THE PLAN

Using portraits and words, I want to try to tell the stories of the people in my neighborhood just south of downtown Lincoln. And if I will also try to tell the stories of the people of my community at Lincoln Berean, maybe the stories and art will create a bridge that will help these two groups of people find common ground where interaction and even friendship become possibilities and we might mutually thrive.

Over a one year period, I intend to produce 24 portraits and stories. Subjects will be the people of south downtown and Lincoln Berean Church.

• choose a subject
• take photos
• gather the story
• create drawings
• make a painting

I'll begin the process by photographing subjects in their chosen environment. From the photos, I will create drawings and choose a composition for each painting. As I work with each individual, I'll learn and write about his or her life story: the sorrows, the grace moments, the hopes, the failures.

Over the course of the year-long project, the art and stories will fill this website. I'll blog about the people, paintings, adventures and ideas I discover. I hope to collaborate with a team to make video and audio recordings of different stages of the project.

I'll collect the stories in a booklet along with images of each artwork and offer the booklets at showings to facilitate understanding of the collection.

At the end of the year set aside for the project, I'll host a limited opening event to show the resulting collection of artworks and allow models and their friends and families to meet each other. I'll also invite those who have supported Sacred Eyes with their prayers and gifts. Public showings of the collection will follow at galleries in churches, colleges, and other venues.