AND GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE, IN THE IMAGE OF GOD CREATED HE HIM; MALE AND FEMALE CREATED HE THEM...
The Holy Scriptures. Genesis 1:27
Would the Bible have been as meaningful to Western culture, if someone, somehow, had lost a few letters (characters), here and there, before it got to us?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6N57Su1yIoIh0zeot9lGhP5fNrkS452OvqzdfAkW-xsc0s34RKyhOFIW5CNQH-ThU462r1Z_5PjHXGJccHI2oYgbND8_PKfKczaOmfIgAzM7owbfqMLx2i_Ev_OH14QzG7WzddFgs44/s400/Prague+St+Gregory+the+Great+15thCent+cropped.JPG) |
St. Gregory the Great. Prague. 15th Century
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If it were edited -- pruned -- along the lines of "less is more." Would that make the Bible even better? More essential? More profound?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17DEp5cgVnT95gAJndVoT6qydwgoPrA7XlyqADQPBr0wsz6tVn8AOWvQCxI4RGnRDSbdasaMw0qi5xSv8IW0ZkJV1sy6BrBlZ_k32gn9tHgahc-Ai8VG6R-HRojRfmf4GPWA62WL45uI/s400/Sarah+of+Glasgow+11x14+03032020+BLK+GRND+w.jpg) |
Sarah of Glasgow. 2020. 11 x 14" |
My answer is: Every letter, every word, every chapter counts. And contributes meaningfully.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin05e8eKAOwNYuyttbww3UHH3oWZ-2z-UP_XEK743glkeoyLnu-y7i0K8AXOxLhBpc-VCLdTrVD3bzoK3o4ulKRc7mL69EpyzY1RwgHWvTN8QU3qQwR-wi6TLnxQbYfXwjbwJIUFRFRbg/s400/greyscale+portrait+12_2019+black+ground.jpg) |
A young lady. 2019. 11 x 14" |
All of us are characters in the book of life. And frankly, I think our world would be poorer without you.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSaAaDDHTDxnM3bHNob-gAew99viAXD1MxnNBKjhGFbAmo80_iTxj4mpkAe3mX1ZHWqXwxbLIM8b8Yn_yZ9z_NEalooq385wBSyy2jdTlnxRnT5I9hqnqXN2dy7gAR-IqtOt0rXWN2qQ/s400/12_2019+Portrait+of+CasidySAS+3+hrs+blk+ground.jpg) |
Cassidy of Phoenix. 2019 11 x 14" |
Whoever you are. You are essential to this moment. To this conversation. You are, in a word, sacred.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLscqRa9hAg38QsN74eQ5DxQvqllx1o_izj8JTlL2C4a9zCNQxLJzFUBWJDyd4Ou1OkAD_Ys7ox5dt8UUGPz0geEDlaYeth4cIuLew1QEdQ9kRvYJ6Ba08hWjL565twQZuqEaE9Igpnk/s400/Native+American+w+Feather+2019+black+ground.jpg) |
Native American Model. 2019 @ 16 x 14" |
And that's what I'm trying to capture when I paint a portrait these days. Yes, I want the portrait to resemble the person portrayed.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8r5dCgOIrz-R4cTCz6X9OS7uDR7JEZIUKby2vl9mGuAdFixdwsytfetIDl8qEwFa-7luMhHG68ZQIgngdIvJV7J_1DF5CDP06XI_U4UcPfmf8Jdkm485L2FxQkP7uDneHS6Xif66tB6Y/s400/2019+Man+w+white+beard+blk+grnd.jpg) |
Blue-eyed Visionary. 2019 @ 12 x 10" |
I also want the image to feel as special, as essential as the person I have the privilege of painting.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs__NCw7HGpbe-QJ5NMm2uAiRf0LE3coFanrkkAAlNgGtvkdHeKqOwStsqPC5LwDPneqoHu6FGt-Vqy7yYQ0ifod8FZQ5fWWXHw4orsA_4yoGOIhptype0sy475Y7ZCwKyPQRUKU2pchI/s400/golden+arch+seated+greg+3+hrs+2019+w+blk+grnd.jpg) |
Greg of Phoenix. 2019. 11 x 14" |
Anyway, that's the goal.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nR4O5xnvp0_0we1JmFukro91w_ircBPKt_zCKsC8U5YCxQ5Cc-j1MDcbGfM1c_sDiOg-K-3qOXGvmY76vB_5ea8yuFF8F_DqgM-yt_LhJB-HdTVADDWmIJ8xZI0bH3No_ntLCcw7aXk/s400/V2+2019+White+Haired+Jude+w+gray+shirt.jpg) |
A Patriach. 2019 11 x 14" |
In the words of the Man from Mars, "Thou art God." (
Stranger in a Strange Land, Robt. Heinlein)
Can you grok it?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5y2kdvF1olk7rGtfYyx79XgQrtHJWqJDAPhv98zc1T12xdo0n8fFbh9983TSSsW9sA4NgFsxEXZEGVipJZrvALeGccmwKHL4AuaOijKxJU707trSlM4r1A1ut8Zayvnb4k-hWQxTLxM/s400/seated+man+in+arch+paynes+gray+drapes+2019+blk+grnd.JPG) |
Waiting for the Feeling. 2019 11 x 14" |
Medium: Oil paint on acrylic ground. Artist: Glenn Scott Michaels. Phoenix, AZ.
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved. Images and photographs by the author, with the exception of St. Gregoary the Great.
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