'Project Michelangelo'

A few years ago, we decided to involve the children who attend the church youth club in the painting of a mural, (with a Bible theme), to be on permanent display in the church hall. We had no idea how long in would take, but we decided to try and complete it during the six week school holidays.

All the kids and leaders arrived, dressed in their scruffs, and work began. We started by painting 5 sheets of plywood, (8'x4'), with white paint. Then we transferred the picture from the small version, that I had done in advance, to the full-size boards. I intended keeping tight control over this process, but found that the older kids wanted to copy parts of the picture themselves.

All of the boards were painted flat on the floor, with plenty of space around them. This way, 3 or 4 children could comfortably work on each board. Special attention had to be paid to using the same colors on parts of the image that crossed from one board to another. (this didn't always happen!)

The whole project was a great success, and was completed on time!
It was both fun and educational. We were able to spend time talking about the Bible stories that we were painting. The children enjoyed learning how to mix colors, how to paint a metal effect, (see Goliath's helmet), and how to paint marble pillars, (see Samson). Every age and ability was involved. The very young were given large areas to paint in a certain color, like a gigantic coloring book. This wasn't always neat, but the older children tided it up later.

We had a lot of fun too. some evenings ended up with a big paint fight! and everyone went home covered head to foot in paint! Great fun. Don't try this if you haven't got washable floors! All in all, it was a great bridge-building event.

The finished mural, (pictured above), was a massive 8' high by 20' long! It depicted 14 scenes taken from both the 'Old' & 'New Testaments'. There were about 20 children involved, ranging in age from about 5 to 13 years old.

A few weeks ago, one of the kids involved in the mural came to see me for a reference for a job that she was applying for, (she is 17 now). While I was photocopying her form, I noticed that one of the questions was, "What achievement to date, are you most proud of?" Her answer was, "Painting a mural at my local church". It wasn't until then that I realized just how much the painting of that mural meant to those kids.

I suggested to the kids that we should try a 'Sistine chapel' type picture next, for the ceiling! They can't wait!!!

Feeding the 5,000

For those of you who think that the 'picture counter' on the right has been stuck on 641, It's not!
It's just that I've been illustrating the 'feeding of the 5,000' in John ch 6, and it's taken longer than usual.

If you need pictures of the 'Feeding of the 5,000 story', click here.

To start with, I wanted to get the scenery reasonably accurate, so I started by looking at maps and photos of the area as well as studying old paintings and wood engravings that were actually done in the Holy land.
The supposed area where this event took place is known today as the 'Golan Heights'

In picture one, you are looking from the high ground, westward across the sea of Galilee. On the opposite shore, some 5 miles away, you can see Capernaum, where the Lord Jesus travelled to the following day.
In pictures three, and four, you are looking northwest, and the River Jordan can be seen in the distance, close to where it flows into the Sea of Galilee near Bethsaida.
If you look at a contoured map of the area, you will see that the slopes rise gently from the Sea of Galilee at this point. This was a large area of grassland, (v10) making it ideal for grazing.

I have drawn both sheep and lambs amongst the crowds, as this was at the time of 'Passover', so there would have been lambs in abundance. In picture four, I show a small child sat with a lamb at her side, like a pet. This is a reminder of how jewish families at 'Passover' were to take the lamb into their home, on the 10th of Nisan, 4 days before it was sacrificed. I'm sure that any children in the family would have grown attached to the lamb during this time, making the eventual slaughter of the animal that much more painful! A stark reminder to them of both the consequences of sin, and how their ancestors were saved only by the shedding of the blood of an innocent lamb!

When I was drawing the crowds of people, I started to think about the logistics of how the food would have been distributed. There could well have been over 10,000 people present as the 5,000 mentioned didn't include the women and children.
Whenever there are plates of biscuits to be given out at our church following a family service, you can guarantee that all the volunteers for the job are the children! I would imagine that children were the same then. So in picture four, I show, alongside the disciples, eager children distributing the baskets of bread and fish.

For more about the Sea of Galilee, click here.

Easy mistakes to make!

#1 The writing on the wall
When illustrating 'Belshazzars Feast' in the book of Daniel, remember to position the hand to the left of the finished writing on the wall.
Not the right, as shown in most children's Bibles. Remember, Hebrew is written from right to left!

#2 Crossing the Jordan
When illustrating the crossing of the Jordan in Joshua ch3-4. Remember that if you were stood on the banks of the Jordan facing Jericho, the flow of the water would be from right to left. This means that when the water banked up allowing the children of Israel to cross, it would bank up on the right side of them. Not the left as shown in some Bibles.

The Bible says that the Jordan actually receded a few miles upstream, To the city of Adam,(v16) where the waters heaped up. Therefore no wall of water would have been in view as the israelites crossed the Jordan. It is more dramatic though when you can see the wall of water! Although, the waters receding back many miles in both directions, (when the priests feet touched the water), must have been a fairly awesome sight too!

Interestingly, this is almost the same spot where the 'Baptism of Jesus' took place many years later. How much more would the waters of the Jordan have wanted to recede back at that event!

#3 The Star of David
Many Bible artists use the 'Star of David' as a Jewish symbol in their Bible pictures. For instance on decorative panels in synagogues etc. This symbol wasn't used till much later. Images of the 'Menorah' have been around for a lot longer, so perhaps a menorah would be a more suitable image. Any other suggestions?

#4 The High Priests Breastplate.
If you've gone to the trouble of researching the colors of all twelve of the precious stones on the breastplate of the High Priest, (which you should). Remember that, as Hebrew is written from right to left, It's probable that the first stone mentioned would appear top right, and the last stone mentioned would appear bottom left.
Many years ago, I illustrated a life size 'High priest' in oils on canvas, for an evangelist friend of ours. One mistake I made, which I later changed, was to illustrate the two chains that attach the top corners of the Breastplate to the two shoulder settings, as link chains. They should have been 'wreathen' or 'braided' chains, which are more like ropes, and much stronger.

#5 Cover the Ark.
Remember to illustrate the Ark of the Covenant under cover when in transit. (See the 'Covering the Ark' post).
Also remember that the Cherubs over the Ark had four wings, not two. (See the 'Drawing Angels' post).

Related posts:
Covering the Ark
Drawing Angels
Drawing Cherubs