final book installment

Finally, I'll share a couple more images from my "Visions of Heaven" altered book. This first image shows another Polaroid transfer image of an almond orchard here in Northern California. I happen to love almonds & my family owned an almond ranch once upon a time, so it sort of speaks a bit of the concept of home for me as well. I used it to illustrate the verse, "Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along both sides of the river, the leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches." (Revelation 22:12) The river mentioned is the River of Life, also referred to in my final inscription, opposite the "hole" in my altered book.

When the flaps covering the final recessed section of the book are opened, it reveals a triptych of hand colored Polaroid transfers of a river scene. The scripture across the page comes from Ezekiel 47, verses 7 and 9, "I was surprised by the sight of many trees growing on both sides of the river... There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows... life will flourish wherever this water flows." Which explains the fruit trees always fruiting...

a real home

The next page I'll share with you from my altered book, "Visions of Heaven," has another Polaroid transfer on it, accompanied by Colossians 3:1. "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand." This speaks volumes, first of all, that heaven is a reality, and that it is something that we should be looking forward to. I especially like this New Living Translation, which I think emphasizes the tangible qualities of heaven, mush more than a purely spiritual realm.

One of following pages in this altered book, emphasizes a different aspect of heaven, spelled out in the selected letters of the text, h-0-m-e, and illustrated with a Polaroid transfer and my ubiquitous palm motif. The preceding page has a quote from Jesus on it, "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am." (John 14:1-3) While Jesus does not use the word heaven, by calling it his "Father's home" he is giving the very definition on heaven, that is, God's dwelling place. Wherever God is, that is heaven, and Christ is making the place ready for us - we should get ourselves ready, too!

more book visions

And so I return to this blog, after a week of computer problems... ;)

Here's another page in my altered book, "Visions of Heaven." I'm not revealing every page in this book, partly because it would be so tedious, and also to provide some little surprises for those who come to the actual show to see it. You'll notice I've again employed my palm tree motif on this page, it's a recurring theme throughout and you can find other posts that talk more about that by clicking on the tag at the end of this post. The image itself in an orignial Polaroid transfer, hand colored with pencils. On the facing page I put this verse: "The creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay... We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us." (Romans 8:19-24) I find this whole concept of creation's redemption utterly amazing. We are so connected with the earth that it suffered the curse with us, which is found in Genesis 3, and then is redeemed with us as well, which is shown in Revelation 21.

You can see this theme continued on the next page of my book, where I have revealed a sort of hidden code in the book's original text. Of course, I could have chosen to say most anything in this hidden code, but that is the beauty of this device. I first adopt the initial sentence of the page, as it was quite apt for me, "I began asking questions." Which is the beginning of any learning, and then reveal the letters r-e-d-e-m-t-i-o-n, then the word "of" and "the world." Finally I ask the reader of my book to "break free of the expectations" that they might come to the piece with. That is all any artist can ask, that a viewer be open to the message an artist is trying to convey.

back to visions

Nearly a month has passed since I've posted here, but that's not to say that work hasn't been getting done... I have been pretty busy on a particular piece that I'll share bit by bit, an altered book titled, "Visions of Heaven." For those unfamiliar with the medium, an altered book is literally a standard published book that has been altered, or changed, into a work of art. Altered books can be written and drawn in, painted, collaged, even cut and glued to express the artist's intent. It's a medium I don't emply often, but it works well with photography, as I can incorporate my images into the book form - something many photographic artists do.

The first detail of the book that I'm sharing is the palm trees that I've added to most pages of the book. This is a recurrance of my palm tree facination, a reference to Ezekiel's tour of the true temple in heaven, which is adorned with carvings of palm trees (see Ezekiel 40.) (You should be able to see any image enlarged by clicking on it.)

The other detail that I'll share this time is the cover, which I have collaged onto with gold paper, a reference to Revelation 21:18, "The wall was made of jasper, and the (holy) city (of Jerusalem that descended out of heaven) was pure gold, as clear as glass." The other item collaged onto the cover is an actual Polaroid transfer of a cross, symbolizing that accepting Christ is the way into heaven, as in Romans 6:23. "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." Thank you, Jesus!