Public Art project - Day 3

'The Wheat and the Tares'

The rear of the mirror

Day 3 comments:

• This project has got people excited. It's more than paint on the wood. It's a focus, it's got people talking.
• I see blood donors have had a go!!!
• It's rewarding to see progress is being made especially at Church Centre. Day & night good.
• Love the mirror. Jesus will always be at the centre of our world.

Day 3 activities:

This morning painting had to wait until after our Wednesday morning Communion Service. I talked about the project with our congregation over tea after the service and most of today's comments come from them. In fact all except for the blood doning comment, which came from a blood donor last night in reference to the imagery for drawer 2.

I've also received another amusing message of support from Philip Ritchie: " Hope the public art project goes well – will you be playing Genesis’ I know what I like in my wardrobe while you work? You could call it Chelsea as I think they recently got four draw(er)s! More seriously the mirror brings to mind all sorts of ideas – I once heard worship described as ‘reflecting back to God the love he has lavished upon us’."

Today's work began with the reverse side of the mirror. There I began by gluing a priest's wafer to the centre of the board. Around this, maintaining the circle, I placed white and then yellow brush strokes radiating out from the central wafer to create a sun-like effect. Then on a piece of white embroidery I painted in wine a crucifix shape. When dry this will be pinned to the rear of the mirror covering the wafer and painting and so needing to be lifted in order to see the painting behind.

On the left hand end of the cabinet I have painted a copy of my painting, The Wheat and the Tares. A green Christ hangs crucified from three yellow stalks of wheat, red thorns entwine the base of the stalks and the legs of Christ echoing the crown of thorns on Christ's head (yet to be painted). On the right hand end of the cabinet I have begun a copy of my painting, Unless the seed die ..., which is a companion piece to The Wheat and the Tares. The originals of both paintings will be included in Visual Dialogue.

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