Why I Began Writing Scripture Into My Abstract Paintings
I did not grow up imagining that scripture would one day be woven into my artwork. But I have been incorporating scripture into all of my art styles for over two decades now.
I was raised Catholic — CCD classes a couple of times a week, First Communion, confession, the whole routine. Every Sunday morning it was my mother, my sister, and me heading out the door for church. My dad stayed behind. I remember asking him more than once why he didn’t have to go. He would laugh and say, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
Faith existed in my life, but scripture itself was not something I actively carried into adulthood — not consciously, anyway.
That changed after my grandmother Mary passed away in 2003.
After her passing, Ford Motor Company — my father’s employer — gifted him a Bible housed in a wooden case. My father was not a churchgoer and knew it wasn’t something he would personally use, so he gave it to me. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and this was one of those moments that only made sense in hindsight.
At the time, I was living in Rensselaer, Indiana, and spending long days in my art studio. Before creating, I would often meditate or listen to music — allowing myself to settle into a quiet, receptive space. One day, instead of meditating, I picked up the Bible.
I remember sitting cross-legged on top of one of my art tables, opening the wooden case, and noticing the prayer printed on the inside of the lid.
It was the Master Weaver Prayer.
It was the first time I had ever seen it.
Something in those words tugged at me immediately. I didn’t overthink it. I didn’t analyze it. I simply felt it. That same day, while working on an abstract painting, I scrawled the prayer directly into the wet paint.
That moment was the beginning of my Scripture Art.
From that point forward, scripture began entering my work organically. Many days I would walk into the studio, open the Bible, and a verse would resonate with me deeply — something that reflected what I was going through, something that uplifted me, grounded me, or gave me perspective. Those verses would find their way into my paintings, sometimes scratched into wet paint, other times written in graphite or pencil, layered quietly beneath the surface.
There was no plan.
No intention to create “religious art.”
Only a pull to include words that felt necessary in that moment.
Over time, scripture didn’t remain confined to my abstract paintings.
You will see scripture art not confined not only to my abstract scripture painting style, but scripture also embedded within my collage pieces and found object assemblages. In some works, scripture is visible immediately. In others, it is hidden — meant to be discovered only if the viewer steps closer.
One of my heart assemblages includes a small window, a shifted viewfinder of sorts. If you lean in close enough and peer through it, you’ll discover scripture tucked quietly inside. It isn’t placed there for everyone. It’s added intuitively — only when it feels right, only when I feel called to include it.
I understand that scripture in art does not resonate with everyone, and that is okay. I have even received some very nasty emails from people who tell me that I need to leave 'religion' out of it. I have found my scripture art is either loved or hated.. there is usually no in between feelings about it. I am okay with that.
I make art first and foremost for myself — for what I feel guided to create. If a piece connects with someone else, that is a gift. If it doesn’t, I honor that too. My scripture art is created because that is what I feel called to do in the moment, and I will continue to do so as long as I feel the pull.
The heart shape appears often in my work for a reason. I have studied the HeartMath Institute’s research on heart–brain coherence for years — the idea that the heart is not just symbolic, but communicative, influential, and deeply connected to intuition and emotional intelligence. Scripture, for me, often emerges from that same heart-centered space. It is not intellectual. It is felt.
Likewise, the cross appears throughout my work — not as a directive or declaration, but as a symbol. For me, the cross will always represent Christ’s sacrifice and love. I often place scripture it into my cross art paintings as well.
Scripture enters my art the same way the art itself is created — intuitively, honestly, without force.
It began with a wooden Bible, a prayer I had never seen before, and a moment of listening. Everything since has simply unfolded from there. This moment marked the beginning of a broader Christian modern art practice that I continue to evolve in still today.
You can view my original scripture art and abstract scripture art prints at the links below.
