Daily Struggle

‘Hearken to my weary voice, O God. I am your friend & co-conspirator in the struggle for a new world.’ (Activist’s Prayer) Take a look at the first picture. This is called Vision of the Sermon (Jacob wrestling with the Angel) by Van Gogh. This picture is based on the biblical story of Jacob, who ran …

Rhythm and ritual

‘Your daily life is your temple and religion. When you enter into it take with you your all.’ (Kahlil Gibran) Take a look at the first picture. This is a picture of our advent ring in the second week of advent. Every year I save our Christmas wreath and then use it for our advent …

Word of the Year

“Act upon hope” Commoners Choir Take a look at the first picture – you will be familiar with this by now, as I have used it twice previously this month. I have asked my daughter to adapt it in her own style for this week’s blog. For some reason, it’s has spoken to me in …

Add an Event

“The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer Take a look at the first picture. This is the artwork which I made a few years ago for a city centre …

Festive Craftivism: spreading gratitude and hope

2020 has been quite a year. As a nation we have not known grief, loneliness and restrictions on our daily lives in most of our living memories. We have felt powerless to stop the many plights on our society: covid-19, climate change, racism and discrimination in all its forms. However, we are powerful, we do …

Reflection on creativity

A guided meditation about the power of creativity for positive change. We explore it as an outlet in difficult times, as a way of connecting with one another and asking for the world we want to see. There is a stilling exercise, some time of silence and some reflections about creativity to ponder. Please do …

Beautiful Margins

‘Come to the edge’, He said. They said, ‘we are afraid’. ‘Come to the edge’, He said. They came. He pushed them, and they flew. (Christopher Logue) Take a look at the first image. This is an artwork by Hilary Jack which is on show at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. I use this image as …

Privileged Thinking

“Think for yourselves, and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too” Voltaire Take a look at the first image. This is a very old artwork, dealing with the issue of racism, made in 2005. The artist’s book contained three images based on the Isihara test used by opticians to determine colour-blindness. Each image, …

Daily Grace

“though indeed the divine is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17v27) Take a look at the first picture. This shows a recent one-off piece that I made as part of an online zoom art and faith group.  We were given a story from the Bible, discussed it and then had an hour …

Among the trees

“I go among the trees and sit still.All my stirring becomes quiet.” (Wendell Berry) Take a look at the first image. This is a print series that I’m currently working on. I am making thirteen prints for the Celtic Tree Calendar. My intention is to honour trees which live so much longer than we do, …