Artist bio

I have taken on the challenge, perhaps foolishly, to try to make the indescribable beauty of the inner world visible in this world. I was raised a proselytizing atheist, but 20 years ago a series of powerful experiences radically changed my life. Ever since then my main goal in my life has been to get closer to God and to let His Glory be seen. This road had taken many forms, from the visual arts to becoming a hospital chaplain. Ten years ago I began making spiritual fountains. My hope is that by working with the dance of light and water I could make a gesture that would remind people of the profound dimension that resides within all of us.

Title

The Fires of My Heart

Medium/Genre

Photography

Artist Statement

I am ever stepping deeper into the fires of my heart. Hoping that these fierce fires can burn through me, opening me up to Christ within. This purification of my heart happens deep within me, far from view. To bring this work to the realm of the human eye; I worked with water, the great purifier, in the form of an expressive fountain I made. The image I am submitting, The Fires of the Heart, is a photograph of that fountain and attempts to express the drama within:

The fuel of these fires is my own darkness; my darkness that obscures Your Beauty. Every anger, every jealousy, every tragic sadness and woe I have felt is reborn in this fire. Alive again with the pain that first gave it birth, I feel the sharp bite all over again. But this time I strive to hold the suffering in the gentle embrace of the Love of Christ. Often I fail. Often I am consumed again. But when I stand up and step forward, Your Mercy is always there for me. Your profound Heart is there to hold me, to heal me, and transform my darkness into Your Light.

How it fits into contest

My journey to connect to the Spirit of Christ led me into the most terrifying wilderness of all, the wilderness of myself. This strange landscape was full of terror and beauty. Both, at times, almost too great to bear. The photograph I am submitting is a snapshot from this land of fire and redemption. A land that held my deepest pain and fears but also a shimmering path through them if I was courageous enough to venture forward. But this was no ordinary courage, but one borne of my vision of Christ. Only the power of this perfect Love gave me the strength to step into the fire. Only faith in this Love gave me the will to surrender to the flames. Only His Mercy gave me belief that I would emerge transformed and healed.

How to Purchase this Artwork

Please contact me at winternitzpaul@gmail.com.

This print can be made in various sizes so the price may vary.

Other Goods & Services Available from this Artist

I make spiritual fountains that attempt make the feeling and the power of The Love visible.

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