My yearly tradition for Easter is to share a hymn or song that has personal meaning for me at this time. Today’s hymn is an old one, but I don’t think very well known. I first came across it this week when researching as part of a Bible study. I just wrapped up a 5-week study on the book of Lamentations. This book was written in response to the Babylonian siege and defeat of Judah, and is filled with grief at the destruction they have endured. The book is written as poetry, and acrostics feature prominently within the chapters and structure of the laments. As part of the study, each day we were invited to write a prayer or lament to God that focused on each letter of the alphabet, starting with A and ending with Z. I decided to find hymns or worship songs and write them out as prayers for each day. A few letters presented quite a challenge, including the letter Z. I wasn’t familiar with any songs starting with Z and google was very helpful in listing out options. The song I’m sharing today is Zion’s King shall Reign.
It was written by Thomas Kelly in the early 1800s and although not a lot is known about him, he appears to have written nearly 100 hymns during his life. This one is a beautiful narration of the response of our hearts to Jesus’s death and resurrection, looking forward to the day when death, sin, and sorrow will be destroyed forever.
Zion’s King shall reign victorious, All the earth shall own His sway; He will make His kingdom glorious, He will reign through endless day. What though none on earth assist Him, God requires not help from man; What though all the world resist Him, God will realize His plan.
Nations now from God estranged, Then shall see a glorious light, Night to day shall then be changed, Heaven shall triumph in the sight; See the ancient idols falling! Worshipped once, but now abhorred; Men on Zion’s King are calling, Zion’s King by all adored.
Then shall Israel, long dispersed, Mourning seek the Lord their God, Look on Him whom once they pierced, Own and kiss the chastening rod; Then all Israel shall be saved, War and tumult then shall cease, While the greater Son of David Rules a conquered world in peace.
There’s something so lifegiving about walking in a forest turning back to green. It infuses my soul with hope to see life creeping back into the bare branches and soil of winter. Tiny leaves emerge, darken into emerald, flowers bloom like jewels and the air smells sweet and clean. Life shimmers in the air and my heart releases a long pent-up sigh. Winters are long and hard for this forest-loving girl. I need leaves and flowers. Finally I was able to walk in woods clothed with spring with my mom and Ellie. It’s one of my most favorite things to do in the world.
The timing is very important. Did you know that woodland wildflowers are called “spring ephemerals”? This is because they don’t last very long. This reality is both precious and heartbreaking to me. Surely such beautiful creations such as wildflowers should be more permanent? But alas, they emerge with the warm breath of God and then are gone all too soon.
Early spring ephemerals in my neck of the woods include spring beauties, violets, wild geraniums, jack-in-the-pulpit, and trillium (which is my favorite). Spring walks are quite long, usually because I insist on photographing every trillium that I see. All the wildflowers are beautiful in their intricacy and design, and each one is unique. It always feels something of a treasure hunt to trek the woods in spring and find each flower tucked into the earth.
There’s a verse in the Bible that I love that says “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8). This verse echoed in my mind as we wandered the trails under the green canopy and marveled over all the flowers. I was keenly aware that the next time I visited, many of these flowers would be gone. Much of the beauty in the world fades, but I take comfort in knowing that the God who created such beauty is eternal and constant. He delights in creating each season anew and in giving even transient things a touch of His glory. Jesus said of the wildflowers, that they are more beautifully arrayed than kings because of the care God gives to the works of His hands. These little ordinary miracles can be so easy to overlook at our feet, yet they speak of the love and care of our Father. I went into the woods to renew my spirit, and left them with hope knowing the God who forms wildflowers is fashioning my heart into a new creation as well.
Happy Easter everyone! It is such a joy to celebrate that our Savior is alive and because He lives, we have hope for today and every day for eternity. We never walk alone, whether we go through sorrows or joys. My usual custom for Easter is to post a song that is meaningful to me during the season. And this year, I wanted to share with you some of the context about why I chose this song. It is one that the choir would sing at my church growing up and it would always be part of our Easter celebration. I’ve loved this song since I was a girl and my sole goal was to finally get old enough to join the choir so I could sing this song. Unfortunately we moved before that happened, but this song remains dear to my heart for the memories it holds. And a few weeks ago, it took on a whole new level of meaning.
