Christos Christmas Gifts
Looking for something special and unique to give to friends and loved ones? Look no further! Support artists this Christmas by purchasing gifts from Christos Artists.
For the Book Lover
The Ant and The Curious Little Boy is a heartwarming tale perfect for readers who enjoyed classics like "Charlotte's Web" or "The Secret Life of Bees." The book is filled with powerful emotions, valuable life lessons, and an enchanting narrative that resonates with readers of all ages. It's a must-read for anyone looking to foster a deeper appreciation for nature and the small wonders of the world around us.
"Fathers" is the visual autobiography of my childhood and parts of my parents' youth as well. It combines my relationship with my biological Dad (a Lutheran Minister who died when I was ten); my stepfather (a gruff and distant German immigrant); an abusive older neighbor, God, and a few good male mentors along the way. The story also includes my stepfather's experience as a German child in Germany during World War II. The storyline takes various turns and digressions but glues together with the main theme of family relations. Due to the themes in this book I suggest that this book is best for ages 13 and up.
For Advent
Advent hymn coloring page. Digital download.
A coloring page to help you focus on this part of an Advent hymn written by Laurentis Laurenti. Digital download.
For the Family-Oriented Person
Commission a family birth month bouquet. These bouquet’s can be a single birth month flower, or can include the birth month flowers for a whole family.
Stocking Stuffers
A coloring page to help you focus on the season. Digital download.
For the Nature Lover
Original paintings by Louise Cutler from the series, “Caregivers of the Earth”
Fine art prints by Melissa Pape
For the Strong Woman in Your Life
Beautifully crafted bronze relief sculptures.
For the Jewelry Lover
Textile jewelry for any style.
For the Budding Artist
GIFT “A DAY IN THE STUDIO” with Sandy Ceas Mondays 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Littleton, Colorado
$45
Enjoy working on your art with Sandy’s expert assistance and critique, along with collaborative learning from a few other students in studio.
Contact Sandy to book a date. sjceas@gmail.com
For the Person Who Loves Flowers
Cherry blossom pitcher. A teacup/pitcher paper flower arrangement to bring delight. Vintage porcelain creamer pitcher.
Cup of Cheer in deep lilac and pink.
The Art of Summer
Christos artists had a busy summer creating art, sharing their knowledge, and blessing others
Shan Yang
For the month of July, my pieces "Friendly Otter" and "Double Blessing" were on display at Remain Real Fine Art Gallery along with many other artists' pieces. Each month, Remain Real Fine Art has a main show (usually featuring a single artist) and an accompanying supporting show, whose theme changes each month.
Sandra Ceas
During the summer I cast porcelain doves. This is a tedious summer project to prepare for a year of dove blessings around the world. Visit www.blessingdoves.com or @blessingdoves on Instagram and check out the project.
In June, I was invited to teach classes at the Cultural Art Center of Cape Cod. I taught drawing and did an evening critique. I enjoyed a new setting to share my gifts and talents and get to know new people to share my testimony to a blessed life. I also got to bless Cape Cod with little doves.
Jennifer Bunge
Christos artist Jennifer Bunge has been exploring how poetry can enhance faith, and therefore she has been reading poetry by various Christian poets. In June, Jennifer finished a biography on Alfred, Lord Tennyson by John Batchelor. Despite Batchelor's focus on facts, class, and fame, Jennifer was inspired by Tennyson's life struggles and his slow-developing faith. When she finished the biography Jennifer was compelled to paint a portrait of the poet; within his famously scraggly beard she included excerpts from ten of Tennyson's well-known works. Here is a short video of Jennifer's progress on that painting.
Galina Hitching
Over the summer, Galina explored painting on wood panel instead of canvas. She completed two paintings in her Starsighted series and loved the process of painting with oil on panel. She also co-facilitated a healing art workshop at her church, and co-facilitated a 7-week trauma healing program called Heart Restoration. She valued the time to invest in the lives of others using healing art while balancing that with enough time to create he own art. Her painting Winter’s Thaw was on exhibit at Union Hall from May through July.
Melissa Pape
This month I am doing a two-week at-home art residency. I have blocked off time and set up a temporary outdoor studio in my backyard. I am working on some large paintings and also using this time to explore new materials and methods of creating art using paper, fabric, thread, and wire. I am excited to see what develops from this concentrated time of art-making.
