The Shield of Love is a visual representation of the time when I witnessed God setting my friend free from addiction and depression. The Shield of Love depicts three main aspects of what happened to my friend.

Firstly, the art piece strongly pulls from Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” This is shown in the dark red cobwebs that trace the shield, which portray the devil’s evil plans. Secondly, the house on the right side represents that even under darkness, God sees you and deeply cares for you. Thirdly, pulling from Ephesians 6:15, “With your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace,” the shoelaces woven in with the blue ribbon represent the peace that Jesus offers us - that washes over us in our darkest times. Moreover, the shield depicts the power of the full armor in God’s writing throughout the whole passage of Ephesians 6:10-20. While the lush green plants on the bottom of the shield draw cross-reference to the importance for Christians to put on the armor of God, so they are able to fulfill the passage in Matthew 9:37, when Jesus stated, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”.

My deepest hope is that this body of work will inspire viewers to lean into an overflowing and life-giving relationship with God and that the love they receive from the Father will overflow into the lives of others.

In 2016 I moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland, where I found a calling to work with young adults experiencing addiction and homelessness. Every Friday, some of my friends from church, and I would pray for the homeless community and check up on each person. One day, my friend received a vision of a dark red cobweb lacing the skyline between the buildings in the city center. As we prayed for understanding of the vision, we felt the Holy Spirit reveal that the cobweb was the devil’s evil plan for my friends on the street, but that through God’s power, the darkness would melt in the light of God's glory and truth.

As we walked through the streets that day, we ran into a young man who had been on the streets for years. He was extremely depressed and down on this day. Earlier that week, I had prayed for my street friends and I felt God encourage me to remind them that in the face of addiction and hardship, God saw them as mighty warriors and that I should encourage them to put on the armor of God (described in Ephesians 6:10-17). Furthermore, to remind my street friends of this, I got coins with a little detailed image on them and the words of the scripture.

That day, when I handed my friend the coin, the darkness instantly lifted from his face and happiness overfilled him. This was a visual representation of seeing the dark cobwebs in his mind dissolve. As he looked straight into my eyes and said, “Thank you,” and explained that the coin was the most valuable thing he had ever received in his life. Value rushed back through his veins and at once; he expressed that he understood the love I spoke of when I had told him, in the past, how much God loved him.

This project is a capsule of that amazing moment. When our team first got a vision of dark red cobwebs. Then seeing the Lord used his word to speak purpose and value back into the young man’s life.

Cost of Piece: $150
Please email: calies.creative.spaces@gmail.com for purchasing information

I teach private pottery classes in Ouray and Telluride Colorado, please call 970-275-3127 for more information
I am also fulfilling orders for mugs to local stores and coffee shops. To make an order please email calies.creative.spaces@gmail.com