Artist: Liza Bell
Medium: Mixed media (acrylic/oil) on canvas
Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Jesus shared the hard TRUTH with the women of Jerusalem that the salvation they hoped for was not at hand. He told them not only was HE going to be crucified, but the killing and darkness would continue for generations to come.
As I moved my brush across the canvas the women of Jerusalem moved it with me. What surfaced spoke of courage born of fear, of faith born of doubt, of holding on while letting go. It’s about holding the light of the world against all odds, as a mother would hold a vulnerable child. The women knew the darkness was upon them and were forced to surrender to the truth of this. There was nothing left to hold onto; and when there is nothing left to hold onto, one can see the preciousness of everything.
In my eyes, the women of Jerusalem exhibit the primordial maternal presence of EVERY WOMAN. Women innately hold the hurting places of the world because they must. Through devastation, through loss, through abject helplessness the women hold the world. They brave the darkness in order to hold safe the Light. The children show them the way. The children keep them strong. The children remind them that LOVE is the answer. The women hold the world in their hearts.
CONVERSATION WITH THE ARTIST
Click here to learn more about our Lent 2016 offering, the Artist’s Way of the Cross.
