The White Stone

Continuing my series of the seven gifts given by God to the faithful, described in the early chapters of the Book of Revelation, we come to a favourite, the white stone. The Bible text says: “To him who overcomes, I will give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.”(Rev2:17).

Above is my quilt wall hanging of the white stone, which I decided was best portrayed as a diamond. If you look into the heart of a diamond, you do see some white, but also flashes of bright colours and multiple reflections. The quilt was very difficult to make, as the outside pieced triangles were big enough to manage to sew together, but as I got towards the centre, the pieces got smaller and smaller and very fiddly, especially as I was using a variety of different white fabrics, some of them shiny and some stretchy, or overlaid with organza, so very difficult to sew together neatly…..

Around the outside are machine-embroidered cyrillic letters, some of it mirror writing, which says “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, who was and is, and is to come.” I was surprised to find that my sewing machine offered a Cyrillic alphabet, and mirror writing, so I thought it would make an effective quilted border.

I submitted this work to the V&A Museum in London as part of a competition where you had to make a work inspired by an item in their collections, so I chose one of their large diamonds in their jewellery gallery. I was astonished and thrilled when my work was accepted, and shown in an exhibition with other winners at the V&A. I made sure to get all my friends go and see it, especially those who had been a bit snooty about me taking up quilting as a second career, in later life….. I keep this work as a special piece now, can’t bear to sell it. So it is the only unsold one left of my “Rev Sev”(Revelation Seven) series.

But back to the text. Whereas crowns and thrones are a bit distant and grand feeling, being given a stone with your special name on it by Jesus feels a very intimate and special gift. It says to me, “you are unique, special, prized and valued by Me,” which is the most amazing and wonderful feeling for one who has always felt a bit rubbish, not worth anything. And the special new name on it will be revealing! God knows me only too well, so I wonder what it will be. “Much afraid” maybe, or “Forever putting your foot in it”! A bit like the nickname given to the apostles James and John: “the sons of thunder”, because apparently they had quite a temper….. All part of the diversity of us human beings, and all valued as such, creating variety, an interesting social mix, not a boring bland samey lot. Worth remembering that, next time someone is annoying you at church, or doesn’t seem to fit in.

Anyway, I hope and pray I persevere to the end, and “overcome”, to receive this precious gift from God. Something akin to a big hug!

The Open Door into Heaven

The next artwork in my Seven Gifts in the Book of Revelation series is the open door into heaven. Jesus says: “Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no man can shut.” (Rev 3:8). Further on it says: “I looked, and behold, a door was opened into heaven.”(Rev 4:1).

There is something very intriguing about a door: if shut, what is beind it? If half open, tantalising glimpses into another world can be seen….. there is endless fascination in literature and art about doors. The door to the Secret Garden, the wardrobe door leading to the imaginary country of Narnia…. Cathedral doors, portals, grand entrances, are wonderfully decorated all over the world. A door opening and giving a glimpse of heaven, how amazing! John in the Book of Revelation is giving us some of his visionary glimpses through that door.

In my quilt on this title, I have tried to give the shimering effect of a door into heaven. I try and have something of a “door into the next world” in most of my art.

In real life, how frustrating it is to feel doors shut against you. You start really excited about a new project, only to have doors constantly shut on you. Job rejection, failed test, unanswered emails, refusals to invest, turned down for a grant, not selected for an exhibition, don’t make it onto a short list, etc. How wonderful therefore that God opens a door for us that no man can shut!

If we are finding it difficult sometimes to find that door opened for us, don’t forget those words in John’s Gospel, where Jesus says “I am the door. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.”

Well, all you seekers and artists out there, I hope you find good pastures through the open door!

The Crown of Life and the Sapphire Throne.

I thought I would continue with my series of quilts on the seven gifts given by God to the churches mentioned in the first few chapters of the Book of Revelation, –what my family refer to as my “Rev Sev Series”……

Above left is my “Crown of Life” and right is my “Sapphire Throne”. Jesus says “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give you the Crown of Life.”(Rev 2:10). Crowns don’t feature much in 21st Century life, but they come in a lot in the Book of Revelation. I think our nearest phrase is that some work is someone’s “crowning glory”. We do all want recognition for our endeavours in some way, so maybe getting a crown that is somehow full of life will be wonderful. It is difficult to imagine, and I have depicted it as very colourful.

The sapphire throne comes from the text: “To him that overcometh, I will grant to sit with me on my throne.” (Rev 3:21). Elsewhere in Revelation it says there is a rainbow around the throne, and in Ezekiel the throne of God is described as being like sapphire, with a rainbow all around (Ezekiel 1:26-28). So, in my depiction of the heavenly throne I have used mainly colours from the darker side of the rainbow. I guess sitting on a throne is another way of expressing that you’ve “made it”…. Like being on the top of the podium at an Olympic event. I am glad I wouldn’t be alone on the throne though, a bit scarey…..

The Morning Star

This is one of my favourite quilts, which I have made twice, for friends of mine. One of them wanted an artwork to go opposite their bed to help them feel positive when they woke up in the mornings. It is one of my Seven Gifts or Revelation series, mentioned in my earlier blogpost about Angels. Seven gifts are offered to the Christians in the seven churches mentioned in the first few chapters of the Book or Revelation, as a reward for remaining faithful right to the end. Also, at the end of the book, in Chapter 22 verse 16, Jesus says “I am the bright and morning star.”

The bright star breaks through the darkness of the night, which is already getting to the pale grey of early dawn. It could also depict the Resurrection, which also happened in the early hours. Not being an early morning person myself, I fear sometimes I may end up missing the whole thing! The only times I see the dawn is if I havent got to bed yet, or am still trying to get off to sleep, so not usually feeling at my best….. Hope I have captured the light and the moment OK, despite that.

Angels

The above artwork is titled “All the Angels”. It is part of a series I did for an exhibition in a church, on the theme of the seven gifts God gives to the seven churches, in the first few chapters of the Book or Revelation. These gifts are offered to those who persevere right to the end. The particular gift referred to in this wall hanging is “I will acknowledge you before the Father and all the angels”. One might find that rather intimidating! But one has to realise that they already know us and are our friends. I think angels follow us in our lives, much as I hope eventually people will follow this blog!

I am finding it much harder than I thought to set up this blog satisfactorily, I definitely need to practise perseverance….. If you are reading this, please be patient while I hopefully get the hang of things.