Arts and Music at Redeemer

“Twilight Silence”, acrylic/collage on canvas, 36″x36″, ©Angela Wales Rockett 2007

This is, well, me. :) I am the artist-in-residence here at Redeemer, and I also curate the shows for the gallery.

This painting is inspired by a quote from Thomas Merton, which I also used in the call to artists for this exhibit. “(Since) nothing that can be seen can be God…then to find God we must pass beyond everything that can be seen and enter into darkness. Since nothing that can be heard is God, to find Him we must enter into silence.” —Thomas Merton

You can see more of my work on my website, and on my blog.

“Flutter”, acrylic/collage on canvas, 12″x14″, ©Andrea Pratt

Andrea’s artwork comes to us from her studio in Vancouver, BC Canada. One of her paintings was in our Visions of the Cross exhibit this spring, and we’re fortunate to have two of her paintings in “Silence”. She says this about “Flutter”: A tribute to the noisy silence of autumn when leaves and cones are falling. The leaves are cut from images of the Sistine Chapel.

You can learn more about Andrea and her work by visiting her website, and her blog.

“Detatchment”, oil on canvas, 36″x48″, ©Bridgette Guerzon Mills

Bridgette is a Seattle artist, and she has this to say about her work and the theme of “silence”:

I feel that in order to connect to God, to be
present and hear His voice and His plan for us,
we must be willing to absent ourselves- absent
ourselves from our daily worries and fears or
from our own egos.  In this absence, we can be present to hear His will.

You can see more of Bridgette’s work on her website, and on her blog.

“Campsite Path”, pastel, 15″x19″(framed),©Mary J. McInnis

You can see more of this Northwest artist’s contemporary landscapes in pastel and oil on her website.

“Heart of Winter”, color photographic print, ©Dayton K. Knipher 2007

Northwest photographer Dayton K. Knipher returns to our gallery and will have two prints in this exhibit. She wrote the following poem to accompany “Heart of Winter”:

Winter’s Song
Into darkness fades the light
of winter’s sweetest hour.
Stark and clean the forest pierce
til hearth reduce its power.
We have but once to turn our heart
and once to learn true grace.
We have but once to know His love.
Just once; we must make haste.
We have but once to speak the truth
set gladly at our door.
We have but once to force the lock
of myth and mist and lore.
Just once we gather mix and churn
each winter’s wisdom tale.
Just once we pierce the darkened pain
within our forest wail.
Through hope and joy and humble tread
left open by our plea.
We seek, we grasp, we barely crack
the seed of Abram’s key.
How once, just once are we to sift
such rich and fertile soil?
How once cast down to climb beyond
set free from earthly bonds.
Our souls have leapt at Merlin’s web
and grasped at magic wands.
“Don’t be deceived by worldly mirth.”
Christ’s voice cries clean and clear.
“I know the way through thicket growth
wrapped gossamer and fair.”
Yes once, just once is all we have
come bargaining or plead
To listen awkward, chests torn bare
before God’s law decreed.
Yet once, just once is time enough
with swiftness toward the mark
To dance the dance of winter’s song
and pierce the forest’s dark.
-Dayton K. Knipher

You can see more of Dayton’s work on her website, and you can e-mail her at daytonkknipher@aol.com.

“Particle and Wave”, textile, 25.5″x34″, ©Deborah Gregory

Northwest textile artist Deborah Gregory contributes two pieces to our exhibit. She says this about “Particle and Wave”:

This is an abstraction of the particle and wave theory of physics that seeks to understand how matter exists and behaves. My thought is that this theory tries to explain God, and to me silence is God and is the great mystery of our lives.

You can see more of Deborah’s work on her website , and you can e-mail her at DebKGreg@aol.com.

“The Loud Silence”, acrylic on canvas, 15″x5″, ©Jessica Figueroa 2007

Jessica is a Pacific Northwest artist, and she says this about this piece:
As I began to create this piece with the theme of silence in mind, the more I thought about it, the more I had to put myself in a place where I could physically feel on a personal level, truly silent. I found that solitude outside in nature, away from competitive calendars, sounds, activities and constant devices that keep us from the need for stillness in order to reflect.

In the presence of the Creator, in his nature that surrounds me even the rocks cry out his beauty and glory. While in His present silence, I realized it was very loud between us.

His truth rang pure and piercing, and John 15:1-16 became increasingly crystal clear in the still solitude of the outdoors. As fall has ascended upon us quickly this season, the leaves are falling from the branches, stripped of they’re eye catching colors. I could hear the very real message, the true vine is the Father and the gardener; he cuts off every branch that does not bear fruit, pruning all that do bear fruit, so it becomes even more fruitful. Remain in him and he will remain in me. By remaining in his love, he can train our growth, and we can bear even more fruit as his disciples.

This painting is an abstracted representation of a personal, experienced silence challenging me that as we prepare to go into the dormant winter season, while there might not be much left to admire about the bare, leafless branches that no longer demand my visual attention there in lies a paradigm shift requiring me to focus on my own branches inwardly. I am reminded of the need to consistently seek his love for new growth in order to bloom for God’s glory, preparing me to be ready to bear new fruit in any season of my life.

Jessica can be contacted by writing to jessbartlett@hotmail.com.

Suburban Fall, ink and acrylic on panel, 24″x24″, ©Jeremy Fahringer 2007

Two paintings comet to us from Philadephia, Pennsylvania artist Jeremy Fahringer. He says this about his work:

Abstraction is a process of memory and expression. It takes elements and
ideas from observed reality and results in synthesized composites of imagery
and emotion. I paint with muted and monochromatic palettes, building up rich
colors by a process of thin glazes of acrylic paint and ink.

The image and object is a record of time, of creative and destructive
process. The silky smooth gesso surface built upon wood and Masonite panels
allows gravity to interact with thinned paint, leaving drips and blended
edges as traces of the process. Addition of layers of heavily thinned color
veils and subsequent erosion by water and sanding reflect the effects of
time on memories and the process of recording history. This results in murky
deep atmospheres populated by concepts, landscapes, and mark.

Silence is a place of reflection, of challenge and turmoil brought by
erosion and new creation, renewal.

You can see more of Jeremy’s artwork on his website, and you can contact him by writing to jeremy.fahringer@gmail.com

“Silence II”, mixed media, 24″x18″, ©Jane Emens 2007

This is one of three paintings that Seattle artist Jane Emens will exhibit in the gallery. She says this about her work:

All pieces are mixed media (oil pastel, acrylic paint, pencil, spackle, matte medium) on canvas. Building up layers of materials, I create a textural surface with veils of color much like the surface of an ancient mural or stained wall. As I work, I try to release my conscious mind and let images appear from the inner gaze. The goal is to provide a quiet space that draws the mind toward contemplation.

Jane can be contacted by writing to moonpath@earthlink.net.

untitled, oil on canvas, 14″x14″, ©Jill Eggers 2007

Jill Eggers is an associate professor in the Department of Art and Design at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. Three of her paintings will be in the exhibit, and she says this about her work:

I have been working with exploring realms of consciousness that
access ideas of God or spirituality through silence and meditation.
A 30+ years meditation practice has led in the spiritual life to
recognition of common truths and validity to all spiritual practices/
religions and belief systems.  A 30 year artistic practice has led
from representational work to more abstract modes of working that
explore consciousness as subject matter and attempt to enter the
’spaces between’ linear thought and ‘objective’ reality.