My small group is studying the book of Philippians and during one session we were discussing the process of sanctification. Or, more plainly, the way that we cooperate with God to surrender our hearts and wills to Him and become more like Him. It’s hard, it’s not natural, and it requires daily (or even hourly) commitments to not respond in our gut reactions but to allow God’s Spirit to work through us. For many years, I perceived this to be primarily me trying to make right decisions and actions. I’ve spent so many hours in prayer frustrated by my inability to change and to put aside my sinful desires to follow Christ with a pure heart. I would beg God to change me and would be devastated when I continued to struggle with certain things.
In our lesson, suddenly several verses converged in my head as we were talking about knowing God on a personal level, and I had a brilliant flash of understanding… that our sanctification is directly linked to seeing God. This is why I love God’s Word – you can study it for years and suddenly you can comprehend something in a new and deeply personal way as His Spirit opens your eyes to see truth. There are so many verses that tell us to fix our eyes on Jesus, or eternal things, and this is for a reason. In intently focusing on something, we become consumed by it, and pursue it. The more we look at something, the more we reflect it and become like it. This is how we become like Christ – by looking at Him. Not ourselves, not our circumstances, not our relationships, not our desires, not our failures – but at Christ. The more we gaze at His glory, the more it reflects back in our hearts and lives.
The Apostle Paul encourages us this way: “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” Hebrews 12:1-3
And again, he says “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18. And John comforts and gives hope with these beautiful words: “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” I John 3:2. This is the work of sanctification and on the day we enter eternity, we will see Christ completely unveiled – and in that moment, we will be made completely and eternally like Him. Oh the joy and longing for that day!
And so, with all that in mind, the song to celebrate Easter is “We Shall See Jesus”
Once on a hillside, people were gathered Hoping to see Him, as thousands were fed He touched the blind eyes, healed broken spirits He moved with compassion, while He raised up the dead
Once on a hillside, people were gathered Watching as Jesus was crucified No one showed mercy, to the one who had healed them Yet, Jesus loved them, as He suffered and died
Once on a hillside, people were gathered For Jesus had risen and soon would ascend Then, as He blessed them, He rose to the heavens And gave them His promise to come back again
We shall see Jesus, just as they saw Him There is no greater promise than this When He returns in power and glory We shall see Jesus, we shall see Jesus, just as He is!
This is the promise and hope of Easter. My prayer for my heart and for you is that you will be blessed by the truth of Christ’s death and resurrection. I’ll leave you with a verse I’ve been clinging to this Easter season. It is my prayer and hope and incredibly dear in light of what God has been teaching me. “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.” Psalm 17:15
My church celebrated our 15th Anniversary today. We had a wonderful time celebrating all that God has done in our past and looking forward to our future. I love these days of remembrance, when we look back and rehearse the history of a group of people collected together to worship and walk with Christ. We revisited the very beginning days when a few couples prayerfully considered starting a church and worked with Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago to bring that to reality, the days when the first pastors thought through what this church should be, and how God provided for every detail leading up to launch day in March back in 2008.
My journey with our church started in April of 2009 when a friend told me that they were attending there and I went to visit. God already knew, but I wasn’t visiting – from that first Sunday I knew I was home in a way I hadn’t experienced in years. And I’ve been there ever since. We met in a theater. And every Sunday God used that secular theater to become a sacred meeting place with us and change lives. God has used my church in ways I never could have imagined. I’ve been fortunate to spend my entire life in church, but it was here in this place that I learned to have a deep, personal relationship with Him. Our pastor taught Scripture in a way that focused on what it revealed about God’s character and how to respond to Him. I came there a fearful, insecure child of God and every week was strengthened in faith and confidence in Who God is and joyful about how He was working in my life.
One of my sweetest memories was when we were building our church building and the foundations had just been poured. We went out to the property to have our dedication and we all wrote Scripture and prayers on the cement foundation. We held hands in a large circle and prayed for God’s power, presence, and blessing on this place. Today, we celebrated how God has fulfilled and answered those prayers in hundreds and hundreds of ways.
