More sketching

This is getting closer to where both Fr. John and envision it. It's all about balance and where we're trying to lead the eye. Can you see the smaller stories happening? I'll try and explain more once reveal the next few drawings. The doodle on the yellow sticky note is closer to what we're thinking.

Telling the Story

I'm familiar with the way the ascension is told in the Bible; who was there and when and where it took place. It was an upper room of a house that belonged to one of the apostles where they most likely took to hiding after the crucifixion. The apostles were called to their great commission to spread the gospel and build the first church across all the empires and then there was wind and bright light as Jesus rose up to the heavens as two angels stood by welcoming him home to the Father. Then flames from the Holy Spirit descended upon them and they began to speak in different tongues. Truly the Trinity must have been a supernatural spectacle – never one like it to happen again. That is a fact. But I believe there was more going on while this was happening. We have the eleven apostles, the Holy Mother and Mary of Magdalene. Each has they're own little story to tell. How did they take to the event? Were they in shock? Did they cry out to Jesus to stay? Did they rejoice? Or hide from the light and wind? Try to picture these young men and a mother who's about to lose her son for a second time. They were human with real thoughts and fears. If the project has a story to tell it would be this one.

So, as I begin to put ideas together for the composition I'm cognizant of human behavior and the stories worth telling. Who better to look to than Norman Rockwell – America's most celebrated illustrator (and my favorite!). For more than 4 decades Rockwell painted the covers of the Saturday Evening Post capturing the everyday scenarios of American life. His work told stories of innocence, hardship, sacrifice, unity and pride. When I look at one of his paintings I find myself reading the expressions of his faces and placement of his figures like they were words in a book. Rockwell had a lot to say and he did it with not a single word – amazing!

Just Draw II

More progress. I think I may even go younger.

A portrait

I've been drawing so many likenesses of Peter that I thought I'd create a smaller side project and do a portrait study. It's interesting that the more I draw and research these apostles the more I see 'us' in them. Strangely as it was, Jesus considered him the weakest and fearful of the bunch. Rather than follow with grace he was impatient and ready with one question after the other. He owned his own fishing vessels and laborers and most likely was used to having it his way on his own terms with his own rules. He lived by the feeling of his gut, the smell of the sea and the let's not forget he lived like everyone else under Roman law. Did his gut tell him to leave everything to follow Jesus? How did someone like Peter take such a risk? It takes strength of heart and an open mind to do something so opposite to this man. There you have it, two contrasting personalities – courage and fear. Don't we all have a little bit of Peter in us?

Just Draw!

All I did for the last little while was draw faces for the characters in the story. This is how I picture them from what I've read and the clues I've found. I think their beards were worn longer but for the sake of connecting with today's modern audience I've gave a trim.

My Vision

This never happens... I never dream of my artwork. Visions don't come to me. I just sketch things out until something makes sense. A few days before my weekly meeting with Fr. John I had this dream of walking through this low lit room and on the wall was this massive painting – I was just the viewer standing in awe. The dream was probably not even a minute long because this is all I remember. The first thing I did when I awoke was draw what I had seen in my dream and here's what it looked like. I'm still shaking my head because this has never happened before. Well, I told Fr. John and showed him the sketch – we both loved it.

Chiaroscuro

I met with Fr. John (pastor of St. Clare of Assisi) for the first meeting of the project and we discussed at length several directions with many references to his appreciation for the Venetian masters. On many occasions he would leaf through his big books of art and express to me his great admiration and understanding of Venetian Renaissance art. The pages always seemed to stop turning when we got to Tiziano or Titian – obviously a favorite for Fr. J.

It wasn't long until I too eventually fell in love with works like the one above – "The Assumption and Consecration of the Virgin". Chiaroscuro was the method used to paint or draw during the Renaissance period – meaning light and dark. Artists would skillfully and strategically define the volume of their subjects by using tonal contrasts of color. The result was dramatic and 3 dimensional. This was clearly the effect we were both after.

Harry Anderson III - The Ascension of Christ

Finally, The Ascension. Look at the apostles... they're expressions are priceless!
I can't keep from wondering who's-who. I've always been intrigued by who they really were and what they're personalities may have been like. There are some hints of these personalities from what was written in the Bible.

For this I've called this project "Apostle Project".

Harry Anderson

For the first couple weeks upon proposing an idea, I set out to find inspiration. I looked at a number of works... and focused on American Illustrator Harry Anderson the most. This is purely because I remember seeing his depictions of Christ and stories from the bible as a kid. Most of his work was commissioned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a Roman Catholic, I believe his work stands out as the most prolific Christian painter, illustrator and story teller of his time. He spent 35 years painting the stories and characters from the bible so that they may relate to our times. Looking at his work one would think his depictions happened in the backdrop of modern day America. His compositions draw you in with his balance of light and dark and placement of figures... almost as if he was present to paint it as it happened.