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Wednesday, 28 October 2026

Interview Update

Since my last Interview Update, I have had an interview published by ArtWay with Nicola Ravenscroft and an interview for Artlyst with Sean Scully and Hughie O'Donoghue.

My interview with Nicola focuses on her bronze sculpture at the Royal Free Hospital which stands as a lasting tribute to the courage, compassion, and dedication of NHS staff. In my joint interview with Sean and Hughie, they reflect on the nature of friendship while discussing aspects of their Irish identity, their experiences working during a hostile period for painting, the subsequent triumph of painting, and their experiences creating works for sacred spaces.'

For more on Nicola, click here for my Artlyst interview with Nicola, and here for an ArtWay Visual Meditation on her work. Click here for a poem published by Stride Magazine that was inspired by Nicola's series of 'in the language of angels' images. I have also written short stories about Nicola's mudcub sculptures (now called EarthAngels), which we exhibited at St Andrew's Wickford. The first story in the series is 'The Mudcubs and the O Zone holes.' The second is 'The Mudcubs and the Clean-Up King'. The third is 'The mudcubs and the Wall'.

See also my other pieces on Sean Scully, here, here and here.

As a result of these interviews, I am updating this index of interviews. I have carried out a large number of other interviews for Artlyst, ArtWay, Church Times, International Times, Seen and Unseen, The Big Picture and Art+Christianity. They provide a wide range of fascinating insights into the approaches and practices of artists, arts professionals, clerics, curators, performers, poets and writers.

They can be found at:

Artlyst
ArtWay
Church Times
International Times
Seen and Unseen
Art+Christianity
The Big Picture
Also see my interviews with artist Henry Shelton here and here and David Hawkins, former Bishop of Barking, here, here and here. I have also published an interview with artist, poet and writer Rupert Loydell, who has also interviewed Nick Battle and Steve Scott.

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De'Borah Powell & The Benefactors - Open My Eyes.
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Somewhere to belong

Here's the sermon that was shared at St Andrew's Wickford this morning:

We all want a place to belong – somewhere to call home. You might have found that place. You might still be looking. A house or a family don’t necessarily make home. We yearn for something more – a safe haven, a place of refuge where we can truly be ourselves.

When children are asked to come up with five words or phrases that sum up what is needed in a home, they come up with words like: safety, warmth, happiness, food, water, somewhere to sleep, shelter, people who love you there.

The letter to the Ephesians, of which we have heard a section read this morning (Ephesians 2.17-22), says that these things can be found and experienced by becoming a part of God’s family. The starting point in the letter for talking about this possibility is very different though because it begins by talking about two groups of people who are separated from each other by significant barriers.

The letter is speaking about the way in which the Jews were separated from the Gentiles, on the basis of the Law of Moses, by racial, religious, cultural and social barriers. In addition, there were also sub-divisions with women and children being viewed as less important than men. Jews were understood to be God’s chosen people and very close to God while the Gentiles were seen as the distant heathens.

Christ tore down these barriers through his death on the cross. He died and rose again to bring us freedom in the form of the gift of love. The law of love and grace fulfils the Law of Moses meaning that the barriers between Jew and Gentile have been torn down because the old rules and regulations no longer apply in the same way and can no longer divide us.

In this way Christ created a unity that wasn’t based on racial, religious, cultural or social stereotypes, time or context, but a unity based on, and through, him for the whole world and in all periods of history. The new mixed-race Church is not so much the joining of the Jewish and Gentile people – with each trying to negotiate their own starting points – but rather a completely new humanity. And if Christ can unite Jews and Gentiles in this way then no other gulf should ever be that great again!

So what does all this mean for us today? Firstly, the emphasis on unity means that no one person, group or nation is more important than another. No one is a stranger or a foreigner because now we are all united in one body through Christ. The universal Church now contains all of us as members of God’s family, his house. This ‘oneness’ has to be demonstrated in our relationships with each other and in our behaviour. So we should welcome and respect everybody equally in our daily lives whether they are on our doorstep or in another country.

