something like, “If I ran the Circus McGurkus,” but I’m sure there are countless copyrights and trademarks on such a title and, besides, the very idea was not close enough to my thoughts. Neither is this post about how church buildings should look, nor the ideal of what might have been. Rather, it’s a opportunity to contemplate what actually happens – indeed, what we confess happens – in Lutheran churches in particular.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRJCBjeDv9rpdItJZs3oAHdQwkf3_tJ9Z2b0oKsTNrDdsCo6pl-sY041pAaMletScMM0OVK3UV7I4e0-6SnSSpBuuyrTBgyKiOEdOa7skXYNCVNYcPysR-ryNe5H-NJSIoMuVcEKgG6Q/s1800/baptistry2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRJCBjeDv9rpdItJZs3oAHdQwkf3_tJ9Z2b0oKsTNrDdsCo6pl-sY041pAaMletScMM0OVK3UV7I4e0-6SnSSpBuuyrTBgyKiOEdOa7skXYNCVNYcPysR-ryNe5H-NJSIoMuVcEKgG6Q/s320/baptistry2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of Scriptural text mural</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Of course, church buildings run the gamut from grand facades to storefronts, and if there is any truth to the adage that “the Church is not the building,” then this would be a pointless exercise. That adage, however, does not say it all and falls woefully short of describing those peculiar houses that contain both the Lord’s children and the Lord Himself.</p><p>As with any structure, we must first make an entry. Unlike other buildings, however, the Church has a peculiar means of ingress. In my example, the building follows suit with a integrated Baptistry.</p><p>Many get their first taste of baptistry as a separate structure when studying Italian architecture. The famous “Leaning Tower of Pisa” is but one free-standing structure associated with the Pisa Cathedral. The leaning tower is a bell tower, but there is also a free-standing Baptistry that puts many churches to shame with its scale and detail. The fact that it was constructed as a separate facade points to the importance of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZwfEb1udnWOcX27KTifX4r14kDrSN4lDvmIuHvfOGPgKBTfiyN-FvJE53aJheHsQFCp1hegZj4ipIeu2QNfjEYe_z247ynqFWfhXDPpYMavf36E8njYme6cGEw6CS5mWAk4zLwdaF18/s1800/baptistry3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1454" data-original-width="1800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZwfEb1udnWOcX27KTifX4r14kDrSN4lDvmIuHvfOGPgKBTfiyN-FvJE53aJheHsQFCp1hegZj4ipIeu2QNfjEYe_z247ynqFWfhXDPpYMavf36E8njYme6cGEw6CS5mWAk4zLwdaF18/s320/baptistry3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Layout of Baptistry "Garden"<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>In my design, several elements come together to make a point; to confess what we believe. I think the initial impression would be of a rather suppressed dome. Embellishment would be restricted to Biblical quotations of Christ Jesus confronting demons, along with exorcism language taken from the Baptismal Rite.</p><p>The space is intended to be serious and sobering. To intensify this, there are visual references to catacomb niches. While there is ample room to gather and witness a baptism, there is little room to escape our own mortality. Only an oculus window breaks the gloom with an image of the Holy Spirit.</p><p>In the center of all this gloom is yet another tomb. Three steps down into a square chamber with surrounding low platforms is actually a reconstruction of the type of tomb that could have held the body of Christ. The platforms were intended for bodies, and shallow channels for the morbid use of draining body fluids while rot ensues. This, however is not a dead end – it is a portal.</p><p>Issuing from a simple Alpha-Omega cross, water traverses one of the channels and pours into a conspicuously-low, eight-sided Baptismal font. The only way one may be baptized with this design is to symbolically sit where Christ lay or to be held by someone who does the same. In a visual double entendre, a cloth for post-baptismal wiping “lays folded to one side.” This is also a perfect opportunity to allow fragrant incense and spices to waft. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbI3St72fB8fSMy8xH70yd5i613FLc08xV_bT2bIXILmsW-fY4Rqop9vd7zwh8PZZtekayjwUK8sxSkphfqDJTnamAmZGra7ZsWJV078iOX4td4fYTDJLViL9kpo_w48EklpCF5ekJgA/s1800/baptistry4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="1800" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbI3St72fB8fSMy8xH70yd5i613FLc08xV_bT2bIXILmsW-fY4Rqop9vd7zwh8PZZtekayjwUK8sxSkphfqDJTnamAmZGra7ZsWJV078iOX4td4fYTDJLViL9kpo_w48EklpCF5ekJgA/w446-h317/baptistry4.jpg" width="446" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Font chamber<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Just as one must sit where Christ was laid, so also the simple act of standing, after the sacrament is administered, confesses what we believe: That He did not remain dead, but arose to life. Dead men tell no tales, but neither do they stand. In this, we thumb our noses at Satan and death, and relish it with abandon.</p><p>The Baptismal Rite thus ended, all leave behind the confines of death and hell, and enter the place where our Lord promises to meet us – the sanctuary of the church, and the Church Eternal.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-46560219449061435332020-10-23T04:33:00.000-07:002020-10-23T04:33:15.722-07:00 “Skirmishes and Victory”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JxTohnMk-Vc6XxccmW0rO_9uyJPfQyhcCw02Md0AVsQcG_Z7PTsOvdmgKEWzQSaMLI3AWLDTzXnwGw6y4_zQq5WLa2FQFL4EcVGb5Wjo_783j5Y_vDniDzmCfd1iw-8inf4Bqp8XNio/s1350/PORTABLE+CRUCIFIX+OVERALL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="894" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JxTohnMk-Vc6XxccmW0rO_9uyJPfQyhcCw02Md0AVsQcG_Z7PTsOvdmgKEWzQSaMLI3AWLDTzXnwGw6y4_zQq5WLa2FQFL4EcVGb5Wjo_783j5Y_vDniDzmCfd1iw-8inf4Bqp8XNio/s320/PORTABLE+CRUCIFIX+OVERALL.jpg" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Copyright © Edward Riojas</p><p>I was recently asked to create what is certainly the smallest sculpture I’ve done to date. Every commission I’ve tackled has had its own constraints, but this particular piece had to fit in the space 2.5” by 2.5” by 4.75”. It was to be a crucifix.</p><p>I have seen larger pectoral crucifixes, so this carved piece is on a jewel-like scale. Without engaging in a convoluted and costly cast metal alternative, I decided to use hard maple. Being somewhat delicate, I made use of a stout back and base as protection.</p><p>Protection. We often take the word for granted, and along with it those who, through their vocation, protect us. This tiny crucifix was destined for a portable Communion kit used by a military chaplain.</p><p>A last-minute decision was made to add a detail to the piece – one which would serve as a double entendre of immense importance. Using an ancient device, characters of the Greek word “NIKA” were placed around the cross. “Victory.”</p><p>In a military setting, the word has significance – an objective met; an obliterated foe; no man left behind. In this case, however, the word goes way beyond the obvious, even though it is accompanied by an image of a dying God. Whether on a smoke-filled battlefield or in a bed at a veteran’s home or in seemingly mundane civilian life, the skirmishes of this life pale in comparison to the greater battle for our souls. His death, though seen as an insignificant, foolish loss by the world, was precisely how Christ Jesus ambushed Satan and won our epic victory.