| Danny Martin |
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The portrait Thou Art Forgiven by Danny Martin was illustrated in December of
1996. I recall a conversation I had with my wife Michelle. Desperate
for answers as to what I was to do with this talent God had given me, I
cried out to her saying, I wish I could find someone to tell me what I
needed to do. I must confess I hadn’t talked to God in a long time. I
didn’t realize I was praying. It was Him I was crying out to.
During this time I had been working long hours which caused me to miss some of the more memorable moments in the lives of my two daughters. Danielle, then 4 months, and Maci, 5 years, wanted what all children want - a daddy to spend time with. I was often too exhausted from working nineteen straight hours to have time left over for them. It was just such a day when driving to my second job I began to remember a conversation between myself and a friend. My friend told me that as soon as I stopped making money my driving force, and let my art be my drive, the money would come. I believed him, but I couldn’t figure out how to do this. We had to pay our bills. It was at that moment I stopped at an intersection. On the corner was a small church. People were walking in slowly. It was a Wednesday and they were attending a funeral. I was looking up at the steeple, when suddenly an image of a crowd appeared in my window. This crowd, however, was looking at a man on a cross. I joined them and found myself slowly approaching the cross. Finally I was eye level with this man and very close to His face. So close in fact that I could see every pore, every hair, every lash, every drop of sweat, every cut in his face, the thorns puncturing his scalp, the blood running down his cheeks and the intense pain in his eyes. Those incredible eyes - they were gazing down on the huddled mass of people. The crowd gathered to see the man named Jesus. Though I was in my car, I seemed transported to another time. It was so quiet I could no longer hear the music on my radio. Then His gaze crawled across my face until his eyes were locked on mine. Tears began to well up in His eyes. I couldn’t stop staring into them. They were piercing. Stripping away everything I had to hide from anyone. I knew I had to share this image of Jesus with others. This decision came as a bright light and I suddenly felt the weight of the world lifting off my chest. I yelled at the top of my lungs. "That’s it!" I laughed and cried and yelled all the way to work. God was the "someone" I needed to guide me, and He intended for me to present an image of Him nailed to the cross. An image that would capture the depth of pain and suffering which He endured for our sins, with the raw emotion carved across His face at that moment. People had to see what I had seen. Somehow this image would make people stop, if only for a moment, and reflect on their own lives. They could not just walk away and not remember what a sacrifice He made for us. There is no neutral ground. You either believe or you do not. You either accept His sacrifice or you reject it. My goal is that people will look at this painting and choose to accept Him. |
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