I got a very special call yesterday from our Associate Pastor, Lindsay Kirkpatrick. She said that she had an idea for a number of the artists in the church to do paintings for our bulletins during the Advent season. The Scripture for the Sunday she wanted me to do a painting is John 1-14, "And the Word became flesh". So now I have a chance to do the ultimate posthumous painting. The problem quickly became what to do. We batted around the idea of maybe an updated manger scene but the more I thought about it the less I thought I could do an updated Gerber baby portrait...not authentic enough for me. I went to a website called "What did Jesus look like" and was confronted with what is obviously an accurate drawing of what Jesus probably looked like. It was not a pretty picture. I figured it would really be a challenge to our modern day view of Jesus as a blond Mormon looking hunk. Lindsay had suggested I make it modern day so I just googled "Jews", and I got a few million photos of modern day Jewish men. The above drawing is a mish mash of a number of them with a little of me thrown in.
On purpose I left out most of the portrait because how Jesus actually looks to everyone, from what I read last night, is really in the eye of the individual. I'll let everyone finish the face as they see Him. I could never paint as good as your individual imaginations. Hispanics, Africans, Asians, and everyone else see's Jesus through their own eyes and only a 5' 1", 110 pound, middle eastern Jew actually see's Jesus as he probably looked. I also did the face larger than life and uncomfortably close, because that's the way I see Jesus. I think he would be the type to get in my face...if I needed it.
How close did I come to your idea?
I would need him somewhat softer~~That one looks more like a brick layer~~ too full of a face from the cheek bones down~~Something else, not quite sure
ReplyDeleteI love it!!! He was a carpenter afterall. Even though He was the most beautiful man in the world, He was also very rough around the edges. That is what made Him a man. I also love that it is close up because they always say that the eyes are the window to the soul, and what a beautiful sould He had. I think you captured Him perfectly. I would like a copy of this when you are through with it. :)
ReplyDelete