Psalm 46

ARTIST STATEMENT: KATIE CRAFT
There is nowhere I feel the presence of God more than admiring a
large body of water, whether that is with my feet in the ocean,
staring at the lakes nestled within the Blue Ridge Mountains, or
floating down a river in a kayak. Something about the beauty and
depth of water truly makes me feel the power and peace of
God.

With this piece, I strove to visually represent the contrasts
that are illustrated in Psalm 46.
In this Psalm, there is a clear distinction between the chaos of
the roaring seas and the stillness of the river “whose streams
make glad the city of God.” The painting on the right shows the
destructive chaos of the surging waters and the painting on the
left represents the stillness that comes with knowing God. The
paintings are mounted on a board that was burned with a blow
torch, beaten, and scraped on the right side and then very gently
sanded on the left side. The paintings are torn in such a way as
to reveal the cross in the negative space, recognizing God as the
true division between chaos and stillness.

In my own life, Psalm 46 truly gives me peace in times of high
anxiety (something I’ve always struggled with). Because,
honestly, sometimes it does feel like the “mountains are falling
into the depths of the sea” when life gets overwhelming. This
psalm reminds me to Be Still and Know that the creator of the
universe loves me and has me in the palm of his hand.