Original artwork description:

The Angel Michael (The Protector)

Michael is the Archangel of protection, his colour is scarlet, he is the angel of the South. He guides us through tough times and offers protection and gives us the courage we need to stand our ground. I started painting him after there was an uprising in reaction to the prejudice against black people. Michael also is a protector of the earth and so he helps us deal with environmental issues that are coming into focus. He offers us help during a crisis. This angel is known to be a clear communicator. Michael offers us courage in times of fear, justice where there is a lack. He is the patron of police officers, so I thought it was appropriate considering old paradigms of power were being questioned to bring in balance and justice in our society.
The model that I chose, Gregory Brent Courtney, who was one of the youngest and first black policemen working for the OPP in the Mount Forest area. He is very protective of his family and friends. His grandfather came to the area via the underground railroad when he was just a baby. Brent agreed with me that angels shouldn’t just be white men, that all humans have that potential of sacredness within them. In his career and life, he’s dealt with a lot of racism, and yet that has not stopped him from trying to make the world a better place. He was a foster parent, taking in children and offering them a home, he chose his life so he could be there for his wife and his children. When I last spoke to him, he was moving up north to live off the grid. From him I got this bold energy that spoke of kindness, justice, and compassion.

This is part of my Angels of Covid series.

Materials used:

oil paint, brushwork

Tags: