PSALM 91 Kristina Cavenaugh Art 111 Art Appreciation

PSALM 91 Kristina Cavenaugh Art 111 -Art Appreciation Spring 2012

Artist: Hope G. Smith Acrylic painting on canvas 24’’ x 30’’ Psalm 91 Art of Hope Gallery Wallace, North Carolina

More Hope G. Smith Originals

Some of her Pen & Ink Series

Famous Wallace Landmarks by Hope G. Smith The DAIRI-O The Wallace Train Depot

Art of Hope Gallery Location: 105 W. Main Street Wallace, North Carolina Hours of Operation: Monday–Saturday: 9 a. m. -5 p. m. Sunday: Closed Phone: 910 -285 -4940

Directions from Coastal Carolina Community College to Art of Hope in Wallace. Head NW on Western Blvd and turn LEFT on N. Marine Blvd. Continue onto US-258 N/Richlands Hwy. Turn RIGHT onto NC 24 W/US-258 N/Richlands Hwy. Turn LEFT onto NC 111 N/Catherine Lake Road and follow for 17. 7 miles. Turn LEFT onto NC 41 S and follow for 13. 7 miles. Turn LEFT onto Teacheys Road. Take 1 st RIGHT onto E. Main Street. Art of Hope will be the 2 nd shop on the LEFT across the railroad tracks.

Me standing beneath Psalm 91, holding a small print of the artwork. 5/2/2012

Biography Hope G. Smith, artist and owner of Art of Hope, resides in Wallace, NC. She attended the University of North Carolina Greensboro, where she received her BA in Fine Arts. She works in many different mediums including acrylic paint, charcoal, pen and ink, and watercolor. She also has several limited-edition giclee print series. Of all her collections, the one that stirs her heart the most is her whimsical, expressive acrylic verse paintings and the pen-and-ink verses. They represent her passion for the Lord and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In my conversation with Mrs. Smith, I learned that most of her art is commissioned. She takes a clients list of colors and the verse they want in the painting and creates a beautiful masterpiece. Psalm 91, was one of these pieces. She also paints live for special events. 5/2/2012

This is the painting she did on stage for the Woman of Worth Conference in January. ISAIAH 43 “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, and you are mine!” Isaiah 43

History & Purpose Art of Hope was first copyrighted in 2004. Since then Hope Smith has created several beautiful masterpieces. Her style of inspirational and landmark painting has jumpstarted a new light on art in not only North Carolina but other states as well. The small town of Wallace was named after Stephen Wallace, a railroad executive, in 1873. Since then, the heritage of Wallace is well established and the community takes great pride in helping to preserve and restore the past. Mrs. Smith’s paintings not only help preserve the town but give a uplifting message to those you may otherwise not receive it. Her purpose behind the inspirational painting series is to inspire others to elevate their thinking, which hopefully in return give a higher meaning life for which God intended.

Formal Analysis Psalm 91, is a narrative, two-dimension piece, painted by Hope G. Smith of Wallace. She painted this beautiful piece of artwork on a rectangular shaped canvas measuring 24 x 30 inches, using acrylic paint. Smith depicts a story based on the biblical verse Psalm 91: “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways”. To me this verse means that no matter which way your decisions in life take you, God’s angels will be looking after you. Smith creates an unusual day and night scene with a variety of colors ranging from yellow to blue. The pink along the bottom resembles the ground we stand on while a tree stands alone in the lower, right-hand corner of the painting. In the top, left-hand corner the sun is shining over the church steeple. There is a crown on the left side of the painting that is yellow and gold in color. On the right side of the painting there is bright and shining moon the shines over the right half, creating the light as if to symbolize God’s presence through the dark times in life. The whimsical swirls of green, pink, and purple in the center of the page create a pathway for the white verse to be written on. Smith uses circular shapes to create the sun and moon while using several s-shaped strokes to create the tree branches and leaves as well, as three, large s-shaped objects. The colors throughout this painting seem to balance each other out because no one color seems to out do another. Psalm 91 contains several implied lines that show the direction of the whimsical swirls throughout the painting that guide your eyes through the whole painting so that you don’t get focused on just one part but at the same time remaining calm not busy.

“Connection” Style of Work: Expressionism Hope G. Smith, Psalm 91 Wassily Kandinsky, Sketch 1 of Composition VII Expressionism is a style of art where the artist stresses the psychological and emotional content of the work.

Compare & Contrast Psalm 91 and Sketch I for Composition VII, are both prime examples of expressionism. However, both artist depict their emotions in two different ways. Smith depicts hers with bright, lively colors and Kandinsky shows his with warm, dark angry colors. Psalm 91, is full of greens, pinks, purples, and blues that create a balanced symmetrical look. This piece also uses various sizes of circles and large s-shaped designs. Whereas, Sketch 1, uses no real shapes. The colors he chose to use were orange, red, black, and yellow with some different shades of blue and white that makes the piece look unbalanced. Smith choice of media was acrylic on canvas and Kandinsky chose India ink. Both are two-dimensional, rectangular paintings. However, Sketch I is larger in size measuring 30. 78 x 39. 38 inches. The spiritual meaning behind both paintings is somewhat different. Smith’s is based on the biblical verse, Psalm 91. So it shows the images of God’s angels protecting you in your everyday life, no matter which road you choose to take. Kandinsky believed that his paintings had “the power to create a spiritual atmosphere” that would “lead us away from the outer to the inner basis” (Sayre, 500).

Why I chose this piece… I chose this piece mainly because of the verse painted within the artwork and the choice of colors she used. My religion is the basis of who I am as an individual and I could connect with the artist on that level. To me, the verse says that no matter what you do or where you go, God’s angels will be there to guard over you. This verse has been real in my life more than one. I have been through the rough teenage years, probably done things I shouldn’t have and I always had someone there to help get me through the trying times. I believe my husband is the best example of God’s love for me, in my life now. He has showed me that it’s okay to be who you are and not what others want to see. He has been there to help me with all the struggles of my past and pushes me to be the best I can be. His support along with my families love has made my determination to finish school a reality and next May I intend on graduating with my Associate of Applied Science Degree in Medical Office Administration and creating a better life for him and me.

Works cited: Sayre, H. M. (2010). A World of Art. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. http: //www. hopegsmith. com/ Wilmington Business Development. (2012). Town of Wallace Quality of Life. Retrieved from http: //www. wilmingtonbusinessdevelopment. com/wallac e_quality_life. asp