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!

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

Person: Anna Armstrong

My name is Anna, and I’m finding my way as a new mom while balancing my career and creative pursuits. These days you’ll find me drinking lots of coffee, snuggling my daughter Margot for as long as she’ll let me, and dreaming about the next mountain adventure or trip for our little family.

Piece: Acrylic

This was a deeply meaningful piece to create. I lost my brother to cancer last November and Psalm 126 was a balm to my soul as I watched his health decline. We who sow in tears will reap in joy. I wanted to create a piece that conjured the beauty that can be born from faithful suffering.

Process:

The idea for this painting came to me one day while I was on a walk. I had the image in my mind of a bountiful field of wheat held within a teardrop. As I started painting, a scene emerged that blended my image of a wheat field with an image of the meadow where we laid my brother to rest. Within the tears is a place of bounty. The process of creating this peace was a small step of healing and faith.

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

Person: Steve Vanderheide

Hi! I’m a filmmaker and producer and I like to dabble in visual art.

Piece: Composite Photography

This actually started out as a sketch during Project 101010 (where a group of artists from Park post art that they spent 10 min on, for 10 days, with 10 Psalms). I was drawn to verse two which says:

“As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds His people,
from this time forth and forevermore.” (v.2)

It made me picture the Lord reaching down into the dirt and lifting up his people. It made me think of words like “support” and “protection.” He is lifting up the land of those who serve Him, saving them from the temptation of “the scepter of wickedness.” The mountains are there not only to give a literal visual element to the verse, but also to represent protection: cities that are surrounded by mountains have a natural fortress that makes them harder to approach. Jerusalem, in the middle of mountains, is represented here by Denver as a way of personalizing it for me, for our church, and to paint a hopeful picture for those in our city that could come to know the Lord.

Process:

This artwork was created in Photoshop, and the big hurdle I had to overcome was getting light and shadows to fall in the same direction. I chose to have light coming from the far left, so you’ll notice that the shadows all fall that same direction on each mountain peak. I had to look for, and cut out photos that I’ve taken of different mountains over the last 12 years. Mountains from Colorado, Wyoming (Grand Tetons), and Iceland are all featured. I then went outside and took a photo of my hands, with a flash off to the left, in an attempt to match the lighting angle from the mountain photos. Finally, I “cheated” a bit and found an aerial image of Denver with similar lighting on iStockphoto that felt like it was the correct angle. It was a challenge, but a blast to put together.

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

Person: Kari Langford

Hi, my name is Kari! I am a recent BFA Studio Art graduate from Denver University. I moved to Denver about five years ago and have been coming to Park Church ever since. I am currently working in Business Development and Marketing. I love to read, hike, and hang out with my little pup, Kia.

Piece: Oil & Acrylic

“We have escaped like a bird from the snare of fowlers
the snare is broken, and we have escaped!” (v.7)

This piece shows the magnitude and weight of our escape as followers of Christ. The background shows simultaneously what we escaped from and to-dark and light, a painful but beautiful past and future. The primary color, red, proclaims our identity as His redeemed sons and daughters, through the blood of Christ. The sweet freedom that is depicted by the flight of the birds is both our hope and promise.

Process:

I first sat with the passage and found the themes of freedom and escape to be most intriguing. I looked at artists such as Rothko and Matisse. I primarily used oil paint and oil paint sticks to create this piece. I built layer upon layer of thick oil paint on top of a light wash of acrylic on the base, showing the complex nature of our redeemed life with Jesus. The last touch of the work was the birds, the light shadow of them as they fly forward and upward.

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

Person: Whitney Grimm

I’m a Colorado native who loves the outdoors and the hustle and bustle of the city. I moved back to Denver 4 years ago where I adventured, explored, traveled the world, figured out life, met different people along the way, got my heart broken, and learned many new skills. About a year after moving back to Denver I met my now husband, Jonathan, who has been my biggest cheerleader in everything I’ve done and will do. My background is in wardrobe styling, visual merchandising, modeling, and graphic design. My personal style in art and fashion is minimal, simple, clean, monochromatic, black and white, a bold pattern or a pop of color.

