 |
 |
 |
|
St Columba Wood - Egg tempera |
Artist Statement: St. Columba, a patron saint of Scotland, (b.521 - d.597) was an abbot and a missionary, who is credited with the main role in the conversion of Scotland to Christianity. He was born in what is now County Donegal, Ireland, and died on the island of Iona where he founded a monastery. His feast day is June 9 Bio: For me, art doesn’t have to be a reproduction of something that can be photographed, but is more of a quest for the truth behind the object. I began looking for ways to express mystery -- not the ‘Agatha Christie’ kind, but the ineffable kind. I tried to find a visual language that would allow me to communicate that mystery. Eventually I turned to well known symbols that are widely understood in the Christian Church in an attempt to avoid creating completely subjective art. Just as we use words that are well understood to tell a story, there is value in using and reinterpreting ancient pictorial symbols to communicate universal truth. Rather than limiting the artist, it fosters a living tradition that unfolds for each new generation, bridging past and future. |
