GUARDIAN OF MY SOUL by Georgia Smith (Chelmsford)

What does Guardian of My Soul depict?

This piece depicts the hands of Jesus reaching out, with the palms facing upwards and the holes from the nails visible in the centre of each. Between the hands, in bold lettering, are some of the lyrics from the piece ‘Guardian of My Soul’ by Darren Shaw: ‘You know my name and where I’m going,/ Guardian of my soul.’

How was it made?

I used a technique called tonal drawing, where you work on a surface of browntoned paper using black for the shadows and white for the highlights, with the brown paper acting as the mid-tone. I used white acrylic paint and then worked on top of this with white and black fineliner pen. I like my artwork to be highly detailed and feel like this tool gives me the greatest control and precision.

The black shadowy sections of the artwork are actually made up of the song’s lyrics in small lettering. This is layered up in some areas to create deeper, darker shadows, meaning that the words become indistinguishable, while in other places you can pick out clear words and phrases.

The creation of the artwork was filmed from above and is designed to be watched as a timelapse video, so you see the piece come to life on the page and watch the hands appear from a flat surface through a mass of tangled words and popping white accents, accompanied by the band piece. You can watch the video online here: youtu.be/9R8xUxJQudA

What inspired it?

The artwork was originally created as a tribute to my grandad, Norman, and the timelapse video was played at the commemoration service for his life, accompanied by Chelmsford Band – of which he was a committed member for many years – playing the piece.

I think the words ‘you know my name and where I’m going’ speak of the comfort we can find as Christians when we lose somebody that we love, knowing that they are safe in the arms of Jesus, and how this can help ease our grief.

Since the video was first played, I’ve received many messages to tell me that it has been used at other events and services, so it’s wonderful to know that my personal tribute has gone on to be interpreted by new audiences. For me, the outstretched hands of Jesus symbolise him welcoming my grandad to Heaven, but it could mean something different to someone else, and that’s the beautiful thing about art!

I certainly find the combination of art, words and music very moving, and hope that, whatever setting this piece is viewed in, other people will find themselves captivated by its dynamic nature.