Garrett Larson
I just recently got back from England and Italy. While I was there Sandra Ceas gave me some of her Blessing Doves to participate in some art while traveling which was a fun time for me. I was able to see great architecture and the David sculpture by Michelangelo.
I have been playing around with making mini art pieces either 4’x4’ canvas’ or expanding my art into stickers. I wanted something to make my art more easily accessible and affordable for everyone to enjoy.
Kathy Self
I created 3 paintings for Acton Institute this summer. The theme of their conference (Acton University) was flourishing, and I was inspired by the trees mentioned in the Bible, and how they represent the flourishing and abundance the Lord desires for our lives. Each painting is an original oil painting on canvas, 12"x12" (I had to fit them in my suitcase!). The almond branch in bloom speaks of the Lord's calling and anointing in our lives. The pomegranate represents the fullness of life and beauty that God has for us, and the figs are all about redemption. I thought about Zacchaeus climbing the fig tree to see Jesus, and I pray that when people see me and my art, they will have a better glimpse of Jesus.
The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty was founded in 1990 by Father Robert Sirico and Kris Alan Mauren. It is a Catholic think-tank whose mission is to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles. I am so honored that they purchased all 3 of my paintings about flourishing, and they will be a permanent part of their art collection. There is a wonderful gallery space in the Acton headquarters, that includes an exquisite 16th century table with intricate inlaid stones.
Jeff Gagliardi
This summer I sold 'Humans Being’, 18 inches x 4 feet, oil on plywood panel
In short, the message of the painting is tolerance and beyond. The people we interact with each day are sacred beings created in the image of our Creator — full of consciousness, capable of thought, creativity and love. If that is true we should ask ourselves what sort of lives should we live in accordance with one another? The two people in the photo are the new owners and she said she wants it to be a reminder every day to heed that message.
The Surprising Grace of Friendship | Lessons On Being and Becoming
The first time Susan prayed for me, I was having an anxiety attack about a sermon I heard only as "You have to be Jesus". This sermon was delivered while I was in the middle of a struggle with depression (a condition that makes you deeply aware of the ways you are not Jesus - which makes an anxiety attack a "rational" outcome). Susan took the time to meet me the week after on a cold day in early March. I remember feeling peaceful around her. The next week was the pandemic.
The second time Susan prayed for me I told her all of my art felt like lost time. She told me she felt the Spirit move through my voice and art, and that the work I was doing was precious and vital. I told her I wanted to have a heart as gentle and kind as hers because so often I feel angry, like a forest that won't stop burning.
Susan and I do not match on paper. She is a soft-spoken grandmother who has been the leader of the prayer team in our church since I started attending 7 years ago. What we have in common is both of us often struggle to see our unique gifts. I wouldn’t have met Susan without the panic attacks, the depression, and some dreams getting crushed on pointy rocks. I wouldn't have met Susan if both of us were doing quite well enough on our own. The surprising grace of friendship exists because we have an understanding of one another's weaknesses. Over the past years I've lost friends to moves and divorces, that loss pushed me into something new.
In the Flannery O'Connor story, "Parker's Back" a boy named Obadiah is haunted by the tattooed back of a man at the fair, driving him to try to recreate his own story across his back. As he grows into a man, he marries a woman named Sarah Ruth who refers to the tattoos on his back as vanity. He falls in love with her harsh judgment of him. Eventually, his dissatisfaction with his life results in an accident which leads him to his final tattoo, a large image of Christ. Sarah Ruth calls his final tattoo an act of idolatry and throws him out of the house. The story ends with Obadiah weeping against a tree. In the wake of having her judgment stripped away, he is left with a broken heart and an unclear path forward with Christ now tattooed across his back.
When Jesus speaks about how trying to save your life will result in the loss of life, I think this is the experience He is referring to: We cling to the parts of our lives that we feel will make us matter. The desire to "matter" is human, but it also leads to deep disappointment when it turns out that our passions and our relationships remain shockingly immune to easy quantification. A person with 100 friends can be shockingly lonely. A person with one close friend can feel deeply loved. As much as we try to measure the output of our lives, the things we desire to know always remain out of reach. In Christianity this "mattering" is simply a given. It is earned by the merit of simply being.
