Parable of The Prodigal Son

A better name for the so-called Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) would be the Parable of the Two Sons, both of whom have problems relating to their father. Verses 11-24 deal with the younger son while verses 25-32 are about the older son. Both sections end on the same note: "this son of mine (brother of yours) was dead and is alive again; he was lost and has been found." The only difference is that verse 24 appends the words: "And they began to celebrate" whereas the end of the parable leaves it up in the air as to whether the older son will join in the celebration.  This open ending causes us to contemplate our own relationship to God and our siblings in Christ.

This story-telling technique used by Jesus mirrors exactly the abrupt ending of the Book of Jonah in which the prophet is chastized by God for his parochial attitude but we are left hanging as to the nature of Jonah's final response.

The central figure in this story is, of course, the loving father who extends his grace to both errant children.
Each of the three panels of the 2010 triptych shown below features one of the actors in the parable.

Taker (17" x 17"collage on masonite)

Giver (24" x 13" collage on masonite)

Earner (17" x 17" collage on masonite)

James 5

The last chapter of James, especially verses 7-20, serve as a wrapping-up of themes discussed earlier.



Hard Evidence (James 5:1-6)

James rails at the rich who have fattened themselves at the expense of the poor. He tells them they have only prepared themselves for the coming day of slaughter.

Patience (James 5:7-11)

Black and White (James 5:12)

"Let your 'Yes' be yes and your 'No' be no."

Proper Responses (James 5:13-18)

 "Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise."

Cover-Up (James 5:19-20)



James 4

Perfect Mayhem (James 4:1-10)

James 4 begins with a description of the "conflicts and disputes....disputes and conflicts" that are occurring within the church. The only solution, as he outlines it, is a humbling before the Lord.

One and Only (James 4:11-12)

One who sits in judgment against others, also sits in judgment against the law.

Misty (James 4:13-17)

In our eagerness to make more money, it sometimes forgotten that we are but a mist that will soon vanish along with our worldly wealth.



James 3

Two main subjects are covered by James in this short chapter, both dealing with contrasts.

The first twelve verses discuss the role of the almost untameable tongue, which can be used to either bless God or curse our fellow beings. James employs a wealth of imagery to make his point including horses, ships, forest fires, wild animals and fruit trees.

The remainder of the chapter contrasts the "wisdom" from below (which evidences itself in envy and malice) with that from above which yields fruit such as peace, gentleness and mercy toward others.

Out of Control (James 3:1-12)

Up and Down (James 3:13-18)



James 2

The Second Chapter of James' Epistle introduces his teachings regarding the relationship between faith and works. These verses have been misunderstood from the time of Martin Luther to be in contradiction with the teachings of Paul, especially as found in Galatians. However, even a brief glance at the relative contexts of these two books shows that each author defined his key terminology (faith, works, law) in quite different ways.

Briefly, Paul uses the word "faith" to include an active working out of its implications in our lives; James defines the word as mere intellectual assent.  Similarly, the two utilize the word "works" differently. Thus, Paul defines it as strict keeping of the Old Testament ceremonial laws and customs while for James it is equivalent to the two great commandments to love God and to love your neighbor.

Cross of Gold (James 2:1-7)

Transgressors (James 2:8-13)

Faith is a Verb (James 2:14-26)

James 1

During 2009-2010 I created a series of collages on 9" x 12" paper illustrating all of the Epistle of James. This book is as close as the New Testament gets to the type of wisdom literature found in the Book of Proverbs. The author treats a number of subjects in quick succession utilizing vivid imagery, which lends itself nicely to the type of semi-surrealist style that I favor.

Images for the first chapter of James are shown below:

To the Tribes (James 1:1)

Topsy-Turvy Teaching (James 1:2-4)

Wavering (James 1:5-8)

Ups and Downs (James 1:9-11)

Death's Life Cycle (James 1:12-16)

Shadowless (James 1:17-18)

His Master's Voice (James 1:19-21)

Amnesia (James 1:22-25)

Pure Religion (James 1:26-27)

St. Peter and St. Paul

I created two matching 11" x 14" visual homages to these giants of the Christian faith using acrylics, collage and metal foil on canvas. Each piece combines images reminiscent of the beginning and end of their respective careers.

Black Icon: St. Peter (2005)

This piece shows the young fisherman who later becomes a true fisher of men, especially at the Day of Pentacost.
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Gold Icon: St. Paul (2005)

The blind Saul receiving basic Christian instruction from Ananias soon after his encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus is contrasted with the shipwrecked Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul, being preserved from a dangerous snake bite on the Island of Malta while on his way to Rome, where he will ultimately be executed.

