"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."
"The dramatic lighthouse begins my new print series entitled Seaside
Memories; but in truth, the subject of Beacon of Hope is not memory, but
faith.
The lighthouse, which guides ships around rocky shoals to a safe harbor, is a
principal emblem of the spiritual life. And I'm very proud to say that my own
paintings have been described as Beacons of hope.
So Beacon of Hope celebrates not only the longing for salvation, but the
power of art to express that aspiration. The print, which is my first on the
subject, is not a literal portrait; it is, instead, a product of my artist's
imagination, containing the elements of an allegory of faith.
A small boat, barely visible on the horizon, rides heavy seas that surge and
crash onto a rocky coast; the lighthouse beacon is its sole guide. The
keeper's house is a safe haven against all storms - a charming cottage
nestled near a flower laden trellis. And, of course, light -- radiant sunset
and warm lamp glow -- bathes the rocks, erasing their sharp edges."
