In writing about these themes individually I may have given the impression that they were only considered separately. This of course is untrue – at all times what I hoped for was a synthesis. Indeed the most difficult times in the making of the painting were when I could not yet see some overarching notion that felt strong and relevant enough to guide its development.
Overall I wanted the painting to acknowledge the ideas that had arisen during its making – how the profane and the sacred are connected through action, how there is spiritual value in working with things close to hand, and to acknowledge the various metaphors of boatbuilding, seafaring, and spiritual voyaging that repeatedly arose. In the end, the notion of ‘Master Builder’ seemed to provide the unifying conceptual and aesthetic guidance that the painting was seeking. It also brought other associations that I felt enriched it.
Lastly, through working with the themes of hope, faith, mercy, giving, love and thanksgiving, I have continually had to ask myself ‘is this a religious painting’? I certainly hope it affords these interpretations as I feel that the role of art is similar, in that it allows us to apprehend the sacred significance within our profane daily actions. I therefore very much hope that the painting will support and enrich the College’s religious ethos.