'Condemned': Lent/Easter Series - Week 6

commission4mission has created a Lenten and Easter journey for 2012 using images by our artists combined with passages from Isaiah 53. Throughout Lent and for the first two weeks of Easter, we will post images and words from 'Condemned' here on a weekly basis.


Nadiya Pavliv Tokarska's interests are in traditional oil painting and moving images or film. During 2005 she was apprentice to Clarence Crawford; where she learnt traditional oil painting technique with a particular emphasis on portraiture. The aim of her creative practice is to convey to a viewer the message of unconditional love that connects us all and more importantly unites us with the Creator. Contemporary scientists armed with the latest equipment come to realise that the law of our universe is guided by what they call ‘Intelligent Mind’; who we, as Christians,b elieve to be God. Nadiya is very interested in researching more into this invigorated and transformed present dialogue between Religion, Science and Art. As a member of the Waltham Forest Art Club since 2006, she has taken part in many exhibitions and events organised by the Club. She also runs the Tokarska Gallery in Walthamstow.


Other artists contributing images to the series are Mark Lewis, Robert Enoch, Christopher Clack, Rosalind Hore, , Jim Insole, and Peter Webb. 'Condemned' has been compiled by Helen Gheorghiu Gould.

In addition to the weekly posts, 'Condemed' is also available as either a powerpoint or pdf file on request from Jonathan Evens at jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

We are grateful to ArtServe for their coverage of this initiative.

New commission: Holy water stoup

The newly commissioned holy water stoup created by Mark Lewis for St Margaret of Antioch Ilford was dedicated yesterday by parish priest, Fr. Stephen Pugh, in memory of lifelong church member, Ron Smith. Fr. Stephen said, "Ron was a lifelong member of the church and his family wanted to mark this. I think it's a very generous act which is of value to the congregation." Mark Lewis has explained that, "the design of the stoup is inspired by a rising and opening hand in a gesture that suggests invitation or something offered and given in love, reflecting the mission of the Church."

Latest completed commission

Our latest completed commission is a holy water stoup by Mark Lewis for St Margaret of Antioch Ilford. The stoup will be installed tomorrow and dedicated on Sunday by the Vicar, Fr. Stephen Pugh. The stoup has been given in memory of Ron Smith. Ron’s wife and family, together with Mark Lewis, will join the congregation for the Sung Eucharist at which the stoup will be dedicated.

'Condemned': Lent/Easter Series - Week 5

commission4mission has created a Lenten and Easter journey for 2012 using images by our artists combined with passages from Isaiah 53. Throughout Lent and for the first two weeks of Easter, we will post images and words from 'Condemned' here on a weekly basis.
Rosalind Hore is a sculptor and painter of Christian subjects – Christ figures, nativity sets, Ecce Homo, Stations of the Cross etc. She works in clay, plaster, concrete (figures can also be bronze cast at the foundry). Her paintings are mostly in acrylic of the events in the life of Christ. Her Pieta (pictured above) can be viewed at St Laurence’s Upminster. Rosalind has been an art teacher throughout her working life, has taken part in the Cambridge Open Studios (creating a sculpture garden and art gallery at her home) and has led art groups and projects in the parishes where she has lived. She has a sculpture in the Bible Garden at St Mary's Goring-by-Sea, which she describes as follows: "As part of a parish mission called Stepping Stones, I decided to do something special and made a seated figure of Christ with his arms outstretched titled Come Unto Me. We put stepping stones in the grass leading up to him."
Other artists contributing images to the series are Mark Lewis, Robert Enoch, Christopher Clack, Nadiya Pavliv Tokarska, Jim Insole, and Peter Webb. 'Condemned' has been compiled by Helen Gheorghiu Gould.

In addition to the weekly posts, 'Condemed' is also available as either a powerpoint or pdf file on request from Jonathan Evens at jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

We are grateful to ArtServe for their coverage of this initiative.

Mark of the Cross

Jonathan Evens and Henry Shelton have published Mark of the Cross, a book of 20 poetic meditations on Christ’s journey to the cross and reactions to his resurrection and ascension. These meditations focus on the mark of the cross in his life and body and were originally written as part of a community arts project in Hertford. They are complemented by a set of semi-abstract watercolours of the Stations of the Cross and the Resurrection created by Henry Shelton.

These meditations and images are available via twelve baskets as a pdf book, a powerpoint presentation and as individual images. They are ideal for use within Lent, Passiontide, Holy Week and Easter services. The PowerPoint would work well with background music played whilst the viewers meditate on the imagery and words.

Jonathan Evens will be using these meditations and images in the three hour devotion at St Margaret's Barking from 12 noon on Good Friday.

'Condemned': Lent/Easter Series - Week 4

commission4mission has created a Lenten and Easter journey for 2012 using images by our artists combined with passages from Isaiah 53. Throughout Lent and for the first two weeks of Easter, we will post images and words from 'Condemned' here on a weekly basis.

Christopher Clack, who contributes the fourth image in our series, trained as a painter, studied at Camberwell School of Art and then at the Royal College of Art. His main medium was oil paint, buthe also loved etching and making sculptures. One very important aspect of all his work was the physical, tactile nature of whatever he made, so it seems very strange to him now that he works almost completely on computer.His images are produced using scanners, cameras, and software such as Photoshop and paint programs like Coral painter. The product of all this is then turned into an object by printing it out using large format printers, using the best quality materials he can lay his handson. It’s now become a sort of challenge for him to bring into this medium a sense of the physicality of things that is generally felt to be lost in the digital production.Other artists contributing images to the series are Mark Lewis, Robert Enoch, Rosalind Hore, Nadiya Pavliv Tokarska, Jim Insole, and Peter Webb. 'Condemned' has been compiled by Helen Gheorghiu Gould.

