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“...and the leaves of the tree were for the healing and the restoration of the nations” Revelation 22:2
Mixed media with acrylic, digital scans, frottage, leaves, bark and screen printing on canvas. 3.5 X 2.12 meters. 2006.
"Every work of art is a child of its age and in many cases, the mother of our emotions”
You are invited to view an
Exhibition of a body work by Dot Wilkin
In the CCC Centre West Welcome Lounge
Cr. Egerton Street and Silverwater Road, Silverwater.
See web http://www.ccc.org.au/ for service times
The Church is mostly open;
10am-4pm Wednesdays. Please talk to Natalie Taylor
9am to 8pm Sundays
The building is often open at other times during the week but contact the church on 974840838 or 97485711 to see if it is an appropriate time to visit.
For reproductions or other information about this artwork contact;
e: dot.wilkin@gmail.com
m: 0439 441 333
Price: POA
I saw to paint the tree from Revelation 22:2 with all different leaves on it to represent the unique calling and destiny of people being raised up in Christian Education, members of the Church and people of all tribes and languages who are growing on the tree; the God vision.
In a world of wars and natural disasters this is God’s promise of Revival,
Most of the leaves, flowers and fruit on this mixed media work have been collected from around NSW, then digitally scanned and printed on high definition paper to emphasise the incredible details of each cutting. The leaves are the unique individuals, the orange represents constant divine love and the pomegranate and chili represent our internationality and unity in diversity.
“A tree’s struggle is to get water. The size of a tree is determined by its root system.
The roots will grow through anything to get to water.
Prayer is the root system for the Church.
A tree does not struggle to bear fruit if it has water and a good root system.
The struggle of a tree is our struggle too.”
Ps Phil Pringle, 20th August 2006
Where ever this painting is exhibited as an installation, I believe it is like the tree is planted there for that particular time, as a reminder of God’s promise and also as an act of prophetic intercession.
The Journey of the Tree
After a tree is planted with a seed, it grows up.
With my year 10 class I brainstormed and explored the school garden and playground. It was then that I was drawn to Revelations 22:2. I had this inspiration to paint a tree that had all different leaves on it they represent all different people; the students of the school who are growing on the tree. They are different because they are all uniquely and intricately made, all with a unique calling and destiny. They will grow up and go out to heal and restore the nations.
This is the tree in the book of Revelation that was seen in a vision by The Apostle John, whilst he was on the Island of Patmos. In a world of wars , natural disasters and global warming; this is God’s promise... Healing and Restoration of the Nations.
I was inspired also by the Rev. Bob Frisken's testimony about how he founded Christian Community High School, the Christian Schools Australia Movement, then New Hope International, networking and establishing Christian Schools in developing nations. I was impressed by how one God idea was planted and has now grown internationally.
I started my painting by painting a gum tree trunk based on a combination of a tree in the School grounds, a paper bark outside my studio; that's where I got the bark I collaged on it and a tree I saw and sketched in Katoomba. The base of the trunk is black as if its been in a bush fire. This is symbolic of new life see John 10:10.
I then collected the leaves as I traveled around NSW over a two year period. As an art teacher I had to attend a series of workshops on Photoshop because we had to teach it in photography and I had no idea what I was doing! It was there that I learned this great technique that you can put real things on a flat bed scanner and basically take a photo of it. The details are really incredible! I also read and article by a photographer, in the Australian Geographic who stated that he swapped his telephoto lens for the scanner because he could achieve better close up photos. So for the next two years I experimented with scanned leaves on my flat bed scanner to show up the incredible details of each cutting. Some were collected as I explored the bush or my neighbourhood, other leaves and flowers were given to me by people I met and there were other cuttings that represent people or other nations. The painting and thus, the tree grew and grew as I made it.
2006 I took the painting of the tree that I had started to Sydney College of the Arts where I was studying a course work Masters. I had started it but I had not finished it. It seemed a daunting task to do so much detail. I usually work spontaneously and quickly. After attempting many other paintings and avoiding the tree, I was encouraged by my classmates and lecturers, that the tree was to be my major project. I began to work on it and I really battled with it; the composition, the techniques and all that Photoshopping!
June 2006 I was Invited back to Christian Community High School to speak at a special Pacific Island Chapel with the tree painting and talked about the message of the leaves of the tree. The tree was only on the center panel at this stage.
July 2006 I was invited as an artist in Residence in Coolamon, NSW, near Wagga. I had just made two more canvases either side of the trunk because the tree just needed to grow bigger. I was encouraged to bring it with me and I had to buy a roof rack so I could take it with me. I took my scanner too and I cut and scanned so many leaves and students did too in a scanning workshop.
These are some of my favourite scans
Leaves with pom poms from Hunters Hill, NSW
some green plums from Carcoar, NSW
Gungaroo from Coolamon, NSW
Kelly’s Bottle
Digital Scan bubble jet print on canvas 2006-07
"...do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children...you will say blessed are the childless..." Luke 23:27-31
I scanned and painted an orange as a representation of divine love, an emblem of permanence and a symbol of fidelity. It is an expression of constancy, conquering and extinguishing the flames of passion.[i] The woman’s orange belly that has become a circular shape, because Jesus has filled her with his constant love and fidelity. He cries for her too. This is His sacrifice and his mourning for her as he prophesies about the end times.
August 2006 I began sharing my studio with a woman from the Middle East. I told her what my painting was about and opened my Bible to Revelations 22.2. She said she had read the Bible in her country. We had a long discussion about God, religion and real love. It really was the healing of the Nations, right there in the studio! I learned so much about the world and she learned so much too. This was a life changing event. That's when I went out and got a pomegranate and painted it on my tree.
