| Paintings |
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With all of the hate, fear, and violence in the world.
The strife among nations, religions, and peoples of faith.
The endless lust for more money, prestige, and or just mind numbing entertainment.
The lack of concern for those in need.
What would be Jesus' emotional response to seeing the world today?
I believe, He would weep.
Title comes from the Bible, John 11:35, as Jesus was approaching the grave of his dear friend, Lazarus.
My painting is based on a painting by Rembrandt "Young Jew as Christ"
http://www.wga.hu/art/r/rembran/painting/portrai3/youngjew.jpg
Looked through all the pictures I could find of Jesus in our college library for one that I felt probably looked most like him. I settled on
Rembrandt's work who used Jewish men from Amsterdam as models. There was this one young man he particularly liked and used in
many of his religious paintings depicting the life of Christ. He did three portraits of just his head from three different angles. This is one
of those.
I did make a few other changes besides the tears. My version is more brown instead of golden, made his eyes brown and not green. I
also made Jesus less pale, having spent his life under the Mediterranean sun I am sure he would be darker.
What did Jesus look like? Artist for centuries have been struggling to answer that question. This is our best effort to date.
Some of you probably have questions about my religious views and practices. I do not want to say much about that. I will say that at
one time I was very religious, as was my college. However, now I have not attended any services for a long time, and all I can truly say is
that: I still believe in Him and hope to see His face one day.
Oil on Canvas; 10x12 inches. Mostly completed during college oil painting class in 1982, but was moved by personal events to add
tears in 1999, again in 2006, and have been touching it up digitally ever since.
This is a picture of me when life was easy, (1997) and I had just finished painting the greatest work of my lifetime (I will never do another like it; it is my
Magnum Opus). I spent seventy five hours (of my own time) using acrylic paint on this underwater scene. It is on one of the most difficult surfaces of all to
paint on: cinder block wall. I used small camel hair brushes to get the maximum amount of realistic detail. This painting is outside of my class room door (two
feet to the left). I was honored to collaborate with the most talented young artist ever had the privilege of teaching: Darrell Davis.
| Michael John Cheney with his "Safe Harbor" |
| Jesus Wept |
| "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee; Let the water..." Note: Notice the little sail boat trying to get out of the huge ocean filled with all kinds of creatures. This lone sailor is trying to make their way into the safety of the quiet harbor below the rocky mountain face. I'll leave the rest of the story to your imaginations. |
| Safe Harbor |
| Baby Sea Turtle by Luke Cheney, 1998 with a little assistance on choice of colors by Dad. This painting my son Luke did for extra credit in his biology teacher's class at CHS in 1998. He painted it on the back of a ceiling tile, which the teacher later proudly put up in her room with all of the rest of the painted tiles. A year or two later that teacher moved on and the new teacher that moved into her room hated all of the painted ceiling tiles and had them all removed and thrown in the trash bin. I retrieved my sons painting (thought of saving some of the others too, but just didn't have the space at my house for them) and had it professional framed. It is now hanging in my dining room next to my saltwater aquarium. It is the only painting Luke has ever done, but I hope he will do another one someday. Funny, the new teacher thought this painting was thrash, but I would not take $10,000 dollars for it right now. "One man's trash is another man's treasure." I guess that is true. |
| Pray Without Ceasing |
Painting in honor of my
friend Lawana Gowins
who was made
quadriplegic because of
a traffic accident.
friend Lawana Gowins
who was made
quadriplegic because of
a traffic accident.