"All Things New (Revelation 21:1-7)"

This image is from the first edition of prints made during an Independent Study into Gelatin Printmaking through Washburn University.  I was initially uncertain about the direction of the artworks I would create for the 90 hours of studio time required for the course.  My life had been incredibly hectic for the past several months with numerous responsibilities from my job, family, and church all seemingly converging at once.  There have been times I’ve felt completely overwhelmed by the busyness of all my different schedules.  And when I start to feel that scattered and distracted, I don’t think I’m as successful in any of my various roles: Disciple, Husband, Father, or Teacher.

It was in reflecting upon all of this that I was inspired for a new series of artworks. I thought about the fact that my faith in Jesus is the anchor that keeps me steady when life becomes so stressful.  And when I am feeling helplessly frazzled, it is the promises of Scripture that I focus on to help calm the storms of my heart and mind.   I was inspired to create a series of artworks inspired by the promises of God that are meant to give us hope.

This series is entitled “All Things New” and is inspired by one of my favorite promises in the whole Bible, Revelation 21:1-7. These verses are centered on the promise of our future life in Heaven with the living God. Verse 3 ensures us, “..the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”  We are comforted in verse 4 when we are told that, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”  How I look forward to this future peace when I am feeling consumed by the frustrations of this present world. The prints were named after the statement made in verse 5, “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new”. And when I’m feeling despaired about life in this broken and sinful world, I cling to the final promise in verse 7, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

Even though life can be overwhelming sometimes, we can overcome it with the help of Jesus Christ who defeated death upon our behalf.  We can be confident that our circumstances will not always be this way. We can look forward and anticipate the day when all things will be new. These prints seek to capture the joy and peace of that expectant hope.

Each of these prints is a monotype, meaning an original, one-of-a-kind image, printed off of a gelatin plate. Obviously, all of the prints in the edition are essentially the same composition; however, each one has its own unique qualities.  Many of them have been slightly embellished with colored pencils afterwards to sharpen and emphasize various details.They are each approximately 8" x 11" and  are protected in an 11" x 14" white mat, which is a standard frame size.  They are also available framed behind glass in a handmade poplar wood frame with a natural finish.

$75 Matted : $100 Matted & Framed