Easter Crosses, Glorious Reminders of Life and Love

Easter to me is the most precious day of the year. It’s the day the first believers discovered the tomb was empty, after Jesus had suffered and died on the cross and had been put inside it three days earlier.  Easter is a day to thank God, who had enough love for us to allow his son to be executed to cover our sins.  It was the only price great enough to allow us, imperfect people to connect with God, Holy, Perfect, Loving, All Knowing God.  Depending on the pain and experiences humans have had during their trek through life here on earth, the cross can symbolize different things, some of them negative, especially if one only knows part of the story.  I know the end of the story.  The same resurrection power that raised Christ from the depths of the tomb  is waiting for me when my journey here on earth ends.  So, to me, the cross is not a symbol of death or pain, it is a glorious reminder of life and love.  I celebrate that here with these colorful Easter crosses.   

Acrylic Collage Easter Crosses
Various sizes, between 8" and 16" tall

“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 NASB

 The crosses are all made of wood.  To make them I painted the back's black and on some of them had to attach a nail hanger.  The fronts are done with a collage of actual dried acrylic paint that I peeled off my palates and saved.  The palate paint would have other wise just been thrown away and wasted, but instead, I have given it new life.  I used Mixed Media adhesive as the medium which is very messy, but the end result is a smooth shiney finish that really makes the colors pop.  Enjoy!

Blue Cross on Red Acrylic Collage

Blue Cross on Red
by Cheryl Harris White
Acrylic Collage on Canvas
16" x 20" 




This is the largest acrylic collage piece I've done so far.  It took a long time.  I will be teaching an art class at my church this month and showing people how to do this, but on a smaller scale.  More info is on the church website go to adult ministries tab, then choose studies and classes at the top of the left column...then scroll down to Wednesday night class information.  

Three Crosses: A story told in Art

Luke 23:32-43 gives us the account of the crucifiction of Christ between two thieves. I was inspired to create three crosses illustrating this.  One of the robbers was drawn toward Christ, the other rejected him.  The cross on the left illustrates the bitter robber, visually leaning away, almost repelled by Jesus.  The center cross represents Christ, and the cross to the right is for the forgiven sinner.  I added bright golden yellow bits of light on his cross forshadowing his entrance into paradise after his life here was finished.

Set of 3 Crosses
$50.00

³² Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. ³³When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

 ³⁵ The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”

 ³⁶ The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar ³⁷ and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

 ³⁸ There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

The Bitter Robber
by Cheryl Harris White
Acrylic Collage on Canvas
8" x 8"

³⁹ One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

Messiah

by Cheryl Harris White

Acrylic Collage on Canvas

8" x 8"

⁴⁰ But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹ We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

 ⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

 ⁴³ Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The Forgiven Sinner

by Cheryl Harris White

Acrylic Collage on Canvas

8" x 8"

Nine Crosses

Ta Daaaa!!!  Here is a nice arrangement of the crosses from the last two weeks.  I LOVE IT!  Isn't color amazing?   It is such  a gift to have and be able to play with.    I didn't even really plan this, but as I was working on this I was moving them around a bit and when I was done, I realized I had created this pattern without even trying.  I noticed the cool colors are on the corners and the warms are forming a cross shape with my favorite one in the middle!  Which is your favorite?


I'll be back Monday with more paintings and thoughts... Have a great weekend!  Cheryl

It is Finished

 This shows a progression of one  piece from the beginning to the end.


A question  often put to artists is , "How do you know when a painting is done?"  For me, I know it is finished when I am satisfied with it.  


When I got the idea to post several pictures of a cross in progress, I thought of the words Jesus spoke on the cross.  "It is finished."  and it hit me.  When Jesus spoke that it was like saying that God is satisfied with the work Jesus had done here on earth.  He had come to do what He was meant to do, and that was to overcome sin and death.  The sacrifice for our sins was complete and the work of redemption was done.     

It Is Finished
by Cheryl Harris White
Acrylic Collage
4" x 3"

Upcoming Workshop

Mini Green on Orange
by Cheryl Harris White
Acrylic Collage
4" x 5"

These are  mini size crosses I am experimenting with. This is a possible project for an art workshop I will be coordinating coming up in April.  These are small, just 4" x 5" but made with the same technique as last week's larger crosses and look really cute just tucked in on a book shelf. 


The workshop I am planning is part of the women's weekend coming up at CBC called "Spiritual Arts" CBC Girlfriends Getaway and it is scheduled for April 29th and 30th, 2011.  Registration info is on the Women's Ministry tab on the CBC website.  I hope to see some of you there.  

and Grace

So, continuing the Les Mis thoughts from yesterday...  Grace is a gift freely given and undeserved.  This is what the priest did for the convict in that moment when he stood accused, surrounded by the soldiers in the garden...Jean Val Jean was reminded that he was now a new man...and it changed him forever.  It's a beautiful story of Mercy and Grace.


