I am pleased, flattered and mind-blown to announce that I have received an invite to put my work on the prestigious NFT platform Foundation. I pushed the quality of my work for years–decades–and this is a rare validation of my efforts. For those unfamiliar, this platform, which is akin to getting into a juried gallery exhibition, is not beginner-level. Some of the best photographers out there are on Foundation, and I am honored to be associated with it.
Artists often toil along without any reward or pay to create art, most of which comes with an enormous up-front cost–but eventually it can get to you; you’re only human. Recognition and sales help to fuel our art, both financially by funding supplies, and creatively, because we can afford to experiment and innovate further.
For this opportunity I am indebted and grateful to my friend Christene, who connected me with Shannon, whom I have only just met. Christene believes in my work and alerted me that Shannon had invites. Shannon bestowed this on me with no prior kinship with me and literally nothing to go on but the power of my portfolio and Christene’s recommendation. Both of these ladies are storm chaser/photographers–and forces of nature for chasing! In fact, this niche genre has a growing and passionate throng of WOMEN WHO ROCK creating these incredible image of live storms, at great risk to their own safety. Each lady has gorgeous photographs well worth checking out:
Christene has her Twitter page, and a fun and adventurous YouTube channel with live chasing footage and authentic storytelling – it’s a dangerous and interesting life, storm chasing! I very rarely do it, as I had more tornados than I cared for growing up in and around Joplin, MO and Jonesboro, AR; each has been wiped out by them in the past. It’s better that Christene shows you the ropes, because she definitely can do it with humor!
Shannon is, of course, on Foundation but also hosts her photos at her website – or visit her Twitter at @shannbil if you tweet (or if you don’t)! You can also find links to her Instagram and OpenSea from her Twitter. If you act fast, she has a most fascinating video of a live tornado on Foundation!
Here’s the tweet with my work samples (that apparently did their job) that I submitted for consideration:
What a generous thing to pass on, Shannon! I usually just put low-res tiny watermarked images on Twitter–I'm saving the good stuff for my future collectors. Here's just a taste…thanks so much for your consideration and this opportunity.❤️🥳 pic.twitter.com/YI617C8ueg
On April 29, 2017, artist Eilee George dedicated with Calvary Community Baptist Church of Northglenn nine new works, many of massive proportions, depicting significant sites in the walk of Jesus, and including a triptych featuring three key trees in the Bible. Knowing that people often want to know the background, reasoning, symbolism, technique and inspiration for works in order to make a deeper connection with the art being viewed, the Church asked the artist to give a presentation explaining the works in the context of meaning and method.
This post shows a longer draft of the speech than actually given, with more detail than time constraints at the event allowed, but all of the key points are present in both versions. Several attendees specifically requested that I publish a copy of this. A Power Point presentation was used as a visual aid to illustrate each of the paintings as they were being discussed. The presentation was whittled down to eight minutes from the original twenty, and was well received. An edited adaptation of the original presentation follows, with painting illustrations:
I’ve been asked to give some context to these paintings you suddenly see everywhere. Pastor Brian is a brave man to ask someone as verbose as I am to make a “brief” presentation – but I’ll do my best!
When I was asked to highlight our renovation with some artwork two years ago, I jumped onboard with both feet. I was very honored and intimidated and full of hope. I had full artistic license to do whatever I wanted – creatively, an artist’s dream commission. I took my responsibility very seriously and had plans to study my brains out.
Sheryl & L. Eilee At Mt. of Beatitudes, Galilee, Israel
Not twenty-four hours after I was given this opportunity, another one fell in my lap. My mother in-law, Sheryl, called and said their tour group to Israel needed another body to hit quota. She offered it freely, no obligation to me but to show up and have her back – and she offered it without any knowledge that I had received a request to paint art for a church. God’s will mobilized both her and myself. There was no other way I could have afforded to go. I had never been out of the US and had no passport and just a short time to get one, but God moves in very purposeful ways. Is there any more perfect trip to gather resources for church paintings than eleven days in Israel? Amazing. Now, I feared traveling so far, and flying in general, but cast fears to His care, and He got us through a very difficult flight and a few exciting episodes while abroad, and got us all home safe, praise the Lord. It’s a trip every believer should take.
