J. Gordon Anderson - Contemporary Art

I am slowly getting better at doing this one. Now I just need to learn to take better pictures! These Christmas gift icons are actually smaller than I usually do them. Usually they are 9"x 12", or so. These are about half the size. There is still one more Christmas icon that I did that I need to post a picture of. Lord willing the picture will be up soon.

Or should I say, "Happy Christma-hana-kwanzika"? Here are a couple of Christmas gifts I made for some people:

Is the following true of continuing Anglicanism? "Indeed, as Church policy, in both the Church of England and the Episcopal Church since 1800 it cannot be seriously maintained that the conversion of souls from a state of being lost has held a very high priority. As a consequence, neither Church has shown much growth, and such growth that has come about has been either biological growth among members or transfer growth in terms of taking in members of other denominations. This latter is, indeed, virtually the only source of membership growth in the Episcopal Church. The effectiveness of the Episcopal Church as an evangelistic church is insignificant because there is really no consensus among us as to the necessity for seeking to convert the unconverted. To be effective in evangelism, it is necessary to have general recognition of the vital necessity for salvation in terms of a visceral as well as an intellectual conviction such that subordinate purposes are organized around evangel...

"But to you, I say, of the clergy, these things are spoken properly; to you these powers are conveyed really; upon you God hath poured His spirit plentifully; you are the choicest of His choice, the elect of His election, a church picked out of the church, vessels of honor for your Master's use, appointed to teach others, authorized to bless in His name; you are ministers of Christ's priesthood, under-laborers in the great work of mediation and intercession, you are 'for the people towards God' (Ex 18:19), and convey answers and messages from God to the people. These things I speak, not only to magnify your office, but to enforce and heighten your duty; you are holy by office and designation; for your very appointment is a sanctification and a consecration, and therefore whatever holiness God requires of the people, who have some little portions in the priesthood evangelical, He expects it of you, and much greater, to whom He hath conveyed so great honors, and admi...

I just recently completed this large (about 46" x 48") oil painting entitled "Why hast thou forsaken me?" I am pleased with it because it brings together a number of stylistic elements that I have been fooling with for the last few years. It combines representation with abstraction; a sense of space with flatness; and smooth glazing with rough brush strokes. The large, dark, form behind the cross signifies that moment when Our Lord uttered "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

I was reading Martin Thornton's book "Spiritual Direction" the other day and came across the phrase "ghostly child", which is a person under spiritual (ghostly; geist) direction. That makes his spiritual director the "ghostly father". So I told my wife that I was going for my monthly meeting with my "ghostly father", and she looked at me like I'd gone mad.

Here is an icon of St. Etheldreda I recently did. It was a commission for a retired bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church. She holds a church because she restored an old church and founded an abbey (also the reason she has a pastoral staff) on the site of what is now Ely Cathedral.

Andy Warhol is one of the most fascinating artists of the 20th century. I highly recommend the book " The Life and Death of Andy Warhol " if anyone is interested in learning more about this highly unusual man. Here is an interesting interview with the artist himself.

There are certain doctrines that I find more interesting to study than others. This is only natural. One doctrine that I have never been very interested in is the doctrine of predestination. My pragmatic mind just doesn't see the importance of getting too wrapped up in something as mysterious and divisive as the nature of God's divine election. But recently, due to popular demand, I lead of study of the history of this doctrine in my Tuesday morning class. I also lead a discussion on it during the Sunday School hour last week. It was amazing to see the passion that this doctrine arouses in some people. It just goes to show we are all different, and perceive some doctrines of the faith to be more important than others. Predestination, or election, is biblical and catholic when it is understood in the ancient sense of St. Augustine and the Synod of Orange . Predestination in this sense is what is taught in the 39 Articles. The Articles, following the scriptures, ancient catholic...

This is a 2' x 2' icon I did recently that depicts the Wedding Feast at Cana. It is based on a Greek icon that I received as a gift from a friend whose wedding mass I served at a few years back. The perfect synthesis of representational and non-objective imagery in a lot of classical/traditional Christian art is one of its most overlooked aspects. This synthesis is especially evident in iconography. This icon is for sale for $800.