We also said goodbye to our Pastor and his wife of 15 years as they officially retired. Thankful hearts and tears overflowed as we reflected on the blessings that they have been to all of us. As I looked across the auditorium, at everyone gathered, each one present has a “God at Work” story. God has used our small group and people of our church to hold us and help us during the hard times that my family went through over the past years. We all have a story of God’s faithfulness and hope in His continued goodness. And as I looked at my church family today, I wondered at what God will do in the next 15 years as we worship Him and serve our community in His name. We sang this song today and it was a perfect demonstration of how God has revealed Himself to us.
Standing on this mountain top Looking just how far we’ve come Knowing that for every step You were with us Kneeling on this battleground Seeing just how much You’ve done Knowing every victory Was Your power in us
Scars and struggles on the way But with joy our hearts can say Yes, our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone Never once did You leave us on our own You are faithful, God, You are faithful You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Standing on this mountain top Looking just how far we’ve come Knowing that for every step You were with us
Scars and struggles on the way But with joy our hearts can say Yes, our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone Never once did You leave us on our own You are faithful, God, You are faithful Every step we are breathing in Your grace Evermore we’ll be breathing out Your praise You are faithful, God, You are faithful It’s true, You are faithful, God You are faithful
Scars and struggles on the way But with joy our hearts can say Never once did we ever walk alone Carried by Your constant grace Held within Your perfect peace Never once, no, we never walk alone
Welcome to 2023! I hope the new year is off to a good start for you. I enjoyed having a few weeks off at the end of the year, during which I was able to spend Christmas with my family out of state. It was a wonderful visit. Since then, we’ve been getting back into a weekly rhythm and trying to find as much rest as possible. The winter months are good for hibernating at every possible opportunity and cuddling under blankets for slow, quiet evenings. These are the things I try hard to appreciate as I desperately wait for spring to emerge. We’ve had a few snows here and Ellie, the Sheltie Wonderdog, absolutely adores it!
She is definitely a cold-weather canine and eager to get outside to play in the snow and eat it too! Being of Scottish descent, she shares their opinion that “there is no bad weather, only those that are unsuitably dressed for it”.
In between romps in the snow, we amuse ourselves with indoor play. When she’s resting I work on knitting or other crafting. Knitting is an especially satisfying endeavor when the fire is crackling merrily and one has a hot beverage close at hand. I’ve wanted to be a test knitter for a while now and this month, I finally did my first one! Test knitting is when you knit a pattern for a designer before it’s released to the general public. It lets the designer see how the object looks in various sizes with different yarns, helps clarify any instruction issues in the pattern, and gives estimates about how much yarn is needed. One of my favorite designers, Lauren Rad, of A Bee in the Bonnet, put out a testing call for a pair of socks and I was accepted as one of her test knitters. Here is the sock sample I made.
I chose soft greens with accents of mauve/cream and am calling it my “Dreaming of Spring” socks. They were a delight to knit and had a beautiful lace pattern.
Now that I have a few items off my needles, it’s time to dream of future projects….
Another pursuit of mine this year is focusing on the intersection of art and faith. I have several books lined up to read about it over the course of the year. Right now I’m reading “Art and Faith: A Theology of Making” by Makoto Fujimura. It’s been an insightful read so far and unique for me in that I haven’t had to opportunity to hear the perspective of Christianity from an Eastern viewpoint very often. I’ve wanted to incorporate my faith in my making more this year and also use my crafting as a way to explore my faith.
I started doing that this month by creating a Bible Journal, where I wrote Scripture each day and also played with collage and paper arts. A Facebook group I belong to posts Scripture readings for each day of the month based on a certain topic, so I used that as the theme. All the verses center around light or radiance.
To decorate, I used a digital download of winter botanicals that I purchased on Etsy from seller CollageType. I supplemented with rubber stamped images, washi stickers, and diecuts. I enjoyed the experience of meditating on God’s Word while working with my hands to create unique collages for each day. I’d like to keep up this practice throughout the year with different themes.