For many of us here some of that is probably tied to receiving recognition as an artist (or maybe you were going to be a perfect spouse or a perfect parent). I'm not saying the desire is empty, but sometimes desire for an exact, specific, rational, quantifiable outcome can limit creativity, which can steal the capacity to see the unexpected. It is difficult to see clearly without the clarity of joy (which I cannot overstate enough, is a different animal than performed happiness). Sometimes the most beautiful thing about a piece of art is the thing we might mistake as a tragedy in our worst moments.
Life is a burning away of dross. In that process, you learn that you need the eyes and hearts of people who are different (you know, your neighbors). The grace of God doesn't make sense until self-salvation projects fail. This often gets defined as a one-time (Saved!) instance, but I think we do ourselves a disservice when we frame it this way. What if instead Jesus just keeps delivering us from false narratives and the process has the downside of feeling like an ongoing loss to us?
Don't Let Insecurity Own You | Embrace the Moment and Experience Joy
There is so much joy to be found when we embrace what is in front of us without casting the heavy shadow of lack over our endeavors and creativity.
I was recently asked to tutor a lady in oil painting. As I listened to my “student” list teacher after teacher who had instructed her in art, my heart sank. What could I possibly offer someone who has been painting since the 1970s? I'm just a beginner. Not adequate to teach.
She was reluctant to show me her paintings and dismissive of the things she has accomplished.
And that made me wonder.
How much of our lives do we convince ourselves that we just aren't good enough, skilled enough, smart enough, beautiful enough….when all along we are beautiful people doing beautiful things?
There is so much joy to be found when we embrace what is in front of us without casting the heavy shadow of lack over our endeavors and creativity.
My painting teacher would often make comments about my confidence. Or lack thereof. “Your brush strokes are hesitant.” She'd say, or, “I can feel the confidence in this line. Do more of that.” I hated that my lack of confidence was there in my art, naked on the canvas for anyone to see. But is that such a terrible thing?
We are, all of us, uncertain and unsure, making our way through the world with a mixture of defiance and lack.
I wonder what life would look like if I met challenges, lack, even suffering, with the calm assurance that I have everything I need in Christ Jesus. A priest, set apart by God for good works. What if I could embody the deep truth that I am the delicate and intricate workmanship of a good God? That I am His poem, formed from the Word, breathed into existence for His good pleasure. In that place of deep acceptance and belonging, not even lack and insecurity would have to be hidden because every weakness is only a testimony of His goodness.
Perhaps true strength is laying aside judgment and celebrating the paradox of frailty and strength dwelling together. This frail human frame is a gift, not a curse. Yes, everything groans until the return of our Beloved, when all will be made right. Yet, even now, in dark days, the trees of the fields clap their hands and the redeemed of the Lord sing for joy. The grass withers, but even in death, life is abundant and persistent.
When I meet my insecurities and pain, let me look at it with curiosity and even gratitude.
Wherever you are, don't retreat. Look into the face of insecurity and pain with curiosity, and yes, even gratitude. Then, standfast and see the glory of the Lord.
God Is More Interested in Your Growth Than Your Comfort
Lately, I have been thinking about things that scare me, that make me afraid. My default mode is to want to be in control, to know that somehow, I can keep myself and my family safe. But right now, I do not feel in control.
My house is being remodeled, I cannot even find my can opener. I own two dishwashers, but I do the dishes in the bath tub. My sense of control is that everything is in turmoil. That fear grows unchecked. I fear that the world will go to war, that Israel will be destroyed, that the economy will crash, that I will never find my can opener.
But, God meets us in our fear. He reminds us in I Timothy1:7 “He has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a strong mind.”
I don’t need to fear political upheaval, economic collapse, world war. He has things under control, and He most likely does not need my help.
When God teaches me lessons, it seems that He comes at me from many sources at once. I will hear a sermon, listen to a podcast, talk to a friend, all with the same lesson from diverse sources. Even secular sources.
The lesson I am dealing with is:
God is more interested in my growth in Him than my comfort and my sense of control.
I was reading an economic newsletter, of all things, when the lesson came that to grow we must have at least one area of our life where we are a creature of discomfort, where we feel awkward, inadequate, not good enough. The secular answer is that when we grow, we become more competent. But, as Christians, when we grow, we begin to rely more upon God.