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-54722698486081962302020-10-16T06:51:00.000-07:002020-10-16T06:51:52.829-07:00 “Photoshop And That Darned Tree”<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9r5WBDOs-VKHOuOaQw_cPJW_Xc9qtPpG1Mz5ZBa0tyO-Xu02poKfOlH1zMiCNOil0X0kmjxnLLUJtK1axACyWehSZk3eRwXkHA_WFug00aOIs0dTlONgn4y4Y821hQ-n60VL9EP0xp8/s1300/JostAmman_TreeOfKnowledge%2526Death_1587_100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1081" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9r5WBDOs-VKHOuOaQw_cPJW_Xc9qtPpG1Mz5ZBa0tyO-Xu02poKfOlH1zMiCNOil0X0kmjxnLLUJtK1axACyWehSZk3eRwXkHA_WFug00aOIs0dTlONgn4y4Y821hQ-n60VL9EP0xp8/s320/JostAmman_TreeOfKnowledge%2526Death_1587_100.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil"<br />Jost Amman. 1587.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Copyright © Edward Riojas</p><p>No, I didn’t photoshop either of these masterful representations of the Garden of Eden. Neither is this a post about glossing over the Fall. Or sin. There is, however, a strange connection between the software application and that darned tree.</p><p>When I was younger, I misunderstood the danger of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. I credit that ignorance to Satan himself, who lied to Eve in declaring that she would “be like God, knowing good and evil.” Somewhere in the stupider parts of my brain I reasoned that, once having eaten the forbidden fruit, we would know important stuff – like passwords into heaven and other classified information – which really wasn’t ours to have.</p><p>Experience this side of heaven has taught me differently. I now know stuff I’d rather not know. I’ve experienced things that didn’t exist in Eden, and it sucks so much. The Lord in His infinite wisdom tried to keep that sort of knowledge from us, but Adam and Eve did not heed His voice. And we are no better.</p><p>Strangely, this knowledge of good and evil cascades out of our sinful lives and ends up in unexpected places. I’ve heard stories from police officers, for example, who relate how little parts of them die with each horrible crime case they handle. We shall surely die, indeed.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPpTaDAbtmKwmOJeC9lvJX5HIMlF3SHPmycrkZc-nM5q-l75taK7ZGEloK0ZrRgr_Io3MrEa0dguQupH6O6ErqxRX165HWtor7QpeUn7EhPKj_flijT6DBRJRhfVpgpJkg8dQsS4ABxmU/s620/Lucas_Cranach_%2528I%2529_-_Adam_and_Eve-Paradise_-_Kunsthistorisches_Museum_-_Detail_Tree_of_Knowledge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPpTaDAbtmKwmOJeC9lvJX5HIMlF3SHPmycrkZc-nM5q-l75taK7ZGEloK0ZrRgr_Io3MrEa0dguQupH6O6ErqxRX165HWtor7QpeUn7EhPKj_flijT6DBRJRhfVpgpJkg8dQsS4ABxmU/s320/Lucas_Cranach_%2528I%2529_-_Adam_and_Eve-Paradise_-_Kunsthistorisches_Museum_-_Detail_Tree_of_Knowledge.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of "Garden of Eden"<br />Lucas Cranach the Elder. 1530.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Which brings me to an assignment I had ages ago while working as an artist in a press newsroom. Having expertise in Photoshop was one of the many skills at my disposal. Normally, the photo editing software was used to create cover art or to clean up otherwise unusable photos.</p><p>One day an assignment came from “the other side of the building,” where advertising and classified departments reigned. It was an extremely rare assignment. It was handed to me personally, and was done so somewhat clandestinely.</p><p>A photo was given to me to “fix.” It was an old photo that was to be paired with a present-day photo of a couple who were celebrating a landmark wedding anniversary. In the old photo, the husband stood behind the wife, who was holding a toddler. The child had to go.</p><p>From a technical perspective, the assignment was a nightmare come to life. Nixing the child was one thing, but reconstructing the various folds of clothing and rebuilding non-existent arms was another. After several hours, I somehow made a convincing image. But something horrible remained.</p><p>I felt as if I had been privy to tragedy; to heartbreak; to an unspoken history hidden under layers of years and silence. No one would suspect any of this by looking at the photo – not even if they searched pixel by pixel. But I became intimate with it all as the child’s face was erased and a striped blouse of 1950’s vintage was put in its place. Even in my own ignorance, I knew more than I cared to know.</p><p>And now you know.</p><p><br /></p><p> </p>The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-11592809883799013012020-08-28T04:08:00.001-07:002020-08-28T04:08:43.363-07:00“The Discarded Garment”Copyright © Edward Riojas<br />
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While working on the tail end of a mountain of illustrations, one of them blindsided me.<br />
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I have for years been plowing through hundreds of Christian symbol drawings for a back burner book project. A recent visitor to my “studio” managed to put a flame under me to get the project going again, so for the past few days I’ve been tackling symbols of the patriarchs and prophets – one of the last large groups on my to-do list. And then along came Hosea.<br />
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Most of the Old Testament prophets had a lot to tell the Israelites. While they weren’t slamming the people of God for going after other gods, the wizened men were consoling the sad-sack captives that they would one day be rescued by a Savior and their captors would be pounded in the dust. So naturally many of the symbols associated with the prophets show, in some way, either the Temple, the city of Jerusalem, or some detail of either. The symbol for Hosea, however, takes a different tack.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright © Edward Riojas</td></tr>
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The prophet Hosea has for his symbol a discarded garment. At first it seemed to me a rather innocuous item. The only image of the symbol I could find was dated. It was in a book that wasn’t exactly scholarly. In fact, there was no information at all about the symbol. The drawing was of a garment nicely laid out, as if waiting for a closet hanger. The only description I did find was in another book of symbols which had no illustration of the symbol. That book explained in a simple phrase that the garment signified Israel’s discarding of the Lord. Not entirely satisfied, I went to Scripture and scoured through the prophet’s inspired words.<br />
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There isn’t anything in the book of the prophet that specifically mentions a garment. Neither does it mention a tunic, nor a frock. It mentions moths and rust, so only a slight inference is there. The idea of a discarded garment didn’t quite fit. And then I thought of Hosea’s wife.<br />
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Gomer's name alone causes us to snicker. Her waywardness, however, wipes the smile off our faces. Her part as the harlot prophetically points to Israel going after other gods. Discarding God starts to make sense.<br />
