“Indigenous People in different countries are always interconnected with rituals, asking or thanking the Supreme Being in the form of chants, music and dance. The Dance of Thanksgiving is inspired by Canada’s Thanksgiving Day.”

“My paintings are rooted in the love of our land and thousands of years of spiritual beliefs, storytelling and the traditions of my ancestors. I strive to share a sense of beauty, healing and optimism.”

“Inspired by the successive commands in Genesis 1, by which the Creator summoned the world into existence, this work celebrates the endless possibility of God’s creative power.”

design by Mae Runions, glass work by Alf Weibe, 2008
Stained glass, 38″ x 69″ (installed at First Baptist Church, Vancouver)
lmrunions@shaw.ca

“For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies, God of all, to you we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.”

“This image was part of a week-long art camp for children aged 8 to 13 years. The tree was a central image during camp. The children’s spontaneous interpretation of its place on this earth exudes abundance of life, of spirit, of beauty.”

“Arches represent the knowledge that there is more than we can see at first impression. There is hope of light in the darkness, a God who is there and never lets go of us.”

by Jeanne Krabbendam, 2007
Mixed Media on wood panel, 55″ x 72”
www.jeannekrabbendam.com

“In the overwhelming stillness of looking up through the high arches of the church, sunlight streaming through the stained windows; somehow it’s easier to connect with God.”

by Julie Elliot, 2007
Mixed media on cradled panel, 30″ x 30″
www.julieelliot.com
Photography: Yuri Akuney, www.digitalperfections.ca

“Circles are rich in meaning for me — the Creator who has no beginning and no end, the earth, the new moon, seeds, and life cycles that repeat without interruption. All show us a way to wholeness, balance and bounty.”

“There is potential in the microscopic to reawaken us to the knowledge that life on earth is full of wonder. My work encourages the viewer to become re-enchanted by the truly marvellous in the everyday.”

“This painting celebrates a piece of living history that continues while change occurs around. Japanese words for “Murakami”, “Enduring” and “Living History” are carved into the textured fence posts while English words are hidden throughout the painting.”

“This image is influenced by Pre-Hispanic Mayan history. It represents prosperity of mother nature. The fisherman stands at the centre as a kind of man-tree. Fruits, birds, corn and seeds represent abundance. The sun is at the centre of the heart, a symbol of life.”

“This painting speaks to the preservation of the Okanagan Valley. This land has offered so much fruit production, cultural identity and bounty, that I wanted to visually preserve the land in the very thing it is known for: fruit.”

“My naturescapes are memories of times when Nature caught me and said, ‘Slow down. Look at me, be held by me. Remember me.’ ”

“My intention is to capture some of the magic colours and shapes at play in nature. Making art is my attempt to make sense of its mysterious chaos.”

“Most of my work explores the external and the internal, the obvious and the mysterious; the visible and the invisible....”

“On a superficial level, one can see the shape of the cocoons (their safe-haven), the presence of the mulberry leaf (their only food source) and the inevitability of death; these being integral to the growth, construction and rebirth process.”

“Lady in Grass seeks to express the magic of evening light in the Cariboo grasslands and the spirit of romance it can inspire.”

“The murals provide a grounding to those carrying the seed out to good and honest hearts, spreading it out a hundredfold through our bountiful place.”

“With a vitality for life, and a remembrance of the sacred in beauty, photography is my way of inspiring an ethic of respect for a generous Planet that is our sustenance, and our first beauty.”

“Burning and never consumed: ” The burning bush is a worldwide symbol of the Presbyterian Church. Mary Anne Kingsmill chose this image when she commissioned Bob to create a panel to commemorate her mother, Agnes S. Duncan.

“The nine murals done for St. Andrew's Hall are meant to support the living of a balanced, respectful life.”

The Kingsmill Gospels

In response to St. Andrew’s Hall’s wish to enrich worshippers’ experiences of the God who came to reveal and redeem in Jesus Christ, potter Bob Kingsmill was commissioned to create 4 ceramic panels in 1987. The murals brought a level of vibrancy to the chapel’s simple space, drawing attention to the key symbols and messages of each of the four Gospels that form the heart of the Christian scriptures.

The central symbols are derived from the vision of the prophet Ezekiel (Ez. 1:10). They were based on the opening passages of each one’s Gospel — to Matthew, the human figure; to Mark, the lion; to Luke, the ox; and to John, the eagle. Worked into each mural is a representation of the Celtic cross as well as depictions of the Sacraments and inscriptions indicating disciplines of Christian life. All of this symbolism is set within the context of the landscape of British Columbia.

The Kingsmill Prophets

To mark our 50th anniversary in 2008, Bob was asked to create 4 new panels based on four Hebrew prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Elijah. Their images illustrate human interpretation of God’s reality as revealed in the prophecies.

The central image of each piece is a Menorah (seven branched candlestick of Judaism) while the cross of the Gospels is sketched in the background. The panels are replete with visual imagery drawn from the prophets’ work and surmounted by key texts that convey their message. St. Andrew’s Hall is a college of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, located at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, since 1955.

www.standrews.edu