Nicola Hancock

Faith

What is my faith?
How do I find it?
What do I have faith in?
How on earth does faith link me to it?

It won't answer to my How? Why?
Why not!

Something I know to be essentially true, but I am blind as to why it should be so.
Something I will stand by forever.
Something I know only by its resonance within me.

To resonate, first I will have to sing with my purest song.
To resonate I will have to find somewhere that magnifies my purest song.

Before that I will have to hear my song.
Before that I will have to be willing to listen to it.
Before that I will have to let it stir.
Before that I will have to have courage.

Where do I start?
What do I do?
How do I do it?

Ok, what do I love?
Ok, where does my consciousness alight?
Ok, where does my desire land?

I know I love living in Chichester
I know I love walking on the Downs, cycling along the canal, cycling to the sea
I know I love walking round the walls with the furry black one, with the tall dark one
I know I love the Cathedral
I know I love sitting in the choir stalls
I know I love listening to the choir's song
I know I love Evensong as the pause now the day is over, night is drawing nigh, shadows of the evening steal across the sky
I know I love reaching the Best of Me, as it comes to life and carries on my voice

So! Sit in the choir stalls!
Listen to the choir's song!
In the service of Evensong!
In the Cathedral!
In Chichester!

5 months
4 concertina sketch books
80 pages in each
4 colours chosen to go between 5 fingers
Discipline
Devotion
Consciousness alighting
Desire landing

The Magnificat : St Luke 1
For He hath regarded the humility of His handmaiden
And He that is mighty hath magnified me

My voice stirred
I listened
I heard
My voice grew
I heard
I sang
My voice soared
I painted

2yrs
5 litres clay & oil based primer
10 tins alkaflow
5 litres titanium white
Umpteen tubes of colour
Patience
Determination
Perseverance

3 60 x 80 canvases coloured
3 60 x 80 canvases silent
3 4ft x 5ft canvases - 2 ongoing still

Faith