Members update: Jonathan Evens

Jonathan Evens was one of the speakers at ArtServe's Hearts on Fire! festival weekend. Part of a double act with Peter Banks, co-author with Jonathan of The Secret Chord, their talk focused on the twin themes of artistic dilemmas and synchronicity which are explored within the book.

Jonathan said:

"Our experience of creativity is of disparate and often contradictory ideas being crushed, swirled, fermented, shaken AND stirred in our minds in order that the fine wine of creativity results. Those disparate and often contradictory ideas are a little like the grit in the oyster which eventually produces the pearl or possibly, in this instance, the Secret Chord. Our hope is that this book, by exploring artistic dilemmas from a range of different perspectives, will mature in people’s minds exactly like some fine wine or that pearl."

Jonathan was also interviewed, together with Canon Ivor Moody (Vice-Dean of Chelmsford Cathedral), on BBC Essex this morning. The interview can be heard here (for the next seven days) and covered the Deconstructing c o n f l i c t exhibition and inter-faith lecture, plus their review of the Sunday newspapers.

Newsletter No. 15 – January 2013

Christmas Exhibition: Incarnation

Wendy McTernan curated and organised an excellent commission4mission exhibition entitled ‘Incarnation’ at Wimbledon Library Gallery in December 2012. commission4mission's South London launch took place at a well attended Private View. We were encouraged by the interest shown by all who came both in the conversations that took place and in the works that were sold.

Those who came appreciated the look and feel of the show, our invigilators had several valuable conversations with those who came, we also made a number of new contacts and gained new members. Midnight Church by Elizabeth Duncan Meyer and Transforming Power by Caroline Richardson were amongst several works which sold. 

Those exhibiting included Harvey Bradley, Colin Burns, Christopher Clack, Ally Clarke, Valerie Dean, Elizabeth Duncan-Meyer, Jonathan Evens, Ken James, Sarah Ollerenshaw, Caroline Richardson, Janet Roberts, Francesca Ross, Henry Shelton, Sergiy Shkanov, Joy Rousell Stone and Peter Webb.
 

franciscan: The Gospel in Art

Three commission4mission members have written articles on the arts for the latest edition of franciscan, which is published three times a year by the First Order brothers and sisters and includes articles on Franciscan themes, as well as book reviews and news of the Society (http://www.franciscans.org.uk/franciscan-january-2013). 

The three articles are:

• ‘Facets of faith: the gospel in modern and contemporary art’ by Jonathan Evens
• ‘Father Andrew the artist: Plaistow friar, who never lost his boyhood enthusiasm for all things artistic’ by Steven Saxby
• ‘Re-imagining the gospels’ by Helen Gheorghiu Gould

The article by Jonathan features the work of Ally Clarke, Caroline Richardson and Sergiy Shkanov while Helen's piece includes interviews with Henry Shelton and Peter Webb. 

To order a copy of the magazine contact the subscriptions secretary using franciscansubscriptions@franciscans.org.uk. 

The Seed 

The Seed (http://seedresources.com/) has an expanding collection of over 40,000 resources to download and use throughout the Church year including Digital Worship resources and inspirational articles. The Seed and seedresources.com is a collaboration between the Leaders of Worship and Preachers Trust and Twelvebaskets Ltd. 

Among the available resources are two by commission4mission artists, both of which raise funds for c4m. They are:

• Mark of the Cross which features 20 poetic meditations by Jonathan Evens on Christ’s journey to the cross and reactions to his resurrection and ascension complemented by a set of semi-abstract watercolours of the Stations of the Cross and the Resurrection created by Henry Shelton.
• The Passion: Reflections & Prayers: Pictures, poems and prayers by Henry Shelton and Jonathan Evens enabling us to follow Jesus on his journey to the cross reflecting both on the significance and the pain of that journey.

New publications

Christopher Clack and Jonathan Evens feature in a new Dutch book entitled Jezus voor ogen (Eyes on Jesus) with visual meditations and word & image Bible studies for Lent. The visual meditations included in the book have all featured previously on the ArtWay website (http://www.artway.eu/artway.php?lang=en) and include the meditation which Jonathan Evens wrote on Christopher Clack's Descent II.

Jonathan Evens' new book, The Secret Chord, is jointly authored with Peter Banks of After The Fire, and is an impassioned study of the role of music in cultural life written through the prism of Christian belief. A website for The Secret Chord (http://www.thesecretchord.co.uk/) has news, bios, additional links, comments and views. The Secret Chord is available in paperback as well as a Kindle book. 

Member Profile: Gillian Barritt

Gillian Barritt is a ceramics artist whose work is expressive and sculptural. Her work reflects her Christian faith as well as capturing a love of Cornwall where she lives and was born. Gillian incorporates words with clay pieces which include scripture and also poetry. She also has an interest in recycled media like sea china and glass.

Members' update: Jonathan Evens

Jonathan Evens' book The Secret Chord, jointly authored with Peter Banks of After The Fire, is now available in paperback as well as Kindle. The paperback is being sold directly from Lulu - click here for the link. 

The Secret Chord is an impassioned study of the role of music in cultural life written through the prism of Christian belief.

If you're a Kindle user, then the bumper bargain Kindle version at just £1.95 is available by clicking here. If you're not a Kindle user but would like the online version then click here to download free software to run the Kindle version.

The website for The Secret Chord is also up and running with news, bios, additional links, and room for your comments and views. Click here to access the website.

Jonathan's commission4mission publications featuring his meditations combined with paintings and drawings by Henry Shelton are Mark of the Cross and The Passion: reflections and prayers. These publications 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.