Learn more about Christ in the Psalms weekly artwork and see previous pieces here.

Person: Alison Harshberger

Hey, I’m Alison! I do product marketing and graphic design and live in Denver, CO with my pup, Nala. I studied marketing and graphic design in college and fell in love with digital art and design.

Piece: Digital Illustration

This piece is a Digital illustration made on Procreate (shout out to the iPad and the Apple Pencil).

Psalm 147 has some iconic verses that speak to the vastness of God’s glory. I started this piece inspired by the imagery of space and the cosmos, but changed direction mid way through. I ended up incorporating the stars with one of my favorite pieces of symbolism and my favorite things to draw, a twisted tree trunk. For me, the tree trunk is a representation of God’s faithfulness and his character, with beautifully hidden mysteries throughout and steadiness that endures all seasons.

Learn more about Christ in the Psalms weekly artwork and see previous pieces here.

Person: Kenzie Jones

My name is Kenzie Jones. Wife to Collin. Mom to two littles (plus one more on the way). Stay at home mom. Aspiring flower farmer. Former occupational therapist. Beginner watercolor artist.

Piece: Digital Illustration

This piece is mixed media, including watercolor, oil paint and oil pastels, and one piece of medical oxygen tape.

I’ve always been drawn to the themes of topography in scripture. In fact, the theme of gardens, God as the great gardener in John 15, and Mary mistaking the resurrected Jesus for a gardener is why we chose to name our oldest daughter, Eden. My soul stirs as I consider how rocks cry out (Luke 19:40) or all creation groans, (Romans 8:22), or the heavens pour forth speech and reveal knowledge day after day (Psalm 19). While reflecting on Psalm 145, I couldn’t shake the two juxtaposed themes of God’s splendor, glory, majesty, greatness next to his tender care, kindness, and sheer goodness.

To me, summers in Colorado pour forth speech. The mountains to me speak of Gods greatness and power and glory, and yet the wildflowers of the field that He clothes speak of his kindness and tender care. His greatness and his goodness know no match. I aimed to place the landscape and the flower study side by side as a representation of these two beautiful truths. He is incomprehensibly glorious and he is intimately good. Thanks be to God.

Learn more about Christ in the Psalms weekly artwork and see previous pieces here.

Person: Bruce Butler

I’m Bruce and I’ve been at Park for almost 12 years. I’m married to Jamie Rosenberry, we have one little tike, Joan, who is almost 2. I’ve been a Graphic Designer for about 12 years, formerly freelancing as Wise Bison, and now working full time at The Fire and Smoke Society, a yummy spice and sauce company. I also play guitar for Park and my two bands, Last Ditch and Our Violet Room. Recently, I also became a co-manager for Victory House, a sober living home within Providence Network. Cooking for friends and family is as a beloved hobby.

Piece: Digital Illustration

I chose Psalm 144, a humbling psalm that juxtaposes the unimaginable power of God and the weakness of man. With verses 3-4 saying “Lord, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them? They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow,” we are reminded of our own mortality and the humility God shows in even caring for us.

With the tone of the Psalm being battle, awe, and a very blunt take on the humanity’s place with God, I decided to do a more literal version with the artwork. These verses had such blatant imagery, I chose to try to portray this:

“Part your heavens, Lord, and come down;
touch the mountains, so that they smoke.
Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy;
shoot your arrows and rout them.
Reach down your hand from on high;
deliver me and rescue me
from the mighty waters,
from the hands of foreigners
whose mouths are full of lies,
whose right hands are deceitful.”

I chose black and white and combined stippling and shading inspired by the wood engravings of Gustave Dore.

While controversial, artificial intelligence is undeniably permeating the art world. While I don’t agree with every use of it, I do think it can be a useful tool. Where I usually source imagery to work with from elsewhere, I decided to enlist the help of Midjourney. I began with an image of mountains in a storm and a separate image of the hand reaching through clouds. Using Photoshop and Procreate, I added hand drawn elements and several attempts to create a unique texture that helped blend the picture into one cohesive, heavily textured image.

Learn more about Christ in the Psalms weekly artwork and see previous pieces here.

Person: Seth Coulter

My name is Seth Coulter, and I am the writer and artist behind “Saint Brigand,” an Instagram page (@saintbrigand) and website (saintbrigand.com) devoted to exploring the intersection of theology and art. It is my hope to open conversational spaces via writing and art where seekers and believers might be able ask questions and explore faith through the vehicle of artistic contemplation.

Piece: Digital Illustration

This piece was digitally created on a tablet with stylus. Its overall style inspiration is that of the illustrator and engraver line-cut style from the printing press age. <

This Psalm, although having a desperate setting—that of being in most urgent need, ‘crushed to the ground,’ has immense reserves of hope in the God that saves, the God that is faithful. And so it was my hope to try and capture that desperation mingled with hope. This ultimately led me to use the figures here as well as a muted color palette. But around the scene there are gold lines to visually introduce salvation breaking through. The piece in total took approximately 5 weeks from start to finish to complete, and had 7 iterations (it was a wandering road for a while).

Learn more about Christ in the Psalms weekly artwork and see previous pieces here.