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But the symbol I found was a bit too neat and tidy. When I re-drew it as something truly discarded; as something thrown on the ground. Then what I saw hit hard. The implication of a discarded garment is that someone is very naked. Put two and two together and the prophetic picture of Gomer makes more than perfect sense.<br />
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But the prophet’s warning goes beyond wayward Israel and gives stern warning to Christians when considering the thing with which we are clothed. In Holy Baptism, we are clothed with Christ’s righteousness – not our own, for we have none. If we discard that garment and abandon it for something else, then we stand truly naked before God, as did the Israelites. And that is not pretty.<br />
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<br />The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-21116473713449588842020-08-21T04:03:00.000-07:002020-08-21T04:03:14.862-07:00“Lift High The Cross”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Copyright © Edward Riojas<br />
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It is clear that the hymn writer had a processional crucifix in mind when he penned the words to "Lift High The Cross," (LSB 837). Even the hymn’s tune, “Crucifer,” is named for the acolyte responsible for carrying the crucifix in a procession. It’s also clear that the hymnist was writing as a member of the Church Militant; as a Christian still fighting the world and its temptations this side of heaven. The words are militaristic, as in the stanza, “Led on their way by this triumphant sign, the hosts of God in conqu’ring ranks combine.”<br />
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Processional crucifixes are special pieces of liturgical art. They come in a variety of forms, but typically show the crucified Christ. While not always found in Lutheran churches, they are somewhat common, and tend to be more so in “confessional” or “high” churches. Sometimes budgets don’t allow them, and sometimes they do. Those in the pews shouldn’t, however, worry that processionals are “too Catholic.”<br />
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In my experience, processional crucifixes are used not only to process into and recess out of the sanctuary, but they are also used on special occasions during the Gospel readings, in which the Gospel is read in the midst of the congregation. It’s understood, with proper teaching, that the congregation should always face the crucifix as it enters and leaves the sanctuary. This is a sign of respect. So also is the act of bowing as it passes by. Rome has no monopoly on showing respect to the Lord – even a poor representation of Him – and Lutherans will do well to get off their duffs and bow when given the chance to confess their King.<br />
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This brings me to an unveiling of my latest piece, a very special processional crucifix. It was not commissioned by anyone. I occasionally allow myself the freedom to create something apart from a client’s wishes. In this case, the idea had been floating around in my mind for some time.<br />
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This is not the average processional crucifix, and nothing like it will be found in any church supply catalog. Every part of it was custom made by me, and, while I am more than satisfied with the results, I won’t create another identical to it. That’s not how this artist works.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzw-idKBn0k0ZeQJBR4J7xRKJcRY9juGxrreIpJBnqVUq7BE9fr-oKqFlfN4ehsA5TQTOF30eJPgn0P1-khn4nBWViBm2lxY6Ph7qVh2OC-H3e_wWaORHOVgD88Mqa4luAgcPP9DW9VWc/s1600/RIOJAS+PROCESSIONAL+CRUCIFIX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="964" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzw-idKBn0k0ZeQJBR4J7xRKJcRY9juGxrreIpJBnqVUq7BE9fr-oKqFlfN4ehsA5TQTOF30eJPgn0P1-khn4nBWViBm2lxY6Ph7qVh2OC-H3e_wWaORHOVgD88Mqa4luAgcPP9DW9VWc/s200/RIOJAS+PROCESSIONAL+CRUCIFIX.jpg" width="137" /></a></div>
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The crucifix’s uniqueness flows through every component, and it is highly confessional through those same components and as a whole. The corpus – the body of Christ – is the second of three bronzes I had cast from my own wax model. The first corpus was used in a processional crucifix commissioned by First Lutheran, Boston. This corpus, however, has a different patina. A matching tabula ansata – the piece on which Pontius Pilate had an inscription written – hangs above the sculpted image of Christ.<br />
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The cross on which the corpus hangs, along with many other components of the piece, are of black walnut. Supporting the crucifix, both structurally and symbolically, is a 3-dimensional representation of the Church. The four Gospel writers have been carved into the four sides of the church's facade. Supporting this is a stout walnut staff with a steel core. If the walnut church or the staff were cut horizontally, a cross would be revealed. In the words of one of my sons, “[I] must hate acolytes,” for carrying the whole takes more than just reverence – it takes the muscles of a young man. Then again, there is something to be said for substance and weightiness, and the same can be said of what we believe and confess.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5Eq7LYCg_pdk2K3_dQbxebi4tEI9umYuJt_LMOsVwLitIQTeDnXalFAWB3vF1f1af4V4_MxDbu3Qa8RmLgSezhsDcvvA5BSGBePcWrOGfrIndPBjgnFrQNonACHMy7qvGpJeL5vWehA/s1600/RIOJAS+PROCESSIONAL+BASE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="877" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5Eq7LYCg_pdk2K3_dQbxebi4tEI9umYuJt_LMOsVwLitIQTeDnXalFAWB3vF1f1af4V4_MxDbu3Qa8RmLgSezhsDcvvA5BSGBePcWrOGfrIndPBjgnFrQNonACHMy7qvGpJeL5vWehA/s200/RIOJAS+PROCESSIONAL+BASE.jpg" width="146" /></a></div>
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The incredibly-heavy base into which it stands is arguably the most “Lutheran” part of the design, although any Christian denomination that clings to Holy Scripture can certainly appreciate it. It is a representation of an open Bible. The pages are oak, and the “cover” is walnut. Walnut inlay is used on the open pages in a VDMA cross design. VDMA is an acronym representing the Latin phrase, “Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum” – “the Word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25). The phrase was used during the Lutheran Reformation, and still serves as a sort of rallying cry among confessional Lutherans. Well, okay, perhaps the Roman crowd may take umbrage, if only out of ignorance.<br />
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Symbolically, the fact that “We preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor. 1:23) is supported by the Church, whose Gospel always proclaims the same. This is, and always will be, immovable through the enduring Word of God, Who is, indeed, the living Christ Jesus Himself. This we will fight to proclaim, “...Till all the world adore His sacred name.”<br />
