some colour for Easter

 

He is Risen II
jigsaw linocut Easter card
Teresa Newham

It's Holy Week, and this year our Easter promises to be more as it should be, with the whole choir singing together and no restrictions on the numbers of people attending Easter services.  Catholics are encouraged to make their Confession at Easter, which sounds a little scary but means that we bring to God anything we have done which we know to be wrong.  This act of bringing opens us up to receive His love, which is there for everybody, all the time, whether you believe in Him or not.

I have made a colourful Easter card this year using the jigsaw linocut method for the first time. The white cross represents the Crucifixion, but as Jesus has risen, he is not on the cross.  The blue sky stands for Heaven and eternal life and the golden flowers bring to mind the Resurrection, as do the green leaves of new growth. The blue and yellow also bring to mind the situation in Ukraine.

As we contemplate the mystery of the Cross and Resurrection, let us pray that all people might recognise God's love for them and that justice and peace might prevail wherever in the world there is conflict. 

Wishing you and yours every blessing at Easter and always.

Nativity

 

Nativity
hand printed linocut by Teresa Newham

For this year's Christmas card I decided to make a linocut of the Nativity.  It incorporates the whole of the Bible account of Jesus' birth - Holy Family, star, shepherds, kings - although in the Bible they are not all present at the same time.  When we set up our own Nativity at home we always position the kings to one side until after Christmas, as technically they didn't reach Bethlehem until Epiphany (6th January).

For this, the tenth linocut Christmas card I've produced, I returned to traditional lino, using the Swiss Pfeil linocut tools I got for Christmas last year. This year I'm in the process of sharing all of the cards on Instagram, along with other Christmas-themed artworks, on a sort of daily Advent Calendar, where I also suggest a Christmas carol of the day.

The carol I'm suggesting for the Nativity image is "The First Nowell", because it mentions shepherds, kings and the star:

The first Noel the angel did say 

was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay; 

in fields where they lay keeping their sheep, 

on a cold winter's night that was so deep. 

Refrain: Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, born is the King of Israel. 

They looked up and saw a star 

shining in the east, beyond them far; 

and to the earth it gave great light, 

and so it continued both day and night. [Refrain]

And by the light of that same star 

three Wise Men came from country far; 

to seek for a king was their intent, 

and to follow the star wherever it went. [Refrain]

This star drew nigh to the northwest, 

o'er Bethlehem it took its rest; 

and there it did both stop and stay, 

right over the place where Jesus lay. [Refrain]

Then entered in those Wise Men three, 

full reverently upon the knee, 

and offered there, in his presence, 

their gold and myrrh and frankincense. [Refrain]

As Christmas approaches - one of the strangest and most unsettling Christmases we have surely ever experienced - I pray that the Christmas message of peace, hope and love may strengthen and bless us all: wherever we are, whatever our faith, no matter how difficult our circumstances.

An Easter like no other

the Road to Emmaus
linocut Easter card by Teresa Newham

When he was at table with them, he took the bread, and blessed, and broke it,
and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him;
and he vanished out of their sight.  

Luke 24:30-31

This truly has turned out to be an Easter like no other: our priest live streaming the services; familiar voices from the parish reading direct from their own homes; prayers for everyone affected by the pandemic in so many different ways; spiritual Communion.

The online Easter Triduum, reduced to its bare bones, has been powerful and profound, and we are grateful to those who have worked so hard to broadcast it, including the opportunity to watch one hour with Our Lord on Holy Thursday and to meditate at the foot of the cross on Good Friday.

The story of the Road to Emmaus tells of two followers of Jesus who fall in with a stranger on their sorrowful journey home after the Crucifixion.  The stranger discusses Scripture with them and, at their evening meal, they recognise him as Jesus in the breaking of the bread.

Although we cannot receive communion physically, we too have recognised Our Lord in the breaking of the bread this Easter. And we can recognise him too in every person working to save lives and support the vulnerable during this pandemic - and in normal times.  With everything that is happening in the world, and at a time of our own private grief, we give thanks for that.

In loving memory of Nigel Newham

1954 - 2020

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord

And let perpetual light shine upon him

May he rest in peace

Amen

 

the angel's message

He has risen, as He said
linocut Easter card by Teresa Newham

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, 

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord

descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.

His appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow.

And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.

But the angel said to the women:

"Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who was crucified.

He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay."

Matthew 28: 1 - 6

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week.  At Mass we commemorated with palm branches Christ's entry into Jerusalem, when the crowds cheered Him as their Messiah; then we listened to the story of His Passion and death upon the Cross, as the authorities sought to regain their influence by turning the crowds against Him.  This week is a time of quiet reflection, culminating in the three services of the Easter Triduum - Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Saturday Vigil, when we celebrate His rising from the dead.

