ORIGINAL CHRISTIAN OIL PAINTINGS

Interpretation of the painting: This painting is correctly viewed from the view point that I have spiritually died to this world and am born again to a new reality, which is a life in Jesus Christ. The painting is a considered prayerful response to scripture ‘and a sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars,’ (Rev 12:1). This verse refers to the coronation of Mary (the mother of God) as the Queen of Heaven.

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Background: This image is a very powerful image. It is included in the rosary. So I contemplate this image at least twice a week. Through the ages this was a popular theme to paint. But felt the need to paint something more simple and true to the reading. This is very presumptive of me to say, but I felt there was a new way of depicting this image within the confines of the reading. It was then that I sat and prayed for clarity of what to paint. I wanted to give full focus on the Queen of Heaven and the child she carries. For this reason I have not included any other details that would take the focus away from the scene as describe in scripture.

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The journey: One of the first things that captured my mind was how would I paint a woman clothed with the sun. The sun is a fiery ball. If I did that it would just not look right. I researched many older paintings and none of them seemed to capture the essence of being clothed with the sun.

This was a vexing problem. I spent a lot of time praying and chatting to my wife about how I could accomplish this. This to me was the key to the image. After many weeks of contemplation and discussion the idea came about that this sun was a divine light. That coming from Mary (the mother of God) was this divine light. When I read further it was written that she was with child. She was carrying the light of the world, who is Jesus.

The meaning of the painting: This led my contemplations into the idea that there was a new era being born. This new era was the messianic kingdom of God. This follows the ancient structure of the Davidic Kingdom where the kings’ mother would be his queen. Like, Solomon’s queen was his mother Bathsheba, and all successive kings in the Davidic kingdom would have their mothers as their queen. So Mary (the Mother of God) is the queen of the messianic kingdom of God with King Jesus.

I depict the idea of this new era been born by the shape of the clouds that surround Mary. The heavens are being ripped open in the shape of the opening of the womb. The divine light burst out from heaven and illuminates our world. It floods the moon where Mary’s feet touch the surface. The ‘crown of twelve stars’ sit on the apex of this womb like shape and circle the head of the Queen of Heaven. This acknowledges Mary’s willingness to become the mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ at the annunciation.

The light shining forth is the light Mary wore whilst carrying the light of the world, who is Jesus Christ. It also represents her purity of mind, body and spirit. Mary has no original sin. This was the moment that changed world history.