I hope that you’re finding ordinary miracles in the quiet of winter, in the dreaming of spring, and in the little moments of joy sprinkled throughout each day.
Each Christmas, I like to post a song which has personal meaning for me during the Advent season. My church did I a series leading up to Christmas on Jesus as the light of the World. One of the songs we sang through Advent ministered deeply to my heart and I wanted to share it with you this year.
Light of the World by We the Kingdom
Light of the world, treasure of Heaven Brilliant like the stars, in the wintery sky Joy of the Father, reach through the darkness Shine across the earth, send the shadows to flight Light of the world, from the beginning The tragedies of time, were no match for Your love From great heights of glory, You saw my story God, You entered in, and became one of us
Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah Sing hallelujah for the things He has done Come and adore Him, bow down before Him Sing hallelujah to the light of the world
Light of the world, crown in a manger Born for the Cross, to suffer, to save High King of Heaven, death is the poorer We are the richer, by the price that He paid, ohh
Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah Sing hallelujah for the things He has done Come and adore Him, bow down before Him Sing hallelujah to the light of the world You’re the light of the world Light up the dark
Light of the world, soon will be coming With fire in His eyes, He will ransom His own Through clouds He will lead us, straight into glory And there He shall reign, forevermore Oh, forevermore
Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah Sing hallelujah for the things He has done Come and adore Him, bow down before Him Sing hallelujah to the light of the world The light of the world
I hope in whatever situation you find yourself today, that these words whisper hope into your heart. The message of Christmas is that we are not alone, left in the dark. God came for us, put on flesh, and lived the life of a perfect man, giving that life and righteousness to everyone who looks to Him in faith. He is with us, He is the Light, and He loves us now and forever.
I don’t typically share a lot of my personal crisis or difficult circumstances on this platform because I want this space to be a quiet haven of joy, where we can marvel at beauty and ordinary miracles. But recently I witnessed an extraordinary miracle that came from a place of deep pain and I want to share with you what God has done.
Last year my family entered a valley of darkness and hurt. I grappled with the pain of suddenly being in a situation I never expected to face, whirling in a tornado of unwelcome emotions, and experiencing my world turned upside down. My foundations were pounded as I stared at a future I didn’t want, bereft of the dreams and expectations I had planned. Relationships were broken, strained, and I didn’t know how to navigate. I didn’t want to. I wanted to hide in my bed, in a locked room, until the world went back to something familiar. But instead I went to God’s arms. For perhaps the first time in my life, I routinely poured out my soul to Him – praying for my family, for Him to guide us and hold us, telling Him how I felt, my doubts and fears.
God sent people into my life – primarily through books – that helped put language to what my family was going through. They helped me find a place in the tension of believing God is good when my circumstances were not. And in all this darkness and hopelessness, God started to teach me something precious – that my hope cannot be placed in anything of this world, only in Him. Until last year, I had no idea how much I looked to earthly things for my hope and security and not to God. Through the pain, God held out to me His truth that yes, things in this world will fail and fall apart, but He never will. I started to long for Him, for His perspective, in a deep and desperate way.
And while I was praying for God to do a work in other’s hearts, He did one in mine. He woke me up from spiritual complacency. His Word no longer became an ornament to my life, but my central axis. Walls and false foundations came down, and His truth poured into my heart in fresh and life-giving ways. It was painful to have my eyes opened to sin patterns and coping mechanisms that weren’t healthy, but also exciting and comforting to see God working so dynamically in my life. I’m a different person than I was at the beginning of the valley. God has used it to wake me up from complacency and seek His kingdom. He has given me a heart of understanding and empathy for others that are hurting.
His work in my heart would have been enough, but God has done so much more In His great mercy, He was working and healing hearts in the rest of my family too. Relationships moved toward healing and restoration. God answered prayers in ways I never expected or dared to hope for. At the end of September, my whole family gathered together to celebrate the new life God has brought from ashes. We rejoiced in His miraculous work to knit again what had been torn apart, His grace that makes forgiveness and restoration possible, and the resurrection of what was lost. I stand in awed amazement and humbleness at what His grace can do His power has been so personally demonstrated to me and my family.
