I started painted this image during the Walnut Hill Community Church sunday evening service on December 18, 2011.  Mike and Kara Mancini were leading worship and had asked me to join them as a part of their worship team on stage while Gavin Calver preached about Zechariah’s obedience.  The Mancini’s led an incredible time of worship blending ancient traditions and prayers and modern music styles.  It was the perfect embodiment of Gavin’s admonition that church “style” should be free to chance like the wind, while the unchanging “substance” of the Gospel message should be an unwavering anchor.  The style of the music was contemporary, bold, experimental, and fun, but the readings were from the 2000 year old gospel of Luke and the prayers from 1500 year old early Church liturgy.  Absolutely beautiful.  It inspired a bold and abstract beginning to the work, limited to the “secondary triad” of colors: green, purple, and orange.  My five year old son and I have been teaching each other how to allow God to talk to us by showing us colors, and learning what they mean.

I ended the evening having put in a Mary (or Elizabeth) in with the wild energy, and despite the fact that it was only a component of the message, I felt drawn to express the “Magnificant”... the leap of the heart and baby in Elizabeth by the Spirit, Elizabeth’s Blessing, and then Mary’s outpouring of prophetic declaration in “Mary’s Song” or the “Magnificant”.  The second figure just began to take shape as I wrapped up the evening.

I returned early on Monday morning and worked on the second figure, and I like how this figure expresses the wonder and worship of both Mary and Elizabeth in this short Biblical account of their interaction.  For those who look for literal one to one meaning in my work, they will find that I am intentionally striving NOT to paint too firmly one single interpretation, but instead trying to convey the spirit of a moment or a place, the unseen spiritual dimension unfolding behind the physical reality.  I find that the Truth of a moment transcends the look of the actual location or people, and can communicate more universally when it is not limited to outward appearances. 

Mary’s Song -  Luke 1:

 46 And Mary said:

   “My soul glorifies the Lord
 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
   of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
   holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
   from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
   he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
   but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
   but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
   remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
   just as he promised our ancestors.”

 56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Bryn Gillette