I spent two years as the Jeanne and Henry Varnell Artist in Residence at Memphis Theological Seminary, 2015/16 and 2016/17. This position was a beautiful juxtaposition of my art and religion majors. I led talks about the intersections of art and religion, created art for worship, led students in workshops (especially keeping art journals as a tool for mindfulness), coordinated art exhibitions for students, and also created my own body of liturgical art. During that time I also illustrated the Book of Common Worship for Westminster John Knox Press. It is in use nationally in Presbyterian Church U.S.A. churches.
Block prints from the Book of Common Worship (more here)
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Liturgical J-peg Sets
Creating art for worship and congregational use is a great privilege and gives me a vital way to participate in worship, even in churches I have never visited. I regularly supply art to various churches who find my work online and want to use it with their congregations.
I create art for churches to use in worship and sell j-pegs (without the watermarks seen here) for non profit use. Churches may use these images as many times as they wish, though I do ask that they don't share them with other institutions. I try to keep the cost low enough for even small congregations to use artwork to celebrate their seasons. Write marthakellyart@gmail.com to request any of these sets to be delivered by email.
Creating art for worship and congregational use is a great privilege and gives me a vital way to participate in worship, even in churches I have never visited. I regularly supply art to various churches who find my work online and want to use it with their congregations.
I create art for churches to use in worship and sell j-pegs (without the watermarks seen here) for non profit use. Churches may use these images as many times as they wish, though I do ask that they don't share them with other institutions. I try to keep the cost low enough for even small congregations to use artwork to celebrate their seasons. Write marthakellyart@gmail.com to request any of these sets to be delivered by email.
Advent and Christmas Letterpress Set
One of the ministers I work with chose a word to use in worship each week for Advent, and I created art using both original carvings and vintage wood type to illustrate those words. I ended up doing a couple of extra words for different churches, so there are options. Digital images of these prints are available for $6 each or $30 for the set.
One of the ministers I work with chose a word to use in worship each week for Advent, and I created art using both original carvings and vintage wood type to illustrate those words. I ended up doing a couple of extra words for different churches, so there are options. Digital images of these prints are available for $6 each or $30 for the set.
Lent and Holy Week bulletin set
Digital images of these block prints for use on bulletin covers or other material are available for $6 each or $30 for the set.
Stations of the Cross
I created these for bulletin covers during Lent, so there are only six of them, plus the Resurrection for Easter Sunday. I used the revised stations of the cross as well, so all of the images are Biblical instead of coming from later traditions. These are linoleum block prints with simple lines carved out, and they are printed by hand with a wooden spoon. The j-peg set can be bought by churches for $30, and the individual prints on paper are $60 each.
I created these for bulletin covers during Lent, so there are only six of them, plus the Resurrection for Easter Sunday. I used the revised stations of the cross as well, so all of the images are Biblical instead of coming from later traditions. These are linoleum block prints with simple lines carved out, and they are printed by hand with a wooden spoon. The j-peg set can be bought by churches for $30, and the individual prints on paper are $60 each.
O Antiphons for Advent
The O Antiphons are ancient hymns sung on the seven days preceding Christmas Eve. They are, in order, O Wisdom, O Adonai, O Root of Jesse, O Key of David, O Morning Star, O King of Nations, O Emmanuel. These were created for Call to Worship magazine and appeared in their 2013 Advent issue. Digital images of these block prints for use on bulletin covers or other materials are available for $6 each or $30 for the set. Hand pulled original limited edition prints on 6x6" paper are available for $40 each. They measure about 4" each for the image on 5" paper.
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Easter Psalm Series
I read an N. T. Wright excerpt about how we mark Lent seriously in the church but then celebrate Easter "as simply the one-day happy ending tacked on to forty days of fasting and gloom." Having done several bulletin sets for Lent over the last few years, that resonated with me, and I decided that Easter deserved its own set as well. Joy should get at least as much press as gloom. So I carved images and then printed psalm phrases on top of them using vintage wood type. Digital images of these block prints for use on bulletin covers or other materials are available for $6 each or $30 for the set. Hand pulled original prints (small editions ranging from 6 to 10) printed on 10x14" paper are available for $85 each.
Abstract Creation seriesI was playing around with abstracts, or as close as I get to them, and I ended up making a series of small paintings based on the days of creation. These would be perfect for an Easter series. There is one more that could go with them to spread things out for eight Sundays of Easter if needed. Or they could just go for a colorful series during Ordinary time as well. Digital images are available for $6 each or $30 for the set. |
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Here is one extra one to round out for a full Easter season set, based on I Kings 17. |
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Advent and Christmas bulletin set
Digital images of these block prints for use on bulletin covers or other materials are available for $6 each or $30 for the set. Hand pulled original prints are available for $40 each.