April 9th- May 14th 2007 The Tree was Planted in the Theater Gallery, CCC Oxford Falls. It looked so much brighter than where is was at SCA. A great wall! I asked Jane Farrelly to "Dance my painting at the opening night. She prayed and believed that she was to dance as the river. She found a piece of silk, the colour of the blue in the painting and danced with another dancer, Kat, as the river in front of and amongst th audience. The tree also became a visual representation for the CCC vision that planted in Ps Phil and Chris Pringle about 30 odd years ago. Now there are CCC Churches in so many Nations! This is the healing and restoration of the Nations!!
This exhibition is another step in the journey this artwork will take. Where ever this tree is exhibited as an installation, I believe it is like it is being planted there for that particular time, as a reminder of God’s promise and also as an act of prophetic intercession.
And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight or to be desired—good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life also in the center of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of [the difference between] good and evil and blessing and calamity.
Genesis 2:9
Artist Statement
I believe Visual art is a spiritual language and as an Artist I believe that my calling as creative communicator is a spiritual gift which is to edify and to draw people into the
I aim through my art to evoke an aesthetic response from the viewer, as well as encouraging and challenging the Zeitgeist (the spirit of our time), as my artworks are decoded to extract meaning[1].
In his article regarding the education of artists, a theorist called Finkelstein[2] introduces the idea that a painting, has a capacity to present new meanings of itself.
“Painting is a language; or rather a domain of languages, by virtue of its capacity to reconstitute the way the world is experienced.”[3]
He argues that this is the basic condition of education. Education to him is insight, transformation, from not knowing to knowing something that was not known before. The viewer is actually changed through experience. It is this kind of experience that I hope to evoke through my art.
As a painter, I experiment in a variety of materials and mixed media and I reference artists such as, John Coburn, Brett Whiteley, John Olsen, Kandinsky and Matisse.
Kandinsky wrote;
“…Henri Matisse. He paints pictures and in these “pictures” endeavours to reproduce the divine”.
I also use and reference the Plein air techniques of the
I find inspiration as I work in collaboration with other painters, contemporary dance, worship, music and prayer. When I work in collaboration or the site specific, the art becomes a symbol through which an act of corporate intercessory prayer, worship or preaching takes place.
Biography
EDUCATION
2006 Master of Contemporary Art for Educators, SCA,
1995 to 1996 Associate Diploma in Divinity and
1988 to 1991 Bachelor of Art Education,
1986 to 1987 Art Certificate,
1985 HSC, SCEGGS Darlinghurst
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2007 The leaves of the tree. The Theater Gallery CCC,
1998 Advent, The
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2007
2006 Post Graduate Degree Show,
2006 The Flower, Pampered with Purpose, GITC, Paddington
2006 The Brave, Women’s Conference Exhibition, CCC, October
2006 The Inaugural Up-to-Date Art Exhibition, July, Coolamon, NSW
2006 Stations of the Cross, Easter Small Boat Big Sea, Fairlight
2006 Presence,
2006 Propeller Art Award, God in the City, Darlinghurst
2003 to present Advent Paintings, Wesley Institute, Drummoyne, Sydney
2000 Soli Del Gloria The Gallery CCC
2000 Great Southland Art Prize , April
2000 Quest, More than Gold group exhibitions
Diversity Gallery,
1999 Advent paintings The Open Book Store,
1999-2003 Advent Paintings CCC
1998 Hunters Hill Art and Craft Exhibition.
1997 The Artists Gallery, Hunters Hill.
1997 The
1997 Great SouthLand Exhibition & Art Prize
1997 Hunters Hill Art and Craft Exhibition.
AWARDS AND PRIZES
1997 Third place in Great SouthLand Exhibition & Art Prize
1987 Meadowbank College of TAFE. The Prize for Excellence
1987 Hunters Hill Art Prize, Awarded Highly commended for the Local Art Prize.
1985 SCEGGS Darlinghurst. The
PROJECTS
2007 Bachelor of
2006 Live art making, at Christian City Church Events, autumn in the house July and The Brave Women’s conference October
2006 Artist in Residence, July 25-31, Coolamon, NSW (NSW Arts supported project)
2006 Theo’s
2005 Father, Son, Holy Spirit to
2005 Workshop Leader on Intercessory, Prophetic, prayer drawing. The Australian Prayer network
2004
2002 In your Light, Collaborative art Piece- dance, drama music and Visual art.
2001 Unless a seed Falls, Visual Arts Workshop Leader, Cooma Creative Arts Seminar.
2001 Live at the Caffe and Eden Dreaming. Performance painting, to themes such as ‘Reconciliation’ or ‘freedom’.
2000 Father, Son Holy Spirit, Open air Collaborative art happening,
PUBLISHED/REPRODUCED
2006 Degree Shows catalogue, Sydney College of the Arts
2006 Coolamon Shire News, August
2000 February Alive Magazine. pg. 28-29.
2000 Great Southland Art Prize Invitation.
1999 Great Southland Art Prize Invitation.
1999 October Family World News. Editor; The Rev. Fred Nile. front pg.
1999 November Southern Cross Anglican Newspaper.
COLLECTIONS
Private collections in
EMPLOYMENT
2006 to Present Casual Relief Teacher, Government and Non- Government Schools, School of Creative Arts, Christian Community High School.
2003 to 2005 Visual Arts and Biblical Studies Teacher.
1998 to 2002 Visual Arts and Biblical
1997
1992 to 1994 Visual Arts Teacher.
[1] Australian Contemporary Painting. Ed. Eileen Chanin. 1990. article; “Discovering the unknowable”.
[2] (1982): p 39 Finkelstein, Louis. "Some Preliminary Considerations Regarding Education of Artists." Art Journal 42, no. 1 (1982): 39-42.