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<i>For those interested in purchasing this processional crucifix, or for more information, please email me at edriojasartist@gmail.com. Because of the time and materials invested in this piece, the firm asking price is $15,000, plus shipping.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwBnAMB2xU57aWk2oB36JvUVS27gzd-5S8G9AzZ1jkjYV04FnPrTyGjhaY-9vJPBHaCyqjApvBzjgF8raoNAP9mxsOVRhdB2oR7VjBUyQRiUdz_N7EAaq5avxetO2_tBeY_6Aa8iTb5g/s1600/RIOJAS+PROCESSIONAL+FOUR+GOSPELS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="1600" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwBnAMB2xU57aWk2oB36JvUVS27gzd-5S8G9AzZ1jkjYV04FnPrTyGjhaY-9vJPBHaCyqjApvBzjgF8raoNAP9mxsOVRhdB2oR7VjBUyQRiUdz_N7EAaq5avxetO2_tBeY_6Aa8iTb5g/s640/RIOJAS+PROCESSIONAL+FOUR+GOSPELS.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Details of the four Gospel writers from Processional Crucifix. Edward Riojas. 2020. (Copyright © Edward Riojas)</td></tr>
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<br />The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-5465982354016078632020-08-07T03:16:00.002-07:002020-08-07T03:16:49.404-07:00Works in ProgressCopyright © Edward Riojas<br />
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In spite of what’s been going on in the world and in spite of little ‘hiccups’ with family matters, I am still very much at work. The Lord has blessed me with a mountain of work, along with projects that continually materialize.<br />
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A quick glance at my “tote board” may give the impression that I’m way over my head where work is concerned, but I am well accustomed to dealing with slow-moving church councils and the occasional project that temporarily gets shelved. Several projects are waiting for congregational approval, so my attention has switched to other projects.<br />
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I’m currently finishing up a book project and I’m starting to tinker with a second. Behind that are perhaps three other book projects. If those aren’t enough, some folks are kind enough to urge and nudge and poke me to resurrect a book project of my own on Christian symbolism.<br />
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I am still doing design work for Ecclesiastical Sewing. The most recent projects have been interesting, including the replication of a mesoamerican motif.<br />
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While all those things are cooking on various burners, I’m also taking time to work on an non-commissioned piece that had been swimming around in my head and is only now coming to fruition. This project, however, is a creative dessert – a lot of other things must necessarily be cleared off my plate before I can fully enjoy it. I’m not quite ready to give sneak peeks just yet, but I will say that both I – and it – will get carried away.<br />
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And now that you’ve heard it, it’s time for me to get back to work on the mountain.<br />
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<br />The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-13709954568609807742020-07-31T05:47:00.000-07:002020-07-31T05:47:33.172-07:00The Artist And Other VocationsCopyright © Edward Riojas<br />
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Some may have noticed that my posts have become a bit irregular. Normally, I'm a creature of habit and follow a rather ordered life. But life is not always ordered.<br />
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I am still certainly creating sacred art and I am still hammering away at the mountain of work before me. I have, however, other vocations. One of them is that of son.<br />
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I looked through my handbook of life and could not find anywhere the chapter on cancer and aging mothers. I suspect, though, that I will be able to write a detailed chapter on the subject when all is said and done.<br />
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My mother was in a select group of society who were not dealt a good hand when all gathered at a table to play this game of pandemic. Contrary to what our governor declared, we were NOT all in this together. Those who were just short of diagnosis had to wait. Those who were in the middle of treatment had to wait. Only those relative few with a virus were given preferential treatment. But cancer doesn't care. Or wait.<br />
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Now I am in the midst of finally helping my Mom through the seemingly countless hoops that come before radiation therapy can begin. My job; my vocation as son is to give her support. My vocation now is to give her smiles when I am hurting inside. My job is to get her to appointments that must first give her pain before she has a chance to feel better. My job is to be the rock that my late father would have been. My job sucks, but it is MY job, and I will do it to the best of my ability. This is what the Good Lord is calling me to do.<br />
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So please forgive me if my other vocation of sacred artist is not always in the front seat; forgive me if the posts are infrequent or are not so "happy-clappy;" forgive me if it seems I am being lazy. Please pray that I faithfully perform my vocations - all of them - to the best of my ability.The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-12933600634815248662020-07-17T04:23:00.000-07:002020-07-17T04:23:31.082-07:00“Ode to the Age of Innocence”Copyright © Edward Riojas<br />
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Among the many casualties of the Covid-19 pandemic was the cancellation of ArtPrize 2020. Just when artists had gotten used to the every-other-year format and had ignored the inconsequential in-between event, a dumb virus unleashed wholesale paranoia on just about every county fair, concert, and festival in the land. The event which drew hundreds of thousands of visitors to sidewalks and venues was doomed months before its mid-September start date. Social distancing simply could not handle those kinds of numbers.<br />
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To be fair, babysitting my piece for days on end was a sure way to come down with some kind of illness. It sometimes seemed as if I inherited the flue, cholera, typhus, and schistosomiasis all at once. Visitors like to get up close and personal with art and artists, and handshakes come with the territory. So do germs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvCZ_rZ9VmKLKe-Ibso30iwVQe4pLQRby40iC3QF-tZhiKqWIhP0RvhzCqb3tZsrX3D-EObhp1lTMZreB0Vn93H-EsRJZ7foi0yyRbM06d1WvSjEnxHrJju9hlQqlw-WfnF2Z7pDmN58/s1600/AGE+OF+INNOCENCE+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="911" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvCZ_rZ9VmKLKe-Ibso30iwVQe4pLQRby40iC3QF-tZhiKqWIhP0RvhzCqb3tZsrX3D-EObhp1lTMZreB0Vn93H-EsRJZ7foi0yyRbM06d1WvSjEnxHrJju9hlQqlw-WfnF2Z7pDmN58/s640/AGE+OF+INNOCENCE+copyright.jpg" width="363" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Ode to the Age of Innocence."<br />
Edward Riojas. 2020. Oil on panel.</td></tr>
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Unfortunately, some of us artists put considerable time into our pieces, and this year was no exception. Finished pieces might be accepted in a future ArtPrize, but careful wording of the cancellation announcement gave no such certainty. Hence, I feel obliged to give a digital unveiling of my entry, “Ode to the Age of Innocence.”<br />
