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The larger figure represents God, who enfolds his beloved child in his arms: his loving Spirit flows, as water, filling his child's heart with love and mercy. The child receives the abundantly flowing waters of love, and the love overflows to others.
Hand-built stoneware clay, soda-salt fired; with, fountain pump, copper bowl, natural stones.
18"h x 12"w 12"d
Commissions welcome.
This sculpture was imagined as an sheltering Angel hovering on the sunset horizon of Lake Superior.
Unique, hand-built, glaze fired paper clay, added acrylics
16"h x 24"w x 24"d
$1500
The Beatitudes: Heaven in earth series was purchased by McMaster Divinity College and permanently installed in the front entrance of McMaster Divinity College, McMaster University, Hamilton, in March 2020.
THE BEATITUDES: Heaven in earth
ARTIST STATEMENT
HEAVEN in earth merges two of my series: ceramic sculptures of from my spiritual experiences; and, sunset photographs of Superior, the world’s largest fresh-water lake, and my first home.
In the two decades between 1995 to 2014, I began a creative process in the midst of deep grief and loss in relationships. As I processed my experiences, images were perceived and sculpted; and, during this process specific words were also captured, which I later researched and expanded for true-ness in meaning.
For the next couple of years, I curated the pieces into a series with eight of my favourite Superior sunset photographs (I have 1000’s), and I realized that this series was in fact The Beatitudes—Jesus’s contemplative words from The Gospel of Matthew (Ch. 5, v. 3-10)—which I had been meditating on for these decades.
I organized the sculptures and photographs into stations to invite the viewer into a process of contemplation; you are encouraged to take some time contemplating Jesus’s eight declarations: the postures of earth and the colours of Heaven—states of being beyond happy, of heavenly blithe—the blessed state of Heaven, now truly in earth!
Elizabeth Brooks
Jesus’s Light metaphor for summing up the Beatitudes:
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine!
Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16
STATION 1
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
HEAVEN: Old Eng. "heofon: home of God
EMPTINESS: Latin "inanitas", empty space; "worthlessness"
Limited edition, hand-burnished porcelain, gold leaf; limited edition, digital print 2014.
$230
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STATION 2
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
COM-FORT: Latin con-fortare, “Together - strengthen”
BROKEN-HEART: Old English, brecan, “to disclose”; 13c. heorte “spirit, inner strength”
Limited edition, hand-burnished porcelain, gold leaf; limited edition, digital print, 2014.
$280
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STATION 3
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
INHERIT: Latin inhereditare, “to appoint as heir”
MEEKNESS: in the Bible, Latin mansuetus “to tame”, literally “to accustom to the hand” as meek power in a stallion under bridle; anger: rightness of action at right time; Old Norse, mjukr, “soft, pliant, gentle”, Gothic: muka-modei “slimy, mud, humility"
Limited edition, hand-burnished porcelain, gold leaf; limited edition, digital print, 2014.
$300
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STATION 4
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
SATISFIED: Old English sæd "sated, full"
TRUTH: Old English triewe,"trustworthy, honest, faithfulness, fidelity, loyalty; veracity, quality of being true; pledge, covenant", Latin veracitatem "truthfulness"
Limited edition, hand-burnished porcelain, gold leaf; limited edition, digital print, 2014.
$500
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STATION 5
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
MERCY: 9 c. Old French mercit, merci, "reward, gift; kindness, grace, pity"
MILD-HEARTEDNESS: Old English mildheortness; 13c. Old French pite, pitet, "pity, mercy, compassion, care, tenderness; pitiful state, wretched condition"; Latin pietatem, "piety, loyalty, duty"
Limited edition, hand-burnished porcelain, gold leaf; limited edition, digital print, 2014.
$300
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STATION 6
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
BEHOLD: Old English bihaldan “give regard to". also "to keep hold of, to belong to."
PURE: Latin purus "clear, clear, unmixed, unalloyed; Mer "gleaming spirit"
HEART: O.E. heorte: "heart; soul, spirit, will, desire; courage; mind”
Limited edition, hand-burnished porcelain, gold leaf; limited edition, digital print 2014.
$250
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STATION 7
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
INHABIT: 12c. Latin inhabitare "to dwell in,"; habere "hold, have" as a place to live as true family together
PEACE: Latin pacem “to covenant, agree”;
MAKING: Latin poietic, “making, producing"
Limited edition, hand-burnished porcelain, gold leaf; limited edition, digital print 2014.
$350
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REGAL IN PRESSURE
STATION 8
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
REGAL: Latin, regalis: "royal; of or belonging to royalty”
PRESSURE: Old French, presseure: "oppression; anguish”, “pressure” Diamonds are created with pressure and heat and, formed more than 150 km deep within the earth’s mantle.
Limited edition, hand-burnished porcelain, gold leaf; limited edition digital print, 2014.
