Quilted Icons
I am a fiber artist, using hand quilting as my medium. I depict sacred stories or ideas as wall hangings, cards and enlarged photos. My work is all a gift from God and my intent is to invite people to be reflective about their lives as they view my work. Humor sneaks into most of my work, too, just to show that God has a playful side!
The purpose of my artwork is threefold: they can be seen as art or beauty in themselves; they can be used as prayer companions for deepening our inner life; they can be used as sources of healing and hope, showing a path to wholeness.
I call my art form Iconography. Icons are sacred images that draw you in with their beauty or their image and point you to God. Traditional icons are painted on wood and usually depict a holy person, like Mary and Jesus or the saints or prophets. I was given the wonderful gift of depicting ancient Biblical stories and people in contemporary form, using black backgrounds, colorful fabric and a quilted format.
My process in creating an icon is purposefully prayerful. I pray before I enter my studio so my mind is still and open to the sacred process. I get an image or an idea during that quiet time. Then I listen to the subjects in the icons so I can depict them the way they intend their stories to be told. Often I learn something new or get a shiver as I listen to them directing me on their creation.
In this gallery I will provide a sampling of my work over the last several years. Most pieces have a one page overview; a description of the story, the dialogue I had with the subject, and reflection questions for the viewer. But to include all of them here might be a bit tedious for the reader:-) So if you want to go deeper with any of these icons, especially the Red Sea Band or the Shiver Series, email me at janethagberg@comcast.net
The Red Sea Band
The purpose of my artwork is threefold: they can be seen as art or beauty in themselves; they can be used as prayer companions for deepening our inner life; they can be used as sources of healing and hope, showing a path to wholeness.
I call my art form Iconography. Icons are sacred images that draw you in with their beauty or their image and point you to God. Traditional icons are painted on wood and usually depict a holy person, like Mary and Jesus or the saints or prophets. I was given the wonderful gift of depicting ancient Biblical stories and people in contemporary form, using black backgrounds, colorful fabric and a quilted format.
My process in creating an icon is purposefully prayerful. I pray before I enter my studio so my mind is still and open to the sacred process. I get an image or an idea during that quiet time. Then I listen to the subjects in the icons so I can depict them the way they intend their stories to be told. Often I learn something new or get a shiver as I listen to them directing me on their creation.
In this gallery I will provide a sampling of my work over the last several years. Most pieces have a one page overview; a description of the story, the dialogue I had with the subject, and reflection questions for the viewer. But to include all of them here might be a bit tedious for the reader:-) So if you want to go deeper with any of these icons, especially the Red Sea Band or the Shiver Series, email me at janethagberg@comcast.net
The Red Sea Band
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Miriam, Moses' sister, inspired The Red Sea Band. She gathered the women to lead the celebration after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, fleeing Egypt. Many women participated so I envisioned it as a band, hence the Red Sea Band.
I invited women in scripture to join the band and they wholeheartedly agreed. They wanted me to tell their stories. And they chose the instruments they wanted to play. For example, Bathsheba, King David's wife, was "taken" by David, who then had her husband murdered. So she wanted to play the blues on her jazz saxophone. She recovered her dignity, however, when her son Solomon was made king of Israel. Link here to 5 Red Sea Band stories There are 16 Red Sea Band members. Each includes the one page description I mentioned above. They are now available for display at churches and museums. Each band member is available for sale as an enlarged photograph. Contact Janethagberg@comcast.net for details. |
The Shiver Series
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The Shiver series is made up of images that represent sacred turning points in people's lives in scripture. We shiver because when the turning point happened the person was never the same again--ever. It gives us the shivers!
And so we can ask ourselves, what is our shiver moment or story in scripture? One of mine is the burning bush because so often I feel as if I'm in a mystifying place in my life where I'm asked to be close to the holy fire. There are about 8 images in this series (so far) and they are all available as glossy enlarged and mounted photographs. |
The Twenty-Third Psalm Series
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The Twenty-Third Psalm Series includes 7 images from this beloved Psalm. They vary in size from 6 inches to 40 inches wide. They are best used as prayer images, since they bring us calm and reassurance.
My favorite one is "He restores my soul." It depicts the soul in four stages of restoration and at the final stage, the soul is spreading out the healing balm to others around it. The soul restorer,God, is in the upper left hand corner, showering us all with healing drops of restoration. All of these icons are available as enlarged photographs. Ask Janet for more details. |
Assorted Other Icons
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This little section gives a hint of the other icon work I've done in the last few years. My desire is for anyone who sees this work to feel a connection with one of the icons and let it speak to you directly, then point you gently to God's unconditional love and invitation to further intimacy.
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