We Are Redeemed
Oil on canvas | 11” x 14”
To redeem someone from something requires paying a ransom. See the Garden of Gethsemane now empty with only small remnants of what transpired when Jesus was taken captive. You feel the desolation as you see in the painting symbols of the treachery (thirty pieces of silver), the angry struggle of men (the sword), a shadowed angel looking on trying to understand why mankind is worth redeeming, and the empty cup symbolizing the ransom paid for all who believe. Imagine him now gone from this Garden but the symbols of what it took to redeem us remain.
Ann Cruz
Ann Cruz is primarily a landscape oil painter. She has painted and drawn for over 40 years. This is her third year participating in the Golden Hills Art Exhibition. God’s creations have always been her inspiration. Creating works of art brings value, peace and meaning into our lives. Art is important, particularly to the Christian community. God is the ultimate creator. Ann feels that creativity and beauty are hardwired into us as we are his creation.
2024: Nehemiah
Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls
Oil on canvas
Scripture -Nehemiah 2:13-15
13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.
14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through;
15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate.
This painting depicts a type of resolve in the loneliness of God’s calling. The difficult work Nehemiah must do in preperation for the rebuilding of God’s city and the restoration of His people. Rebuilding the wall paves the way for Christ to come through those very gates as the one who ultimately lead us to repentance and a rebuilt life. In the painting a cup of wine, a wooden tree , a crown of thorns and in the distance Galgotha are foreshadows of what is to come. Look closely.