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Art in Public Spaces

Gold Coast: Commonwealth Games 2018

Inspired Aussie artists saw value in painting live in public spaces during the Commonwealth Games, to bring light and life and joy into every moment for thousands of visitors. They pursued every venue, from tram stations to shopping centres and the main stage at HOTA (Home Of The Arts).

Main image: Wendy Manzo Painting Unity in Diversity on the Easter United 2018 stage.

This is the story of some of those artworks created during the Commonwealth Games. 

 

Title: “Pathway to Gold”
Artist: Wendy Manzo
Size: 102cm x 102cm
Painted: Live 30/1/18 Beyond Gold Expo for Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018

The word is ‘Go For Glory’. It’s heaven’s response to prayer. The pathway to gold (medals), the pathway to the gold (coast), but more significantly, the pathway to glory. It is the GOLD buried within our cities and within ourselves, awaiting heaven’s outpouring, and the word from heaven is YES. Go for Gold!

This painting was exhibited in the Commonwealth Games Athlete’s Village in the Multi-Faith Centre, 5-15th April.

 

Title: “Unity in Diversity”
Artist: Wendy Manzo
Painted: Easter United 1/1/18 at HOTA (HomeOfTheArts, Gold Coast) live painting at combined churches celebration.

I began by writing U-N-I-T-Y across the canvas. This is the Lord’s delight this day, that His church, His bride, have come together to celebrate His resurrection. We all have our foundation in the same living water, this is the artesian well underlying the great south land of the Holy Spirit. We grow differently, old churches, young churches, traditional and contemporary, there’s a place for everyone to worship. We make a difference to the world when we show our ‘canopy’, our unity in His love. His banner over us is love.

Title: “Tsunami Gold”
Artist: Wendy Manzo
Size: 91cm x 91cm
Painted: 10/4/18 Live at Australia Fair as part of Lift Him Up art celebration for Commonwealth Games.

In a wild wash of paint, this was completed in 20 mins. Yet, I knew when to stop! I painted a “feeling” of being caught up in excitement, caught up in fulfilment of dreams, caught in the vision unfolded. Just a feeling!! But I believe God is saying don’t dismiss feelings, He made them, and they have value.

 

Title: “Window to the Soul”
Artist: Wendy Manzo
Size: 91cm x 91cm
Painted: 10/4/18 Live at Australia Fair as part of Lift Him Up art celebration for Commonwealth Games.

This painting was born out of the worship music and excitement of the crowd watching. “He’s awakening hearts tonight. He’s waking hearts to life.” (Lyrics ‘Furious’ Bethel Music album, ‘Be Lifted High’) He’s breaking hearts tonight, breaking hearts of stone and replacing them with hearts of flesh, vulnerable real and authentic hearts of life.

The more I looked into the painting, the more I saw the LIFE within His eye. I fell into His soul and became one with the paint.

 

Title: “Unshakeable Peace on the Mountain Top”
Artist: Wendy Manzo
Size: 91cm x 91cm
Painted: 5/4/18 Live at Australia Fair as part of Lift Him Up art celebration for Commonwealth Games.

Rob Newhousen on acoustic guitar created an atmosphere of peace amidst the crowded shopping centre. I felt the Spirit of peace descend, and then I ‘saw’ the holy mountain with rivers of gold and a heavenly light beyond. A myriad of doves emerged. Or angels?

“… you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect… ” (Heb 12:22-23)

A pre-Christ stranger stopped to comment: “Oh that’s so peaceful. It’s like the rock of uncertainty that’s so hard to climb, but then you find peace at the top and you can see the hope beyond”. I believe that stranger heard the voice of God!

 

Title: “Born of Water and the Spirit”
Artist: Wendy Manzo
Size: 91cm x 91cm
Painted: 6/4/18 Live at Australia Fair as part of Lift Him Up art celebration for Commonwealth Games.

Amidst the haste and noise and “opinion”, there seemed a calling today to rest in the presence of Jesus. As I painted the background I kept hearing ‘born of water’, until I turned the canvas upside down (opposite), and then I heard ‘born of Spirit’. When you are ‘born of Spirit’ then you can enter the Kingdom of God, true gold, power in His peace and rest in His presence. I painted true glory falling upon the earth.

