FINE LINES & BROAD STROKES

A fine line or a broad stroke from an artist's brush creates either photo-realism or conceptual abstract. Neither genre is good or bad. The beauty is in the eye of the artist and the viewing enthusiast. Not so with language. The fine line or the broad stroke affected with words, results in either clarity, sanity, logic, and analysis or libel, vilification, smear, and defamation. The first enlightens, the other deceives. The ugliness is in the heart of the wordsmith and in the mind of the obsessive. The first communication is exceptional but infrequent; the other is tactless but persistent.

BEFORE I FORMED YOU IN THE WOMB

This painting by Ron DiCianni, renowned painter of images that tell biblical and Christian stories, is entitled, “Before I Formed You in the Womb.” When you look closely, you can see the faint image of a baby in mother’s body. Ron has placed the hand of Jesus on mother’s abdomen, unmistakably his hand with the hint of the nail print in his wrist. The shadow of his hand on mother’s body casts a cross and at the point of contact where the baby’s hand reaches to touch Jesus’ hand, DiCianni has placed a dazzling starburst. DiCianni’s artistry has entranced me for a long time. Mom wears no ring here which is the artist’s statement that regardless of how the child arrives it is a precious life.This is a fitting image at this Christmas season, and Ron tells a story that his mother was in an abortion clinic when she had second thoughts and walked out and within months gave birth to him.