When reflecting on a Bible story we can mentally place ourselves within it, so as to gain deeper insight.  We walk to the tomb with the two Marys before sunrise. We are devastated - our friend, our Saviour, has just been put to death in the most horrible way, and all our hopes have been dashed. We are scared and apprehensive, but desparate to visit the tomb, to prepare His body with spices. Will we be able to persuade the guards to move the stone from the entrance so that we might go in?

And then the ground shakes and an angel appears, rolling away the stone and sitting on it. If we were scared before, we are terrified now! The guards fall unconscious to the ground with fright. The angel offers words of reassurance: Do not be afraid.  He has risen, as He said. Can we even begin to take this in, to understand what is happening? Bewilderment, then joy. Everything He told us has come true.

This is not simply a tale of something incredible which occurred centuries ago.  Christ can be born again in us every day, not simply at Easter.  We just have to be open to Him.  Do not be afraid.

Wishing you and yours every blessing at Easter and always.

Lourdes in the light

view from the top of the Rosary Basilica towards the Domain
© Teresa Newham

It was wonderful to make the Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes for Our Lady's feast day again!  The beautiful sunshine showed off the mosaics on the facade of the Rosary Basilica to their best advantage, and added a glow to the ones inside.

mosaics outside and inside the Rosary Basilica
© Teresa Newham

As we made our way from the Basilica towards the domain the trees were stark against the sky and dusted with snow, while flowers were already being left at the railings around Our Lady's statue, as thousands of pilgrims arrived from all over the world.

glorious views
© Teresa Newham

Along the steep path to the Upper Stations of the Cross there was a stunning view of the Pyrenees. Mistletoe crowded the branches of the trees above us, while in front and behind we could hear groups praying and singing in a multitude of languages.

the Crucifixion - one of the Upper Stations of the Cross
© Teresa Newham

The Stations themselves are large cast iron figures showing Jesus' path to his Crucifixion - the most dramatic sculpture of all, which was lit from behind by the setting sun.  We paused before each of the fifteen Stations in turn to make our own prayers.

pilgrims
© Teresa Newham

As the feast day drew nearer, more and more coachloads of pilgrims appeared, many with candles of various sizes, others with banners, flags and even a guitar.  The largest candles represent the prayers of a parish or a whole diocese.

pilgrims' candles at the Chapel of Light
© Teresa Newham

The candles were bound for the Chapel of Light - a collection of booths on the river bank opposite the Grotto. Pilgrims place their candles in one of the hundreds of candle holders with a prayer - for a loved one, a sick relative, a friend in distress.

pilgrims lining the river bank at the Grotto
© Teresa Newham

Perhaps because the feast day fell on a weekend, I have never seen such crowds at Lourdes before. As  I made my way through them I paused to add my own prayers at the Grotto to those of the thousands of people lining both banks of the river: Ave, Ave, Ave Maria!

the River Gave, looking towards the Domain
© Teresa Newham

Gabriel's Message

annunciation
hand-pulled linocut Christmas card
© Teresa Newham 2014

The angel Gabriel from heaven came,

his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;

'All hail,' said he, 'O lowly maiden Mary,'

most highly favoured lady: Gloria!

This year my Christmas card is based on Luke 1:26 - 38, where the Angel Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her she has been chosen to give birth to Jesus, an event known as the Annunciation. Inspiration came to me on the feast day of the Annunciation itself, which is 25th March;  and it took almost the whole nine months between then and Christmas for the cards to be cut and printed.

For know a blessed mother you shall be,

all generations praise continually,

your son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,'

most highly favoured lady: Gloria!

In this picture, the Angel Gabriel is handing Mary a lily -  a symbol of her purity.  She is holding out her hand to receive it, indicating her willingness to do God's will.  Thanks to Mary's 'yes', Jesus our Saviour  is able to come into the world.

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,

'To me be as it pleases God,' she said,

'my soul shall laud and magnify God's holy name,'

most highly favoured lady: Gloria!

The carol known as Gabriel's Message, or The Angel Gabriel, tells the story of the Annunciation, and is one of my favourites.  The version we know today is based on a Basque Christmas carol and was translated by Sabine Baring-Gould (a name familiar to anyone who enjoys leafing through hymn books). You can listen to it by clicking on the first verse above.

Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born

in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,

and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say:

most highly favoured lady: Gloria!

Wishing you and your loved ones peace and joy this Christmas, and every blessing for the New Year.

a reflection for Easter

Jesus said to her "Mary."
John 20:16
original watercolour © Teresa Newham 2012

For this year's Easter card I turned to John's Gospel. It takes a different approach to the other three Gospels - they tell Jesus' story  as it happened, stressing various elements for their particular audiences: followers of Jesus amongst the Jews (Matthew), the Romans (Mark) and the Gentiles (Luke). John was writing in the contemplative tradition - his Gospel was known in the ancient church as the "spiritual" Gospel, and is full of rich imagery.  John also - albeit discreetly - tells us that he is an eyewitness to the events of Christ's life, passion and resurrection.  He has enough standing within the Jewish community of Jerusalem to be allowed to witness Jesus' trial;  from the Cross Jesus charges John with the responsibility of taking care of His Mother (by implication extending God's family beyond natural blood ties to encompass us all).