Psalm 109:30 says “With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord, and in the midst of many I will praise Him.” I do praise and worship God for the blessings He has given. While I write this from a place of celebration, I do remember the days of waiting and agonizing and know some of you might be in that place too. We can’t always control the situations that happen to us or their outcomes, and right now you may be waiting for your miracle. I want to tell you that I know the hurt and disappointment that comes with waiting in the dark. But God has shown me that He is with me and He is with you too. Circumstances might not turn out the way we hoped, our relationships might not be all that we wanted, but God is a sure and strong foundation. He is able to carry us through disappointment and hurt and work in ways we never dreamed possible. Never give up hope – God is with us, and that my friends, is always the most remarkable miracle.
Amid the monuments of stone and marble, our nation’s treasures are curated in a collection of museums at the Smithsonian. There the most fascinating stories are told, but they are narrated with objects instead of words, read with experience, not just our eyes. And today is such a story – the story of Alexander von Humboldt’s visit to the United States in 1804. He was here just six weeks, but in that short time he directly influenced artists, philosophers, scientists, and politicians in tangible ways for the next 50 years. Indeed, it can be argued that we still feel the impact waves of that short visit to this day.
His visit had two immediate purposes, as he writes a letter of introduction to President Thomas Jefferson. He greatly admired Jefferson for his role in American democracy, as well as his scientific interests. Humboldt wishes to talk with Jefferson about a shared interest between them – mammoth skeletons. Such a skeleton had been recently exhumed in New York under the direction of Charles Peale and was displayed in his museum. Peale took delight in showing the fossilized skeleton to Humboldt and the mammoth quickly became a symbol of national pride.
This was the first time that Peale’s mammoth skeleton was back in the US in over 150 years
The other reason Humboldt specifically wishes to see Jefferson is because he wants to gift a map of the territories surrounding the US to the President so that he can more strongly negotiate the borders of the Louisiana Purchase with the King of Spain. This act of friendship and generosity endeared Humboldt to the new nation and secured the borders that would eventually become states as the population extended west. In return, Humboldt asked that the US would send him data and measurements as the new territories were explored, thus ensuring Humboldt’s contact with US explorers and scientists for decades to come. At Humboldt’s suggestion every expedition west would include an artist or photographer and scientist. They also brought Humboldt’s books for reference.
Humboldt’s View of the Cordilleras from his “Researches, Concerning the Institutions and Monuments of the Ancient Inhabitants of America, 1814
And speaking of artists, Humboldt strongly believed that every scientist should look at nature with the eyes of an artist, and that artists should imbue their work with as much scientific detail as possible. His philosophy directly influenced American landscape artists, especially those of the Hudson River School. In particular one artist, Frederick Church, sought to embody Humboldt’s vision in all his work. The exhibition had a wonderful collection of his works on display. In addition to painting America’s natural beauty, Church followed in the footsteps of Humboldt’s expedition to South America. There he used Humboldt’s book to inform where he would go, visiting the same scenes and translating Humboldt’s maps into detailed landscape paintings that illustrated the scientific detail so desired by Humboldt. In fact, these paintings are used by scientists today to understand the changes in the snow pack and vegetation on these mountains caused by climate changes over the past two centuries.
Frederic Edwin Church, The Falls of Tequendama, near Bogota, New Grenada, 1854 Humboldt described these cataracts to Niagara Falls and Church based his composition based on Humboldt’s engraving
Frederic Edwin Church, Study for The Heart of the Andes, 1858 Church used Humboldt’sdetailed maps to include multiple biomes ranging from the Amazon River basin to the glacial summit of The Cordillera
Throughout Humboldt’s travels, he relied on native people to guide him, believing their knowledge was more valuable than that of colonial powers. He was deeply convicted of the equality of all peoples and was an ardent abolitionist. While in the US, the situation of slavery greatly distressed him in a nation dedicated to freedom. He formed close friendships with abolitionists, notably Frederick Douglas and John Fremont. Fremont was an explorer who named many natural points of interest after Humboldt. Humboldt in turn valued Fremont’s stance on slavery and was one of his greatest supporters when Fremont ran for president in 1856. He was devastated when Fremont lost and accurately predicted that the issue of slavery would tear apart the nation.
