Howdy everyone. I'm not sure if anyone will actually read this blog entry, but I wanted to make sure as many people as possible knew about this project that Community Comics is doing.
Has been doing, I should say.
For a while now.
It's called SELAH: The Psalms Project.
It's pretty simple and straight forward. Artists are encouraged to choose a Psalm. And then illustrate it.
Here's some GREAT examples of what we are looking for:
http://communitycomics.com/selah_psalm04_hb_c.html
http://communitycomics.com/selah_psalm23a_dr.html
http://communitycomics.com/selah_psalm91_lh_1.html
http://communitycomics.com/selah_psalm124_rw_1.html
And here's a NOT as SKILLFUL example of what we're looking for:
http://communitycomics.com/selah_psalm40a_ba.html
Cute, huh?
Here's the deal -- the four examples I gave above come from some AMAZING artists. The final example comes from a NOT AMAZING artist.
Doesn't matter.
For this project, what matters is the heart more than the art.
For me, I drew that Psalm 40 when I was going through a very difficult time in my life. Rather, I was just coming out of one. The panel where the hand has lifted the shaggy guy halfway out of the mud -- that's where I was in my life. And drawing that comic, I was able to look back at where I was and look forward to the promise of what was to come.
The challenge is for you to find a Psalm that connects with you. And then illustrate that connection.
Now, it doesn't have to be a full length, multi-page comic. Hale's Psalm 4 came with a cover! But here's a couple others:
http://communitycomics.com/selah_psalm61_rs.html
http://communitycomics.com/selah_psalm24_jm.html
http://communitycomics.com/selah_psalm08_jc.html
These are all single panel or "fine art" pieces. And they are just as welcome. They are works of art inspired by the Psalms.
The main idea is that I want this to be a corporate act of worship. Comic book worship. Straight from the Psalms. Why should musicians get all the fun!?! They get to write songs and sing the Psalms! This is the artistic version of that.
The only limitations:
1) Be real.
2) Use the Psalm as the primary text. See the for "AMAZING" examples above. Also see this one:
http://communitycomics.com/selah_psalm150_dw.html
3) Don't worry about format. Do what comes natural.
4) Don't worry about doing a Psalm someone else has already done.
5) Let yourself use this opportunity to worship our Lord in your art. Some of you already do this all the time, other of you find yourself struggling to do that. Whatever camp you fall in, use this opportunity.
So what are we going to do with this?
Well, there's a few different things.
First, the creation of a web database. I'd love to see it cover ALL 150 Psalms, some of them with multiple versions!
Second, when a significant number of Psalms have been collected, there will be a print version that Community Comics will publish. (The print version is going to be square -- so that both horizontal and vertical pages can be presented full size -- they'll just have borders. Works of "fine art" will be published with the relevant text, to give context.) (This also means hang on to print quality copies of the art!)
For more information, check out the official website here:
http://communitycomics.com/cc_selah.html
Psalm 34:3. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
~ Ben Avery
Comments
I want to try this Selah project. Thank you for the invitation