Interactive Mixed Media Custom 30x30x6 Cross Frame with Original 20x11 Oil on Linen Painting, Available for Purchase and Pre-Order Future Renditions $9,750

"Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me" (Mathew 16:24) is an interactive mixed media piece that represents The Savior's admonition that the proper way to follow Him is to consider all our possessions, comforts and desires as worthless when they come into conflict with our opportunity to follow Jesus even with all the suffering it can include. 

The Son of God hanging on the cross at the hands of the very people He was saving in that very process is the perfect example of the greatest of all, willingly suffering the maximum pain and loss for the good of others despite their (our) unworthiness. 

To this point this piece doesn't depart from many other depictions of the crucifixion, but that all changes with the simplest element of this work of art; the glass. I placed a reflective piece of glass far enough away from the painting, which is placed in the dark recess of the frame, to show the reflection of you, the viewer, when the lighting in the room is sufficient to create a reflection. I want you to see how you are called by The Savior, Jesus Christ, to willingly follow in His example of extreme sacrifice to paradoxically receive the greatest reward possible to humanity. Following Him ultimately means going where He is.  

Between the glass and the painting is a light that can be dimmed remotely to accommodate most indoor lighting scenarios so you can choose whether you want to see the painting of the Savior or the image of the viewer more clearly, choosing the part of the message you want to be most evident. It's always good to look to Jesus Christ, but sometimes it's most poignant to reflect on his admonition for all of us to follow Him even at the cost of all we have.

Specifications

-The painting is an original oil painting on board measuring approximately 20x11

-The frame is a 30x30x6 cross of two sections of 15x30x6 pine timbers, hand carved by the artist to form a cross held together by 4 lag screws

-The glass is 7 3/8 x 12

-The light is a remote controlled, rechargeable LED embedded in the timbers between the glass and the painting

Meant for Reproduction

I want to make the message in this piece as accessible as I can, so I am opening up pre-orders for future renditions of this piece. The piece you see here is the first, but all future renditions will be made to order after the first piece has sold and will include the same attention to detail and each will be its own unique work of art. Although each work will be very similar, they will also each be handmade with original oil paintings differing slightly. As such, they will be subject to slight variations, some of which will be customizable, such as the type of wood used, as agreed upon by the client and the artist.