I recently received my BFA in graphic design and I love helping others create their brand to help separate them from other similar brands. I’ve also learned that I love painting. It’s been a hobby for a while now. Though I never thought I could be an artist, along the way I’ve heard God saying something different from the noise around me. Painting has been a way that I’ve felt free and had freedom to express feeling and emotion. I can be a bit serious at times but making art has a way of pulling me out of my head to chillax. With more opportunities to create art pieces happening, I feel God asking me to step into something outside my comfort zone. I’ve needed the support and encouragement from Jonathan and friends, to remind me daily to believe in myself and realize that God made me to be creative and tell stories through different mediums.

Piece: Mixed Media

My goal with this piece was to visually capture what I felt God wanting others to see, feel, or experience about Psalm 123. Staying true to my style and esthetic, but keeping in mind it’s not about what I want people to see, but what God wants. The following verse is the foundation of this piece:

“Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress;
so our eyes look to Yahweh, our God,
until He has mercy on us.” (v.2)

This piece is meant to be both metaphorical and literal. The simple outlined face looking up to heaven with the outstretched arms coming out of the eyes like lashes is us looking to God, to Jesus, and to the Holy Spirit for everything. The hands symbolize us reaching out with open hands, wanting to know that God hears our cries and prayers, sees us in our circumstances, and will help in our struggles and joys. The wheat is meant to symbolize God as our daily bread and constant provider, and the falling bits of wheat represent the prayers and such that God hears us and provision for us.

Process:

After I read and processed through the Psalm I chose, I got a solid vision of what I wanted to do or make. Aside from that bit, this project was a solid challenge from start to finish. First, not knowing what Psalm to pick, then getting stuck on not knowing if I should keep the board a natural wood color or paint it white. The phrase, “is it enough?” kept popping into my head along the way. With my style being minimal and simple I wasn’t sure if the black outlined face was enough or if it would come across as dumb or too simple. And how did I represent or show God in this piece? But Jonathan reminded me of some truths. So I’m going with what I feel my spirit saying.

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

Person: Bruce Butler

I moved from Buffalo, New York a decade ago to be closer to family and began my pursuit of graphic design right after. Having worked for a few different organizations over the years, I recently decided to start my freelance work professionally with a friend. In January 2022, we launched Popped Art (poppedart.com) and Wise Bison (wisebison.co). I’m also a barista at Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters and play guitar for Our Violet Room and Last Ditch, as well as at Park Church. My lovely wife, Jamie Rosenberry, and I are expecting our first child in June! You can see more of my work on Instagram at @wearepoppedart or @wearewisebison.

Piece: Digital Artwork

This piece was made digitally in Adobe Illustrator, then brought into Photoshop for some finishing touches, before being printed on vinyl that was stretched over the canvas.

Process:

Psalm 122 is a praise of finally reaching the gates of the city of Jerusalem. The singers are ecstatic to be there, and rejoice for the throne of David that will not fall. This is ultimately in reference to the greater son of David, born of Mary, who will reign over all the earth.

In this piece, the enormous throne represents God’s reign over all the cities of the earth. There are modern steeples and ancient domes throughout, signifying his reign over every generation. I went with brighter vibrant colors to signify the joy and rejoicing of the psalm itself, using the same gradient the entire piece.

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 two amazing roommates and a dog. I studied marketing and graphic design in college and fell in love with digital art and design.

Piece: Digital Artwork

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

Process:

There were a couple things about God’s character that were revealed in Psalm 121. First, God’s consistency (though things in this life are so temporary), and second, His protection and permanence. As a Colorado girl who loves the mountains, they have always been symbol of the gift of God’s consistency and permanence. Nature is also a common place for many of us to meet God and experience His love, so I tied that in with a stained-glass style throughout.

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

Person: Isaac Beaverson

Isaac is an artist and designer from Indiana. After graduating with a BA in Graphic Design from Taylor University, he and his wife, Sarah, moved to Denver for a new opportunity with an e-commerce startup. Outside of digital design, he enjoys working with his hands through sculpture and woodworking.

Piece: Digital Artwork

I wanted this piece to feel peaceful. Despite our distorted dwelling place, we can reach for the Lord, confident in His daily and eternal deliverance. Our world and hearts are broken and often result in pain, but by the Holy Spirit we have access to Christ as our Savior.

Process:

While reading over this psalm, I began considering how these words could apply in the context of our culture. We are not often in literal exile or fighting physical wars, but we are in a broken world fighting daily spiritual battles. Through this process, I reflected on the need for deliverance from physical enemies, but also from the world and from myself.