We live in a world of constant motion and distraction. Our minds race from one thought to the next, rarely pausing to consider what truly matters. In this whirlwind of activity, our spiritual life often suffers. We forget the goodness of God, His grace toward us, and the depth of His love. This recognition sparked my creation of God portraits – digital art pieces designed to help believers strengthen their relationship with Jesus through daily visual reminders.
As an artist who has worked with some of the world's most recognized brands, I've witnessed firsthand the power of visual communication. Our brains process images exponentially faster than text, and visuals trigger emotional connections that words alone cannot achieve. What better application of this gift than creating art that draws people closer to their Creator?
The Heart Behind God Portraits
I've been creating art since I was five years old, but this particular expression began with my practice of combining artwork with Bible verses in video format. Over time, I recognized the profound impact these visual faith anchors had on my own spiritual journey. The concept for standalone God portraits emerged naturally from this foundation.
"We are definitely prone to forget God and all the good things He does for us," I reflected during the development of this collection. "We forget His grace towards us. We forget how much He loves us. A God portrait is there to remind you of all that."
This initiative isn't merely about creating beautiful religious art – it's about fostering moments of sacred pause in our hurried lives. As C.S. Lewis wisely noted, "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." These portraits aim to be that sunrise – illuminating not just themselves but everything around them.
Blending Traditional Faith with Modern Creation
My approach to creating these portraits begins with scripture and reflection. Rather than focusing only on historical artistic challenges of depicting the divine, I concentrate on what Christ means to me personally and how I can express that connection visually while at the same time considering biblical meaning. This process involves reflecting on scripture, gathering visual inspiration, and sitting with these elements until a concept forms clearly in my mind.
While my foundation is traditional artistic training, I've integrated modern tools like AI into my creative process. This technology allows me to combine various ideas and styles while developing my distinctive artistic voice. It's a great tool that enables immediate adjustments and refinements as the work progresses.
Some might question the use of modern technology for sacred art, but I see a beautiful parallel to historical periods like the Renaissance, when artists employed the most advanced techniques available to glorify God. God loves skillful worship, I believe, and my professional experience with major brands has helped sharpen my craft in service of this higher purpose.
Designed for Reflection, Not Consumption
I think in a world where we don't know ourselves and never really pause, this is a big key we're missing as humans. We are designed for God. Reflection and meditating on God is something we are built to do. These portraits aren't meant to be merely glanced at and forgotten – they're created as focal points for contemplation.
My standard for completion is unique: I make my art to be mesmerizing. Meaning if I don't want to constantly stare at it, then it's not finished. This approach runs counter to our culture of quick consumption, where most digital content is designed for scrolling rather than savoring.
The portraits intentionally encourage viewers to slow down, creating space for the Holy Spirit to speak. When everything in our world pushes for faster and more efficient communication, these art pieces stand as an invitation to the spiritual discipline of holy pause.
Portraying Divine Character
In creating these portraits, I've focused on several aspects of God's character and relationship with humanity. First and foremost is the profound love of Jesus and the closeness of his heart to us. I want viewers to sense how real His relationship with us is – not distant or theoretical, but intimate and personal.
I've also sought to capture how deeply God cares for us through ALL tribulation we experience. This divine compassion exists alongside His omnipotence despite the pain present in our world. The portraits additionally reflect His miraculous power over all matter on earth – a reminder that the God we worship is both intimately caring and cosmically powerful.
These visual representations serve as powerful reminders of truths we intellectually know but emotionally forget. They help us, as the psalmist wrote, to "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8) – engaging our senses in our spiritual formation.
Accessible Sacred Art
I chose the digital downloadable format for these portraits to make them widely accessible. This approach allows people to purchase them easily and print them either online or offline according to their preferences. In our digital age, people are accustomed to viewing and interacting with images online through social media and other platforms.
This format democratizes sacred art, making it available to anyone with internet access regardless of geographic location or economic situation. Unlike traditional physical artwork that might be prohibitively expensive or difficult to obtain, these digital portraits can instantly become part of someone's devotional space.
Looking Forward
I love to try as many different things as I can, I'm open to exploring various artistic styles, especially if particular approaches resonate strongly with viewers. I think in general the more things you explore, the more people types you can reach.
This creative flexibility reflects my deeper motivation: I definitely am desperate to reach as many people as I can for Christ through my art. The portraits aren't just aesthetic objects but spiritual tools with evangelistic purpose – visual sermons that speak without words.
At its core, this initiative flows naturally from my longstanding mission to create beauty and foster human flourishing through art. The core values were always about this because I always believed you cannot separate God from art. These God portraits represent not a new direction but a more direct expression of the spiritual foundation that has always informed my work.
These God portraits are now available for purchase as digital downloads on my website. I invite you to consider how these visual reminders might strengthen your own faith journey and create moments of sacred reflection in your daily life.
To buy my God portraits visit https://www.justintshockley.com/store1/god-portraits