$250
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Icon of Saint Michael The Archangel Through the hand of Elizabeth Brooks; completed October 2022. Matte acrylic on board with 24k gold leaf, 11” x 13.3”. Saint Micheal The Archangel is the Chief Prince of the angel armies of Heaven, who has charge of God’s people. Take some time to contemplate this icon of Saint Michael The Archangel: know his watchful gaze over us, and begin to comprehend how he is charged by God with the responsibility to care for and defend God’s people.
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Icon of Saint Gabriel The Archangel Through the hand of Elizabeth Brooks; completed May 2023. Matte acrylic on board with 24k gold leaf, 9.5” x 11.75”. Saint Gabriel The Archangel is the Chief Messenger of God, who historically has visited many prophets and especially The Virgin Mary; and, who also brings communication to artists and other communicators in our day. Take some time to contemplate this icon of Saint Gabriel The Archangel to be open to receive commune-i-cation from God.
A mysterious Saint Gabriel ancient stone was found recently, in 2000, on the banks of the Dead Sea. The article states, “Curators at the Israel Museum, where the first exhibit dedicated to the stone opened Wednesday, [2013],say it is the most important document found in the area since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.”
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/news/top-news/antiquities-and-cultures/mysterious-gabriel-stone-displayed-in-jerusalem/
Saint Francis de Sales: Prayer for Complete Trust in God
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“Do not look forward to the trials and crosses of this life with dread and fear. Rather, look to them with full confidence that as they arise, God, to whom you belong, will deliver you from them.
He has guided and guarded you thus far in life. Do you but hold fast to his dear hand and He will lead you safely through all trials. Whenever you cannot stand, he will carry you lovingly in his arms.
Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow. The same Eternal Father who cares for you today will take good care of you tomorrow and every day of your life.
Either he will shield you from suffering or He will give you the unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace then and put aside all useless thoughts, vain dreads, and anxious imaginations.”
St. Francis de Sales, (1567-1622) Bishop of Geneva, Roman Catholic Church
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You are invited to take a few minutes to view the prayer station image, as I read the Prayer of Saint Francis de Sales. (audio file: see bottom of this web page.) This is called: Visio Divina “Sacred Seeing” is an ancient form of Christian prayer.
Artist's Statement: I sculptured this ceramic piece in response to having prayed this prayer of Saint Francis de Sales for almost two years during a difficult season in my life.
What I realized, as I received help and hope, was that I believed Saint Francis de Sales was actually praying his prayer with me, and for me — he was helping me!
I hope this prayer is a blessing and a help to you, as much as it has been to me; and, I hope that you sense Saint Francis de Sales helping you.
Ceramic sculpture, digital photo triptych
Open dimensions: 24” l x 12” h; closed: 12” x 12” (with 2” h x 12” l shelf)
c Elizabeth Brooks 2019
Private Collection
Bisque-fired ceramic with gold leaf; Digital print on canvas, 16 “ x 20” from an original acrylic on canvas by Elizabeth Brooks (painting image inspired by F. Carmichael, Mirror Lake).
c Elizabeth Brooks 2018
$400
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Triptych, bisque-fired ceramic with gold leaf; digital prints on wood panels, 12” x 48” open (12” x 24” closed).
c Elizabeth Brooks 2018.
$800
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Artist’s Statement:
The Nativity, acrylic on panel, gold leaf, 16” x 20”
As I began research for this painting, I noticed that Western art historical images of The Nativity were painted by men. In the compositions, the Virgin Mary and Jesus were separate: the infant Jesus in a manger and Mary sitting nearby. As a mother of sons, my experience was different; I always held my infant sons in intimate closeness, and so I made my sketches reflect this maternal truth. I've since learned that in Eastern Christian icons Jesus is embraced by his Mother, Mary; the image is not meant to represent what they look like, but rather to symbolize their Nature. As Madeleine L'Engle states in her book, Walking on Water, "the icon represents some quality of Jesus, or his Mother ... and so becomes an open window through which we can be given a new glimpse of the love of God."
This painting symbolizes The Triune God of Love:
-the large gold circle represents God: Our Father —The Uncreated, Eternal and Mighty Light of Love;
-the small centre circle embodies God: Jesus, The Christ—The Peaceful newborn Son, Love Incarnate;
-the gold river visualizes God: The Holy Spirit —The Counsellor, Comforter of Love flowing with, in us.
Mother Mary holds, and is held by, God’s golden Presence. The wooden stable floor represents the earthly place where The God of Heaven descends to dwell with his people. Saint Anthony of Padua encourages us, like Mother Mary, "to become a humble and loving person who is enabled to hold, to nurture—to shelter the vulnerable and vast presence of God—our eternal state is the consequence”.
Elizabeth Brooks, Artist and Educator
Digital print on canvas, with added gold leaf, limited edition, 2017, 16” x 20”
$250 (special order required)
CREATIVE PROCESS, below:
Inspiration words, thumbnail sketches, rough drawings, working painting.
All images are protected by copyright 2000-2024. c Elizabeth Brooks. Images are not to be reproduced in any form.