Person: James Stukenberg

James Stukenberg is a photographer drawn to people stories and creating images with a high degree of authenticity. Since relocating to Colorado from Wisconsin in 2018 he has freelanced, photographing editorial and commercial assignments. He lives with his wife, Anne, and their three young daughters Henrietta, Louisa and Juliana, in a mint green house in Westminster.

Piece: Photography

Among the many physiological allusions in Psalm 141, the mouth is referenced more than any other. The mouth is painted as both an instrument of prayer and praise and a means for destruction.

I call upon you…
Give ear to my voice (v.1)

Set a guard over my mouth…
Keep watch over the door of my lips (v.3)

Let me not eat of their delicacies (v. 4)

They shall hear my words (v. 6)

Bones scattered at the mouth of Sheol (v. 7)

The photograph is mounted and finished with wheat paste—a method often used in street art and activism to display works in public spaces. Humble, accessible and known for its temporary nature, it allows the creator to project their voice far beyond themselves.

Learn more about Christ in the Psalms weekly artwork and see previous pieces here.

Person: LouAnn Summers

I’m a believer in Jesus, and only by His power am walking in His way, the way of life! I am a wife of 44+ years, have four children and nine grandchildren. I feel God‘s joy when I am creating❣

Piece: Acrylic

This piece is based on Psalm 140. In this psalm, David talks about evil men, men of violence, who make plans to trip up his feet. My thought process brought me to 1 Peter 5:8. I was reminded that our true enemy who is planning to trip us up and devour us is the devil. I thought of the myriad of ways that we get tripped up in our lives. So I used these thoughts to make a wicked net, or a snare Satan often uses to trip up our feet. These are just a few ways we can get snagged on our journey.

It might be easier for you if I list them here instead of you having to read them off of the picture…

Pride, sexual immorality, unforgiveness, fear, shame, addictions, comparison, anger, love of money, distrust, worry, vain regret, complaining, envy, jealousy, unthankfulness, conceit, hopelessness, despair, deceit, lies, denial, taking offense, blaming, isolation, false identity, worthlessness, old wounds, greed, bitterness, gossip, control, idolatry, disqualification, worry, perfectionism, religion, violence, a slanderous, tongue, malice, bad habits, pettiness, desires of the flesh, autonomy, personal history, hatred, cares of life, shallowness, backbiting, vanity, circumstances, negativity, self indulgence, self justification, self gratification, self victimization, self protection, self-pity, self improvement, self-help, self-centeredness, self absorption, selfish ambition… to name a few.

Praise our merciful Lord that we have been delivered from these deathly traps!

Learn more about Christ in the Psalms weekly artwork and see previous pieces here.

Person: Rachel Buterbaugh

Rachel Buterbaugh is a Denver native and private music teacher who has always harbored a passion for the visual arts.

Piece: Photography

“The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.” (v.3)

The picture the psalmist paints in this verse immediately jumped out at me and provided the inspiration for the main image of this piece. I knew I wanted the furrows to be actually cut into the picture instead of just drawn in, which was the jumping off point for the 3D elements. As I started to create furrows on a human back, I got to thinking about what comes later from furrows made in the ground. Their purpose is to make room for seeds in order that there might be a harvest later. In the same way, the Lord is capable of bringing great blessing out of great suffering in our lives. The image of marks on a human back also brought to mind Jesus’ scourging prior to His crucifixion, and yet, not a single drop of His suffering was wasted. Death, sin, and wickedness did not prevail against Him. On the other side of Jesus’ unimaginable suffering was unfathomable life and blessing.

Process:

This piece is paper layered on paper. There was a lot of measuring and cutting involved throughout the process (and hot-gluing for the flowers). The different ways the different types of paper reacted to the adhesive was the most challenging aspect to creating this piece, which I eventually solved by layering on yet more paper. My main desire was to represent life out of suffering, thus the flowers growing out of the furrows. I chose colors and textures that had a royal feel and suggested the future glory that those in Christ will one day experience.

Learn more about Christ in the Psalms weekly artwork and see previous pieces here.

Person: John Forney

I came out to Colorado 20+ years ago and have lived here ever since. My wife, Veronica, and I can often be found riding trains throughout Colorado with our 11-year old, Grayson. I’m a black and white photographer who enjoys using an 8×10 large format camera.

Piece: Photography

I wanted an image that conveyed blessing, fruitfulness, and family (family tree). The image I shot is from a fruit tree in a vineyard.

Process:

I used an analog process called lith printing. Part of the lure of the process is the ability to work with certain papers that have been out of production for decades. The image was taken with a lens from the 1800’s that rendered a rather soft image. The lith process allowed for a high contrast print I was looking for.

Learn more about Christ in the Psalms weekly artwork and see previous pieces here.

Person: Lou Ann Summers

I am a mother of four and a grandmother of eight. I’m in love with flowers! I am also obsessed with creating things!

Piece: Acrylic

When I read the words of Psalm 127, “ unless the Lord builds the house,” I thought of the saying “a man’s house is his castle.” How fitting then is this warrior contending with his opponents. “Like arrows in the hands of a warrior… Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them!” If you’ll take a close look you’ll see that this quiver has four different arrows representing our four children.

Process:

God allowed me the perfect opportunity to go and visit my sister who is a professional artist. She is my artistic hero, and I was blessed for her to “hold my hand” while I painted this picture!