There is a fascinating book out that analyzes the effectiveness of the Willow Creek/mega-church model of Christianity that has so captivated the American Evangelical scene in the last few decades. The book is the result of an in depth study, three-year study done by WCA on whether or not the corporate, program-driven approach to ministry is effective in terms of producing mature disciples of Christ. Essentially Hybels and company admit that it has not been effective in that area. Participation in "programs" does not automatically make one into a mature believer. Hybels is to be lauded for his honest and frank assessment. I would encourage everyone to check out the links above. As Anglicans we sometimes get discouraged because our congregations are rather small, and we take that as a sign that we are not being effective, or that something is wrong with us or our tradition. But clearly that view is not accurate. Sure, many of our congregations could use a shot in the arm in ...

Did you know that "Theological Outlines" by Francis Hall is back in print? You can get for $27 at Wipf and Stock . Theological Outlines is a quick reference/bare bones version of his 10 volume systematic theology. It's nice to have around, and who knows how long it will be back, so buy it now while you still can. Also, a couple of really bad looking Anglican websites have been updated, and now they look pretty good: St. Alban's, Joppa, MD (my wife did that one); Reformed Episcopal Seminary ; and the Anglican Catholic Church . Nothing is more important these days in terms of advertising than having a decent web presence.

Here is a picture of a painting I recently completed of the Baptism of Christ. It is, obviously, based on the traditional iconographic composition of the subject, but it is not an icon. It is a 46" x 48" oil on canvas (traditional icons are always done in egg tempera). The unusual looking object coming down from the top of the painting is found in all iconographic representations of this image, and what it signifies is the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Our Lord at His baptism. (There is a small bird in bolt that may or may not be visible on the digital image.)

A lady found a painting by Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo in the trash while on a walk in NYC. The painting had been stolen over 20 years ago. She didn't know who did the painting, but saw that it had a certain power, so she rescued it. Now it is being sold at auction for $1,000,000. I keep waiting for the day when I find some lost masterpiece like that either in the trash or at a yard sale!

Many people look at the Bible as a CNN news report that explains exactly who did what, when, and how it happened. In doing so they completely neglect the various types of literature that make up the canon of Scripture, the context in which they were written, the mindset of the communities who produced the book, the social customs of the community, and so on. Because they are blind to these things, or do not consider them, when reading the Bible, they often come up with bizarre interpretations of certain passages. But employing tools like genre criticism, canonical criticism, narrative-historical criticism, and all of the rest of them, help us understand the text better. This is one of the main reasons why seminarians spend so much time studying higher criticism in seminary! It is helpful in most ways. I think the same thing goes on when some people view art. Works by modern masters, such as Anselm Kiefer , are misunderstood and often derided by the average person because the viewer kno...

A cousin up in CT who is an art dealer told me years ago that if I wanted to be a an artist I had to paint as much as possible. And so I have. I have obsessively painted for years now all sorts of stuff: murals, watercolors, oils, cityscapes, nudes, still life, landscapes, the figure, religious works, etc. Most of the great artists from the last couple hundred years were very prolific. But one day I realized that, in addition to doing all of that painting, I must actively promote my work. One of the goals is to sell these things! Otherwise they just pile up and get in the way, and that makes you depressed. Some artists (like myself) are tempted to survive off of the same people who always buy your art. But what happens if they do not buy anymore, or if they die, or something? What happens if you need to increase your income? Anyway, I can hear what people are saying: "Gee, you have an amazing grasp of the obvious." But hey, I am a little slow sometimes, so give me a break pl...

The other night on EWTN, Fr. Benedict Groeschel proudly proclaimed that he had never stepped foot in the MoMA , because he couldn't stand looking at all of the ugliness and disorderliness of "modern art". Apparently while he was doing his doctorate in psychology he took some courses in art history and art criticism. I couldn't disagree more with what he said. There is definite order in modern art - it might just not be readily apparent with some artists. Certainly the early work of people like Frank Stella, Leger, and many others, is very rigid and ordered. There is even order in Jackson Pollock paintings as Francis Schaffer showed in How Shall We Then Live . And besides that MoMA has many other paintings in it that are done in a more traditional style that he would probably enjoy. For example, I believe now there is a show of Lucian Freud prints and Seurat drawings. So I don't know what father was talking about in that interview. It really makes no sense to me.

My spiritual director says that many times people will come up to you after a sermon and talk about what they "heard you say" in the homily and about "how it touched them"... even if you didn't say anything like what they thought they heard! The point is that people will hear certain things in a sermon that you don't say, or didn't intend to say. Obviously this gives one reason to be careful in what one preaches. But it also helps one see the various ways that God works... God says something to someone through the preacher's simple, flawed, human words - even something that he didn't intend to say!