Digital images of these block prints for use on bulletin covers or other materials are available for $6 each or $30 for the set. Hand pulled original prints are available for $40 each.
Psalms for Lent and Easter
Digital images of these block prints for use on bulletin covers or other materials are available for $6 each or $30 for the set. Hand pulled original prints on 8x10" paper are available for $60 each.
Sanctuary Series
I created these prints for the Call To Worship journal. Digital images of these block prints are available for church use for $6 each or $30 for the set.
I created these prints for the Call To Worship journal. Digital images of these block prints are available for church use for $6 each or $30 for the set.
Harvest Hymnal Prints
This is a series of three prints with text from various harvest celebration hymns. Digital images of these block prints for use on bulletin covers or other materials are available for $6 each or $24 for the set. Hand pulled original prints on 9x11" paper are available for $60 each.
Genesis Creation series
During my seminary residency the chaplain let me help plan texts for chapel and accepted my desire to spend some time with creation, since that's the focus of my vocation. I had fun doing a celebratory and whimsical series based on Genesis 1. These are watercolors, and jpegs are available to churches for use in worship for $6 each or $30 for the set.
Images of Jesus
This is less of a series than two complementary images. Both were commissions for First Presbyterian Church in Holley, NY. Digital images are available for $6 each. Hand pulled original limited edition prints are $50 each.
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Exodus series
Memphis Theological Seminary celebrated African American history month in February when I was artist in residence there, and I suggested a series of Exodus paintings for the chapel bulletins. The chaplain suggested that the phrase "Let my people go" has special resonance, so I used it as the background for each image. Jpeg images are available for churches for $6 each or $24 for the set.
Memphis Theological Seminary celebrated African American history month in February when I was artist in residence there, and I suggested a series of Exodus paintings for the chapel bulletins. The chaplain suggested that the phrase "Let my people go" has special resonance, so I used it as the background for each image. Jpeg images are available for churches for $6 each or $24 for the set.
Bare Trees for Lent
One of my ministers, who also responds deeply to trees, asked me to make drawings of bare trees for our Lenten bulletins one year. I loved doing these. Digital images of these pen and ink drawings are available for $4 each or $30 for the set.
All the liturgical art on this site can be bought, and digital files will be emailed, suitable for printing and with the watermark removed. If you'd like a drawing for a verse that is not shown on the website, please email me. Prints of the woodcuts are also available for ordination or teacher presents.
Revelation Bulletin Set
I was commissioned to create a series of Revelation bulletin covers by a brave church doing a ten week summer preaching series on Revelation. The set is available for $16, or you can buy individual ones for $1.75.
The Garden
"The Garden" is a five canvas polyptych, painted for the chapel at Idlewild Presbyterian Church as my final large-scale artist-in-residence project. It's six feet high and spread out along the wall of the chapel. The painting is called "The Garden", and is my vision of the promised renewal of creation, with the tree of life at its center and rivers flowing out of it to water the earth. One of the things I love about apocalytpic literature (which I've been thinking more about ever since illustrating the book of Revelation) is that promise of a new creation. Not just human souls are saved, but all of creation is remade into what God intended for all of us.
The Bible texts included in the painting read: "They will be called oaks of righteousness, the plantings of the LORD." (Isaiah 61:3). "The righteous shall be like trees planted by streams of living water." (Psalm 1). "The LORD God planted a garden.... A river flowed out of Eden, and there it divided and became four rivers." (Genesis 2:8-10).
Below is a 30 second video based on still photos of the hanging of the piece, taken every minute. Frank Kelly, Idlewild's director of youth ministry, took the photos and created the video from them. The photo at the top is also Frank's.
"The Garden" is a five canvas polyptych, painted for the chapel at Idlewild Presbyterian Church as my final large-scale artist-in-residence project. It's six feet high and spread out along the wall of the chapel. The painting is called "The Garden", and is my vision of the promised renewal of creation, with the tree of life at its center and rivers flowing out of it to water the earth. One of the things I love about apocalytpic literature (which I've been thinking more about ever since illustrating the book of Revelation) is that promise of a new creation. Not just human souls are saved, but all of creation is remade into what God intended for all of us.
The Bible texts included in the painting read: "They will be called oaks of righteousness, the plantings of the LORD." (Isaiah 61:3). "The righteous shall be like trees planted by streams of living water." (Psalm 1). "The LORD God planted a garden.... A river flowed out of Eden, and there it divided and became four rivers." (Genesis 2:8-10).
Below is a 30 second video based on still photos of the hanging of the piece, taken every minute. Frank Kelly, Idlewild's director of youth ministry, took the photos and created the video from them. The photo at the top is also Frank's.
All images © Martha Kelly -- All Rights Reserved