What does your life smell like?

What is the purpose of art for the believer? What does art have to do with the calling of Christ?

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
John 12:2-4

I want to be a Christian artist, I want to glorify God with my art.
How do I do this? Always put a cross in my art? Only make art that can be sold in Christian bookstores? Does it have to be practical?

Look at the story: was Mary being practical? This was an act of abandonment. This was an act of pure non-self-consciousness.

When you do this… make your art in an unselfconscious way for the glory of Christ, expect criticism, from yourself, even from other “brothers and sisters”

Fragrance: is not really a practical thing. It scents the air… some people like it, some are offended.

Have you ever been hugged by someone who was wearing strong fragrance? It gets on you and you smell it the rest of the day.

In Christ God has hugged us. We have His fragrance on us.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.
2 Corinthians 2:13-15

For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
2 Corinthians 2:14-16

To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?
2 Corinthians 2:15-17

Let your art and your life be the fragrance of God.

Chicken for Illustration Friday

A reduction woodcut print for Illustration Friday I call this one "No Spring Chicken"

Monotype print

Monotype print that I did as a demo for my printmaking class.

New woodcut print

Fragrant offering. Woodcut print aprox. 5"x5"

New woodcut

Recent woodcut of a friend of mine who is now a Franciscan friar.

New Woodcut for Christmas

Just finished a new cut... hot off the press! This one is just in time for Christmas. If you are interested in purchasing one (or more) I am offering them here for the low holiday price of $10 + shipping. I'll knock it down to $8 if you purchase five or more. Email me for more info.

More Progress on Big Painting

Here is a recent pic of the progress I made on the big painting I started last week. Going to put a glaze over this and see what happens next. I love what Peter Max says about painting: "The only thing I expect when I approach a canvas is to be surprised."