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This piece, of course, comes from a very different facet of my work than what some are normally accustomed. It is not a sacred piece, and it is not quite illustration. This is the fourth large installment of a ‘troll’ painting.<br />
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Like my other paintings of the same genre, it is intentionally vague, while avoiding hidden agendas, allegory, and double entendres. It is unassuming. If the viewer can suspend every urge to place meaning where there is none [including nonsensical ‘White entitlement’], then the tableau opens with child-like wonderment. Even the puzzled trolls are disarming. The figures give a vague nod to the children’s book illustrations of Scandinavia, and one senses a story, but the real intent is simple to enjoy a view through a child’s eye and hearken to former days when things were more simple. And simply imaginative.<br />
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Neither I, nor anyone else could foresee the events that would transpire the past months. The fact that our senses have been assaulted on several fronts makes this piece more refreshing than it might normally be. This is where the fine arts have massive power to transport us.<br />
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‘Ode’ not only suggests a place and time in our imaginative memory, but it also draws on associated feelings. Perhaps the viewer will smile. Perhaps the viewer will think of something from a different, but pleasant, context. The greatest achievement artists can accomplish is tricking the viewer into forgetting, if only for a moment, the problems of this sorry world, and confront instead a complex illusion made with bits of paint on a flat surface.<br />
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Giclée prints of cover art, “Ode to the Age of Innocence,” are available from the artist. Prints are signed, and domestic shipping is included for U.S. residents. Sizes/Prices for prints:<br />
20.5” x 36” / $160<br />
17” x 30” / $130<br />
13.6” x 24” / $100<br />
10.25” x 18” / $80<br />
To order, or for more information about this print or any other that I offer, please e-mail me at edriojasartist@gmail.com<br />
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<br />The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-14151716879911337422020-07-10T03:36:00.000-07:002020-07-10T03:36:17.729-07:00“The Axe Is Laid”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Copyright © Edward Riojas<br />
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Some of us grew up having school teachers who gave subtle hints that we shouldn’t trifle with them. You know who they were. Those particular teachers didn’t necessarily incessantly yell or haul students by the ear out of the classroom and into the scholastic netherworld or burden students with punitive tasks. Those teachers simply made sure a yard stick was visible for all to see. Perhaps they would conspicuously place it on the chalkboard’s bottom rail [even though measuring was rarely needed]. Maybe they gently laid it on their desk at the start of the day. We all knew what its presence meant, and most, if not all, students strove to keep that yardstick in its place.<br />
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A while back I was asked by Rev. Michael Holmen to create cover art for a newly released book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hardening-Israels-Heart-Church/dp/B088VQ1SHX/?fbclid=IwAR2WoOo9KHHqDpgTr2FJCIuK91mJBeU9Miag8XCEJ-NnPgmP-FY6a5DcAcM">“The Hardening of Israel’s Heart & The Hardening of Heart in the Church.”</a> Holmen edited the volume, which was written by Rev. Paul Hensel and translated by Floyd Brand.<br />
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Several visual concepts were fused into one simple image for the cover art, but the theme lays heavily on the scathing words of John the Forerunner:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><i>“But when [John] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”” (Matthew 3:7-10)</i></b></blockquote>
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Because the thrust of the book is on hardening, however, I pushed John’s visual a bit further in time. While the axe is an inanimate object, the tree begins to throw itself to the wind. Without taking in nourishment from the ground, its foliage scatters; its limbs bleach; its life wanes. This is a tree that has ignored the axe. This is a tree that strives to be something it is not. The tree’s future is foreshadowed as dropping leaves reveal a not-so-subtle skull of death.<br />
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While we may chastise, with 20/20 theological hindsight, the hardened, foolish Israelites or the wayward early Church, John’s warning is certainly for us also. We simply cannot live on our own without the life-giving waters that flow from our Savior’s side. We dare not attempt to ignore the Gospel in preference of our own supposed goodness. Our limbs will surely fail when we lift them up to the ugly persuits of man instead of the glory of our Lord. To that end, it is wise to listen carefully to the Forerunner’s admonition; to see in our mind’s eye that yardstick gently laid for all to see. The sharpened axe is indeed laid at the root of the tree.<br />
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Giclée prints of cover art, “The Axe is Laid at the Root of the Tree,” are available from the artist. Prints are signed, and domestic shipping is included for U.S. residents. Sizes/Prices for prints:<br />
21” x 30” / $150<br />
17” x 24” / $120<br />
12.7” x 18” / $80<br />
To order, or for more information about this print or any other that I offer, please e-mail me at edriojasartist@gmail.com<br />
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<br />The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-53088157479314579832020-06-26T04:03:00.000-07:002020-06-26T04:03:46.013-07:00Things that [Ultimately] Matter<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhT6DVTX3E3D0fl8EvMbTrfyJdUVd_xJc6nZ6OkELC2pcMfoWUzNMbr2dpIW-h6CHHycQvl3-Nyst93CEV__iCxpj6anE5fWb8LDzkAlcPC3m-zpH7IfO1y_9dCJ0EHcFYUDDaUK80dA/s1600/CHRIST+ICONcopyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="391" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhT6DVTX3E3D0fl8EvMbTrfyJdUVd_xJc6nZ6OkELC2pcMfoWUzNMbr2dpIW-h6CHHycQvl3-Nyst93CEV__iCxpj6anE5fWb8LDzkAlcPC3m-zpH7IfO1y_9dCJ0EHcFYUDDaUK80dA/s320/CHRIST+ICONcopyright.jpg" width="139" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Christ Icon."<br />
Sizes/prices of giclée prints<br />
can be found at <a href="http://edriojasartist.com/">edriojasartist.com</a></td></tr>
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Copyright © Edward Riojas<br />
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Now is the time. If you have ever considered hanging an image of Jesus on the wall of your home, then now is the time. If you have ever thought of using memorial funds to place an image of our Savior in the sanctuary of your church, then certainly now is the time.<br />
