Books

The life of Jesus through the eyes of an artist

Illustrating the Bible is a massive task. I read somewhere that it is the best selling book of all time (so far) although perhaps not the most read. What interests me is pre-renaissance paintings about the Old and New Testaments. The approach to the storytelling is very direct although some of the details can be quite hard to draw out. The art of the scribe and the illuminator is completely underrated, and in a world where no art seems to be valued unless it 'pushes the boundaries' or tries to shock, it is also, I think, overlooked.

This type of work has been something that I have been playing with for some years, painting a few and then leaving it again to continue with my other work. This project really gave me the opportunity to develop it fully, and if I run the risk of not being taken seriously because I refuse to make art that sets out to be ugly, then so be it.

Initially I thought that it would be a difficult task but I was confident that it could be accomplished. As time went on I was less and less confident (which perhaps is a good thing) and a little way into the project I realised that this was going to be the massive creative challenge. In the end it took two years.

My intention is that these paintings now embark on a life of their own and I hope that in some small way they create an interest in the extraordinary piece of history the the life of Jesus represents.

All of the paintings used in this book can be seen on this website by clicking the Bible tab in the navigation bar.

Both the book and the paintings have been reviewed in the Times, details of this and others can be found on the links page.

ISBN number 1 84101 330 7

For enquiries about these books, please visit www.brf.org.uk

The Newbury Mosaic

In 2005, four thousand people became part of Newbury's biggest ever public art project when they helped to make the Newbury Mosaic. The mosaic is a visual history depicting Newbury's past events and displaying important dates in the evolution of the town from the Domesday Book in 1089 to the present day. It includes characters such as Jack of Newbury, Horatio Nelson, John Gould, the Desmoulin Snail, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Swampy.

This book explains the history and the thinking behind the project, as well as the background to each of the panels and the information and research that influenced the outcome.

Also listed are the names of over 4000 people that took part in building the mosaic that is now on permanent display outside Newbury Central Library.

ISBN number 0 9552079 0 8

The life of Jesus through the eyes of an artist - Teachers Guide

This teaching resource is designed to accompany 'The life of Jesus through the eyes of a artist' and is aimed at teachers and worship leaders. The material is organised under 3 sections; complementary narratives, accompanying notes and lesson planning guides.

Especially suitable for key stage 2.

ISBN number 1 84101 331 5

For enquiries about these books, please visit www.brf.org.uk

To date I have been involved in the production of four published books.I painted the cover for Sharing Life Through Advent; was involved in the writing for Teachers Guide; The Life of Jesus Through the eyes of an Artist is based entirely on the 24 paintings produced about the life of Jesus; and the Newbury Mosaic is a book that I wrote, compiled, designed and produced for Newbury Town Council about the year of the Mosaic project.

All books are available from Amazon, and the Newbury Mosaic is available at bookstores in Newbury, West Berkshire or direct from this website. The Life of Jesus, teachers guide and Advent are available from many high street bookstores, especially SPCK, or at many online outlets. Please click on the graphics above to obtain details.

Click on the panels to see a larger version and an explanation.
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Sharing life through Advent

Three year lectionary based ideas for the advent journey to Church, home and collective worship. This book is based on the material developed as part of the Advent project of 2000-2001.

ISBN number 1 84101 306 4

For enquiries about these books, please visit www.brf.org.uk