All Creation Praises (2010 Commissioned Sculpture for Hildegard Center for the Arts official launch event)
Glass mosaic; 8' x 6' x 2 1/2'
Current Location: Lincoln, NE (former city hall building on 10th and O street)
Description
“All Creation Praises” represents Hildegard’s conviction that all things were created by God and that man was the pinnacle of the design to enjoy and reign over the rest of creation. Man’s hierarchy is represented by the figure of the sculpture which contains every color of glass used throughout the work. The human form also contains mirrored glass which serves to represent man being made in the image of God and reflecting His light. Each “tile” on the sculpture is a reminder that God didn’t just leave His creation to fail, but provided a redemptive plan and is currently in the business of recreating everything piece by piece. I hope the work will evoke awe and reflection on the One who made it all and ultimately give Him the Glory. This is not a work accomplished by human hands, but by the joint effort of the Father and one of His children. May all creation give Him PRAISE!
Story behind the work:
When asked to create a signature piece for the Hildegard event, I immediately thought I’d do a painting which is the medium I usually work in. As I thought about the work I began to question how I was going to create a piece that referenced Hildegard but ultimately gave glory to God and pointed others to Him. I had never used a saint as a basis for work before, so I researched Hildegard’s life, her beliefs, and what she was known for. When I read of her convictions on creation, I knew that was the path to take. With this knowledge, I went to the scriptures and meditated on the Genesis account of creation. Through this study and some divine appointments, I was inspired to create a mosaic sculpture covered with glass. The vision for this project immediately became beyond my capabilities as I had only minor experience in this type of sculpture. God reminded me that He is able, and we began the journey of co-creating. God provided an amazingly warm week in April in which the entire structure was built including all the detachable pieces. Almost everything was constructed with materials I had on hand. God seemed to be taking the “discards” and making them something new which was exciting for me. After the structure was complete, I began to purchase glass scraps in the colors I had decided on: blues for water, greens for vegetation, yellows, reds, and purples for flowers, and four colors for the fish. I then chose to make the figure contain all the colors to represent Hildegard’s thought that man was the pinnacle of God’s creation and made to enjoy and reign over it. The mirror on the figure serves to represent humans as being made in God’s image. We imitate Him in the way we were created and we also have the opportunity to reflect His light in the way we choose to live our lives. Each of the flowers, fish, and figure are removable from the base for transportation purposes and were designed this way from the beginning. As I placed each glass piece on the sculpture, I was reminded how God not only created us, but continues to take the broken discarded pieces of our lives and uses them to rebuild us for His glory. I hope viewers will find a sense of awe in the work that will give honor and glory to the One who created it all. This is not a work that I accomplished on my own; it was only through His hands that it was completed. May all His creation, including us, give Him PRAISE!
Glass mosaic; 8' x 6' x 2 1/2'
Current Location: Lincoln, NE (former city hall building on 10th and O street)
Description
“All Creation Praises” represents Hildegard’s conviction that all things were created by God and that man was the pinnacle of the design to enjoy and reign over the rest of creation. Man’s hierarchy is represented by the figure of the sculpture which contains every color of glass used throughout the work. The human form also contains mirrored glass which serves to represent man being made in the image of God and reflecting His light. Each “tile” on the sculpture is a reminder that God didn’t just leave His creation to fail, but provided a redemptive plan and is currently in the business of recreating everything piece by piece. I hope the work will evoke awe and reflection on the One who made it all and ultimately give Him the Glory. This is not a work accomplished by human hands, but by the joint effort of the Father and one of His children. May all creation give Him PRAISE!
Story behind the work:
When asked to create a signature piece for the Hildegard event, I immediately thought I’d do a painting which is the medium I usually work in. As I thought about the work I began to question how I was going to create a piece that referenced Hildegard but ultimately gave glory to God and pointed others to Him. I had never used a saint as a basis for work before, so I researched Hildegard’s life, her beliefs, and what she was known for. When I read of her convictions on creation, I knew that was the path to take. With this knowledge, I went to the scriptures and meditated on the Genesis account of creation. Through this study and some divine appointments, I was inspired to create a mosaic sculpture covered with glass. The vision for this project immediately became beyond my capabilities as I had only minor experience in this type of sculpture. God reminded me that He is able, and we began the journey of co-creating. God provided an amazingly warm week in April in which the entire structure was built including all the detachable pieces. Almost everything was constructed with materials I had on hand. God seemed to be taking the “discards” and making them something new which was exciting for me. After the structure was complete, I began to purchase glass scraps in the colors I had decided on: blues for water, greens for vegetation, yellows, reds, and purples for flowers, and four colors for the fish. I then chose to make the figure contain all the colors to represent Hildegard’s thought that man was the pinnacle of God’s creation and made to enjoy and reign over it. The mirror on the figure serves to represent humans as being made in God’s image. We imitate Him in the way we were created and we also have the opportunity to reflect His light in the way we choose to live our lives. Each of the flowers, fish, and figure are removable from the base for transportation purposes and were designed this way from the beginning. As I placed each glass piece on the sculpture, I was reminded how God not only created us, but continues to take the broken discarded pieces of our lives and uses them to rebuild us for His glory. I hope viewers will find a sense of awe in the work that will give honor and glory to the One who created it all. This is not a work that I accomplished on my own; it was only through His hands that it was completed. May all His creation, including us, give Him PRAISE!