Plague and Provision

The philosophical problem labeled Theodicy is usually formulated as follows: "If God is all-powerful, he could create a world with no evil. If God is good, he would create a world with no evil."  There have been a number of approaches to understanding this problem while still maintaining the twin concepts of God's omnipotence and goodness (for example, C. S. Lewis' The Problem of Pain). 

One inadequate approach from a Biblical viewpoint is to deny that God has any responsibility for the presence of evil in the world.  Isaiah 45:7 quotes God as saying, "I form light and create darkness; I make weal and create woe; I the LORD do all these things." (NRSV)

The twin collages below picture God's control over all that we encounter in this world, those things we label as "good" and those we call "bad." We should realize that even the latter may ultimately further God's plans for the world as a whole and for our lives individually. Images from both past and present are intermingled in these pieces to demonstrate the timelessness of this concept.

Plague (2005)

16" c 20"

Provision (2005)

16" x 20"

Messing with the Masterpieces

As an exercise in composition, I selected six oil masterpieces illustrating the early life of Christ. I then used these as inspirations for 11" x 14" collages created from magazine illustrations on hand. The (somewhat uneven) results are given along with the originals. The first one shown is perhaps the most successful. I especially enjoyed duplicating the tiled floor using a manipulated photomicrograph of a butterfly egg.

The Annunciation by Botticelli

The Nativity by Piero della Francesca

Adoration of the Magi by Albrecht Durer

Flight to Egypt by Adam Badowski

Slaughter of the Innocents by Leon Cogniet

Jesus with the Doctors by Gustav Dore'

"Perspective" Show

PACT (Prayer and Creativity Team) is a group of Christian artists associated with Hill Country Bible Church of Austin, Texas, where they host a series of themed art shows. For more details see http://www.pactofaustin.com/.  The next show, entitled "Perspective," has its opening reception from 7-9PM on Sept. 30.  Below are three of the recent 12" x 12" pieces I have submitted for this show.

Four-Fold (collage/acrylic)

This piece shows the traditional symbols assigned to the Four Evangelists. Each of their historical accounts presents the life and works of Jesus Christ from a different perspective, but all blend together to give us a unified picture of our Lord and Savior.

In Their Own Eyes (collage)

The Book of Judges ends with the words: “In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.” As Americans who almost deify the concept of personal independence, we should realize that this statement was not one of approval by God, but a condemnation of the people's actions during that turbulent time period.

Grasshopper Men (collage/acrylic)

The warped perspective of the spies sent into Canaan caused them to characterize the inhabitants as giants and themselves as mere grasshoppers. We sometimes exaggerate the power of the enemy and do not sufficiently take into account God's power over our circumstances.

CIVA Traveling Shows

Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA) has several traveling art shows each year. Go to civa.org for the scheduled showings. Two of my works, shown below, are featured, respectively, in the shows "Parables" and "Work: Curse or Calling?"

The Kingdom Is (2005)

Concerning the above piece, Tyrus Clutter stated, "The parable of the net is one of a series of parables in Matthew that begin 'The kingdom of God is like...'"  Jesus states that at the end of the age the 'fish' will be divided at the final judgement.David McCoy explores these parables in his mixed media assemblage, following Christ's example by placing materials from everyday life into his work. These objects--such as tiny seeds--become potent symbols, or metaphors, that encourage us to discover the eternal in the ordinary."

Sowers (2005)

Joel Zwart comments on the above piece: "Also consider the work of David McCoy's Sowers. McCoy's laborious cutting and pasting ennobles the concept of mundane work, in this case a farmer's daily occupation and an artist's cut-and-paste process. His collage yields a bird's eye view of mesmerizing activity where the eye is led to survey the panoply of vignettes. It finds kindred spirit with the paintings of Pieter Bruegel the elder, where human activity dominates the picture plane and the artist's use of aerial perspective unifies the work."

Proverbs

The Book of Proverbs is an ideal source for the type of semi-surrealist art that I do since each chapter juxtaposes a variety of diverse images. Back in 1999, I did a series of 31 small (5" x 7") collages on canvas board--one for each chapter of Proverbs. A few of these are shown below. 

Turn to the appropriate chapter of Proverbs and see if you can identify the literary source for each image.

The somewhat hazy appearance of these pieces is due to the fact that the final finish was created with several thin layers of Elmer's Glue.

Proverbs 4

Proverbs 6

                                      Proverbs 26                                                                              Proverbs 17