ART & PHOTOGRAPHY
Valley of the Shadow
Artist Description of ‘Valley of Shadow’
This painting explores the depths of the 23rd Psalm. The honesty of the Psalms is a balm to my soul in difficult times. I painted this when going through a particularly difficult season of my life where I felt abandoned by God. I clung to the promise at the end of the Psalm: “goodness and mercy shall follow me … and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Tetelestai
Artist Description of ‘Tetelestai’
There is profound beauty in our humanity. As we strive to create into and mend our beautiful and fractured world, we are not immune to the hardships of life. There have been times in my life where I felt stuck and would cry out to God for help, only to be met with what feels like a vast silence. That silence feels like a foggy sky—devoid of color and form and direction. Silent and grey. But God is with us in our struggle, and He Himself knows intimately our pains. Not only that but He carries us through them and brings us to a bright future filled with hope and joy. In this painting, I have expressed what it feels like to live in that season of hardship, alive to the struggle yet covered by grace and hope.
Cathedral of the Night
Artist Description of ‘Cathedral of the Night’
“More numerous than the stars in the sky,” the book of Genesis says in reference to the promised descendants of Abraham. Gazing up into the California night sky each night, I am reminded of my place in God’s Kingdom. His promises of goodness never fading. The celestial cathedral that wheels overhead exists as a constant reminder of His love.
Jeff Johnson paints out of his sense of wonder for the world around him. His paintings are known for being shot through with coursing light and drizzled with vivid color. Jeff’s work does not brush over the difficulties and pain of life with a sappy representation of perfection. Instead he expresses his sense of wonder through a lens of hope and redemption for the world.
Next (Maura H. Harrison) >
< Previous (Kim Furst)
Images are courtesy of the artist. All rights reserved.
Heart of Flesh Literary Journal 