I was looking at sorting through some 10,000 photos I had taken. I kid you not, I’m very OCD. I needed material for this work and I had one chance at it. Once home, I had to choose images to paint that weren’t just great photos, but also would gel well with my very patterned, Neo-Pixelist style. Not just any work will do; it needs a balance of space and detail. When I paint, the patterns create an entirely different painting up close than you see when all the strokes melt together from a distance. This involves a lot of walking back and forth across the room while painting, squinting, and juggling different types of eyewear, in my case. The technique displays the particulate nature of all matter – that on an atomic level, we’re all made of the same stuff – but more than that; we’re molecular and systemic and all connected; relationships are key between us, and that parallels our relationship as the created to our own Creator. It’s atomic Gestalt theory in pigment: the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Decisions, decisions….
After months of sorting, choosing, revising and second-guessing, I chose what to paint. Then I had to get enough courage to put brush to canvas. I didn’t feel talented enough for such a mission! But God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips those He calls. When I prayed for His help, I literally felt the Holy Spirit guiding my decisions and my brush until I had enough confidence to persevere. I listened to a huge playlist of inspiring music while I worked, and eventually just listened to sermon after sermon on Grace FM to paint by. I sang hymns and cried and prayed and laughed, and it all worked out very well I think.
So on each of the individual paintings, a few words. There’s the triptych, here behind me…a word that refers to 3 artworks shown side by side as a unit. Then there are six smaller ones.
We’ll start with the six. Each depicts a site that is significant in the life of Jesus, and each features a scripture that directly relates to that site. In most of them, I purposely worked the scripture into the pattern of my brush strokes for a reason: it is subtle, in order to force you come closer, to pay attention, to meditate on the work – just the way one should meditate and linger in the Word, to increase comprehension and mindfulness.
The first work I did was the Garden Tomb. There are differences of opinion among different denominations as to actual site of the tomb; being so long ago many sites were “best guesses” but you still felt something “real” at times. We went through Church of the Holy Sepulcher but I did not feel Him there like I did in the area of the Garden Tomb. For this work I decided to go with theories that seem more compatible with Baptist beliefs. The Garden Tomb area is more peaceful, humble, and simple – and a place of quiet contemplation – devoid of icons/idols, rituals and dogma. For me it had to be the Garden Tomb.
This little 16″ x 20″ jewel was the first of the series, and I did a lot of experimenting. As I paint, I shoot progress shots with my camera to show its development, and this one had a lot of initial experimentation in technique; I recorded having put 22 layers on this relatively tiny work.
The Garden of Gethsemane is actually split in half by a narrow street; one half is adjacent to the Basilica of the Agony. This painting is from the the Basilica side of the street, although I saw the other side to be more restful for meditation. The trees are certainly ancient. In my test versions of planning, I tried both day shots and night shots. I wanted to think about doing a night scene because it’s my impression it was night when Jesus went there to pray right before His arrest. In the end I thought that a night scene would not have the right color palette for a church and I went with daylight. This 30″ x 48″ work has 33 layers of paint to achieve its molecular effect.
Next: the River Jordan, a 24″ x 36″. Few sites are available to tourists who are getting baptized in the Jordan as we were. We went to Yardinit, a deep area of the river except on the side of the baptismal stations. Much of the structure in this area is obviously modern, so I replaced with interpretations of random rocks and plant life, reminiscent of an early ruin, once I got around to Photoshopping my concept. The area we were in was lush, and it spoke to me of new life – like that represented by baptism itself – so I kept that aspect in my own version. I weighed the possibility of actually depicting Jesus and John the Baptist in the act of baptism, but sometimes depictions of Biblical persons can be controversial for a few reasons, and I am mostly a landscape artist, and that is what I was known for when I was asked to do the work, so to keep all of the work consistent I stayed with landscape, deviating only to superimpose a luminescent dove representing the Holy Spirit. The water is where my style really started getting flexible and curvy, and it developed even more in the next painting.
