Crosses and Cross Artwork by Dorsi
A Little History of My Art Journey
Most of my close friends and family know that in addition to being a writer I am also an artist. I have been a commercial artist for over 30 years and been actively doing art since I was 5 years old. Art has been my best friend through many trials and tribulations in my life.
Over the years my art has surfaced in many different ways - and the Cross Series is one way that it surfaced several years ago after I lost both my parents. God gave me an outlet - my art - and through grief and pain some of my most beautiful artwork was produced during that period.
The Cross Series was done using Adobe Illustrator CS2 software. There were many late nights spent at the computer learning, tweaking and creating. It was a wonderful, restorative and healing period for me.
I hope you enjoy the Cross Artwork Series. I have a Zazzle store that I am working on that you can actually buy just about anything under the sun using these images (including US Postal stamps with these designs) It is a work in process. These images are copyrighted but if there is a special project you want to use them for feel free to contact me.
In addition to adobe illustrator and graphic design I am also a painter and currently work as a photographer. My mediums have included oil, watercolor, acrylics, pastels, pen and ink, charcoal, clay and even recycled materials. I believe my creative gifts are God given and seek to use them for His glory.
God bless and I hope you enjoy the artwork. Please also feel free to visit my other hubs on artwork that I have done:
THE LOST ART OF PAINTING ON WINDOWS
DORSI'S BOOK: CHAPTER 2, DADDIES LITTLE ARTIST
"He is Alive" - Cross Artwork Series
He is Alive - The Inspiration
"He is Alive" was inspired by my belief that Jesus and God are alive and vibrant in our lives. The colors represent the beauty of God and the fire of God that lives in us through Him. I used a lot of colors because this is the way that I see God - full of life and brilliance. The symbols on the sides of the cross are actually people dancing around God with joy (some people interpret them as crosses but they actually represent people dancing) If we allow God into our hearts He can be a very active and living daily part of our life. The way we treat people and the love we show them shows the world that "He is Alive" - through us.
"He is Alive" - Cross Artwork Series (Screen Saver Version)
The screen-saver version of "He is Alive" was created for use as a desktop screen-saver. I was honored when it was also used one year for an Easter Service multi-media presentation at Mission Springs Community Church in Fremont, Ca. Although my artwork is copyrighted please feel free to copy and paste this version if you would like to use it as a screen-saver on your computer. If this artwork speaks to you then please be blessed by using it.
This digital art was created with Adobe Illustrator CS2 software (as all the prints in the series were) - but an interesting side note is that the background for "He is Alive" was actually a picture of the sky that I took one day with my camera phone. The sky looked like it was on fire that day and I merged the photo into the background of the cross.
"The Fruits of the Spirit" - Cross Artwork Series
As I think about all the things that the cross signifies to me, I realize that not only is God alive but that he is our provider, sustenance and the very food that we should be feasting of. "The Fruits of the Spirit" is inspired by Gods provision in our lives and the unending feast we have when we have Him in our lives. He provides a bountiful feast of love, forgiveness and joy when we allow Him to take control of our lives. We never face famine with Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit indwelling in our lives.
"One with God"- Cross Artwork Series
Some people think this is a rather strange rendition of the cross but for me "One with God" actually represents the holy state of marriage. When we get married we become one with Christ and can rejoice that there is a third party to help keep us together in our commitment. Although my marriage has had many rough patches I believe that because of the presence of God in our lives He is what has held and bound us together. "One with God" is a little edgy but isn't that what marriage is all about sometimes?
"He is our Jewel" - Cross Artwork Series
You'll notice that the cross "He is Our Jewel" has not only jewels but also blood splatters.
For me the cross not only represents Jesus dying on It but it also represents the treasure we have in life. Suffering , pain and love all walk together with us throughout life. Through the cross however we have the most ultimate jewel we could ever obtain - forgiveness.
Many people think well I don't need to be forgiven! But we all do. We all do things wrong at some point in our life and need to ask for forgiveness. Sometimes we are stubborn and hold onto grudges but God can't work with us if we never admit that we have problems and need help.
We all need that treasure that God has waiting for us - the free gift of Forgiveness.
The Evergreen Cross - Cross Artwork Series
The Evergreen Cross was inspired by my love of the garden stories in the Bible. God constantly shows me amazing things about life through my garden. When both my parents died and my life seemed over, God gave me the inspiration to create a garden in my yard. Through that garden I began to see that life went on and that things that died were not always as they seemed. I began to be renewed through the new life that came out of the dirt and this inspired me to be creative again through the use of color, texture and smell. Gods gift of art surfaced in that garden and I saw that God is evergreen and always showing us new ways to grow.
Jesus may have "died" on the cross but He gave us "new life" by doing so.
"He Loves Us So Much" - Cross Artwork Series
Remember making those cute love letters with all those XOXO's attached at the end by your name? Maybe you still even add those in your correspondence as an adult. "He Loves Us So Much" was inspired by the love that God has for us and the love letter he sent us via the Holy Bible. He loves us so much that we could never ever begin to even imagine the depths of his love. He could write XOXOXO's across the globe and it still would never match the amount of love He has for us - so much love that he sent His only son to die for our sins so that we could be forgiven for our sins. Although many people get offended by the word sin and don't think they have that attribute, just look around you. None of us are perfect, we all fall short but God is always there loving us no matter what and that is what inspired "He Loves Us So Much" -because He does.
"Tough Love" - Cross Artwork Series
As the years have gone by and I have grown in my relationship with God, I have begun to realize that suffering and love often walk hand in hand. Knowing that Jesus died on the cross so that my sins could be forgiven reminds me that Gods love for me must be an ultimate kind of love to make that sacrifice for me. Could you imagine sending your only son onto a cross to die a horrible death so that some miserable people that didn't even appreciate it would be saved?
Because that's exactly what God did for us. He sent someone he loved to die for us so we could have his ultimate love and forgiveness. "Tough Love" is what I call it. And whenever I want to have a pity party because my life seems so unfair I think about what God did for me - and that at the very heart of the cross lies Love, bound together with the nails and thorns of suffering.
"Wings of Freedom" - Cross Artwork Series
Although some people only think of suffering when they think of Jesus dying on the cross, I also think of the freedom that His dying on the cross represents. Through His death God gave us freedom to have a fresh start. He always gives us second chances...and more...and more..because He wants us to be the best we can be. He never gives up on us. We have freedom through Him to be whatever we want, to have free will, to paint on our own canvas of life. "Wings of Freedom" was inspired by the beautiful freedom we have with God. Using butterflies reminds me that we can change from hairy caterpillars to beautiful butterflies through Him. God formed us, sin deformed us and God transforms us!
(Thank-you for viewing my artwork and I hope you enjoyed it)