The sermon this Sunday was on the Feeding of the 5000. Pastor reminded me that the people who were fed, wanted this welfare to continue – I will follow Jesus and he will give me dinner. But, Jesus told them “no” to comfort, to control and ease. Because when we have comfort, control and ease, we come to rely upon ourselves. We start to love certainty and we make this world our home.
I am reminded of the quote by Oswald Chambers, “Naturally, we are inclined to be so mathematical and calculating that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing . . . Certainty is the mark of the common-sense life: gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness, it should be rather an expression of breathless expectation.”
Perhaps the goal is gracious uncertainty. To know that my day-planner is owned by God. To know that what He wants from me is not organized control but rather sensitivity to His leading. Even when the first step is into the dark.
Amazing Grace, Acrylic Pour
2024 a renewed commitment to share more with you!
We have been so busy with exhibitions and artist growth in the Artist Cultivation Program that the blog was neglected until now.
2024 is full of exciting events on the calendar and we are planning to share them all with you very soon.
Stay tuned……….
2023 Here we come!
Wow, 2022 was a big organizational year as we developed new By Laws, Governance Policies, Strategic Plans, and our first Annual Report. Download it from our Home Page to see what we have been up to.
Now, 2023 is starting off with a “race” to exhibition. We will be having our Annual Exhibition in a secular art district exhibiting art base on biblical principles about “salt.” We are excited to have you visit. More information will be posted on the homepage soon.
This will be our year of growth. We started a virtual monthly artist meeting for out of state artists and we hope to find many more this year as other Christian artist organizations are folding.
Stay tuned and please subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Oh no, its 2022 already!
Wow, what a year 2021 was for Christos Collective. We completed four major exhibitions, two artist panel talks, a Summer Art Market and a Christmas Art Market, all “in-person.” We were truly blessed.
2022 looks equally as full for our calendar of events. We are install an Easter exhibition at Grace Commons in Boulder during the Lent season, and several other churches, universities and public exhibition are in the works. Subscribe to our Newsletter to stay informed.
Please pray with us that we clearly expand in God’s Will to serve Him well with our art and talents. We are growing and need your support.
Be blessed.
2021 Half Way and things are looking up!
Public encounters are starting to open up and we are booked with exhibitions and events for the rest of the year. Thank God for all the opportunities to share our gifts and talents.
In July, University Park United Methodist Church will host Christos Collective for a traditional Summer Art Market with music, art, food and fun. Pastor Andy Dunning is new at UPUMC and we partnered with him to create an event to bring the local community onto the church campus to check it out. What a great way to celebrate the welcome!
The following month, August, we will be installing an exhibition at Denver Seminary based on the Psalms. Our partnership with the seminary has been fruitful for all after several years of exhibiting on their campus. Mid September we will have a panel talk on the Psalms through art.
Then in the fall we will be exhibiting at St. Andrew in Highlands Ranch and Grace Commons in Boulder, Colorado. Stay tuned for those upcoming events.
God has been so good to Christos Collective during the pandemic. He has shown us his love, grace and mercy through so many changes and aspirations. With deep faith we have waited on Him as we prepared for what He has in store for the rest of the year and into 2022.
Praise God from whom all blessings come!
2021 Here we are!
It is almost unbelievable that we have been dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic for a year now. Most of us had to make major adjustments in life to carry on through the evolving restrictions. As creatives, we were challenged, and through the Grace of God we became very innovative.
Christos Collective cancelled all physical programming and went virtual with great success and we learned many new skills and ways to communicate while sharing our art. We also took the necessary time to turn inward and foster foundational development of our flourishing nonprofit. A new Board of Directors transitioned in with advance expertise and exciting insights. Our artists had numerous virtual interviews offering them a chance to develop their voice about their art and God’s call on their life. Churches shared these voices to hungry congregations looking for fresh ways to worship, praise and learn about our Loving God. The art of our artists took on deeper reflections as we all encountered the fragility of life and the need to depend on our Savior day-by-day.
2021 still lingers with caution, but there is light at the end of this tunnel, where our Lord shines with hope and a vision of the new world to come, here and now, with our faith and creativity. Christos Collective is optimistic and is planning art events to commence soon. Subscribe to our newsletter to keep informed and connected to our activities and our spirit of creativity. Join us in our story!
Closing out 2020
So many of us want 2020 to be behind us, yet we are innately aware that 2021 holds many uncertainties too. We did not get the Coronavirus pandemic under control, and it looks as though it will have an effect on our live for months, if not years, to come.