Secondly, by using the imagery of family and house, the Letter to the Ephesians shows that God wants to have a close relationship with us, like the ones we try to achieve in our own families and friendships. He no longer wants to be worshipped at a distance and in a temple that is man-made. Instead, we have become his temple through Christ dwelling within us. This is why our behaviour and our relationships have to reflect his Spirit working in our hearts. We are called to be holy and to model Christ’s love for us.

Thirdly, to do this we need Christ as the cornerstone of our building, our lives. Just as without a cornerstone a house is not properly supported, we cannot survive without Christ. God’s purpose for humanity is revealed through Christ. It is Christ who bridged the gulf between Jew and Gentile through his death on the cross and therefore it is Christ who unites us. It is through Christ that we become the temple in which God dwells through his Spirit. As a recent worship song says, “It’s all about you, Jesus.”

Therefore, as we build our lives on Christ:
  • we should be united in faith;
  • we should build up the Church by the way that we live our lives;
  • we should welcome all people without discrimination;
  • we should thank God for sending his Son to save us by his death and resurrection;
  • we should live faithfully in prayer; and
  • we should trust in God’s Spirit working through us.
By sharing what we have, we can make home a reality for others when they lack provision, nurturing, belonging, support or refuge. By offering our time, energies, resources and prayers, we can create the sense of belonging that God wants all people to find in him. May it be so for us. Amen.

(Based on materials from the Mothers’ Union resource pack entitled ‘Home’)

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Matt Redman - The Heart Of Worship.
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Tuesday, 27 October 2026

Artlyst: Sean Scully And Hughie O’Donoghue - The Big Interview

My latest interview for Artlyst is with Sean Scully and Hughie O'Donoghue:

'Sean Scully, who was recently named an Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, one of France’s highest cultural honours, was born in Dublin, moved to London in 1949 and settled in America in the mid-1970s. He is best known as a painter of monumental works in oil, although he is also a printmaker, producing woodcuts and etchings. Hughie O’Donoghue was born in Manchester, England, in 1953 and now lives and works in London and Erris, Co Mayo, Ireland. He uses figuration and abstraction to explore themes of human identity, memory, and experience, and draws on history, mythology, and personal records to create works that resonate with emotional intensity.

Initially admirers of each other’s work, the two artists have subsequently become good friends. In this joint interview, they reflect on the nature of friendship while discussing aspects of their Irish identity, their experiences working during a hostile period for painting, the subsequent triumph of painting, and their experiences creating works for sacred spaces.'

See also my other pieces on Sean Scully, here, here and here.

My other pieces for Artlyst are:

Interviews -
Monthly diary articles -
Articles/Reviews -
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Art History workshop with Maurizio Galia



Art History workshop with Maurizio Galia
Fine Art Teacher since 1990
The rise of Contemporary Arts in the XIX Century and its run until the current days.

Friday 6 November, 2.00 - 4.00 pm
St Andrew’s Church (11 London Road, Wickford SS12 0AN)

Maurizio Galia, from Turin, Italy, is a highly versatile art professional who has traversed various creative realms throughout his career. His artistic journey began as an illustrator for advertising, a role that laid the foundation for his future endeavours. Since 1990, he has also shared his extensive knowledge and passion for the fine arts as a dedicated teacher. His teaching experience extends beyond Italy, including a collaboration with a British institute in London in 2019. His commitment to education aligns with his desire to nurture the artistic talents of others.

His workshop will provide a panorama of art movements from the XIX Century to the Present. Discover key artists and art movements from Neo-Classicism to Contemporary art and Jacques Louis David to today’s top names.

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AQUAEL - Altri Tempi (Featuring Federica Gili)

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Saturday, 24 October 2026

International Times: Hope, Heart and Home

My latest set of album reviews for International Times are on Hope Is A Heavy Thing by Joy Oladokun, You’re Not a Ghost Anymore: Heart by Joseph Arthur, and Buddy Miller by Buddy Miller:

'The roots of what was originally known as rock ‘n’ roll are to be found in a blending of blues, country, and gospel. Folk music was added to that mix in the early sixties, while r&b, soul, country rock, and folk rock each major on one of those main strands.

Fusing these core strands in ever new combinations offers a constant source of inspiration which artists such as Joy Oladokun, Joseph Arthur, and Buddy Miller consistently tap.'

For more on Joy Oladokun see here and for Joseph Arthur see here.

