Beyond Words: A Treasury Of Paintings And Devotional Writings

Beyond Words: A Treasury of Paintings and Devotional Writings

1999 Gold Medallion Award winner!A collection of paintings accompanied by a theme Scripture verse, a short devotional, notes about the artwork, and a lined space for journal entries.Amazon.com ReviewRon DiCianni's work is probably the most well known in the world of contemporary Christian art. Among other projects, he creates the somewhat ominous covers for Frank Peretti's books of spiritual warfare. But this collection of his work shows a different side of DiCianni's Christianity, revealing his sturdy faith and sincere humility. The very first painting in the book, In the Beginning, shows the powerful hand of God lifting a helpless Adam from the mud in the beauty of a primeval universe.Each painting is accompanied by DiCianni's thoughts on how God works in our daily lives, painter's notes that elucidate the connection between the painting and the heavenly force that inspired them, quotes from well-known religious figures, and space for the reader to share his or her own "thoughts from the heart." DiCianni's biblical figures, such as Elizabeth, Mary, and Simeon, hold a muscular energy as modern as that of his contemporary figures, and he often includes people in both ancient and contemporary clothing in his allegorical paintings, such as the striking image of Christ washing the feet of a prosperous-looking businessman in a leather chair. Each of the 20 paintings is more stunningly thought-provoking than the last. For the Christian who loves inspirational art, this is a very moving collection, indeed.About the AuthorRon DiCanni has been a professional illustrator for the past twenty-five years. Schooled at the American Academy of Art, he has since been commissioned by some of the world's largest and best known companies, such as ABC, NBC, McDonald's, The Smithsonian, Ford Motor Company, and the United States Olympic Committee, among a long list of others.Ron is a native of Chicago and lives in Illinois with his wife, Pat, and his two best works of art, Grant and Warren.