As believers, we know that our sovereign God is in control and is working out His plan for good, but in the meantime we are all challenged with identifying how we fit within that scheme.
Are we contributing to the story that is unfolding? Are we helping others to trust in our Lord during this unsettled time? Are we using our gifts that were so uniquely bestowed upon us for His Glory? Hard questions bring us to our knees; searching for answers, direction, wisdom and peace.
The closures from the pandemic caused Christos Collective to pause and assess where we are at and where we want to go. With outreach minimized we decided to “in-reach.” It was time to evaluate our stakeholders and to determine where we had strengths and weaknesses, so that we could develop a strategy to build an infrastructure of stability before we reach out again.
Christos Collective’s artists and Board of Directors have been volunteering diligently to help us grown. It is time for compensation and structure that can establish a solid foundation to build upon. In prayer and pure faith we have begun to filter our minimal revenues to cultivate within. We would appreciate your prayers and donations to help us sustain.
Even though our physical exhibitions were cancelled due to the pandemic, we continued to create and seek new avenues to share our art. This led to a few virtual exhibitions in partnership with churches and universities. Offering our talents to visually complement their worship and teachings. We have learned new technology skills and alternative ways of communicating; not giving up on our call to reclaim God’s Voice in art.
We don’t know what the landscape and environment of 2021 will look or be like, but we do know that we are faithful servants, and Christos Collective artists will continue to create expressions of compassion and hope .
2021 here we come……..
New Facebook Artist Group Page
VISIT our NEW Facebook ARTIST GROUP PAGE
We hope to begin a dialogue about the artist life in the 21st century going forward into the unknown. We are seeking input on how God in moving in the life of an artists during this reflective and controversial season. We believe that voices joined in chorus will help to clarify, inspire, and empower one another to stay steadfast with their calling in the arts. We are also hoping to hear from art appreciators with their words of encouragement.
So, “sign-in” (link again) and join the conversations. We look forward to meeting you.
2020 is half over and what lies ahead is so uncertain.
Much will be learned in hindsight of 2020, as we trust that our God is in control.
With the Covid-19 closures, we have suspended our 2020 exhibition schedule into 2021, and turned to the virtual world with our art.
As artists, we are deeply affected by the current events and Christos Collective artists are busy at work, creating expressions, responses, and prayer pieces to reflect the times in which we are living today.
Our Summer virtual projects will expand the reach of Christos Collective to the East coast, New York City. We will be participating in a virtual art community collaboration with a group of Harlem youths at the Harlem Children’s Zone exploring their interpretation of their environment, especially in light of the shelter-at-home conditions. We will also be collaborating with singers, songwriters, and dancers from NYC in an interdisciplinary art project focusing on presenting a creative expression of “coming to faith” after isolation.
We are excited about how our path has turned to explore new relationships and creative endeavors. Our Father God has blessed us in this way, and we look forward to the fruits!
Stay informed on our progress by in subscribing to our Newsletter in the footer block below.
Thank you for checking in and being part of our story!
Blessings going your way.
May the light shine on us in 2020.
2020 arrived and we are on a roller coaster ride to increase our sustainability.
This year we have established two new exhibitions and engagement programs to showcase our artists and educate the public on our mission to reclaim God’s Voice in art.
During the Easter/Lent season we will be hosted at St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Our art exhibition “A Season of Renewal” opens on March 15th, with a “Meet the Artists” reception at the church from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
The exhibition will be up in the church sanctuary and throughout the halls until April 23, 2020. Please make an effort to see our show. We would love to hear about your experience.
Along with the exhibition we will be offering our artist’s talents to St Andrew youth in art workshops making art for their silent auction to raise funds for the youth summer missions. The auction will take place at the church on April 19th, 2-5 p.m., visit to support the youth and take home a treasured work of art.
Later in the year we will be exhibiting up in Boulder, Colorado at First Presbyterian Boulder. Stay tuned for more information
In the meantime, subscribe to our Newsletter in the footer block below to stay informed on our progress.
Thank you for checking in and being part of our story!
Blessings going your way.
The year 2019 is passing quickly
2019 is flying by for Christos Collective. We successfully implemented our first programing launch in Denver at Fellowship Denver Church this past summer. Our goal is to develop relationships with Denver Metro Churches and Universities where we can partner in bringing God’s Voice to the people through art.
