New art can be birthed in a variety of ways. Direction can come from a dream or vision, natural beauty, the work of other creatives or a combination of things. In this case, a new series of paintings has been created through the colliding of multiple ideas, philosophies, observations and images.
You may find viewing the collection at the bottom of this page more enjoyable & enriching if you walk with me through the various inspirations and elements shared here.
Blessings, my friends!
Collection INSPIRATION
The Monk by the Sea by Caspar David Friedrich – oil on canvas – 1809
The Romantic Era saw the birth of the landscape painting infused with spiritual meaning of which this work by Casper David Friedrich is a fine example. Both this image and the concept of landscapes which convey spiritual truths lay the foundation of my new collection, The Good Way. One of the series’ four pieces, South to the Sea, pays homage to Friedrich’s masterpiece.
Gardener’s Art Through the Ages says it so well…
For Friedrich, landscapes were temples; his paintings themselves were altarpieces. His reverential mood demands from the viewer the silence appropriate to sacred spaces filled with divine presence.
Unknown – oil on wood panel
Growing up this painting hung in my grandparent’s home. I have always loved it and it hangs now in my study where I see it every day. My family knows very little about this piece. We don’t know who painted it or when exactly. We just know it’s old and still quite lovely.
It is one of the art pieces in my home that gives me life. Maybe it’s the calm feeling it exudes. Maybe it’s the idea of it… a world of quiet beauty. Even though it once sparkled with vibrant color, I like the fact that the varnish has darkened. The paint beneath has crackled also. For me, in it’s worn and weathered state it stands as a symbol of life actually.
Unknown – oil on canvas
On the same wall in my study hangs this piece. It is an unframed and battered painting I bought for $3 at the thrift store. It’s the work of a talented but amateur artist. There are some areas that are well executed and other areas that look as though they are incomplete or had become a struggle and were left.
It is that pink glow just on the horizon that draws me into this natural world. There is immense beauty here even when it’s not all perfection.
My piece, West to the Stream, is my own version of this painting. I did not hold myself to strict standards of realism while I was working on it. I let myself just be an average painter… because average is real.
The Holy Way (vision of Isaiah 34-35) by Michelle L Hofer – 22 x 28 inches – mixed media on birch wood panel – 2011
The piece above has been calling to me to create something like it again. The Holy Way is a visual for the picture painted in the text of Isaiah 34-35 — first a judgment on the land Edom and then a glorious new land featuring a sacred highway through a place where God’s goodness brings new life and magnificent beauty.
Edom’s fiery judgment will burn day and night for all time;
the smoke from it will ascend forever.
For generations to come it will be a wasteland,
and no person will make it their home ever again.
Desert owls and screech owls, great owls and ravens
will take up residence in that bleak place.
When God measures the land,
desolation will be its width and chaos will mark its length.
The land will be known as No Kingdom.
No nobles are there to name a king.
Its line of princes will cease.
Owls of all sorts will take up habitation there,
nesting and laying their eggs.
They will hatch their young and cover them beneath their wings.
Vultures and their mates will gather there.
You can look for it and read all about it in the book of the Eternal One.
None of these creatures will be missing and none will lack a mate
Because The Voice has given the order
and The Spirit has gathered them in that place.
God has determined where they should live;
God has handed it over to them and it will be theirs for all time.
They will live there, one generation after the next, forever.
— Isaiah 34:10-12,15-17*
It will happen! The deserts will come alive with new growth budding and blooming,
singing and celebrating with sheer delight.
The glory of Lebanon’s cedars and the majesty of Carmel and Sharon
will spill over to the deserts.
The glory of the Eternal One will be on full display there,
and they will revel in the majestic splendor of our God.
Then, such healing, such repair: the eyes of the blind will be opened;
the ears of the deaf will be clear.
The lame will leap like deer excited;
they will run and jump tirelessly and gracefully.
The stutterer, the stammerer, and the tongue of the mute
will sing out loud and clear in joyful song.