The other Gospels tell us that on the first Easter Sunday some women came to Jesus' tomb.  John chooses to focus on Mary Magdalene.  Arriving at the tomb, she sees that the stone placed there to protect it has been rolled back, and hurries to tell Peter and John.  For those of us brought up on the story of Jesus, it's easy to forget how they must have felt at this point - we know what is going to happen.  But Mary and the disciples have had their world shattered. Jesus himself - whom they had seen do such loving and wonderful things, and who had given them such hope - humiliated and put to death for political ends.  Their own lives in danger.  What does Mary's news mean?  at this point, do they recall Jesus's words at the Last Supper: "A little while, and you will see me no more; again a little while, and you will see me"  (John 16:16)?

Peter and John running to the sepulchre on the morning of the Resurrection
Eugène Bernand 1898 - original at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris

This beautiful painting by Eugène Bernand perfectly depicts their situation.  They don't know what's happening.  John (traditionally beardless) is clearly praying as he runs. Can it be true?  Peter's sense of urgency is palpable.  John outruns Peter and arrives first at the tomb, but in deference to Peter's authority waits for him to go in first (allegorically Peter represents faith and John understanding; morally they represent the  active and contemplative missions of the church).  Jesus' body is gone. The grave-cloths are still there, so the tomb has not been burgled; grave-robbers would have taken the cloths and left the body.  What is happening? what should they do?  John tells us that the disciples went back to their homes.

Mary, however, stays behind, weeping.  Her love for Jesus leaves her rooted to the spot where she last saw His body;  she sees two angels sitting where the body had been but doesn't understand the implication of their question: "why are you weeping?" because Mary does not yet realise that there is no need to weep.  When Jesus appears to her she thinks He's the gardener and begs Him to let her have the body, convinced that she will be able to take it away and deal with it herself.  And then . . .

. . .  Jesus calls her by name, as He does each one of us.

Mary responds by crying out "Rabboni!" (Teacher) - this is how she has addressed Him in the past.  He replies "Do not hold [on to your old idea of] me" - because he is no longer as he was before - and sends her to tell the disciples that He is ascending to His Father in heaven.  So, according to  John, the first person to see the risen Christ is Mary Magdalene - a woman, and moreover, a woman with a past.  And when she returns to Jerusalem again, she is the first person to deliver the Good News, when she tells the disciples "I have seen the Lord".  By now, she knows who He is.

Easter blessings to you all!

a Christmas message



Holy Family

limited edition linocut

© Teresa Newham 2011

Christmas is nearly upon us.  It's a time of preparation  -  of presents, food and decorations, certainly, but for Christians it's also the season of Advent - a time of preparation for our minds and hearts.  We are called upon to be ready: not simply to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but ready for him to be born again within us.  That can be quite a challenge at this time of year!  And in that spirit, let me wish everyone who reads this blog - whatever your beliefs - blessings and peace this Christmas.

colour and light

I've never got on with masking fluid.  No matter how careful I am, the surface of the paper always gets damaged, whether I'm using it neat or diluted.  Nonetheless, in a continued spurt of post-Christmas enthusiasm, I decided a couple of weekends ago to have another try with it, drawing the outline of a dove holding an olive branch.  To create a really vibrant background I dampened rather than wetted the paper, and dropped in large amounts of pure colour.  Then I spattered some water over the  whole thing, just to see what would happen.

dove of peace
watercolour & ink
© Teresa Kirkpatrick 2011

The result was a fabulous range of colour, softened in places by some sublte runbacks.  But when I peeled off the masking fluid, a little of the surface paper came away with it.  The paper I use is extremely soft, which explains the problem (on the other hand, you can soak it several times without it complaining at all LOL)  I further defined the dove with a pen, but on the whole it's rather unsatisfactory. Still, the success of the background had made me keen to try again - but without the masking fluid next time!

Accordingly, last Sunday I carefully drew a pencil outline of a dove, then rubbed most of it out, dampened the area outside the outline and lobbed in even more pure colour than I had with the previous painting.  After it dried off a little I spattered some water to see what would happen.  Then I left it alone for several hours before painting in the dove with a backlit effect (I should 'fess up right here that I pinched the idea of the backlit dove from a Christmas card I got several years ago).

Spirit
watercolour
© Teresa Kirkpatrick 2011

This produced a far better result - although the dove is a bit wonky, the backlighting gives a lively effect.  I'm really pleased with the intensity of colour. And, as last Sunday was the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, when according to the gospel of Matthew, the Spirit of God descended on Jesus like a dove, I've called it Spirit.

Finally, this week my latest order arrived from Great Art.  I've decided to liven up my colour palette and introduce some of my experimental techniques into other areas of my painting.  So - more paper, a new porcelain palette, several new tubes of watercolour paint in shades I haven't used before; oh yes, and I must get round to doing some more linocutting . . .