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A few insistent voices have been urging the wholesale removal of monuments, and it doesn’t seem to matter if those monuments are in opposition to activists’ views or if they actually support the same activists’ cause – they must all come down. Ignorance is more contagious than any virus ever was, and stupidly spreads more rapidly than any pandemic ever could.<br />
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Most recently, the targets are ‘images of white supremacy’ – Jesus. This idea is at the urging of BLM activist, Shaun King. King must surely be a conflicted man, because his own mother is white. But I digress.<br />
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Iconoclasm – the destruction of icons, or images, of Christ – is as old as the hills. Long before anything seemed to matter, man has fought over whether or not it is right to have images of Jesus; whether or not it is blasphemous. More blood has been shed over images of Christ than even this sorry generation can possibly imagine. Historically, it’s been that bad.<br />
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Lutherans, however, are a feisty group. Whether it’s that inbred German stubbornness or cues taken from the blessed Reformer, Martin Luther, we have a tendency to show our mettle when things look dire.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRgsc5wnFcyoKRdTxCZCBnCRUINR_grTC20uJIiI86wPpLv0xR6K5SP8KcepeaC-w_ZnPxUBTJaIeirQwwQAYou6iAp0f5pUCzlA5nn7TSvjicEss35oD1PYAnRq8e6DozNRTLp7RWxY/s1600/crucifixion+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="635" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRgsc5wnFcyoKRdTxCZCBnCRUINR_grTC20uJIiI86wPpLv0xR6K5SP8KcepeaC-w_ZnPxUBTJaIeirQwwQAYou6iAp0f5pUCzlA5nn7TSvjicEss35oD1PYAnRq8e6DozNRTLp7RWxY/s320/crucifixion+copyright.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Crucifixion"<br />
Sizes/prices of giclée prints can be<br />
found at <a href="http://edriojasartist.com/">edriojasartist.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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When some insisted that it was NOT the body of Christ on the altar; when they “broke” the Host in full view to represent their theological position, Lutherans suddenly became discreet in that simple act, if only to protest the Protestants’ errant ways. When some insisted that only red wine could be used in the Sacrament of the Altar, many Lutherans instantly switched to white wine. Some churches still use that variety, exclusively. When Protestants started destroying ‘idolatrous’ sanctuary artwork, Luther blew a gasket and lambasted the moronic imbeciles.<br />
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It should not come as a surprise, therefore, that this Lutheran artist strongly suggests we up the ante and increase our display of the Only Begotten of the Father. We do not do so to increase His presence among us, for He will be where He promises. We do not do so to show our piety or supremacy in any way, for we openly acknowledge, with Paul, that we are chief among sinners and we are slaves to the Gospel. We place images of Christ Jesus simply to remind ourselves – and the whole world – that some things really DO matter.<br />
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<br />The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-1622050052152119642020-06-19T03:54:00.000-07:002020-06-19T03:54:02.180-07:00Healing and Forgiveness<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6Z8WklEA6TBTff35NnP3hjlrUTdAzE8KXxyQJTlC-HrN6SvrT4TGfQSYqmYmu_5deh0jhkNP-J1RZbcSvMeZZANY9SLe-snjj830a2Nvhk4FUVi1q0skeleIXDNXAGTv-ov1cVFQUWM/s1600/Forgiveness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1186" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6Z8WklEA6TBTff35NnP3hjlrUTdAzE8KXxyQJTlC-HrN6SvrT4TGfQSYqmYmu_5deh0jhkNP-J1RZbcSvMeZZANY9SLe-snjj830a2Nvhk4FUVi1q0skeleIXDNXAGTv-ov1cVFQUWM/s320/Forgiveness.jpg" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright © Edward Riojas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Copyright © Edward Riojas<br />
<br />
It’s no surprise that I have mouths on my mind. My mother was recently diagnosed with stage 3 or 4 cancer of the tongue. Also recently, one of the lectionary readings was from Isaiah 6, which describes a burning coal touching the prophet’s mouth after he had declared in verse 5, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”<br />
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This passage was the basis for one of several proposed drawings for Higher Things. That was before the theme was massaged a bit, rendering the image unusable. In the drawing, a cross, stylized crossed keys, and a burning coal are fused together. It’s a strange image that, to my knowledge, has rarely – if ever – been done, and this time it only got as far as a rough drawing.<br />
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Isaiah’s account, although strange, prophetically points to something more familiar – Holy Communion. One can see the parallel between taking the burning coal from the altar and touching the prophet’s mouth, and taking the Body and Blood of Christ from the altar and placing it in the communicant’s mouth. We also echo Isaiah’s words, “...my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!,” when we repeat Simeon's “...for my eyes have seen Thy Salvation...”<br />
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During the pandemic stay-at-home order, my mother languished in her home, as medical appointment after medical appointment was postponed. The oral surgeon would have to wait. She also was not able for two and a half months to go to church. The cancer did not care.<br />
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Finally, she was able to see an oral surgeon, and finally she was able to receive Holy Communion, which drives me to a different part of Scripture. In Mark 2:9, the event of Jesus healing the paralytic comes to a head when the Savior asks, “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?” Pondering my mother’s condition, I want the cure for her bodily suffering. We are told to bring everything to the Lord, including petitions for those in need, so I ask the Lord as a beggar would.<br />
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Yet there is more at stake than these inherited, rotting bodies. For that reason, there is great joy knowing that my Mom finally received forgiveness at the Lord’s Table. What is more, she received that forgiveness, of all places, on her tongue.<br />
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<br />The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-1352096282937653142020-06-05T03:36:00.000-07:002020-06-05T03:36:26.720-07:00“But Watch Lest Foes With Base Alloy”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeLWtQ78JRYkRNFbJ_vOYiB4dIkJPNdmpK6n-BN8IvHT4o342_GUx0VYjG7NfKqBfV1Q6QLJOkpLWOse-ryiCW75QMr-15EVtqV9rrdOwVlechpeXOFr_MyG7hw_-QfLZ2-HgktshO_s/s1600/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+EUCHARIST+VERTICAL+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1058" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeLWtQ78JRYkRNFbJ_vOYiB4dIkJPNdmpK6n-BN8IvHT4o342_GUx0VYjG7NfKqBfV1Q6QLJOkpLWOse-ryiCW75QMr-15EVtqV9rrdOwVlechpeXOFr_MyG7hw_-QfLZ2-HgktshO_s/s320/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+EUCHARIST+VERTICAL+copyright.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>What I on earth have done and taught,<br />Guide all your life and teaching;<br />So shall the kingdom’s work be wrought<br />And honored in your preaching.<br />But watch lest foes with base alloy<br />The heav’nly treasure should destroy;<br />This final word I leave you.</b></blockquote>