For a while I considered the simple shots I had taken of the Sea of Galilee, testing them for compatibility between my style and their composition; I found that they could be terribly dull unless I really stretched out of my comfort zone. Looking at all that sea and air, and painting the way I do bringing life and vision to smaller elements of matter, I decided to imagine both the air and water currents and those elements swirling around in them. This, plus sunset colors, made my 24″ x 36″ Galilee look psychedelic in the early phases, but many layers of tinted glazing took the edge off and gave it harmony. I briefly considered including a ghostly image of Christ walking on the water, but again, I decided to stay consistent and retain the original scope of landscape art, which is often contemplative on its own.
Calvary…in front of the Old City in the Second Temple Period…while in Jerusalem, we went to the Israel Museum, which had an enormous model of the Old City during the Second Temple Period, the time Jesus walked among us. I planned this painting, like I did with most of them, on Photoshop, but it was more complex, in that I had to remove the walls and tourists, and figure a more fitting background, and I had to choose an appropriate angle for the emotional impact I had in mind. I scrutinized the legend of the model, and guesstimated the approximate historical location of Golgotha and the cross in relation to it. You only see a beginning of the Temple’s Women’s Court on the right; mostly featured is the adjacent Antonia Fortress. This structure seemed to mirror the hardness of the chronical it faced, so I superimposed from my photography portfolio a dramatic post-storm sky from our very own Colorado that seemed to hold God’s light. This canvas is rather imposing at 36″ x 48″.
This Ancient Tree of Gethsemane is adjacent to the Basilica of the Agony and is estimated to have been there at the time of Jesus’ life. Today the trunk’s girth measures more than 13 feet. It is weathered and scarred, showing the wounds of a long and fruitful life. To reflect this, the painting shows this survivor with a sturdy, solid trunk, but tissue-paper collage delicate greenery. It was overwhelming to be in the presence of such an ancient olive and consider that He may have prayed at the root of this very tree. This work is 24″ square.
So that’s the six. Now the triptych.
Triptych Intro
The Three Trees Triptych (TTT) in progress
The Three Trees Triptych were by far the most challenging of the group – I had no photographs to lean on; only Scripture and my imagination. For the group as a whole, I decided after long consideration and several other failed ideas to simulate the idea of the gothic-arch frame, along with an exaggerated version of the mosaic/stained-glass effect that my work is known for – an appropriate technique…for paintings to be hung in a sanctuary!
I kept a log through all the paintings and took progress photos as I went. This got really complicated with the triptych because I had to regularly work among them in order to coordinate colors, align adjacent elements, and figure the direction of the light. I even had to rearrange my entire studio in order to accommodate three such monsterous works side by side (each canvas is 48″ wide and 60″ tall), and they barely fit in the dim little basement cave that I call my studio. Just finishing them was a small miracle. Let’s take a look at each of the three works individually.
Rebellion is the first panel of the triptych. Not a lot is available for source material to paint the Garden of Eden. There are scriptural references of course, but much is left up to the imagination. The area of the intersection of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers is suspected, and any river valley should be lush, as was the Garden itself from all extrapolation. This Tree is the hardest of the three to depict, as it has no distinguishing characteristics by which to recognize it. To reveal its identity, I wrapped a serpent around the trunk, adding two hastily-dropped half-eaten pieces of fruit in his shadow.The concept is loosely based on the account in Genesis. This scene was the catalyst for the fall of man in his relationship with God – a rebellion.
In Redemption, I turned the composition to face Jericho’s distant barren hills, and to include the sun bursting through dark clouds as on the day of the crucifixion. This also serves as the main light source for all three paintings of the triptych, the throne in New Jerusalem scene to the right notwithstanding. Inclusion of the non-indigenous dogwood sapling is a nod to our own culture and its symbolism in the four white, blood-stained petals that draw a parallel to Christ on the Cross. It isn’t even native to Colorado, but it is very much from the place where this artist grew up. The vines emanating from the base of the Cross symbolize the new life offered to us in the presence of our God for all eternity by Christ’s sacrifice and atonement for our sins.
