Portraits

Our recent exhibition at St Paul's Goodmayes included three portraits of local clerics: Michael Creasey exhibited a striking portrait of The Rt. Revd. David Hawkins, Bishop of Barking, in reflective pose; Henry Shelton showed his portrait of Fr. Benjamin Rutt-Field, Vicar of St Paul's Goodmayes; while Peter Webb included his quirky painted wood relief portrait of Rev. Jonathan Evens.

Portraits are an aspect of the work by our artists which is not well known currently but, in which, several of our artists possess considerable expertise. Peter Webb, for example, has been working on a series of painted and also wood relief portraits as a fundraising project for St Mary's Woodford, while the characters in his major paintings for church settings, such as The Denial at St Mary's Woodford are often based on life studies.

c4m's Goodmayes exhibition

Painted wood relief portrait of Rev. Jonathan Evens by Peter Webb

St Jerome by Ross Ashmore

Tree of Life by Danielle Lovesey

Among the works which can be seen at the next commission4mission exhibition (St Paul's Goodmayes, 1st - 7th July, 10.00am - 4.00pm daily) are three portraits of local clerics: Michael Creasey will exhibit a portrait of The Rt. Revd. David Hawkins, Bishop of Barking; Henry Shelton will show his portrait of Fr. Benjamin Rutt-Field, Vicar of St Paul's Goodmayes; while Peter Webb will include his painted wood relief portrait of Rev. Jonathan Evens, commission4mission's Secretary. Other works which can be seen include an impressive series of large impasto paintings by Ross Ashmore based on works by Michelangelo and Carravagio, plus work by Danielle Lovesey, our newest member.

Member's update: Henry Shelton and Jonathan Evens

The Passion: Reflections and Prayers with images by Henry Shelton and words by Jonathan Evens is now available from The Seed as a pdf, powerpoint presentation and as individual images.

These pictures, poems and prayers enable us to follow Jesus on his journey to the cross reflecting both on the significance and the pain of that journey as we do so. With this series Henry and Jonathan have aimed to pare down the images and words to their emotional and theological core. The mark making and imagery is minimal but they hope in a way that makes maximum impact.

The Passion is the second series by Henry and Jonathan to be available through The Seed. The first, Mark of the Cross, was described by Steve Santry on Revster's Ramblings as "Stunning artwork and thought provoking words [which] open up the events around Easter in a new and imaginative way."

The Seed and seedresources.com is a collaboration between the Leaders of Worship and Preachers Trust (LWPT) and Twelvebaskets Ltd.

In 2010 Henry Shelton completed a commission for Stations of the Crown of Thorns at St Paul's Goodmayes. Parish priest Fr. Benjamin Rutt-Field wrote meditations for this set of Stations and has now published these together with photographs of Henry's Stations. Copies of this booklet can be obtained from Fr. Ben on b.ruttfield@btinternet.com.

In addition to Henry Shelton, other commission4mission members with completed sets of Stations of the Cross include Valerie Dean and Rosalind Hore. Valerie's Stations have a very clear and intense focus on details which are evocative of the whole, as can be seen from the photographs she has taken of the set which can be viewed here. Click here and here for photographs of exhibitions featuring Rosalind's Stations. Henry, Valerie and Rosalind are all keen to discuss ways of making these Stations available for any church that would be interested in having them. Contact Jonathan Evens on jonathan.evens@btinternet.com for more information. 

'Mark of the Cross' update

This weekend ArtWay have circulated information about 'Mark of the Cross' to those on their mailing list. Look out too for an extract and image from 'Mark of the Cross' as their Ascension meditation following Ascension Day.

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

Mark of the Cross is 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.

'Mark of the Cross' is 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.

In a similar vein see the website of St Pauls Goodmayes for images from Henry Shelton's Stations of the Crown of Thorns, a c4m commission for the church, together with meditations by parish priest Fr. Benjamin Rutt-Field.

Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area

The Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area now has its own page on the Diocesan website (click here) which enables viewers to see the Art Trail leaflet online.

