Image of the Week: Walking Into the Unknown
© D. Yael Bernhard
Here's one of my very first religious illustrations, done back in 1996. The publisher was attracted to my style as a children's book illustrator, and wanted a childlike feeling in the art. That was fine with me, as I was new to scripture, did not feel qualified to interpret the text, and wanted to keep the images simple. I ended up doing hundreds of illustrations for this and one other Christian publisher over the course of almost thirty years. I cannot recall what Biblical passage is depicted here – only that it was something about walking with faith into the unknown. That's exactly what I was doing by accepting this assignment. I had faith as an artist, and some ideas of how to express the stories of ancient spiritual literature – but no map to follow in setting out across this unfamiliar landscape.
I often experience the creative process as a passage through a series of rooms. With no idea how I will resolve a painting, I open the door in front of me and step into the first room, where I only know how to begin. I do whatever I can there, perhaps just one step, such as laying down a background color. By the time I've crossed this room, I know what I need to do in the next one – but not the one after that. What keeps drawing me forward, door after door, is the original vision of the painting – in this case, that of a carefree traveler passing through a similar series of portals. Only as we cross an unknown space does it become known to us, and reveal the next one. Like this pointed archway with no substance, these openings cut through our awareness when we're ready to see them.
The passage of time is challenging to convey in a single image, so I relied on changing skies to get the message across here. Lord knows how I conjured the anatomy of the donkey – this was before I had access to the internet, so I probably made it up. Admittedly, hoofed animals have always been difficult – I'm painting a goat this week, and still struggle to get the legs right. I could have done a better job on the birds, too . . . but overall, this was a pretty good start for a young illustrator just setting out.
I was more like this happy wanderer back then, too. These days I find artistic and intellectual adventures much easier than physical travel. The illustration makes it look easy, suggesting a state of purity, innocence and wonder that is described in Christianity as "the Kingdom of Heaven."
The illustration also conveys a sense of times past – ancient or universal time – by way of the traveler's clothing, and the fact that s/he's traveling on foot. Few people wear long white robes these days, or travel with pack animals. My longing for simpler times, even if tinged with idealism, was sincere, and enabled me to build bridges between ancient and modern narratives. Many of my illustrations show both Biblical and contemporary scenes, and themes common to both. In this image, the journey into the Unknown is understood as a universally human experience.
If I did this illustration over again today, I'd give it more space. I'd make the clouds more suggestive, and reduce the stars to tiny pinpoints of light. The donkey would be larger, and walk beside the traveler. The territory before them would stretch further into the distance, and the unknown horizon ahead would be . . . well, I don't know what that would be like until I got there. Maybe I can learn something from my younger self, and set out with a casual upturned palm and a carefree heart, trusting that whatever lies over the blind rise ahead will be welcoming. I believe it was Ram Dass who defined faith as "walking to the edge of all you know, and taking one more step." Can such an edge be illustrated?
I might have to live that question, room by room, in order to find out. My hand is already on the first doorknob.
A good week to all –
D Yael Bernhard