John Quincy Adams Ward sculpted “The Freedman” in 1863 as a commission from the Fremonts. It was forged from a piece of one of the guns at Fort Wagner, South Caroline, where the African-American Massachusetts 54th Regiment were destroyed
Humboldt was also deeply interested in the Indigenous Peoples of North America. He had missed Lewis and Clark leaving to explore the west by a matter of weeks and seriously considered trying to find them so he could explore the continent with them and meet the tribes of Native Americans living here. Though that didn’t happen, he did send two of his students back to the US to live and record their experiences among the tribes of the West. Prince Maximilian and Karl Bodner spend several months living with the Mandan people, forming close friendships with the Chief. They even taught him to watercolor at his insistence! They were guided in these expeditions by the maps that William Clark (of Lewis and Clark fame) provided them. Their time with the Mandan, painting the scenes of tribal life and recording their oral traditions became even more valuable when, a few years later, disease would completely wipe out this tribe.
Karl Bodmer, Mato-Tope, a Mandan Chief” 1839.
Mato-Tope, Battle with a Cheyenne Chief, 1834. The Mandan Chief used Bodmer’s paints and brushes to create this self portrait of one of his most famous accomplishments. He later gifted this watercolor to Prince Max.
In addition to his interests in ethnography, Humboldt was intensely curious and encouraging of scientists and inventors of his day. He formed close friendships with many, including one Samuel Morse, who at the time was a burgeoning painter. When both men lived in Paris, Humboldt was fond of distracting Morse from his painting in the Louvre and would get him talking about his new idea of a telegraph. Humboldt was deeply dedicated to sharing information and the idea of instantaneous communication thrilled him. When Morse debuted his telegraph, Humboldt endorsed it and was instrumental in getting the technology accepted. As Morse extended his ideas to the transatlantic cable, Humboldt’s vocal and sustained support ensured its success, even after a few setbacks. (As a side note, Morse partnered with Cyrus Field to make the transatlantic cable a reality. Cyrus Field was also the patron of artist Frederick Church, and accompanied him on his treks to South America)
Alexander Morse telegraph key, 1845
Daniel Huntington, The Atlantic Cable Projectors, 1893. Cyrus Field is at the far right and Samuel Morse stands behind the group
The actual globe from the painting above that Cyrus Field used to propose where he would lay the transatlantic cable
The exhibit ends by illustrating a direct role Humboldt had in American culture that continues to this day. Among his friends was a brilliant chemist named James Smithson, who was looking for a way to use his fortune. Humboldt influenced Smithson heavily and at Humboldt’s encouragement, Smithson named a bequest to the US government for the establishment of an institution dedicated to the collection of knowledge in Washington DC. This became the Smithsonian Institution in which we were standing. In fact, upon Humboldt’s death, his heir asked the United States government to purchase Humboldt’s estate for the Smithsonian. That didn’t happen because of financial concerns on the eve of the Civil War, but the Smithsonian itself is an homage to Humboldt’s mind and influence. His efforts to collect knowledge from anthropology, art, history, culture, and science, and connect them in meaningful ways is exactly what the Smithsonian does. I can think of no better place to pay tribute to such an amazing man.
Frederic Edwin Church, Aurora Borealis, 1865 The exhibit closed with this artwork because of the metaphorical meaning. Here a ship (depicting traditional communication methods) is trapped in ice while electromagnetic waves dance overhead, connecting Canada to Ireland, the terminus of the transatlantic cable (depicting the instantaneous communication Humboldt so desired)
I was inspired to start writing again to share with you a series of strange coincidences I experienced a few nights ago. We wanted to watch a movie and I suggested that we watch a documentary on St. Paul’s Cathedral. I got up to find the DVD and my eyes fell on a documentary of the Hudson River School and we decided to watch that instead. Now the Hudson River School actually refers to a group of American artists that shared a similar aesthetic of landscape painting. They painted in the early to mid Nineteenth century and were greatly influenced by Romanticism as well as the belief that our natural places were uniquely blessed by God and should serve as the basis of our cultural identity. Their paintings were supremely important in a new country struggling to find its place and purpose in the world. Through their paintings, the nation was able to see spectacular places, and consequently to take pride in them and seek to preserve them.
