Artists
What is the Point of Art?
Is it possible that making art is the main thing? What if it’s not a side job or a hobby at all, but it’s the whole point?
Read MoreThe Story of Kemp Hall and my friend, Johan, a Flemish Surrealist
Several years back, a group of artists were working in a wonderful building named Kemp Hall in Frederick, Maryland. I met my friend, Johan Lowie there.
Read MoreWhy I Love Making Sacred Art
This is why I love making sacred art. Art is always a spiritual act, but with sacred art, people approach it seeking God. And there is that hope that the piece you made, carefully, painstakingly, lovingly with your own hands, somehow connects the viewer to something, Someone Higher.
Read MoreStay-at-Home Mom Wins Art Prize
If you haven’t seen the winners of this year’s Art Prize in Grand Rapids, please go check it out! This year’s first place winner is a mother and art teacher, Adonna Khare. She drew an exquisite, surreal mural of elephants and jungle creatures with nothing but pencils, an eraser, and a sock. The work is just incredible; it transports you to another place!
Read MoreFinding Inspiration from Other Artists
I enjoy meeting new artists and seeing (new to me) work. A friend of mine with excellent aesthetic sensibilities introduced me to the work of sculptor Judy Fox. Mesmerized? Haunted? Blown away? Spent hours listening to her lecture on Youtube? Oh yeah. Much of her work features children in poses that envoke iconic images from around the…
Read MoreStone and Letter Carver
I am very excited that Gary Churchman has stumbled upon my blog. He is a stone and letter carver, living in England. (Check out his blog!) While I do most of my work in plastiline clay and make casts, I am particularly interested in stone carving and stone sculptures. I had the most exhilarating moment of…
Read MoreThe Nude and the Christian
An essay I wrote in March, 2011. As an artist who specializes in figurative sculpture, I have spent countless hours in the studio working with nude models. It is a time-honored practice in the Classical tradition, employed by artists throughout the centuries. Depictions of the nude are an important aspect in understanding the history…
Read MoreAn Aesthetic Experience
I was watching 60 Minutes last night and they reported on a most remarkable orchestra in the Congo. The Kimbanguist Symphony Orchestra is the only symphony orchestra in Central Africa and the only all-black orchestra in the world. The musicians are all volunteers, some walking 90 minutes each way to get to rehearsal. I don’t know much…
Read MorePortraiture as Art
On July 3, 2006 I went to the National Portrait Gallery with Erik. They were celebrating a re-opening after a long renovation and it was the opening of the big portrait competition, which I entered this year. I did a portrait of Asha in only two weeks. It was very intense. I even made a…
Read MoreGenealogies and Frederick Hart
When I was at Jubilee 2012 this past February, I had the privilege of speaking with David Gruesel, the architect best known for his work on PNC Park in Pittsburgh. One of the things we discussed was the reality of being classically-trained, but still interested in making work that speaks to a people in a…
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