When we were preparing our goods for shipping to Australia, we learned the customs rules and talked with our shippers. We realised we couldn’t ship any wood which hadn’t been manufactured in controlled factories or by registered carpenters. When we asked Stef to frame Earth Mother in raw oak, we didn’t realise way back then that we were banning her from Australia! As she had travelled with us in the Spirit Justice tour, a name from Aberdeen kept popping into my head. We’d seen him watching her. This is from Aberdeen’s Methodist minister, now serving in North Wales. James says:
“Earth Mother hangs opposite my desk in my study. She is a constant reminder of the wonderful ecumenical cooperation between Aberdeen Methodist Church and the Aberdeen URC congregation in hosting your Spirit Justice exhibition in July 2024. It is a reminder of the working relationships that developed, of the conversations that this (and other) paintings inspired, and of the way you described your calling as a ‘visual theologian.’ This really helped me in my thinking about the role of creativity in church life (with my particular interest in music).
What first caught my eye about Earth Mother was her likeness to my daughter, particularly as the maelstrom of creation is cradled in her arms in a way reminiscent of my daughter holding her daughter. The facial expression, to me, expresses a subtle mix of tenderness and concern. It is, I suppose, a prayerful look.
What I find most powerful about the picture (as in a number of your Spirit Justice paintings) is the juxtaposition of canvass and frame. The swirling circle of creation contrasts with the solid rectangle of the rough-wood frame. The softness of the figure and its colour likewise forms a marked contrast with its surround. And the way in which the canvass sits on glass within the frame is wonderful in the way that it is both transparent and reflective. We see Earth Mother drawn into the context of our surroundings, just as we are drawn into the swirl of creation, to be held in tender, prayerful concern.
What has surprised me about the picture in hanging it here, compared with how I saw it in the exhibition, is how dark the tones are. I haven’t been able to find a place where the light really works as I would like it to, and so have to look quite closely at the picture to see the detail. Again, it is the darkness of the shadows in contrast with the lightness of the expression on the woman’s face that speaks so powerfully to me of hope.”
I’m delighted that she has such a home. Here is my description of Earth Mother.