In addition to the weekly posts, 'Condemed' is also available as either a powerpoint or pdf file on request from Jonathan Evens at jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

We are grateful to ArtServe for their coverage of this initiative.

Pentecost Festival Sneak Peek

The Pentecost Festival 2012 Sneak Peek is now available for download or order and includes our 'Run with the Fire' exhibition. The overview of this years events opens out into a stylish A3 poster ideal for your church window, community notice board or bedroom wall! The full listing of events will be in the full programme launched in late March.

Pentecost Festival exhibition: Saturday programme

Here is the event programme for Saturday 26^th May at our Run with the Fire exhibition for the Pentecost Festival (Strand Gallery, 22nd - 27th May, 11.00am – 6.00pm):

·         Painting demonstration – Harvey Bradley, ongoing throughout the day. See Harvey work on a painting and discuss his approach with him.

·         The Spiritual Image in Modern Art - Mark Lewis, 11.30am. A broad overview of the spiritual impulse in the art forms of the modern world and their potential to turn our minds to higher things.

·         Run with the Fire – Steve Scott, 12.30pm. A talk about the ‘Run with the Fire’ project and DVD.

·         Stanley Spencer – A Visionary of our Time – Mark Lewis, 2.00pm. A talk which examines the life and work of one of Britain’s most renowned and eccentric 20^th Century painters. The main themes include Spencer’s time as a war artist, and his extraordinary paintings which envision the Christian Gospels played out by the people in his beloved home town of Cookham.

·         Praying with our eyes open – Glenn Lowcock, 3.00pm. A talk on using images as an aid to prayer.

·         Emotional Tourist – Steve Scott, 4.00pm. What I am learning about art, life, spirituality, Trinity, and relational aesthetics from my travels in Bali and elsewhere.

·         Christian influences on modern & contemporary art – Jonathan Evens, 5.00pm. A broad overview of modern and contemporary art and artists which engage with Christianity.

Harvey Bradley is a potter and painter who is a membership both of Anglian Potters and commission4mission. Mark Lewis is an artist, silversmith, Fine Arts lecturer, and member of commission4mission. Steve Scott is a writer, poet, musician, and the facilitator of the Christian Artist’s Networking Association (CANA). Glenn Lowcock is an artist and illustrator who is also a member of the Secular Franciscan Order. Jonathan Evens is an artist and writer who is also a priest in East London and the secretary of commission4mission.

Condemned: Lent/Easter series - Week 3

commission4mission has created a Lenten and Easter journey for 2012 using images by our artists combined with passages from Isaiah 53. Throughout Lent and for the first two weeks of Easter, we will post images and words from 'Condemned' here on a weekly basis.
Robert Enoch , who contributes the third image in our series, makes art, films and photographs. His art is an exciting exploration of colour, form, movement and meaning. He makes artistic interpretations of the Bible in a visionary form and has made artistic installations for the church that visually explore and interpret the Gospels. His films are a blend of social documentary and corporate video. In his photographs he searches the environment for images of piercing meaning among everyday things. Free is an on-going collection of photographs by Robert of the words FREE and FREEDOM. His entry in the ECVA Artists Registry can be viewed by clicking here.
Other artists contributing images to the series are Mark Lewis, Christopher Clack, Rosalind Hore, Nadiya Pavliv Tokarska, Jim Insole, and Peter Webb. 'Condemned' has been compiled by Helen Gheorghiu Gould.

In addition to the weekly posts, 'Condemed' is also available as either a powerpoint or pdf file on request from Jonathan Evens at jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

Member's update

Michael Creasey and Peter Webb will both be exhibiting works in the Spring Exhibition of the National Society of Painters, Sculptors and Printmakers which is being held at Lauderdale House from 14th - 25th March. The Private View is from 7.30pm on 14th March.

Mythology in London by Anna Alcock is the next exhibition at the Tokarska Gallery (15th - 31st March), with a Private View on 15th March, 6.00 - 9.00pm.

Anna Alcock’s love stories and mythology started when she was young and continued to grow through her studies in South Africa when she majored in Classical Civilisations as part of her BA Fine Art (Hons) degree. She completed a MA Printmaking in London in 2004. She exhibits regularly and her art is in private and public collections around the world.

Anna Alcock uses Greek and Roman mythological images and populates them with modern day narratives that are of significance to her living in London now. The exhibition will also include an exclusive bound suite of 15 etchings, which will be exhibited alongside etching collages and tabloids of myths with personal modern day stories that she imbues with her unique style and bold colours.

By using her experience of London and applying ancient Greek and Roman cultural thinking the theme of mythology is applied to everyday events for example bankers loss of status during the recent recession is illustrated by the myth of “Icarus”. Archetypes are found in our unconscious daily lives as shown in “Demeter”, the story of a mother’s search for her daughter “Persephone” and the resulting winter of her grief.

Tokarska have also arranged a Taster Etching Workshop with Anna Alcock for 17 March (4.00 - 7.00pm) at the Gallery. All materials are provided. The workshop provides an opportunity to do your own little etching using ferric chloride and then printing it with an etching press onto 100% cotton paper. You get to take your prints and plate home. Booking is essential.