THE STORY

November 2020: Six months ago I set out to paint a modern day last supper scene.  I wanted to portray the table, highlighting the hands and visuals set out with the original last supper elements, the bread and the wine.  But as I started gathering research, searching color palettes and planning my piece, the inspiration suddenly went dry.  Not a completely uncommon occurrence, I set aside the idea and began work on other pieces.

 

And months went by, until in August I began what became this latest collection.  Each of the faces featured in this collection were to be children helped by the feeding initiative of Convoy of Hope.  And as I began to listen to their stories, and pour over their features, a style came together.  Tight features but loose details.  Deep and soulful expressions that portrayed the hope the simple act of food could provide. 

 

With each painting my sense of gratitude expanded… gratitude so deep that it welled up, overflowing.  And I found this: Colossians 2:6-7 which says “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” 

 

And this word, gratitude, was “eucharistia” which is what we get our term “Eucharist” from… which is communion, the very elements I wanted to portray all those months ago.

 

I had wanted to paint a beautiful table and instead I was inspired to paint the faces of children transformed by that original table, that original communion… this was the modern last supper.

 

For more information on the beautiful stories and photos that inspired these portraits and ways to give, visit:

https://www.convoyofhope.org/25-stories-that-shaped-convoy-of-hope/meet25kids/