Grace is like it, but more curved.  I liked the bright colors on the blue background.  

Ephesians 2:8-9 

⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  




    

Grace
by Cheryl Harris White
Acrylic Collage
8 1/2 x 11"

Mercy

Les Miserables is one of my favorite stories.  I've read the book, seen the movie starring Liam Neeson and seen the broadway stage production.  The story unfolds the most amazing illustration between law and grace I have ever encountered.  My favorite moment  in the movie is at the very beginning when the priest extends mercy to the main character Jean Val Jean.  It changed him forever.  Grace undeserved and without measure.  I thought about mercy and grace when I did these next two crosses.

Mercy
by Cheryl Harris White
8 1/2 x 11"
Acrylic Collage

The Greatest of These is Love

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
I Corinthians 13:13
Why does it say in I Corinthians that the greatest of these is love? I'm not a theologian, but I think it is because People are so important to God, and love is something we can do right now among each other.  I also think this is the hardest one, of the three listed here, to do.  Faith and hope are wonderful, but if you really want to try something great, try loving someone else the same way God loves us.  That is quite a challenge.  

I've met a few "difficult to love" type people through the years.   Sometimes it feels like trying to hug a porcupine, just being around them.  One time I was around a prickly porcupine type of woman on a weekly basis.  Her words were like poison aimed with precision into the hearts of anyone around her.  I resigned myself to expect her to hurt my feelings in some way each week I saw her, and week after week she did not disappointed.  I was actually proud of myself each time an encounter with her was over and I had succeeded in never telling her off or putting her in her place.  I thought I was doing well to just not return her sarcastic comments.  I realized later, I didn't really accomplish anything great doing this though. This wasn't really loving her, it was just enduring her.   I had avoided conflict, kept the peace, maintained my own self control and learned a lot about resisting temptation and holding my tongue... but I never really LOVED her.  I don't know for sure, but this may be why LOVE is the greatest one on the list.  It's really difficult to do. 


And  just think... God extended this kind of difficult, unconditional love to us without measure.   It is us, humanity, who are the prickly ones.  It was painful for Christ to love us, but he did it anyway.  Amazing. I am in awe of this kind of love.  It is too GREAT to comprehend.

Love

by Cheryl  Harris White

Acrylic Collage on Canvas

81/2" x 11"

Hope

Hope
by Cheryl Harris White

Acrylic Collage

81/2" x 11"

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 

Faith

   

Have you ever really thought about faith? It's mind boggling.  What is it really?  Just believing? In something?  In what?  I hear the word used in conversations where it could be interchanged with the words "positive thinking"...like in the phrase "have faith" meaning "believe in yourself and you can do it."  I've seen it defined as believing that something is true without seeing it...that just sounds foolish really.  I've also heard it illustrated with a chair analogy...if you go up to a chair you have never sat in before, and just sit down without examining it first, that is supposed to illustrate that you have faith that the chair will hold you up.  I have a problem with this one, because unless your name is Goldilocks, you have probably had a pretty positive experience with sturdy well built chairs.  Also, the fall from the height of a chair to the ground is not that far.  I know, because I've done it before, and all that happened was a little soreness and embarrassment.  It was pretty funny actually, but that's another story.  


Faith is different.  I've never seen God in human form, lying in a manger.  Nor, an innocent man hang on a cross, raise from the dead and ascend to heaven...but I believe Jesus did those things.  I've never seen a transaction between God and Satan where Jesus' sacrifice paid off the debts I owed, but I know that happened as well.  I've never seen God crack the sky open and carry someone to heaven, but I am confident that will happen to me someday.  This is my faith.

While I'm at it, lets go one step further...If you were raised anything like me, having faith that God  is God, is a non-issue.  It is pretty easy for most of us to believe God is REAL.  I think what we all seem to struggle with from time to time, myself included, is believing that God is GOOD, when everything around us is going wrong.  That's the rub... where I really start having to exercise my "faith muscles" and have to pluck up the courage to ask the tough questions...This is where faith really gets hard and messy.  I thought about all these things while I painted this.

Faith
by Cheryl Harris White
Acrylic Collage on Canvas
8 1/2" x 11"

Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Peace

I've been working on some crosses this week that I'll be posting for you all.  I spent my whole afternoon Sunday after getting home from church just painting.  I REALLY LOVE PAINTING ON SUNDAY!  It seems to just be a natural response for me after a worship service.   I love working with color and texture.  They were done with a combination of acrylic paint on canvas and collage done with dried acrylic paint.  The hardest part about doing these, was cleaning up the mess afterwards and how much time each one took...but I loved every minute of it. I called this first one Peace!  I like how the green background really contrasts so well with the bright colors in the cross. I'm working on more of these in different colors, and I'll probably post one a day this week.  Stay tuned!

Peace
by Cheryl Harris White
Acrylic Collage on Canvas
8 1/2" x 11"

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.