Guide me through this pathless water,
Give me a moon to cut the endless dark,
Protect me from the coming storm
Carry me to that distant shore
Where I can stand in Your light on solid ground once more.
— The Ferryman’s Prayer
******************
There have been a lot of dark clouds in my most recent work, such as the 8′ by 24″ painting above that I call The Ferryman’s Prayer. I surmise that this work is a result of my own observations and feelings about the state of affairs in this country. I’ve said before that my work usually reflects how view things around me on an emotional level and these times certainly have had an effect on my psyche.
At first glimpse, these pieces seem ominous and foreboding but I see them as hopeful. There is usually a source of light that breaks the darkness and creates a sense that there is a way forward, that the storm will eventually pass. Bad things and dark days visit us all but it is the hope that it will soon pass us by that gives us the strength to persevere.
And I think that perseverance is the thing that drives these dark-skied paintings and that might be the most human of all our qualities.
I don’t know if there is an actual prayer for ferrymen but the one at the top is how I imagine it might sound if there was one.
Redtree Times 