This is my absolute favorite genre of painting. In fact, the last time I had been in a museum was to view a collection of Hudson Valley works in Cincinnati before Covid struck. The paintings are breathtaking – especially with the handling of light across majestic scenes. And the attention to the ecosystem and natural details is outstanding. Wikipedia has a great selection of artwork if you search “Hudson River School”.
During the DVD they discussed a famous painting by Frederick Church called “Heart of the Andes”. Church painted this work as an homage to the explorer Alexander von Humboldt, and had traveled in his steps to Peru to create his landscape.
I perked up at the mention of Humboldt, who is a personal hero and my favorite of all scientific explorers. I love him deeply – and my love for him started with a portrait. I can’t recall where I first saw it – maybe in a textbook, but I was arrested by the gentleness in his eyes and that he was surrounded with plants.
This mention of Humboldt in the DVD made me want to see that portrait again, so I googled it and was trying to find out who painted it. I visited about 15 sites to find the credited portraitist, and I finally found it on a Smithsonian page. And that page was describing an exhibit that was about Humboldt’s influence on the United States in terms of science, art, culture, and politics. Oh, my goodness!!!! What an incredible idea!! This is exactly the sort of intersection of art, science, and culture that thrills my heart. I thought how wonderful it would be to see it, but the exhibition ended in January. Sigh….. so close. I clicked the “read more” tab to find out more of the elusive exhibit full of wondrous things. And – would you believe it? The exhibit dates had changed and it was open until July11th!!
And that my dear readers, is how through a series of linked coincidences (or ordinary miracles), I find myself standing 4 days later at the steps of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC to pay my respects and experience the life of this amazing man.
Stay tuned to hear feedback of the once-in-a-lifetime exhibit.
I’m delighted to pop into the Art Bead Scene blog as guest artist for Art Journey #8. When I received a sneak peak of the Journeys this year, I was instantly drawn to the work of J.J. Granville. I loved the whimsical, fairy-tale quality in his illustrations, but also the infusion of quirkiness and satire that mixes in. His style is perfectly suited to lithography, an art style that I’ve been appreciating more and more. So I invite you to pour yourself a cup of your favorite beverage, pull up a chair, and let’s get lost in the imagination of J.J. Granville.
Metamorphosis of the Day was the first of his illustrations I saw, and I was immediately smitten by it. While he considered it a satirical commentary on the haughtiness of people, I found it quite fanciful and delightful to think of beetles and bugs dressing up for a night on the town.
A lovely moth pendant from Artisticaos was my stepping off point for this illustration. Something about the folded winds and delicate antennae of this moth made me think he’d be right at home strutting his stuff with the finest of insects. The brightness of his wings is picked up by a hand-painted ceramic bead and an assortment of wood beads, shell slices, and metal spacers fill out the space. Some of the metal spacers have a dusting of patina on them which draws the color upward, where it ends in a strand of blue leather lace.
This next piece, Battle of the Playing Cards, has undeniable association with fairy-tales. The imagery is deeply entwined with that of Alice in Wonderland. Scenes of playing cards acting as consorts for the Queen of Hearts and painting roses red instantly came to mind. Fortunately, Humblebeads released a fabulous collection of Alice in Wonderland faux tin pieces and I knew they would be perfect for our Art Journey.
Isn’t that pendant fantastic? I love that image of Alice getting flooded by that flurry of cards while White Rabbit tries to sneak away in the background. I tried a lot of different designs with this one, but in the end decided to use this assortment of metallic hued beads so that the pendant would remain the focus of the eye. The metallic beads are card-shaped and each are embossed with a tiny cross and accented with faceted silver beads. Copper chain in diamond links brings in the warm colors of the pendant and subtly plays off the card theme. Of course, we can’t forget the Queen of Hearts herself, and she is symbolized by the copper heart dangling from the pendant. This one is a wonderful addition to my collection of Alice-inspired jewelry.