I thought I had a decent idea of what to do with the last panel, called Reunion – until I started comparing Revelation to Ezekiel. I had several meetings with Pastor Brian and others on these seeming conflicts, and consulted various tomes including Randy Alcorn’s book entitled “Heaven”. I pored through heavenly depictions through art history; I watched videos that alluded to it; I read online comparisons between accounts by different prophets and apostles. I prayed hard on it and decided to go with a version from Revelation, realizing it is likely not any inherent “contradiction” but rather speaking of a different time from Ezekiel (eternity versus the 1000 years); therefore it makes sense that there would be some differences. Showing the great City from the inside out also presented a challenge, as many descriptions talk about the gates and foundations that would not be visible from the interior of such a vast place, and descriptions aren’t highly detailed from that perspective. The Bible reveals that the Tree of Life grows on EITHER side of the River of Life, so I had to resolve how that works. The Seven First Fruits and other native crops were used for the twelve crops on the Tree. Combining the reference to the healing of nations as well as Christ’s promise to go and prepare a place for us in His father’s house of many mansions, gave me license to show architecture of many cultures in close proximity and harmony.
Conclusion
These works are a labor of love. The whole time I painted them, I prayed that they might inspire someone to seek God, to seek closer relationship with Him, to seek their own spiritual gift and to dedicate themselves to honoring Him with those gifts. I did this and found that the gift again is to me, and at this crossroad I look for God to guide me to His will for my next steps. Thanks, Sheryl, for taking me on the trip of a lifetime; thanks Greg for your steadfast support through all of this; thank you to my families by blood, marriage and here at the church for your inspiration; I couldn’t have done it without you; thank God for His help and facilitating my spiritual and artistic growth. Thank you for sharing my journey.
Prints of these works are available through special order. Contact the artist directlyhere.
This is just a little announcement that I’ve come along enough in my musicianship and singing to feel worthy of performing publicly (at small venues), and that means I should add a MUSIC page to my site. I’ve already played some small gigs, have more in the works, and designed and started handing out business cards. I waited to put the music page in the menu tabs at first, because its content was early in development, but now you can look at it here. [Subsequent note: the Music page has grown enough that I added a VIDEOS page as well!]
I want to thank my musician contacts, friends, blood/extended/in-law and church family members, art community, and others for the great encouragement I have received in developing my musical chops, thereby helping to make this little step happen. As I grow musically, I will periodically make blog posts, letting you all know how it’s going.
I also want to thank Claire Cleveland at the Denver Post for interviewing me at the Make Music festival, (an annual, worldwide summer-solstice event that started in France, spread to many world cities including Denver – sponsored by our own local Swallow Hill), as she partially quoted me and linked to my site on the online version of the article she wrote on the event – very classy of her to do. I really enjoyed the celebration, and I hope you all get a chance to attend Fête de la Musique, wherever you may be next year!
In designing some of my promo materials, I even generated/put a QR code leading to the new MUSIC page on my biz card, along with a wee image of my fluffy Yeti cat guarding one of my growing collection of ukes (it’s cropped from this version) so here’s a gratuitous something cute to look at:
So in addition to painting, designing web sites, doing a lot of outreach and volunteer work, assembling various manuscripts (slowly), playing uke and singing, I’ve been writing a ton of songs, and converting a fair amount of my old poetry into songs; it’s going better than I ever dreamed it would. My repertoire of covers is growing steadily and covering a nice variety of genres. And it’s fun.
No worries, artwork is still a big focus in my life, and I am currently working on a series based on my trip last year to Israel. After it is finished, I have a couple more series waiting in the wings. There will be plenty of paintings and prints to come. I just wish I didn’t have to waste so much time sleeping! Thank you for visiting. 🙂
I’ve participated in a few events since I last updated the site, and regrettably I have been remiss in reporting them. Among other things, I’ve been represented by Carla Wright Gallery in Denver for years, and more recently participated in a special exhibit at my church for a fundraiser. I am working hard on developing a new series, but first I thought I’d let you know that I just finished a new group of paintings!
I have finally finished my Four Seasons series. Check out the Painting Gallery here in order to see Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter; they’re listed close to the top now. The concept and planning stages of these works were intensive, as I had a very specific vision for these paintings, and execution was key. Planning paid off, and I am very happy with how they turned out!