For more of my writing on music, see my article for Seen and Unseen entitled 'Rock ‘n’ roll’s long dance with religion' and my co-authored book with Peter Banks, ‘The Secret Chord’, which has been described as an impassioned study of the role of music in cultural life written through the prism of Christian belief. The book can be purchased from Lulu - https://www.lulu.com/shop/jonathan-evens-and-peter-banks/the-secret-chord/paperback/product-1pey2g67.html?q=peter+banks&page=1&pageSize=4. Covering a range of musical styles and influences, from gospel music to X Factor, The Secret Chord conveys enthusiasm for music and its transformative powers. The book asks is there really a 'Secret Chord' that would both please the Lord and nearly everybody else as described in Leonard Cohen's popular song 'Hallelujah'? Posts related to the themes of 'The Secret Chord' can be found here.

My earlier pieces for IT are: an interview with curator Jacquiline Creswell; an interview with the artist Alexander de Cadenet; an interview with artist, poet, priest Spencer Reece, an interview with the poet Chris Emery, an interview with Jago Cooper, Director of the the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, a profile of singer-songwriter Bill Fay, plus reviews of:
Several of my short stories have been published by IT including three about Nicola Ravenscroft's EarthAngel sculptures (then called mudcubs), which we exhibited at St Andrew's Wickford in 2022. The first story in the series is 'The Mudcubs and the O Zone holes'. The second is 'The Mudcubs and the Clean-Up King', and the third is 'The mudcubs and the Wall'. My other short stories to have been published by International Times are 'The Black Rain', a story about the impact of violence in our media, 'The New Dark Ages', a story about principles and understandings that are gradually fading away from our modern societies, and 'The curious glasses', a story based on the butterfly effect.

IT have also published several of my poems, including 'Spencer Reece at Bemerton' which is based on the visit that I made to Bemerton in 2026 with Spencer Reece, 'The ABC of creativity', which covers attention, beginning and creation, and 'The Edge of Chaos', a state of existence poem. Also published have been three poems from my 'Five Trios' series. 'Barking' is about St Margaret’s Barking and Barking Abbey and draws on my time as a curate at St Margaret's. 'Bradwell' is a celebration of the history of the Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall, the Othona Community, and of pilgrimage to those places. Broomfield in Essex became a village of artists following the arrival of Revd John Rutherford in 1930. His daughter, the artist Rosemary Rutherford, also moved with them and made the vicarage a base for her artwork including paintings and stained glass. Then, Gwynneth Holt and Thomas Bayliss Huxley-Jones moved to Broomfield in 1949 where they shared a large studio in their garden and both achieved high personal success. 'Broomfield' reviews their stories, work, legacy and motivations.

To read my poems published by Stride, click here, here, here, here, here, and here. My poems published in Amethyst Review are: 'Runwell', 'Are/Are Not', 'Attend, attend' and 'Maritain, Green, Beckett and Anderson in conversation down through the ages'.

I am among those whose poetry has been included in Thin Places & Sacred Spaces, a recent anthology from Amethyst Press. I also had a poem included in All Shall Be Well: Poems for Julian of Norwich, the first Amethyst Press anthology of new poems.

'Five Trios' is a series of poems on thin places and sacred spaces in the Diocese of Chelmsford. The five poems in the series are:
These poems have been published by Amethyst Review and International Times.

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Joy Oladokun - Dear Maria.

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Sunday, 18 October 2026

St Martin-in-the-Fields: A Celebration of Three Hundred Years







Great to be back at St Martin-in-the-Fields this morning for this wonderful service marking the tercentenary of the consecration of James Gibbs’ historic and hugely influential building. The service focused on a grand procession of organisations that trace their origins to St Martin-in-the-Fields including Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Amnesty International, The Big Issue, Central St Martin's, The Connection at St Martin's, Oasis St Martin's Village, and Shelter, among others. There were also addresses from representatives of some of those organisations and a marvellous sermon from Revd Dr Sam Wells.

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St Martin's Voices - Here, Home.


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Saturday, 17 October 2026

Windows on the world (591)


 Holme, 2026

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Jerry David DeCicca · Bill Callahan - Forty Years In The Wilderness.

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