ABOUT THE ARTWORK
2023
Pen and ink
A3
In general, my artworks are based on direct observation or drawing/painting things from real life as I see them. But occasionally, I have a yearning in my spirit to create something with a deeper meaning - something that ties in with my Christian faith. Ever since I first watched a cartoon version of C.S. Lewis’ classic story The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe back when I was a boy, I have loved the land of Narnia and the Great Lion, Aslan. I grew to love the story of The Horse and His Boy a few years ago (I didn’t enjoy it so much as a boy). There was a lot about the boy Shasta that resonated with me - he gave voice to many of the cries of my boyhood soul. Those cries have remained with me and have deepened over the years. In recent times I have found myself crying, “God, where are you?” I was drawn to read The Horse and His Boy at one point in this confusing mist and read of Shasta riding along a lonely, misty path and hearing a creature pacing along beside him. That creature was Aslan himself - who revealed to Shasta that he had been with him, watching over him and protecting him since birth.
Inspired and tremendously encouraged by this, I was stirred to convey the imagery and meaning in an artwork - to serve as a continual reminder to me that I am not, never have been and never will be truly alone. My aim was not to perfectly recreate the imagery from the story but to use it as a springboard for an image that truly captured my heart’s response to it. In a way, it is a self portrait. I am the boy walking in the mist and the Great Lion is Christ. Downcast is my lonely soul, tearful eyes look down with bowed head - but then - a Great Voice speaks.
I wanted to give the work an illustrative style - using fineliner pen to create rhythmical line-work. The mist is implied by the empty background. Tiny flowers caress the passing feet - unnoticed blessings. For the frame, I wanted to compliment the weightiness and illustrative nature of the drawing and go with something that had the feel of an old museum/library. Painting an ornate frame black helped achieve this.
This image will be printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag® paper (308 gsm) to best suit the original medium.