Additionally, I have decided to put some work into a little open-call exhibit at CORE New Art Space at 9th and Santa Fe in Denver. Much of the art that is on display is also for sale, so come on over to find a unique collection of beautiful little “jewels” of art. The show is titled “Grand Petit – Small Art” and features works that are 12″ or smaller in any and all dimensions. It’s juried by Charles and Michele Whitley, Publishers of ArtScape Colorado, the brilliant free guidebook of all things arty in Denver that is ubiquitously available in almost every gallery.
I submitted for jury my works entitled Poetree, Unitree, and Entree, which also can be viewed in the Painting Gallery. Apparently CORE got quite a lot of entries, and there was a real rush going on when I arrived with mine. Soon I was notified and congratulated by the gallery that my work was accepted but I don’t yet know which works made it in – so I’ll update this when I know. [Update: all 3 got in, and Poetree and Entree both sold on opening night!]
So join us at the opening at Core New Art Space, 900 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, on November 14, 2014; from 6pm-9pm, or any open hours through November 30 (Th 12-6, F 12-9, Sat 12-6, Sun 1-4). It’s going to be a fun night. [It was!]
Well, it has been a fantastic adventure designing this new site, just as it was to have done the old one. I must say I have gotten no less than stellar customer service from my hosting provider; I could not have pulled this site off as fast as I did (well less than a week with lots of long breaks) without the assistance of many of their dedicated employees, who never once made me feel like I asked a “stupid” question (although I’m quite sure I did). Thank you GoDaddy! (Disclaimer: I get no compensation for saying this; I didn’t even tell them I was going to say this; it’s just an honest opinion. I just happen to believe in giving kudos in a world where too many folks only complain, that’s all.)
I had studied xhtml and CSS somewhat myself, but knowing code is a little different than knowing how it all works and goes live – it’s probably really easy for some, but when you’re unfamiliar with it, it’s all very mysterious. Really I just needed a little kick into foreign territory and I adapted quickly after all my fear and whining subsided. It’s good to know that both hemispheres of my brain are still working.
My “old” site (I had designed it a long time ago but only went live with it earlier this year) was designed in the now-defunct FrontPage. Had I known it would be a pain to edit and maintain, I might have used something else to begin with – but it was a good first web-building experience nonetheless. It was sort of like coursework for me…since I never took a single class in this stuff – just bought a giant book on codes and dove in. Now I’ve learned so much more about WordPress.
Even back then, I thought that I might be able to design sites for others…now that I’m working in WordPress, I know I can. I can keep it simple, and can maintain it for clients as well, if they get (or tell me) the content and images that they want on it. I’m a photographer and typographer, and I can do a wide variety of computer graphics and generated every background, animated GIF, and other type of image on both of the “eilee” sites from scratch. I’m good at organizing information and writing intelligent, articulate and grammatically competent copy. I am learning more about SEO every week, and I’m working on additional site aspects for the future.
I already have three other sites lined up to build after the festival (see previous post). Not bad.
I recently joined the legions of artists who show at art festivals. I had put it off because of the up-front expense involved, but was encouraged by artist friends that it would be fun and also a great way to meet a lot of great people, and to get some exposure and broaden my horizons. They were right on all accounts.
My next show is right here in town! I will be showing at the Downtown Denver Arts Festival on Memorial Day Weekend: May 24, 25, and 26 (Friday – Sunday) at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Some 160 artists will be showing from 4-8pm on Friday, 11-8pm Saturday, and 11-5pm Sunday.
NOTE: the above link now shows more current information than when I participated, but you can read about what the festival is up to now. With their newest (new) location, it’s too sunny for me to endure after all my radiation treatments. Continuing back to the post…
My work specifically is represented under 2013 Artists / 2D under “L. Eilee George”, and on the YouTube Video at the top of the same page at about 1:21 – the sample work is entitled “Catreedral”. After decades of painting, I’ve only very recently started to actually market my work. This is exciting!
I have viewed the other participants’ work, and I must say I am in very talented company. There is original art in all sizes and types for every budget, and a great bunch of people in a beautiful venue. If you’re in the area, please come join us – and enjoy the lovely spring weather, the art, the community, and the other great events going on downtown this weekend!
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