29th July...through August... to 9th September 2014

Wivenhoe Library

have invited me to do another Exhibition of my Oil Paintings 

Library Opening times: click link below or scroll down to next blog

http://webapps1.essexcc.gov.uk/findalibrary/libdetail.asp?LibID=78

Look above the bookshelves and elsewhere on the walls : 

sunsets on the River Colne, dawn sea mists, butterflies...and more...

30% on all sales goes to Library Funds.

                                                                               

click here for my website   www.janetdriver.co.uk

at a recent exhibition someone asked me

     Why on earth is this painting called 'The Eye of the Needle' ?

Can you guess ?

clue :  the small natural archway:
apparently it is only just wide enough for a dingy & oars to go through, and, so the story goes, the stone masons who cut stone from these cliffs nicknamed the bay "the eye of the needle".

  I would like to know why the contrast between shadows and brilliant sunlight shining on these limestone cliffs reveal so many abstract human-like shapes. Is it just the result of natural weathering, or did the stone masons enliven their labour by cutting these shapes ?

 I made two studies before painting this, and nearly called it "Stone Carnival", but then I suddenly saw the link with what Jesus said: "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God". Certainly these gigantic "stone people" could never pass through this particular "eye of the needle" archway. It seemed to make a visual tongue in cheek parallel.

May & June 2014

13th May - 17th June:  Exhibition of Paintings

@ Wivenhoe Library 

Come along to the Library and see a selection of my oil paintings up on the walls above the bookshelves and by the noticeboard & desk .

 For the first week there is also the Wild Life exhibition as you enter the Library,  with sketches by Richard Allen and a colourful  children's sculpture.

Wivenhoe Library Opening Times:  

Library Opening Times:
Monday:	Closed
Tuesday:	2.00 - 7.00
Wednesday:	Closed
Thursday:	2.00 - 7.00
Friday:	10.00 - 1.00
Saturday:	10.00 - 1.00 & 2.00 - 5.00
Sunday:	Closed

View paintings on my website: www.janetdriver.co.uk

Celebrating 20 years of the ordination of women

                                                http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27265039


One banner read : " A womans place ?
               WHERE SHE IS CALLED !

CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE    to BBC NEWS website

Lent Meditations: 1. Glimpses of Jesus in St John's Gospel

This year we have a wonderful gift, 

with all the Sunday Readings during Lent from St John’s Gospel.

Reading St John’s Gospel again, right the way through in a few days was a real eye-opener.

 I had difficulty at first as I kept wanting to look something up / delve into a commentary, but resisting the temptation and just allowing the writer to tell his story made me notice all sorts of things I had forgotten or just missed out on before.

...Ah...no... I think you need to find out by reading it through for yourself !

WEEK 1:  A few Glimpses of Jesus in St John’s Gospel

John 20 v 1-8     The defining moment for the author : v 8 “He saw & he believed “

Now & then you discover a painting where the artist really speaks to you. With this one, by Henry Tanner,

 it slowly dawned on me how well the artist encapsulated Peter’s character revealed in John’s Gospel...of his running straight into the tomb & then feeling stunned & unsure of himself, while the brilliant light on the other disciple reveals how deeply he begins to see ...

 I am also reminded of how sensitive this other disciple is in writing his last two chapters...and the picture he gives us of the Risen Christ who respects each individual’s needs, revealing himself in different ways to each one. Surely an Easter meditation on these would be very moving


Two paintings people really enjoyed were by the Indian artist, Jyoti Sahi, who began an art ashram where artists may meditate and paint.

Both paintings are very meditative, and the more you look at them, the more you see,

rather like St John's Gospel

The glimpse of Jesus bending down & writing in the dust, defusing the antagonism of the angry mob with the adulterous woman was painted by a French artist in collaboration with the Mafa people in the Cameroon who acted out the scenes that were to be painted.
 Over the past few years a great variety of New Testament scenes have been painted in an African setting, and are available to be purchased as prints & cards. 
click on this link:  www.jesusmafa.com


If you would like some very readable background on St John's Gospel, try this slim paperback:

Another look at St John’s Gospel : Ivan Clutterbuck

[ Publ: 2007  Gracewing  ISBN 978-0-85244-496-2 ]

“This is a small book for a large subject. However, I hope to tempt those who do not have very much time for reading to take another look at St John’s Gospel.” (from the Introduction )

 This paperback is just what it says; and gives a quick overview of theories on date & authorship together with other interesting background eg on fishing / fish merchants on the Sea of Galilee.

Next Wednesday : 7 pm  Nicodemus  John ch 3

Glimpses of Jesus in St John's Gospel : 6 Visual Meditations : March 12th - April 16th 2014

     

            Wednesdays 7 pm  @ St James Church, Brightlingsea

                                with paintings of Christ by artists around the world

                                             to aid reflection and lead into silence

                                                                     
for venue details click this link :  http://www.allsaintswithstjamesb-sea.co.uk/

week 1:  Glimpses of Christ in John's Gospel  : 12th March

This picture is from the frontispiece of a 13th Century MSS


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:God-Architect.jpg

I wonder, is this meant to represent God measuring out & creating the world,
or was it inspired by the beginning of St John's Gospel ?

beautiful stained glass

Need a change from all the floods, wind & mayhem in the news ?
then click on this link and enjoy a whole series of beautiful, innovative, contemporary stained glass :

         www.blountstainedglass.co.uk       

St Raphael Window 

Epiphany

"In the beginning was the Word...the Word was the true light that enlightens all humankind... John 1 v 1-18

Maybe one year I will be inspired to paint the Maji daring to follow the star... however, some years ago I followed my 'star' / vision / intuition: to try and communicate the beginning of John's Gospel : his poetic Prologue... and over the years I have painted several versions, hoping each time to go more deeply into this mystery.

click this link for my website: www.janetdriver.co.uk

One Christmas I asked : If Christ were born these days, where would we be most likely to find him ?  Of course I could have painted any baby, anywhere, for surely each one of us reveals a glimpse of God's likeness in some way or another? But at the time the TV news was full of the Sudan refugee crisis, and showing starving mothers & young children flooding into refugee camps, and in order to pray for them I began drawing ... and decided to paint a Madonna & Child based  on these images, as a prayer painting.  I share this painting here

in the hope that within our darkest night Christ comes among us in some hidden way.