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Copyright © Edward Riojas<br />
<br />
This illustration for Martin Luther’s final verse of <a href="https://www.kloria.com/books/picture/dear-christians-one-and-all-rejoice/">“Dear Christians, One And All Rejoice” (Kloria Publishing)</a>, is a counterpart to the book’s cover illustration. There is greater meaning beneath the two pretty pictures, but because of the times, we are forced to understand it more keenly.<br />
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There is no social distancing among those who approach the Lord’s Table. More importantly, there is no social distancing between the Lord Himself and those of His flock. He is not concealed by a mask, and we, because of Christ’s sacrifice, fear neither sickness nor death as we approach Him.<br />
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Hence, we bow as the crucifix processes past us. In some traditions, we bow as the Gospel – or, more properly, the Word – passes. Hence, we bow at the altar, acknowledging the very body and blood of the Lord Himself. While human reason cannot grasp this truth, we take our Lord at His Word.<br />
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Here, the words of Luther’s stanza drive home. The Reformer’s thinly-veiled warning does not directly regard Satan, but rather a more subtle foe. By context, most of us get the gist of the phrase “foes with base alloy,” but Luther paints a picture, through metallurgical terms, of those who may be counted among the Believers, but whose beliefs are tainted by questionable and impure doctrine; those who wonder why we can’t ALL kneel at the Lord’s Table; those who ask, in eerily-familiar style, “Did He REALLY mean “This is my body?””<br />
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Giclée prints of images from ‘Dear Christians’ are available for purchase in two formats. To order or for more information, please e-mail me at edriojasartist@gmail.com.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcE5aMsN2tfazKGCLviYoHSrH2Q8qwVkWfDcuZU3aM4k5s-fDy1MAg7U5FyGnKcy-N7NY6t1sJ3_MR7DNTNUrr227Wu-ICdIQlOm7snAXoJRfQCYEkMN6iR6qKCdpCMg19sfzXlVgUT4I/s1600/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+EUCHARIST+SPREAD+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="1395" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcE5aMsN2tfazKGCLviYoHSrH2Q8qwVkWfDcuZU3aM4k5s-fDy1MAg7U5FyGnKcy-N7NY6t1sJ3_MR7DNTNUrr227Wu-ICdIQlOm7snAXoJRfQCYEkMN6iR6qKCdpCMg19sfzXlVgUT4I/s200/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+EUCHARIST+SPREAD+copyright.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Sizes/prices for giclée prints of “Dear Christians: Eucharist Spread:”<br />
30” x 19” / $140<br />
24” x 15.2” / $110<br />
16” x 10.1” / $75<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuWMI0RLQGEqPpusKlIDjdrFcXxQuuLaiZ0yztjBPNwqpp3-PZfF0fbJqR9u8Nf48i48vySb13HaysMotAqPWROPGeTKEC_K704Zz4I5rPJfvWvmlD_vKmi1Y_x1nHDP1rxSIZaOQ5NE/s1600/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+EUCHARIST+VERTICAL+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1058" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuWMI0RLQGEqPpusKlIDjdrFcXxQuuLaiZ0yztjBPNwqpp3-PZfF0fbJqR9u8Nf48i48vySb13HaysMotAqPWROPGeTKEC_K704Zz4I5rPJfvWvmlD_vKmi1Y_x1nHDP1rxSIZaOQ5NE/s200/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+EUCHARIST+VERTICAL+copyright.jpg" width="156" /></a></div>
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Sizes/prices for giclée prints of “Dear Christians: Eucharist Vertical:”<br />
18.8” x 24” / $120<br />
12.5” x 16” / $75<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.kloria.com/books/picture/dear-christians-one-and-all-rejoice/">“Dear Christians, One And All Rejoice,” (Kloria Publishing) is available through Concordia Publishing House and Amazon.com </a><br />
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<br />The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-70529731191812200002020-05-29T03:18:00.000-07:002020-05-29T03:18:41.486-07:00“I Am Your Rock And Castle”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9ZFrlojYQKWc0Yv6Uosa10J3h94nIA5dXimEBB97A65_sBhz9tjVs3vglKslm7xen2cVELYuL3byuIbEvorAXT_V_m1JAF0vJw4LCjwChIwI02crXjY6SPUaJFgN-1Iga3ABROsr5TM/s1600/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+CHALICE+VERTICAL+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1058" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9ZFrlojYQKWc0Yv6Uosa10J3h94nIA5dXimEBB97A65_sBhz9tjVs3vglKslm7xen2cVELYuL3byuIbEvorAXT_V_m1JAF0vJw4LCjwChIwI02crXjY6SPUaJFgN-1Iga3ABROsr5TM/s320/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+CHALICE+VERTICAL+copyright.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>To me He Said:<br />Stay close to Me,<br />I am your rock and castle.<br /> Your ransom I Myself will be;<br />For you I strive and wrestle.<br />For I am yours, and you are Mine,<br />And where I am you may remain;<br />The foe shall not divide us.</b></blockquote>
<div>
Copyright © Edward Riojas<br />
<br />
Parallel trains of thought ran behind this illustration in <a href="https://www.kloria.com/books/picture/dear-christians-one-and-all-rejoice/">“Dear Christians One And All Rejoice” (Kloria Publishing)</a>, and a section of the “Te Deum Polyptych” I created for Our Savior Luther Church, Grand Rapids, Mich. I hit a visual roadblock with the Te Deum’s “...we therefore pray Thee to help Thy servants...,” until I was reminded how the Lord helps us through an inundation of Word and Sacraments. Even observant artists don’t always see the obvious.<br />
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Martin Luther’s stanza in ‘Dear Chrisitans’ gave me similar pause when thinking of visuals. Unlike the understated phrase in the ‘Te Deum,’ however, Luther’s verse is packed with almost too much theology to illustrate. I understood what the words meant, but I could not easily envision it.<br />
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The solution lay again, in part, with Word and Sacrament. I also appealed to the historical approach I was using throughout the book by giving a nod to ancient architecture, and by using the type of decorative embellishment Luther might have seen in his day. But the slightly over-wrought design is more than simple decoration.<br />
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The last lines of the stanza echo Christ’s analogy of ‘The Vine and branches,’ illustrating how we are inseparable from our Lord. It takes a little straining of the eyes, but behind the Host, the Vine is cruciform in shape, hinting at greater truths behind the words, “ransom” and “strive and wrestle.” The complexity of leaves and tendrils point to the whole Christian Church that is nourished by The Vine.<br />
