成人论坛

Sanctuary Wall mural at the Church of the Holy Spirit on Victoria Rd (off Melton Rd), West Bridgford

The piece of art that has most inspired me recently is a mural of the Crucifixion with the three crosses; Christ in the centre, with St John and Our Lady grieving.

The Crucifixion by Jennifer Bell

I got to paint this through a friend in the church, who had been encouraging them to have a mural done there for years; the sanctuary wall is about 20 ft high, the biggest area I鈥檇 ever attempted, and it was a bit scary at the very top of the scaffolding! But throughout the painting I felt a sense of God鈥檚 presence and security and confidence.

The sanctuary wall mural is of Christ鈥檚 crucifixion with St Joseph and Our Lady looking on, grieving, the colours of the background sky vivid to complement the stained glass of the window above.

Side chapels

I painted the Holy Spirit breaking through the wall in the Baptistry, and trompe l鈥檕eil (an art technique which creates an optical illusion) curtains in a side chapel dedicated to The Sacred Heart.

The Lady Chapel is painted with landscapes and trompe l'oeil curtains additionally painted with the Mysteries, and the Hail Mary on the central panel.

The Lady Chapel by Jennifer Bell

Inspiration

The mural made a big impact on me during the painting of it a couple of years ago.
At one point I actually found myself in the landscape next to St John and Our Lady, with the sky powering overhead. It was a very emotional experience.

Going back with visitors or friends I am astonished that I did it; it seems to have an emotional affect on other people whether they have a faith or not.

Jennifer paints murals and illustrates for a living; you can look at her website www.campionbell.com