The launch of the Art Trail generated local publicity, some of which can be viewed by clicking here and here.

Father Benjamin Rutt–Field, Priest at St Paul’s Goodmayes which hosted the launch event, said: “We had a good turnout, there was a broad mix of people; people from the Christian faith, from the congregation, from the Redbridge deanery, a very influential spectrum of people from all different angles.”

“The hope is that people will engage with the church in ways other than just coming in for their normal service, which may put some people off.

“We also want to make people aware that the church is now, and always has really, been a great patron of the arts, and there is great wealth of local talent and local art in the community. So we just want to make people aware that it’s here and people can come and enjoy it.”

Mark Lewis, who researched and wrote the Art Trail leaflet said: “We discovered amazing diversity out there and some incredible surprises; it was quite obvious there were some stunningly beautiful pieces that deserved to be better known.”

“Good sacred art is also like poetry and has many layers of meaning.”

Commission dedication & networking afternoon

Bishop David, Fr. Ben Rutt-Field & Henry Shelton

Bishop David & Fr. Ben praying Station I

“For Christian art to have any significance and empathy it must be Spirit-driven, Spirit-imprinted. It should stimulate both our imaginations and our prayers.”

Such is the belief of Fr Benjamin Rutt-Field, Parish Priest of St Paul’s Goodmayes, who has both commissioned a new set of Stations of the Cross from noted religious artist, Henry Shelton, and written an original set of meditations to accompany the paintings.

The seed was sown by an elderly parishioner who gifted a generous sum for a new set of Stations and whose memory lives on in the dedication of the tryptich, incorporating Stations XI, XII and XIII, which, as altarpiece, forms the central focus of the scheme. This tryptich has inventively incorporated an existing metal crucifix into its design to form Station XII; 'Jesus dies on the cross'. There are 15 paintings in all, as the scheme includes a resurrection 'Station' depicting Christ present in the Eucharistic elements.

These, though, are not the only unusual elements of these Stations, in that, as part of its semi-abstract imagery, Christ is depicted throughout only by the Crown of Thorns. Fr. Rutt-Field notes that, “these Stations are known as the ‘Crown of Thorns’, rather than ‘The Cross’, because Jesus is depicted in each one as a simple, humble crown of thorns.”

Shelton says of his semi-abstract style and minimal flowing lines, that, “as I’ve got older I’ve learnt that ‘less is more’ and through the development of my work I’ve learnt to express emotion in a semi-abstract form.” This is why he paints; “it all goes back to feeling; the pathos of suffering.”

The power of art to evoke emotion is what originally inspired Shelton and which has sustained his work throughout his career:

“When I first saw the great Rembrandt’s in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the power of his images seemed to transcend time. The same thing attracted me to Christian Art as a choirboy at All Saints West Ham; the art spoke to me. I used to look at the altar and see images that were just so powerful. The images seemed to bring the past into the present and to form a profound link with the lineage of the past. I see myself as an artist trying in my small way to continue that lineage and my passion as a Christian artist is to keep that lineage alive in my generation as a witness.”

However, as an artist who often paints with the tones and harmonies of the Dutch Masters, this commission represents a considerable lightening of Shelton’s palette in order that the colour scheme of these 'Stations' harmonizes with the existing stained glass. At St Paul’s Goodmayes, Shelton's 'Stations' complement existing work, including stained glass by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, William Morris, and Leonard Evetts together with a Madonna and Child by Jane Quail, to create a feast of visual art for worshipper and visitor alike.

The commission is only the second to be completed by commission4mission, of which Shelton is both a founder member and the current Chairman. Shelton says, of commission4mission, “I want us to be offering quality work and craftsmanship, rather than mass-produced work, to continue the legacy of the Church as a great commissioner of art. The Church has, in fact, commissioned some of the greatest works of art ever produced.”

To have his work in churches, Shelton says, “really is the fulfilment of my life’s work.” He doesn’t have much ambition to show in galleries and says that, “the whole point for me is to create reaction and engage people; for people to enjoy and be moved by my work, just as I’ve been engaged by the work of other artists.”

