"For an artist, God reveals His presence chiefly in the glory of His
creation. I sense the divine presence in the majesty of a mountain sunset,
in the hush of a tranquil glade, in the rainbow hues of a floral garden.
There are also times when the words of scripture speak directly and
powerfully to me, and the images on my canvas become so pregnant with
spiritual meaning it seems God literally pays a visit to my studio.
Painting The Good Shepherd's Cottage was such an experience for me.
I'd been meditating on the passage from John, and on the profound symbol of
Christ as the good shepherd, when I began to imagine what it might be like
if the Lord returned to call in His faithful. Surely, His house would be an
utterly comfortable and secure cottage, radiant with light. The time of day
would be sunset, when the very air is luminous. The sound of His voice
would be thrilling as He calls His sheep into a verdant meadow.
The Good Shepherd's Cottage is an allegory in paint, a sublime
tribute to Christ the Shepherd, whose figure beckons from the doorway, and
the introduction to a series honoring the ineffable gift of God's grace."