Answer: The LOVE of money. I have heard it stated probably five times (at least ) last month on some five different high-profile news and television programs that "money" is the root of all evil. Uhh, no. Timeout. Back up for a minute. The bible says the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil. (1 Timothy 6:10) I wish the braintrust at CNN, A&E, CNBC, and other networks would get that right. They always misquote the passage... and then they use their misquote to attack the church and the bible! What a bunch of mumbo-jumbo. They might learn something if they actually read the bible.

I had the opportunity recently to talk at length with three men who are converts, or on the path to conversion, to Anglicanism. They had lots of questions about a variety of doctrines and practices, and had had interesting faith journeys. One of the things, I think, that is so important for us to communicate to converts and help them grasp is that our tradition appeals ultimately to that of the undivided Church. Classical Anglican Reformers, such as Cranmer, Laud, Hooker, Taylor, and others, sought to conform their thought and praxis to the ancient church of the Seven Ecumenical Councils. So when they ask (as they often do), "Do I have to believe X to be an Anglican?" Or, "Can I be Anglican and believe X?" (and it is always some "hot button" issue), they really have to ask themselves if it is a doctrine that has an ancient, catholic precedent to it. That is the ultimate test. When we do that, certain "extreme" beliefs and practices can automati...

Here is a picture of two icon-style guitars that I recently completed. Actually I just did the painting. Lee Connah built the instruments, which are modeled after a Martin Backpacker Guitar. I call them "icon-style" guitars because these are not real icons, in the sense that are meant for devotion. The guitars are built out of found objects (such as siding), plexiglass, and various guitar parts. The painting is done in egg tempera. Parts of the guitar, such as the neck and the siding back have been left in their unfinished state. Originally the guitars were going to have a cycle of paintings on them based on the lyrics from Lee's album "Folk Hero Sandwich", but I did not realize he wanted these so soon for a show, so I did not have time to develop that idea. Instead I went with what he originally requested: icons. A rather strange request, but then again my buddy Lee is a strange genius! So it's quite fitting. Overall, they are truly a collaborative artist...

There are two virtues of the mind, or orders, according to Maritain: the speculative , the sole end of which is knowledge, and the practical , which tends to something other than just knowledge - mainly putting something you know to use to create something. Art belongs to the practical order because its orientation is towards doing .

While on vacation I swung by the Newman Bookstore in Washington and picked up a copy of Art and Scholasticism by Jacques Maritain. As I have been personally studying St. Thomas this year, and especially Thomistic philosophy, I thought this would be a good read, and a way to bring two of my interests together. I plan on writing a summary of each chapter for everyone's edification. I will say that it would have been nice if Etienne Gilson had written the book... I find him much easier to understand than Maritain. But then again, maybe the translator is to blame. Or maybe it's just me. So his first essay is " The Schoolmen and the Theory of Art ". He says that the Schoolmen never composed any treatise specifically about art. Instead, what they thought about art is to be gleaned from their writings on other topics, such as logic, moral theology, and more. One can find a far-reaching theory of art looking through all of their works in this way. Interestingly, Gilson, in ...

I am currently working on a collaborative art piece with artist/musician Lee Connah . He is having a show at a gallery in Baltimore in October of some of his handmade musical instruments. I am working on two "icon" backpack guitars for the show - it should be interesting. I will post a picture of them when I am done.

My wife and I just returned from vacation. While away, we got to visit the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore, which had recently undergone a huge renovation. The last time I was there was to see the famous "Timla Relic" a few years ago. Unlike some horrific church renovations that have gone on in recent years that were supposedly meant to "update" the church, this restoration was meant to "return" the interior of the building to its original Federal-period design. And I must say that it a very tasteful renovation. They did a really good job. It looks almost like an old early Episcopal church - white washed interior, minimal designs, etc. The interior is now very bright because they removed the stained glass (dark blue Willet windows), and uncovered the original skylights in the dome. They kept all of the good stuff (the high altar, altar rails, etc.), and brought some cool old stuff back (e.g. the nation's first RC epi...

