The Full Armor of God

The Full Armor of God

 How does one start a blog post about a painting that sold before it was finished or titled? I started working on this one in November, I think, and I knew from the get-go that I was painting about the armor that is mentioned in the New Testament. 

Sold

36" x 36"

Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep gallery wrapped canvas

Edges painted black

Click here to view on my website.

This entire canvas was first covered with textured gesso and then a layer of iridescent copper paint. Much of the paint on the canvas is iridescent, and is silver, gold, copper, and micaceous oxide which is a blackish paint with a very fine sparkle. I also used black, white, and quinacridone nickel azo gold. The quin gold adds an antique look, and deepens almost every color it touches. 

The first few layers were shapes and words that directly referenced the parts of armor mentioned in these passages from the New Testament, like a helmet of salvation and shoes of the gospel of peace. I used heavy paint and lots of texture to represent these things. You can still see part of the belt of truth across the middle of the painting if you look carefully. 

As I painted, I worked to limit my tools to  metal, wood, natural bristles - things that I imagined might be part of the life of the people to whom Paul wrote as he described spiritual armor. I would imagine that all of them had seen Roman armor, and my picture in my mind is of metal, wood, leather, etc. I find it interesting that in contrast to that kind of armor, Paul was referring to hope, faith, love, truth, righteousness, peace, and God's word. What a striking impact that must have had!

1 Thessalonians 5:8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.

Ephesians 6:10-16 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.