Painting the 15 Psalms of Ascent

 

In the summer of 2024, I participated in a summer Bible study on the Psalms of Ascent, 15 Psalms, 120-134 with the accompanying commentary by Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in Same Direction.  After summer was over, as well as the study, I had a strong impulse and idea to paint the Psalms we had studied. It was an exercise and a challenge for me in listening skills, the same skills I try to teach in The Maker's Space using art. What would emerge as I was guided by the Holy Spirit and my inner intuition of design and color for a new way of visualizing the Psalms. It seemed like a crazy idea, as well as daunting, but I was so motivated to try as a way of freeing myself up as an artist and to believe that the Creator of the Universe really does like to create with me!

I purchased the first 10 blank canvases in bulk in October and made the commitment.  I decided that I would start with the first 5 Psalms, Psalm 120-125 and see where it would lead.  After reading the first 5 chapters of the commentary by Eugene Peterson, I took notes and noticed and noted any colors for the color pallet that jumped out to me. This was just a starting point.  I didn't expect the paintings to stay in order, but I needed a place to start. after painting the first layer of colors on the first canvas, I was inspired to pur first color layers down on the others.  They didn't go in order after that, but at least I had a beginning point.  Everyday that I worked on the paintings, I felt that I knew what the next step was or the next color for each of the paintings.  Some went faster than others.  If I didn't know what to do, I would let that canvas rest and continue to reread the Psalms and the commentary.

There was a point when I jumped ahead to blank canvases and new color palettes for unknown reasons otther than I felt like I wanted to. It wasn't until after working on 10 canvases at a time for a few months, did I start to take stock and number the ones that were forming. Some had switched order, and others popped out to '"become" another Psalm. After starting in October in Wheaton, moving the canvases to Tucson in December, it wasn't until February that I ordered the last 5 canvases.  After that, I started to take stock and notice which paintings were numbered and where I needed to fill in the Psalms that were missing. Some stayed the same from the beginning, others emerged over time, and some switched places.  By the end of February, I had every Psalm assigned to a canvas.

At this point, I was editing some of the earlier canvases for composition and story. These I reallty wrestled with and went back time and again into the text and commentary. Others came together much more quickly.

I feel like every cvanvas is different with different styles, techniques and color palettes, but all are abstract representations of images that evolved and grew by layers of paint application.  None were finished in one sitting. All have some metallic in them representing tthe Psalms as a prayerbook and the very heart of God.

Just as the 15 Psalms of Ascent were sung on the pilgrimage to Jeruselem, by the Jewish people, three times a year to worship God, this challenge was a pilgrimage for me to try to have the Psalms indwell me so that I could express with paint what the Spirit was saying to me.  My goal was not the end result, but

the journey and time of listening and painting with the Spirit.  The end canvases are ev idence that prayer and conversation took place.  I did not start out with any idea what each one would look like. The truth is that each one was a total surprise!   I can't wait to show you each one soon!  They are almost done!