From closed to open and welcoming; here are hands from a moment in a large digital painting for worship to be revealed at the United Reformed Church General Assembly which starts at the end of this month. Other moments note generostity, gathering, prayer, connecting and so much more. Do look out for them all if you are there and come back here at the beginning of July to see the whole thing.
Watch this space - Exhibition works releasing for sale
It’s time. This small human begins to grin, realising that I’ve only just noticed I have to do this.
After many years (eons?) I’ve saved back some of my paintings for exhibitions only. I shape my exhibitions around conversations I hope may happen from them and therefore save a good number of my paintings for such chatting. Now that I have an excellent fine art printer, I have given myself permission to exhibit a painting quality print rather than an original for the sake of such conversations. Over this year and next, I will now be releasing a painting or two every month for sale. My appeal to you if you would like to buy one is to imagine it living in a space where people can have conversations from it. They somehow support very difficult conversations in spaces which feel safe because my images don’t blast you, but gently suggest a variety of viewpoints. Think hospices, retreat centres, community spaces, faith based buildings, counselling centres and more. Could a conversation piece on the wall help the work you do? Watch this space.
Open Table and Cathedrals
I am delighted to announce that EGK Art has joined forces with the Open Table Network and will be holding exhibitions in Cathedrals and town centre Churches over 2023 and 2024. February 2024, LGBTQ+ History Month, we are booked with Coventry Cathedral.
The Open Table Network exists to encouage welcoming church spaces for members and allies of people who identify as LGBTQ+. We decided to work together because we share a commitment to inclusivity in the name of God. We a have chosen city centre locations because they attract tourists who visit Cathedrals and notable buildings. Such visitor attractions are an ideal place to show via my artwork that inclusivity is possible, imaginable even, and shows up in images depicting God topics. If visitors can literally see people in gatherings with no barriers, it may be possible for them to a) begin to see that not all Christianity is exclusive to a few, and b) perhaps start believing the Gospel of wide ranging love.
Our relationship is that the exhibits are of my work, and 40% of sales from the exhibition (originals and ordered prints of any work sold because people learned of it from the exhibtion) will be given to the OTN. Some prints and cards will be sold by the Cathedrals or Churches so that they also can reimburse their own costs. If you worship in, or know of a city centre Church or Cathedral and would be interested in talking with us, please use my contact page to get in touch with me.
One of the paintings which will always be on display (the original or a print if the original is sold) is Nativity Tancred, looking at you from this page. He’ll have his own page in due course!
Setting up for photo shoot
It’s a nice bright clear day for a photshoot. Nativity Tancred is getting ready for his Cathedrals tour, but we haven't captured his image since his temple chest started filling with people. The Unfolding hasn’t made it to a digital life yet and we need to capture this moment. Today's the day!
Busy studio day
Enhanced Giclee print on the drawing table to big work to be completed with brass poles for Cathedral exhibition to illustrations on Lily (Surface Studio) for NHS book…a very happy E! I’ll let you know when you can buy/see/view any of them.
New phase - new art
Acrylics Elizabeth? Aren’t you an only an oil painter? Yes…but. Our fine art printer and we had a fabulous conversation last week. I’m going to be branching out into my paintings in whole or in details from, printed in a fine art way onto canvas, then I’m going to embellish them with paint. Acrylic settles with the ink better than oil and when varnished, is a fabulous new original. The good news for all of you is that it brings the prices down for an EGK canvas. I’m excited to get stuck in! Very.
Three Ages of human
When I have time, thoughts arrive. I had time today to notice what I see as three stages of becoming fully human.
First Age (0 - 35): Be born; grow up physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually, learn to connect with people, places and planet; become an adult in society.
Second age (35 - 70): become self, develop knowledge and skills aligned to deep self, become authentic in society, connect with communities
Third Age (70+): thrive, learn, contribute, travel to body's end
I may write more about this. I may not. The thoughts arrived as I was imagining how I would describe my increasingly thin flesh to my grandchildren. It’s later Second Age skin. It’s a simple description, not a descriptor of longevity. The ages I’ve given for each bracket are based on my observations in my Second Age. And, like many development stages in other arenas of life, the change from one state to another is not as neat as the categories suggest. I notice those who have never reached Second Age and those in in their Third Age earlier than others. Good.
People, red people, purple people, green people, orange people, groups of people, multicoloured people