Gather Us In
Watercolor
16" x 20 "

Original sold.
Giclees available.

This is a watercolor of an old black lady. I was inspired by a favorite song by Marty Haugen that I was listening to as I painted this portrait. I tried to capture the look of a woman who has been down a long hard road - one who has suffered many trials and tribulations. She is old now and close to that time when she will being going to her Maker.

Here are the words to the music I was listening to as I painted this painting - Gather Us In.


"Here in this place new light is streaming,
Now is the darkness vanished away,
See in this space our fears and our dreamings,
Brought here to you in the light of the day.

Gather us in -- the lost and forsaken,
Gather us in -- the blind and the lame,
Call to us now, and we shall awaken,
We shall arise at the sound of our name.

We are the young --our lives are a mystr'y,
We are the old -- who yearn for your face,
We have been sung throughout all of histr'y,
Called to be light to the whole human race.

Gather us in -- the rich and the haughty,
Gather us in -- the proud and the strong,
Give us a heart so meek and so lowly,
Give us the courage to enter the song.

Here we will take the wine and the water,
Here we will take the bread of new birth,
Here you shall call your sons and your daughters,
Call us anew to be salt for the earth.

Give us to drink the wine of compassion,
Give us to eat the bread that is you,
Nourish us well and teach us to fashion,
Lives that are holy and hearts that are true.

Not in the dark of buildings confining,
Not in some heaven -- light years away,
But here in this place the new light is shining,
Now is the kingdom, now is the day.

Gather us in and hold us forever,
Gather us in and make us your own,
Gather us in -- all peoples together,
Fire of love in our flesh and our bone.

Simon Greets the Day
Watercolor
16" x 20"

Original in collection of the artist.
Giclees available.

This painting is part of my series of watercolor portraits of old people. This portrait was done from a photo taken while traveling in the Caribbean. I tried to capture the sunlight warming his skin as he pushed the curtain back to look outside early in the morning.
I named this old fellow 'Simon' after the Simon that was pressed into service to help Jesus carry the cross. Simon was reluctant initially, but obediently helped carry Our Lord's burden for a while. I believe we are all like Simon - called to carry burdens - whatever they might be - in service of others. Even though the weight of those burdens are heavy and age us, we can choose to greet the day with a smile and a twinkle in our eye.

Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen
Watercolor
16" x 20"

Original has been sold. Giclees are available.

This watercolor is a portrait of an old lady who, at the time of the painting, was over one hundred years old. I found her face to be beautiful. I love to paint people of all ages but most particularly people whose faces show that they have been down a road or two and have survived times of trouble and sorry. She is a woman of great dignity and character.