Crown of Thorns
Crown of Thorns
Size (h w d): 36 x 48 x 1.5 in
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Description: Certainly billions of Christians around the world observe Holy Week in preparation for the Easter vigil. This painting brings to mind the symbolism of the Crown of Thorns and the squares of red is a poignant reminder of the blood that was shed by the Redeemer. I have to admit the painting was never intended to exemplify the suffering of Jesus and the impact it would have on humanity and man’s faith in God. It started out as my idea to use two colors from a pack of Beeman’s gum…the black and the blue. I created the radius and the thornlike structure purely by accident. As I drew the shape my only thought was the composition and how it affected the overall space. Once I added the blue and stood back and looked at the painting, I immediately thought of a Crown of Thorns. Ironically enough, when my family came into the studio, they said it looks like a Crown of Thorns. To complete the composition and continue the theme, I added the three red squares, symbolising the blood of Christ and perhaps the Blessed Trinity. I doubt that I will ever offer this painting for sale. The more I view this work, the more I realize that often we artists are inspired to create and paint things we don’t necessarily understand or even realize what the canvas will reveal. For me, this was just the case. All of a sudden the painting told its own story. I was the channel. This is why I often say, ” Who guides my brush it be not me.”