The remaining artwork by Granville had a distinct celestial theme so I wanted to group them together. A couple of them were a surprise to me because they weren’t in my sneak peak! I was inspired in equal parts by his illustrations and the book The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, which was gifted to me last Christmas. Despite the name, the moon, sun, and stars all play a pivotal role in this magical book. Since reading it, I’ve wanted to create some jewelry that reminded me of how I felt reading this book.
An Animal in the Moon is quite a tongue-in-cheek illustration. I’m enthralled by anything with a man on the moon – this piece reminded me a bit of Georges Melies “Trip to the Moon”. I’d like to think that in some corner of the universe a little mouse snuggles up in the night and cast his shadow over the moon.
The closest I could get was with this beautiful bead of a rabbit against the night sky with a full moon. This gorgeous piece is the work of Natalie McKenna of Grubbi Beads. I paired it with a selection of charms from Vintaj, a bright gold leafy bead cap, and a reticulated grey agate bead. It is strung on oxidized silver chain. The mix of dark grey and bright gold reminded me of the dark night sky and brilliant light of the moon and how those two contrasts intertwine. In The Starless Sea, there is a character – a little girl who likes to pretend she’s a rabbit. Her story was my favorite in the book and so this necklace is an homage to Eleanor, who “was a rabbit, not a girl”.
Now, to say that Wanderings of a Comet captured my attention would be an understatement. When I saw it for the first time, I couldn’t break away from it. It is breathtakingly beautiful and I love every aspect about it – from all the celestial imagery mimicking diamonds, to the flying chariot pulled by fiery horses, to the contrast of the solid black background – everything about this piece sings of the magic of night skies. And how imaginative of him to fashion the comet into a woman wearing a cape of stardust! Fold in a bit of Art Deco influence, and I’m sold. This is my favorite of the selection of illustrations from Granville.
This piece takes as its inspiration another pendant from Grubbi Beads, this one featuring a lovely crescent moon with a twinkling of stars against a painterly grey/black background. I think it perfectly captures the essence of the Granville illustration. I suspended it on an etched silver jump ring and then created a heavily beaded necklace comprised of dark black agate and labradorite. Silver spacers and patterned silver diamond beads add light and shimmer to the otherwise dark palette (and a touch of Art Deco), much like stars do across a night sky. The necklace is finished with soldered circle chain. In The Starless Sea, the stars form a coup to control time and fate, but the Moon intervenes. This moonscape pays tribute to the story of the Moon, who takes shape as a dark-haired woman clothed in silver and light to aid our heroes in their quest.
Our last stop on our journey is A Promenade Through the Sky. I was delighted by the transformation of objects as they fly through the sky, ending with the horse-drawn chariot afloat in a sea of stars. What imagination Granville had to place all these objects together and morph them slowly into each other! It’s quite a fanciful take on charts that show the waxing and waning of the moon.
I used as my starting point, this hauntingly beautiful ceramic connector from Grubbi Beads. (Can you tell I have a passion for Grubbi Beads moon themed pendants?) This one features an owl perched amid a mountain forest with a full moon hovering above. I used a selection of grey and peach moonstone beads to string the necklace, punctuated with tiny matte grey seed-beads. The necklace is finished with etched silver chain and a heart toggle. Both the owl and heart are nods to the imagery in the Promenade. To cover the bare wire loop at the top of the connector, I hand dyed some seam binding in shades of grey and gold and tied it to the piece. A silver umbrella hangs open and suspended beneath – again as a connection to the imagery in Granville’s illustration. Owls have an important role in The Starless Sea. The Owl King and his flock fly in and out of the stories that fill the pages to tell the tale of the Starless Sea across time. This necklace reminds me of his story too and the power of transformation that Granville so artfully reminds us.
I hope you’ve enjoyed our journey together through these remarkable pieces of art. If you haven’t yet, take some time to sit with Granville, let your imagination wander, and make your own creative story from the art beads and bits of your collection.
anordinarymiracleday 