Christos Collective’s programing offers art exhibitions, community engagement art projects, and artist discussion panels to educate the church and public on the efficacy of art to transform and renew minds.
We are in the planning stages for 2020 programing. Stay tuned for future events, and join us when you can.
Subscribe to our Newsletter on the Home Page to stay informed.
Blessings on you!
2019 May
Our CALLING art exhibition Opening at Fellowship Denver Church was a great success. Thank you to all who came out to see the art, hear great music, and encourage our artists. Next on our agenda is the Artist Talk & Panel Discussion, June 9th. Consider joining us to learn more about the inspirations and struggles for artists of Christian faith, in an ever shifting world. We look forward to meeting you!
2019 February
God is launching us forward. January 1, 2019 we incorporated as a nonprofit and we look forward to serving Our Lord with our artistic gifts as we grow as a collective. 2019 looks very promising. We are now offering programing to include art exhibition, artist talks and panel discussion, and community outreach. April we share our programing in Kansas City with Four Chapter Church & Gallery. In May, June and July our programming will be in Denver at Fellowship Denver Church where we will have our first nonprofit Gala event and fundraising. Please pray with us about our future and highly consider becoming one of our first patrons. We already appreciate you. More to follow soon on our events. Thank you for checking in.
2018 October
So much has been happening with the Christos Collective.
In May, we finished our collaborative project “Fruit of the Spirit.” The collection of nine pieces was displayed at Zion Lutheran Church in Loveland for two months in the summer and now it is on display at the Bridge Gallery at Denver Seminary. If you live near Littleton, be sure to check this show out before the end of the Seminary’s fall semester.
We were also pretty happy to be able to take a bit of time for our first fall retreat this year. We enjoyed a light dusting of snow on glimmering aspens in Breckenridge, Colorado, as we talked about our future projects and the future of the group as a whole.
Coming up in 2019, more shows, more projects, more adventures, and (we hope) our new status as a non-profit entity. Stay tuned, and make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and monthly e-newsletter.
2017 Off to a great start!
We are excited for the debut exhibition of our show, “Current,” at the Artwork Network gallery on Santa Fe Avenue in Denver. The exhibition addresses a broad range of social issues in our local, national, and worldwide communities. People are not always satisfied with the general current of things but in our own ways we strive to scatter light, appreciate beauty, encourage worthiness and promote peace. In the midst of the strong muddy flow, the members of Christos Collective peer through a unique lens in attempts to seek a hopeful path to a redemptive future.
A portion of our sales from this show will be donated to the local Project Worthmore, a local organization “working to restore worth to our refugee neighbors through the heart of our community.”
We are also preparing to share our “Reclaim” show and “Choice, Chance, Trust” show at the Four Chapter Gallery in Kansas City area this summer. In the meantime we continue forward, discussing ideas for the theme of our next projects.
2016 "making art"
This is the year to "make more art." The collective artists are working on a new theme about "Choice, Chance, Trust" initiated by the biblical reference to the Urim and Thummim.
18:18 is the working title of Christos Collective's upcoming exhibition. At its core, three words sum up the ethos of the theme: choice, chance, trust. The working title, 18:18, is a reference to Proverbs 18:18, and the journey of the exhibition concept has been, in itself, an exercise in trust. The genesis for this theme began with a discussion around what the dimensions of our next pieces ought to be. Seeking meaningful dimensions, our group was led to the dimensions of the ephod worn by the High Priest in Exodus 28. An exploration of the ephod and its related paraphernalia brought up the Urim and Thummin—the stones the High Priest wore in a pouch next to his heart, used for settling disputes. Digging further into this led one of our members to the Proverb, which states, "The lot puts an end to quarrels and decides between powerful contenders." The reference, 18:18, consequently, provided ideal dimensions for art pieces.
Interpreting Proverbs 18:18, however, has proved to be a difficult, but meaningful task. What is really at the core of this idea? Is it as simple as leaving decisions up to chance? Or, in that act, are we relying on the sovereignty of God to guide us? Ultimately, it boils down to the paradox between freewill and what seems to be chance, and how trust enters that conflict. Each artist has searched out the relationship of choice, chance and trust that is found in Proverbs 18:18, and have visually interpreted these concepts in their pieces, each 18x18 in size.