Visual Description

Apostle – one who is sent out by God to proclaim His message. A pioneer or visionary often sent into new areas to start churches, equip people to do the work of God’s Kingdom, organize them, and call others in a region into action.

At a quick glance, the imagery of this painting is straight forward – fisherman struggle to haul in a miraculous amount of fish.  To catch the eye of the casual viewer, the waterline is present at the center of the canvas allowing both underwater and above the water’s surface to be seen at once.  It is meant to draw the eye to the fish, net, water, and sand more than it does the men and boat – actually boats!

For more visual effect, there is also an element of refraction as the water distorts the position of objects below the water to the point that it is offset from the position it appears over the water line.

Meaning of the Painting

Luke Chapter 5

⁴ Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

⁵ And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

⁶ And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

⁷ And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

The nets are connected to the boat when they are placed through the hooks or spikes on the side.  The men only cast out one net.  Because one net can only collect fish on one side of the boat, it strains and begins to break under the weight of the fish.  This also results in the single boat tipping to the only side with fish attached to it and causing strain on the boat’s structure while the net pulls this side down and the other side rolls up.  The boat is now dangerously close to letting water in over the side as the abundance of the catch overwhelms the physical capacity of the boat’s structure.

The men on the main boat were put to task by Jesus and listened.  This static image is meant to show the moment that the net began to break.  All the men work hard and with purpose to haul in the single net filled with fish.  One man, who seems to have noticed the net breaking before anyone else, is already calling to his partners in the other boat to come over.  These partners listen to him and will react to his request, but they haven’t just yet in this single moment portrayed in the painting.

The one man can be perceived as the hardest working man on the boat – his shirt is off from the toil of his work.  He is accustomed to hard work as his body shows.  Instead of just holding the net like the others, he has the rope wrapped around his body invested in the task more.  It is inferred that he leads the men in this boat.  They are in position and working hard for him, but it’s not enough in this moment.  The man calls out for help to bring in the catch – organizing and coordinating another boat of men who he will equip and put to task just like the men in his same boat.  This man is the Apostle.

I utilize a unique, self-taught, contrast layer technique that I have been able to develop over the years.  Each layer defines the imagery more clearly but never completely.  Simon Peter is painted with 7 contrast layers ranging from black, to shades of brown, and eventually to white.  The primary boat and the other men in that boat only have 5 contrast layers, and the boat in the distance has just 2.  The number of layers is meant to symbolize Peter’s leadership over both boats as he is painted with the complete 7 layers – the same as the sum of the 2 boats.

The glimpses of the net are revealed using negative space and is not very obvious.  Fish don’t see a net and swim into it, so there is purpose in the techniques fisherman use the net to capture fish.  A few fish are noticeable, but not the massive clump of them.  A viewer of the painting might wonder what the dark and light aspects of the imagery around the fish are exactly and go in for a closer look – these viewers are now metaphorically caught in the net as well as they focus on things other than the net.

The light source of the painting comes from the top left side of the painting and actually a bit in front of the flat canvas.  This means that the shadows are mostly on the right side of the painting because of the natural law of light.  The fish have a different light source though from the right and casting shows to the left.  Separate from the rest of the natural aspects of this scene, the catch of fish is supernaturally defying the physical laws of light symbolizing that its presence in this moment is from God.

“Called” describes an action as Simon Peter called alerting his partners.

“Called” names your identity as Simon is called Peter (or rock) by Jesus.

“Called” signifies a specific ministry God will equip you for as Peter was called to walk with Jesus as a disciple and learn to become a fisher of men.

The title of this painting is “Called”  representing all 3 definitions.

Hidden imagery

Read vertically in the wood grain of the primary ship’s mast is the word “απόστολος” (apóstolos) which is Greek for apostle.  In secular Greek, “apostolos” was an admiral of a fleet sent out by the king on special assignment. And in the ancient world, an apostle was the personal representative of the king, functioning as an ambassador with the king’s authority and provided with credentials to prove he was the king’s envoy.

The contrast layer technique God has empowered me to develop allows me to hide small imagery in my art.  Some are subtle and some aren’t, some need to be viewed upside down or at angles, but they are meant to be revealed over time (even some different for different people).  I believe it is God’s hand on my talent – He gave it all to me!  God’s word is living and regularly revealing truths and answers to individual people young and old, mature and immature, studied and ignorant.  The exact same passage will speak to 2 separate people in 2 different ways.  This is why I love to hear about what others see in my artwork – their interpretations and the details they notice!  I pray you enjoy this original work (my latest to date) and painted specifically for you, that imagery is revealed over the time span of years to you and your family, and that others see it and ask questions about it offering their own interpretations!