Today my wife and I went to the Charles Demuth studio and museum in Lancaster, PA. Demuth (1883-1935) was an American artist associated with the Precisionist school . I had never seen much of his art before, but it was interesting to see how similar in some respects my cityscape s are to his. Like many artists, Demuth was a rather unconventional character. He was homosexual and, after his father died, lived at home with his mom for most of his life. He painted most of his greatest works in the upstairs room of their house (now the museum). Unfortunately Demuth died an early death at age 50 due to diabetes. The museum was also hosting a show of work by the first generation American abstract impressionist artist Melville Price . Price was a friend and contemporary of Pollock, DeKooning, and others. Like many artists of that era, he created art for the WPA (Works Progress Administration), which was a New Deal initiative establish by Roosevelt. In terms of style his work could best be c...

Note: I have decided to delete this post since the link to the article is no longer working and since it has been revealed that J.I. Packer did not write it. JGA+

Not that my site is ready yet, or anything like that, but I do have a few pictures of some newer work - religious pieces - posted on there that you may wish to look at (just thumbnails are posted, though). I am currently only painting religious scenes. People who have followed my work over the years know that I have painted religious subject matter here and there (Annunciation, Purgatory, Hell, various Pietas, monks, priests, etc.) But it's always been a side thing... just "here and there", as I felt like it. Now it's my main thing. I suppose being a priest makes this type of subject matter even more important to me. Painting them sort of melds everything together. It's also a good way to meditate on the mystery being painted. Stylistically these works are more measured and subdued then my work from the last few years. I have been wanting to "empty out" my art, and make it a lot more quiet and simple. God, after all, is pure simplicity, and heaven is ete...

Being a priest is being an artist in way. The mass is so beautiful, so mysterious.... as Paul Claudel once said, the most beautiful and august gestures ever confided to man were done so in the mass. In the mass, space and time ceases, and heaven and earth unite... just like an artist when he is painting, or a musician, when he is performing... he is outside of himself, and becomes one with the act of creation, and one with god. So being at the same time a priest and artist is not that far off.

Here is a great article written by artist Maureen Mullarkey for Crisis Magazine. The Myth of Catholic Art: An Unmanifesto By Maureen Mullarkey Is there a uniquely Catholic approach to art? What is legitimate Catholic art? How can a Catholic make a significant difference in the artistic community? How should Catholics approach secular art? What might be included in a manifesto for Catholic artists? These questions are direct and compelling. They are also tricky to address because the assumptions behind them are complex and hidden. It would be better to shift attention from straitened definitions of Catholic art toward something more generous to the arts themselves and more useful to Catholics in the public square. But where to start with questions that lead ...

My personal art website is undergoing a major transformation, so please bear with me. I hope to have it up sometime before the new year. Developing a website is harder than people think. Not only must design and layout be taken into consideration, but also the purpose of the site (i.e. what does one hope to accomplish with his site).

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels has been much maligned by some traditionalists as being ugly and too "modern". While it is very different from a St. Patrick's Cathedral , or a Cathedral of Mary Our Queen , I wouldn't say it is completely ugly. Modern, yes; but ugly, no. Just because something is new doesn't mean it is ugly. Often people do not appreciate the art and architecture of their age. Only later generations come to find the beauty and poignancy that is in such works of art (e.g. the school of Impressionism). Sometimes I wonder if we who are more traditionally-minded in our faith are stuck in an artistic time warp. Did art and architecture reach its zenith in western Europe in the high middle ages? If so, what does one make of St. Peter's Basilica, or a Hagia Sophia? Are they ugly too? I think that before we pass judgment on new forms of art, architecture, music, liturgy, or what have you, we need to consider them in their larger cultural conte...

An artist must be willing to risk everything when creating a work or art. He must be willing to make that additional brush stroke, or draw that new line, or try that other color even though it may possibly ruin the entire work, or at the very least take it in a different direction than what he intended. No matter how far in advance a work is planned, there are always unknown elements, or unexpected surprises that arise, and which force us make a new decision on a color or element halfway through the painting. It is this very act that is so risky. What if it doesn't work? What if it throws something else off balance? What if it ruins the rest of the painting? But the artist must take the chance. If he doesn't the work will flounder, and he will always wonder, "What if I had done it?" At least for his own peace of mind he must take the chance. If the new element does ruin the art rather than help, it can sometimes be undone (if you are painting in oils). But many time...

I have decided to reintroduce my art blog. Welcome back, me.