THE PROCESS of EMMAUS

When you see a painting in a show or gallery, you see just that.

Not what was involved in what led up to the image.

most of the big oil paintings do have a story - 

and it's not something I make up!

With this painting I started out to have a gate opened and a roof line. 

Something interesting was that the sun shone through the painting 

as I had it propped up against a couch to look at it. 

You see that the sun's reflection also fell on several art papers behind it..

At first I had the vague idea for a gate to go through

with in the distance the cross. 

Then I remembered the story of two people on the way to Emmaus, 

talking about the recent events of Jesus accused of treason 

getting the death penalty. In those days it was not the electric chair,

 but being nailed to a wooden cross.  

A third person joined them.
  

Just for fun a detail with a photoshop filter of "blur" and" texture." 

 which makes it look like iconic art work of the early Middle Ages. 
The pointed line changed more to that of an arch.

For Photo Art Friday

I usually do not paint with gold, silver, or glitter,
but felt the gold would highlight  

the meaning of 
the gate of redemption. 
Below is how the painting looks now (in reality). 

The Story ends with their arrival in the town of Emmaus. 

The original two urged the third for a meal,

They were impressed with his knowledge
of what should have happened 

according to their "Law and the Prophets"
passed down from generations. 

 During the meal he disappears in front of their eyes.

Then they knew that he was the one who had been on that cross, 

died and became alive after 3 days. And they said to each other, 

"Wasn't our heart burning when he explained it all to us?"

Am always chuckling about that sentence -
that's easy to say afterwards, isn't it?

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The Escape

The Escape Oil, StGermain

NOTES

It took me a while before I found a way to put this story on canvas. 

The flood light effect puts the scene at night. 

Rahab took a big risk to help these two spies 

get over the wall

With this painting the eye goes straight to the top of the canvas.

By the way, the shadows of Joshua and Caleb are
painted on the wall -it's not a texture or a blurry pic

I painted every brick (also in the dark parts). 

This might be a Western interpretation. 

I don't know if they used bricks in this pattern 

on an outside wall of a city in that time.

Then, I put dry paint over some 
of the bricks (painters call this drybrush), 
to give it that faded look. It's not a digital texture:)

 .

Am not sure, but think only people who visited my house have seen this painting. 
It hasn't been on an exhibit, an art event, or on one of my blogs yet. 
So, you my bloggie friends are the first!



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THE CROSSING

NOTES

Always risk involved in crossing

will I like it or

hate the new?

Some of my paintings are inspired

by daily events.

This one by my daughter wading in the river with a big stick

in Yosemite Nat. Park

For the background I choose a spot

at the N. entrance of that park

at 9000 feet,  these 2 rows of trees

were breathing pure air

Once 12 tribes crossed the river Jordan

the only promise they had was

a land of milk and honey

a symbolic event for the journey

to heaven's city

as I vaguely indicated on the right top

I choose a night setting

indicating the risk and being in the dark

about what was to come once they crossed.

Once we cross into 2013,

I hope it will soon become clear

what kind of year it will be

of course, there are those unexpected surprises

I hope they'll be the good kind:)

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This or That
Sky Watch
 

ESCAPE to SAFETY "Don't Look Back, Mary..."

My initial caption for this painting was "Don't Look Back, Mary."

NOTES

Every year around Christmas time

I paint a small 9 x 12 inch part

of the Christmas story

to remind myself where my gift comes from.

This is the Flight to Egypt,

when Mary and Joseph heard

about the evil plan of king Herod

to kill all baby boys under 2 years old.

As new parents they must have been

so scared and worried

to bring their baby to safety.

I pray for the parents who are grieving

that they couldn't protect their child

from a crazed person.

How interesting that this year

there is an evil government

in Egypt who kills at will,

right now this title would have been

"Escape from Egypt" 

No easy answers  in a sin-filled world

we have only hope for tomorrow

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This or That

OIL TO SELL

For Artistique   For This or That  For Orange Friday   For Green Day
For Pink Saturday  For Mellow Yellow Monday
For Our World
For ABC-R

© Oil to Sell, 24 x 30, Oil, St Germain

Notes

this was painted right after I was in
 the Netherlands last year(2011) last year. 