Waters will pour through the deserts;
streams will flow in godforsaken lands.
Burning sands and hardened wastelands will become pools, shimmering with life;
the thirsty ground will drink deep from refreshing springs.
Abandoned villages where predators once lurked will become grassy playgrounds.
Dry, arid land will turn lush and green.
And the road to this happy renovation will be clearly signed.
People will declare the way itself to be holy—the route, “sacred.”
An aura of joy never-ending will attend them;
they will clasp gladness and joy to their hearts,
While sadness and despair evaporate into thin air.
— Isaiah 35:2,5-6,8,10*
*Texts are selective only for space reasons and are adapted from the VOICE translation . I highly recommend reading both chapters in full.
Collection ELEMENTS
A raven figure — We are accustomed to seeing these creatures as bad omens… something is going to happen and it ain’t gonna be good. I’ve done a lot of art centered on ravens especially Elijah’s raven — the raven bringing Elijah bread in the desert. Ravens hold a lot of personal symbolism for me. They represent Divine provision in our most vulnerable times. So while they may signal a treacherous path ahead, they also serve as a sign of assurance. The Good Way is more often than not the path fraught with difficulty… but we are not without hope, friends.
Blackened foreground with path — The mistake made all too often is believing the Good Way equals the easy way or the pain-free way. We want the green pastures and still waters without the shadow of the valley of death. It’s a cultural practice to avoid pain at all costs. If we do run into some sort of trouble (which we are guaranteed to experience)… we must shield others from the our pain. “Good vibes only!” This, as you may well know, friends, is not possible or healthy and is never anything the Divine has promised us or asked of us in this life. Drawn in charcoal and acrylic ink on the bare wood are the difficult parts of the journey. They represent the loneliness and despair that is often the experience… EVEN along the Good Way.
Full color background — All of life’s treasures and glories, the laughter, love, joy and tenderness, the good times, the things for which we are grateful, the peace that comes in the simple moments — the thousands upon thousands of micro blessings poured over us — this “life to the full” is represented in colorful scenic wonder.
Pink glow — There is one color out of all the paints on my cart that feels very much like a dear friend… it is known formally as fluorescent magenta, but you may be familiar with it’s common name: hot pink. For me, this is the color of hope. Considered both a warm color and a cool color, it holds both joyful anticipation with longing. In small doses it can be highly motivating, but too much will cause sensory overwhelm. I’ve put a bit of vibrant pink into each Good Way piece to inspire, to turn our thoughts to what is promised us by our Divine Parent. Julian of Norwich says it like this…
All shall be well,
and all shall be well
and all manner of thing shall be well…
He said not “Thou shalt not be tempested,
thou shalt not be travailed,
thou shalt not be dis-eased”;
but he said, “Thou shalt not be overcome.” — Julian of Norwich
Final coat — Paintings on canvas or wood panel are typically finished with a coat of varnish. The top coat would also be necessary for preserving the charcoal areas. In this instance, I chose to bypass the standard high quality archival varnish that will usually not yellow and can be easily removed/reapplied. Instead, I coated each of the four paintings with a tinted furniture varnish and then two coats of floor grade polyurethane. I want these pieces to age and darken like the painting from my grandparents.
Crackled paint — Ah, the adventure of mixing materials can sometimes get exciting! The finishes I applied (because they are meant for uses other than my project) caused the paint to crackle in certain places. This was unexpected and a bit terrifying. All I could do was watch the chemical reaction happening – the paint bubbling and splitting under the varnish in certain places. It takes decades for this to happen on an oil painting. Now I can say I am happy for this little occurance – it adds to the aged look I was hoping for.
The GOOD WAY Collection
East to the Woods
mixed media on basswood panel, 12 x 12 inches
2021
West to the Stream
mixed media on basswood panel, 12 x 12 inches
2021
North to the Mountains
mixed media on basswood panel, 12 x 12 inches
2021
South to the Sea
mixed media on basswood panel, 12 x 12 inches