PSALMS in Block Prints

I began my series of the Psalms in 150 Block-Prints (this being the first 72; Psalms in Block-Prints: Books 1 & 2) in January of 2008, with the intention of finishing it by the end of the year. It was a side project to my other duties – that of making a commercially viable art so as to feed my family and pay the bills. The Psalms proved much more difficult than expected, predominantly because they weren’t narrative in nature like the parables. However, they did offer poetic metaphors and visual language, allowing my imagination to wander. Needless to say, the year came and went, then another, and then another. My discipline on the project waned, but not my desire.

For me, the Psalms, as difficult as they were to read and interpret, became a devotional; my artwork, a prayer. And so I trudged ahead - the project becoming more than the finished end. My initial intention was not just to illustrate the Psalms in historic imagery, but rather, to find aspects of these songs that spoke to me here and now. My love of reading took me through many commentaries, as well as books on Christian signs and symbols. As a result, you will see symbols that have been used in Christian art for centuries, alongside my own visual language. For example, the “eye of God”, which is a part of early Medieval and Renaissance Christian art, is depicted throughout this book, and in fact, becomes a staple suggesting the omnipresence and sovereignty of God. The equilateral triangle represents the Trinity, with the radiating lines suggesting His infinite holiness.  The ever-present gaze of God is stated through the Psalmist’s observation, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry.”

Likewise, visual metaphors are employed to often mirror the writer’s poetry. For example, Psalm 17 depicts a one-eyed bird with the words, “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.” To think that God is a one-eyed bird is rather silly and naïve, and so the viewer must deduce that this visual metaphor stands for certain attributes of God – in this case, that of caretaker and protector.

Another example, the monk, who prays the Psalms seven times a day through what is called the daily office or canonical hours, is depicted as a spiritual seeker of truth and a practicing disciple.  And although the Psalms were written before Christ’s birth, you’ll find him represented throughout in what are known as the prophetic Messianic Psalms – most notably Psalm 22.

Basically, the Psalms in Block-Prints are my own contemporary Psalter or prayer book.  I hope you enjoy them and find meaning and enlightenment through these as you journey onward and upward. Vaya con Dios.