Definitely can see the influence of W-Eur. 

in how I handled the subject matter. 

Colors are much brighter than usual. The red hot big jar central
to signify all the feelings red bring up: soaring energie, passion,
and more such things
the approach here is more 2-dimensional.

Still remember that I even felt different 
about the world and life -
how in Holland there are more provisions 
for widows, orphans, and the poor 
than here in the US..

When I was making my Christmas List of presents 
for my children and grand children
a feeling of thankfulness swept over me
Even in my student time
we never went a day without food or a place to live

and when things got easier, I discovered
the more generous I was to others,
the more I got back!
Mind boggling, it was not even "paying it forward!"

Hopefully you won't forget the needy in the upcoming holidays
even if it's only a batch of cookies 
or a cup of coffee to someone who lives on the street.

When you're curious about the story,
this is the widow with two kids  
who pleaded with the prophet,
whose group her late husband had been a part of,
that she didn't know what to do!

He told her to gather all the jars she could find,
including those of the neighbors
then to pour the little oil into all the jars.
The oil kept on pouring till all the jars were full
and she could sell the oil for her living expenses.
Cool, eh?

 

N.B. HELP!! Having several comments in Spanish, but I  don't know how to get a translation to English for pop-up comments in another language. If someone knows, please write me! Thanks a million!

 

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PROMISE OF A NEW LIFE

For This and That

For Green Day

For Sky Watch

For Mellow Yellow Monday 

For Our World

NOTES

As a painter

you want to capture it all

in one gesture.

that takes you to the past,

present, and future.

In my more usual style

some of it with broken rays of light*

so, technically it would be called

a transitional piece.

Not, because I can't make up my mind

but I do anything to get my point across.

Breaking the rules:

Away with "say one thing in a picture" (this time:) )

Since I painted this for people in a large room

I emphasized the edges of the dove.

Later, I may decide to soften them

People in that time became as old as some 860 years,

so I don't know ifone would  have gray hair 

at 600.

Green is symbolic for new life.

Who is this about?

Noah

the man who endured gossip

no doubt, being mocked

who knows, even harrassment.

All because

God told him a boat in a century of drought

It took him a hundred years

Finally when it was finished

they loaded two of each animal in the ark

I wonder, the fish too?

150  days of rain pelting on your roof cannot be a pleasure!

Still, they had to wait another 47 days

in cramped quarters

before the dove came

with an olive branch,

the promise of a new earth 

a new life

I have a friend that has 2 science awards

who went to mount Ararat 5 times

A place so high that the snow does not melt in the summer.

The Turks are not very fond of people giving access,

so he had to rely on people from that local area. 

Hubby and I saw a TV documentary

(with shots taken from a plane of the actual ark

that looks like an oblong box)

how they built it, etc.

Mathematically and architecturally

they say the measurements are perfect

to withstand that kind of a flood. 

Several stories exist of "a big flood"

but as far as I know this has been

the only one documented with 

something substantial that withstood that flood.

&&&

* one could compare this technique as an enlarged version of what Van Gogh did

 with his dots to represent light.

WAVES OF REPOSITIONING

Refers to blog Artistique, post Artsy Moments in 2012 (Sept. 2012)
For Alphabe -Q  For This and That  For Sky Watch  For Orange -Friday
For Mellow Yellow Monday
For Mandarin Orange Monday
For Our World 
For ABC - J

Didn't know my comment moderation was on - I put it off now:)

Waves of Repositioning, 36 x 36 inch, Oil, ©St Germain

Waited a long time to post this painting anywhere

because so much meaning is wrapped up in here. 

Since the recession in 2008 so many of us 

were involuntarily repositioned - myself included.

This is what it felt like to me -
jolts and waves 
on different levels of society
nothing was sure anymore
the earth tilted
changing of the guard
the choice was urgent
to go on this train of change
or not 
not exactly a quiet place

Now this painting hangs in my hall
to remind myself
not to take anything good in my life 
for granted!
















PS. If you like a print any size (paper or canvas), please write me at Jeannette.Coevorden1@yahoo.com

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