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5-8)

 

Title: “Life Finds a Way”
Artist: Wendy Manzo
Size: 76cm x 102cm
Painted: 7/10/17 live at Beyond Gold Commonwealth Games ‘Lift Him Up’ Art Festival breakfast

Life finds a way – the truth of abundant life will find you flourishing in the most unlikely places when it is God who plants you there!

As I meditated upon my first live painting in the Beyond Gold project, I kept sensing “upon this rock I will build my church”. Upon this foundation. Upon the glory and the blood. All that Beyond Gold represents is unity with firm foundations in Christ. It will rise up and the ‘tree of life’ will be firmly planted upon this rock.

When you’re painting prophetically, nothing happens by accident. As I was adding the final touches to the tree I ‘accidentally dripped’ red paint onto the rock. I paused to check, ok Lord, what are you doing here? He says: the foundation is the blood. Of course! And suddenly the painting has a deeper meaning. I grafted the “blood” into the tree and across the branches, making a cross. The colours gold and purple in the rock signify divine glory and royalty. Triumph comes when we keep our eyes on who He is and who we are.

 

Title: “Field of Gold”
Artist: Wendy Manzo
Painted: 14/4/18 Live at Australia Fair as part of Lift Him Up art celebration for Commonwealth Games.

This is an interesting little (big) painting that I believe has several messages yet to unfold. It is a field of marigolds. Not the bright harsh coloured flowers in the plant marts that have been GMO’d to lose their scent, but the wild marigolds that stink! They repel bugs, rodents and snakes. They symbolise protection and safety, although there is no one way of seeing marigolds. They can also symbolise sorrow, grief, anxiousness, and jealousy.

There are always two sides to every story. For every gold, silver and bronze medal there are equally people who didn’t win, who extended themselves in training and battled to compete, but who are going home without a place medal. Marigolds shine a light on our darkest feelings of hurt and loneliness. When it feels that even what you’re good at (an odour that is useful, but its repugnance causes scientists to strip it away) isn’t good enough.

Marigolds have a rich symbolic history, full of folklore celebrations, sun gods, and ‘mother’ Mary’s gold. But they convey a winning grace, humility and cheerfulness. Despite their commonness, they exude a royal attitude that rides above opinion.

I do feel this painting is not finished … this story has not ended …

 

Title: “You’re in My Sights”
Artist: Wendy Manzo
Painted: 11/4/18 Live at Australia Fair as part of Lift Him Up art celebration for Commonwealth Games.

There’s a painting on my website called “Against All Odds” that was done during a time of growth through difficult challenges. It’s a painting of hope. Wednesday I revisited this theme because of the amazing stories coming from the athletes about how they overcame the odds to be competing at the Games.

As I painted I had two opposing encounters with people watching, one negative and one positive. I laughed because there are the odds! There’s always someone against you, but remember there’s always THE ONE who is for you. I felt “so covered” by the presence of winning – meaning, I was with the one who wanted me to win, and that beat all the odds against me.

I’ve called this “You’re in My Sights” because just as a shooter (thinking of the Games) sets his/her sights, so does God set His sights. And it is always on you. He has you covered.

AS it turned out, one of the athletes from the Falkland Is just had to have this painting … it is now in a new home halfway around the world – continuing to speak of going for gold on the Gold Coast.

 

Title: “Waking Hearts to Life”
Artist: Wendy Manzo
Painted: 10/4/18 Live at Australia Fair as part of Lift Him Up art celebration for Commonwealth Games.

This painting was born out of the worship music and excitement of the crowd watching. He’s awakening hearts tonight. He’s waking hearts to life. He’s breaking hearts tonight, breaking hearts of stone and replacing them with hearts of flesh, vulnerable real and authentic hearts of life.

 

Title: “Waves of Gold
Artist: Wendy Manzo
Painted: 8/4/18 Live at Australia Fair as part of Lift Him Up art celebration for Commonwealth Games.

Very simple story today, I painted “in the zone” of DaySpring worship album ‘Wave Upon Wave’ and painted waves of glory over the Gold Coast.


 

 

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