His most recent pictures have all come to him in prayer as he has been meditating on particular Bible passages. Most of his work now comes through a meditational process and it is, perhaps, this quality of Shelton’s work to which Fr. Rutt-Field is responding when he says:

“I firmly believe that these new Stations of the Crown of Thorns, painted by a deeply committed Christian artist, are indeed both Spirit-driven and Spirit imprinted. They will greatly enhance and beautify the simple form and architectural lines of our parish church, as well as our worship.”

The Stations of the Crown of Thorns were dedicated by the Bishop of Barking today following a commission4mission networking afternoon which included presentations on their work by Bishop David, Michael Creasey, Caroline Richardson, Henry Shelton, and Joy Rousell Stone together with a update on the Barking Art Trail project by Mark Lewis.

c4m artists update (5)

Sergiy Shkanov will be exhibiting work at St Andrew's Leytonstone from 17th - 24th July while the Leytonstone Festival is underway.

Michael Creasey will be having a one man show at the Visual Arts Centre, Frances Bardsley School, Romford from August 23rd to 28th.

Jonathan Evens and Benjamin Rutt-Field have been involved in the development of a Church Art Trail involving four Anglican churches in the London Borough of Redbridge. Works by Henry Shelton feature in the Trail alongside works by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, Leonard Evetts, Anthony Foster, Derek Hunt, C. E. Kempe & Co. Ltd., William Morris, Jane Quail and A. Wyatt.
Creation of the Art Trail has been supported by Living Streets as part of the Fitter for Walking project and copies of the Art Trail leaflets can now be found in local churches. Fitter for Walking helps residents create streets they can be proud of. It’s funded by the Big Lottery Fund, along with contributions from local authorities to work in five areas of England.

c4m networking event & 'Stations' dedication

The Stations of the Crown of Thorns, a series of 'Stations of the Cross' created by Henry Shelton for St Paul's Goodmayes as a commission gained through commission4mission, are to be blessed and dedicated by the Bishop of Barking on Saturday 17th July at 4.00pm.

The tryptich, which forms the centrepiece of the Stations of the Crown of Thorns, includes Stations 11, 12 and 13 and has inventively incorporated an existing metal crucifix into its design to form the 12th Station; 'Jesus dies on the cross'. There are 15 'Stations' as the scheme includes a resurrection 'Station' depicting Christ present in the Eucharistic elements.

The scheme as a whole is unusual in that, as part of its semi-abstract imagery, Christ is depicted throughout only by the Crown of Thorns. Shelton's trademark flowing lines, which create images through minimal means and with maximum facility, are in evidence throughout the scheme. However, as an artist who often paints with the tones and harmonies of the Dutch Masters, this commission represents a considerable lightening of his palette in order that the colour scheme of these 'Stations' harmonizes with the existing stained glass.

Shelton's 'Stations' complement other existing work at St Pauls Goodmayes, including stained glass by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, William Morris, and Leonard Evetts plus a Madonna and Child by Jane Quail, to create a feast of visual art for worshipper and visitor alike. Parish priest, Fr. Benjamin Rutt-Field, has written a set of meditations in order to pray the new 'Stations'.

Preceding the dedication of the 'Stations' will be a commission4mission networking event also at St Paul's Goodmayes beginning at 2.00pm on Saturday 17th July.

This will be a 20x20 networking event where commission4mission members will be giving presentations of their work (or an aspect of it). The presentation format is contained in the name, as each presentation will involve showing 20 images at 20 second intervals. Each member therefore has a seven minute slot in which to make their presentation.

PechaKucha 20x20 Nights were first devised in Tokyo in February 2003 as events for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. They have turned into a massive celebration, with events happening in hundreds of cities around the world, inspiring creatives worldwide. Drawing their name from the Japanese term for the sound of conversation ("chit chat"), it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It's a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace.

All are welcome to both the networking event and the dedication of the 'Stations'.