"I love lighthouses. The severe, uncompromising life of service lived by
lonely lighthouse keepers possesses a special dignity. Poised between the
last outcroppings of land and the vast expanse of the ocean, the lighthouse
has become a profound symbol of human life, poised as it is between the
transitory and the eternal."
"I love listening to gospel music. There are times when it feels like the
lyrics are speaking the sentiments of my heart; expressing my own faith
more powerfully than I can do it myself.
During one of these gospel sessions, I was struck by the phrase 'the
rock of salvation'. It conjured a powerful visual image, and I suddenly
felt myself challenged to present the gospel phrase in one of my prints.
I've turned to a favorite theme, a massive stone lighthouse towering over a
storm-tossed sea, for Rock of Salvation. The lighthouse seems to grow
directly out of the craggy rock that rises from the ocean depths - a rock
that has weathered countless storms. A regatta of brave sailboats keeps the
rock in view, relying on its light for guidance, while the sunset reminds
us of the inexorable passage of time.
Rock of Salvation is a heroically sized canvas and a richly detailed
tribute to the dazzling spectacle God provides us with each of His glorious
sunsets. It perpetuates a tradition of lavishly detailed religious art that
dates at least to the Middle Ages.
Heaven truly is in the details. I especially like the way the delicate
stairway leading to the house is carved directly into solid rock. We do
well when our domestic world so functionally incorporates God's creation.
Rock of Salvation will be the last creation in my Seaside Memories
series. Though watching the "sun set" over this seven-year series is
nostalgic and slightly bittersweet, I look forward to the 'sun rise' of a
new coastal series in the near future."
