Acrylic on Canvas  48"x36"  -  Montreal, 2018  -  

[Hebrews 12:1-3]  - 
This image was inspired, of course, by the Vineyard National Gathering thee, Portage. Historically, Montreal is situated at the beginning of what once was a journey by canoe and portage that would end on Lake Superior after months of travel. The portage is that part of the journey by canoe through wilderness waterways where the canoe will have to be carried overland to continue upstream or on an adjacent lake. Of the two modes of travel, overland is harder and few look forward to the task. 

If the Vineyard as a movement needs encouragement, it is certainly in those times that are rough going and unbearably heavy. In the image the figure carries a canoe in a way that suggests harmony with the surroundings. The vertical lines on the canoe reflect the forest. The figure is breathing hard under the load but looking uphill with hope. The image metaphor suggests the portage is part of the landscape, that this moment is as important as any subsequent destination.