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See how true it is that, especially in these days, The Word and Sacraments – and our longing for them – are our rock and castle! See how by them there is abundant life that flourishes beyond the telling! See how nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4QDvzJ3XtT2EdGvfU4WFrEPJSUh8CwCjMLoxuVsZ1VG_GILUlb707aLG9okNRL5Lx3l3h3yUUOSNYNUc4IwNMYEXc7O9za_NUgiTkxuH77t9s3_g6t1FRPFPFvTOi3YMBu7Twv5uPZg/s1600/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+CHALICE+SPREAD+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="1350" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4QDvzJ3XtT2EdGvfU4WFrEPJSUh8CwCjMLoxuVsZ1VG_GILUlb707aLG9okNRL5Lx3l3h3yUUOSNYNUc4IwNMYEXc7O9za_NUgiTkxuH77t9s3_g6t1FRPFPFvTOi3YMBu7Twv5uPZg/s200/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+CHALICE+SPREAD+copyright.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Giclée prints of images from ‘Dear Christians’ are available for purchase in two formats. To order or for more information, please e-mail me at edriojasartist@gmail.com.<br />
<br />
Sizes/prices for giclée prints of “Dear Christians: Chalice Spread:”<br />
30” x 19” / $140<br />
24” x 15.2” / $110<br />
16” x 10.1” / $75<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9ZFrlojYQKWc0Yv6Uosa10J3h94nIA5dXimEBB97A65_sBhz9tjVs3vglKslm7xen2cVELYuL3byuIbEvorAXT_V_m1JAF0vJw4LCjwChIwI02crXjY6SPUaJFgN-1Iga3ABROsr5TM/s1600/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+CHALICE+VERTICAL+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1058" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9ZFrlojYQKWc0Yv6Uosa10J3h94nIA5dXimEBB97A65_sBhz9tjVs3vglKslm7xen2cVELYuL3byuIbEvorAXT_V_m1JAF0vJw4LCjwChIwI02crXjY6SPUaJFgN-1Iga3ABROsr5TM/s200/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+CHALICE+VERTICAL+copyright.jpg" width="156" /></a></div>
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<br />
Sizes/prices for giclée prints of “Dear Christians: Chalice Vertical:”<br />
18.8” x 24” / $120<br />
12.5” x 16” / $75<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.kloria.com/books/picture/dear-christians-one-and-all-rejoice/">“Dear Christians, One And All Rejoice,” (Kloria Publishing) is available through Concordia Publishing House and Amazon.com </a><br />
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The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747952859374014093.post-22080856567961326042020-05-22T03:36:00.000-07:002020-05-22T03:36:55.775-07:00“Now To My Father I Depart”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBq1pc8PkxNpZwtEzLV7wX0vExaEsvhI7z3h3LNg17OEufL0xLJIPIhsZiYWv3XQWmxNQNt7nWiLGlbPg2LuA_cWdoiMDOZ3K7DjSufYnlX-LtmSzSTVS4Ph1j-bXPT9l6hWn9feygNM/s1600/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+ASCENSION+VERTICAL+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1058" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBq1pc8PkxNpZwtEzLV7wX0vExaEsvhI7z3h3LNg17OEufL0xLJIPIhsZiYWv3XQWmxNQNt7nWiLGlbPg2LuA_cWdoiMDOZ3K7DjSufYnlX-LtmSzSTVS4Ph1j-bXPT9l6hWn9feygNM/s320/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+ASCENSION+VERTICAL+copyright.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Now to My Father I depart,<br />From earth to heav’n ascending,<br />And, heav’nly wisdom to impart,<br />The Holy Spirit sending;<br />In trouble He will comfort you<br />And teach you always to be true<br />And into truth shall guide you.</b></blockquote>
<br />
Copyright © Edward Riojas<br />
<br />
I chose to showcase this illustration on the day after Ascension Day for obvious reasons. It was created for the book, “Dear Christians, One And All Rejoice” (Kloria Publishing), and illustrates a stanza written by Martin Luther.<br />
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Luther’s words condensed two ideas in this verse, which ultimately made for an unusual piece of art. I doubt that I am original in this, but a little visual research didn’t turn up anything identical. Sure, there are plenty of paintings depicting the Ascension of our Lord. Yes, there are paintings of the Holy Spirit descending. There are even paintings of Christ Jesus, reclining on clouds, watching the Holy Spirit descend, and there are paintings of the Holy Spirit [and The Father] waiting as Christ ascends into heaven. In the painting for this book, however, I intentionally did something different.<br />
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In a scene that, for lack of a better analogy, is very much akin to the workings of an elevator, Christ ascends, while the counterweight of the Holy Spirit descends with equal speed. The worm’s-eye view also helps to accentuate the feeling of motion. We strain our necks to watch the fast-fleeting Lord, even as the Dove comes down to earth.<br />
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Of course, we always associate the coming of the Holy Spirit with Pentecost, so there has always been a bit of a lag in the Church year between the two events. Those nine days have traditionally been a time of fasting. And waiting.<br />
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On the other hand, the Lord promised, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” It’s with that comfort that I depicted the Spirit passing Christ Jesus as the Savior ascended, and, if you catch the detail, Christ’s pierced hand is in a position of blessing. Even as He departs, He does not leave us as orphans.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Giclée prints of images from ‘Dear Christians’ are available for purchase in two formats. To order or for more information, please e-mail me at edriojasartist@gmail.com.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhR2r1WFwjUQijWTnEET3vhWElVpxao_5U4zAerXaMGvCleC9QyjcM7dIxm_CAL27GJsGoxVPsBIYigh9G6373-2qSMr1lhatPR9r7DHX9ppehXkjVRGxZswBLyDH6zrtAD7NMH4PxZ-w/s1600/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+ASCENSION+SPREAD+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="1350" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhR2r1WFwjUQijWTnEET3vhWElVpxao_5U4zAerXaMGvCleC9QyjcM7dIxm_CAL27GJsGoxVPsBIYigh9G6373-2qSMr1lhatPR9r7DHX9ppehXkjVRGxZswBLyDH6zrtAD7NMH4PxZ-w/s200/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+ASCENSION+SPREAD+copyright.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Sizes/prices for giclée prints of “Dear Christians: Ascension Spread:”<br />
30” x 19” / $140<br />
24” x 15.2” / $110<br />
16” x 10.1” / $75<br />
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<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVJ6v3RHORD_Jrqg9GBnEE5Es2TeDCL4kSjVrw3Qpk-x9EXjYv4poOJeKB3NygU7u48IZ4_1O4jB6AObj6jIzik79OsyUF5-pSpV1eDFL5N4mQNHK6GZOfucripgnFaM_GyYgde2BvWw/s1600/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+ASCENSION+VERTICAL+copyright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1058" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVJ6v3RHORD_Jrqg9GBnEE5Es2TeDCL4kSjVrw3Qpk-x9EXjYv4poOJeKB3NygU7u48IZ4_1O4jB6AObj6jIzik79OsyUF5-pSpV1eDFL5N4mQNHK6GZOfucripgnFaM_GyYgde2BvWw/s200/DEAR+CHRISTIANS+ASCENSION+VERTICAL+copyright.jpg" width="156" /></a></div>
<br />
Sizes/prices for giclée prints of “Dear Christians: Ascension Vertical:”<br />
18.8” x 24” / $120<br />
12.5” x 16” / $75<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.kloria.com/books/picture/dear-christians-one-and-all-rejoice/">“Dear Christians, One And All Rejoice,” (Kloria Publishing) is available through Concordia Publishing House and Amazon.com</a><br />
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<br />The Art Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160319769967316128noreply@blogger.com0