These paintings capture the beauty and grandeur of Gothic-style cathedrals. I am struck by the beauty and scale of the pointed arches, which is a reoccurring motif throughout this body of work. The motif symbolizes the two most important things in my life: faith and art.
My work is similarly influenced by the Christian iconography of the Renaissance. The way in which artists used their work to teach the Bible inspired me to incorporate this iconography into my own work. The repetition of the arch is my personal way of incorporating religious iconography into this series of paintings; the Gothic arch is a religious symbol for me. It is reminiscent of the many cathedrals I visited in Florence, Italy, and the very vividly sacred feeling those cathedrals possessed.
My work graduated from a very somber palette of colors to a palette of bright, striking colors. The motif, however, remained constant. While creating the paintings, the repetition of the motif became like a prayer. The paintings with fewer arches were the prayers in which I was asking God’s help, and the paintings with many arches were prayers of thanks - each arch representing a different thought of gratitude. Now, as I view my finished pieces, I am overwhelmed by the theme of God’s grace and forgiveness. For me, like the motif, his grace is repetitive. It is also powerful, like the bold colors of the pieces. It completely covers me, like the brightly colored arches of my final piece. Even after I have completed the pieces, they continue to teach me and help me grow in my faith. I am lucky to be able to combine and share the two things that I love: religion and art. Above all, this body of creative work is a way to express my faith more accurately, and far more eloquently, than words ever could.
