The Meaning

“Carrying The New” was done for my friend Scottie, who is the subject of the “Scottie’s Apocalypse: Redemption” piece. He asked me to do a themed illustration for a youth ministry weekend he was going to attend in Minnesota called “My Passion.”

Rejecting the Battle

When he gave it to the leader of the weekend, the painting was immediately rejected because of the demons on the left side of the piece. In my experience, most religious organizations, churches, and lay ministries rejected my artistic spiritual expressions. They were too afraid to confront the real, personal issues that (I believe) God calls everyone to face, confess, and then to trust Him to walk through with you, one step at a time.

Real Relationship

The baby being held in my arms represents the real relationship in the Spirit of Christ that is inside anyone who dares to trust Him, His work of redemption, and not in our own efforts to be “good Christians.”

Hand of God

His hand reaches out to us to trust Him despite the ferocious battles going on inside, which can scare the hell out of us (pun intended)!

The Process

First, I drew out the angels and demons on the right and left, then I used the same red color as the background to blend the fallen angels with the background.

Clouds of Death

I used the “freestyle” approach with the black clouds for depth and contrast. I used a circular motion with a stiff black brush to create the sharp, edged effect of the clouds.

In the Flesh

I painted the angels flesh color to indicate which spiritual side the person holding the baby (Holy Spirit) is on. I also used the freestyle method on the white clouds.

After the paint had dried, I used a lighter yellow shade to outline the baby, the youth’s face, and the wound on Christ’s hand.