Golden Hills Art Ministry

Welcome to the Audio Tour for Ecclesiastes: A Collection of Works. The artwork in this collection is created by individual artists in their chosen medium. Every piece is unique and personal to the artist, while the collection of artworks together tells the larger story of Ecclesiastes and the wisdom it holds for us today. There is much to ponder and discover within intentionally chosen brushstrokes, words, musical notes, and other expressive elements. As you look, listen, and contemplate these truths, may you find God’s timeless guidance for your own journey.

Light Show

Have you ever had that one thing in mind that you knew if you just had it, then you’d be happy?

Solomon literally had it all, and in Ecclesiastes counted it all as “hevel”- vapor, meaninglessness. He also says that God has put eternity in our hearts—a sense that there is more, something we are missing—and God’s gift is to eat and drink and take pleasure in all things.

“The Light Show” is God’s love reaching into our hearts through Jesus, to satisfy our search and bring meaning...

Chasing Shadows

Partly inspired by C.S. Lewis’ “The Great Divorce”, Chasing Shadows explores the idea of expecting the vapor of this world to satisfy an eternal longing for God. Punchy percussion and brutally honest lyrics invite both the listener and the performer into self-examination. Pop-inspired synthesizers, layered vocals, and rock guitars push toward the edge of “over-production”, mirroring our tendency to over-invest on finite things. The contrast between bright, energetic music and cynical lyrics builds toward an unexpected, triumphant conclusion: God’s glory is not a vapor.

Recorded and mixed in Logic Pro X using...

Mrs. Folly

Inspired by Ecclesiastes 2:11, Mrs. Folly explores the idea that her worth isn’t in her Wealth and status. In the portrait Mrs. Folly is surrounded by the color blue consuming her ability to be happy, Also surrounding her, the light of the sun and the flow of wind leading to the dove of his word. Mrs. Folly isn’t happy though she has what she wants, she had seen what she needed but wasn’t willing to stand up and grab it.

Everything and Nothing

Without God, you will never have true contentment, and you will be forever searching. Centered, a man stands hunched with his eyes fogged and hope lost. He is a prisoner to his life that surrounds him. He seems to have everything… a wife, child, wealth, power, a home, yet he is miserable - “Everything and Nothing.” As believers we know all those things that are said to fulfill us mean nothing without Jesus. As this man’s story blazons, you can have everything you hope for in life, but you will never have true contentm...

Nothing Satisfies

In this Art piece, it portrays a teenager in a chair, who is bored, tired, and unsatisfied, where everything around him in his room doesn’t matter to him. He has everything he could possibly want as a teen. He has all the latest technology, he has comics for his leisure, and he has the newest Lamborghini, but he feels empty inside. In the first chapter of Ecclesiastes, king Solomon says in many ways how everything is vanity. In Ecclesiastes 1:2 it says “vanity of vanities, says the preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity,” but in the...

Gold For The Belly, Folly For The Heart

An emaciated king looks up at the viewer, clutching his tattered robe. Everything that surrounds him is known but unclear. There is a feast uneaten, gold unspent, and wisdom unknown. The lack of line work evokes a sense of impermanence in his surroundings. The contrast between his detailed body and the undefined background cements the idea that these things cannot ultimately satisfy. He looks up; will there ever be something more than gold for the belly and folly in his heart?

Out of the Darkness

I chose this style of art because of the rich colors and how deeply the emotion could be captured due to color schemas.

Reverence

The mango-yellow backdrop evokes truth, hope, and the call to fear God. Some may conceive light breaking apart darkness or a tomb. A fading sun-like feature recalls the Preacher’s refrain that all beneath the sun is vanity. To the right, forms may suggest endless labor, cultivated fields, and water vanishing into the air—echoes of humanity’s striving apart from God. Eternal truth contrasts with worldly ambition. The woven net symbolizes our longing to capture what forever slips away. Imagine and discover your own interpretations. Enjoy today.

Under the Sun

This illustration is pretty simple and speaks for itself; a man tilling soil with a rod under the sun. What is unique about this piece is that the words of Solomon are being illustrated by four faces of his ancestors 3,000 years later.

Listening

This is a page from my sketchbook, the result of contented hours of sketching while listening to audiobooks for our study of Ecclesiastes. Evidence of the creativity always bubbling below the surface. Drawing flowers, not from reference but from memory and imagination. Created by the drag of a pencil against the texture of paper. Thinking how we are always operating under the distortion of personal perspective and often persistent waves of external pressures. Then there are the flowers—just being, whether in bloom or in decline.

Up in Smoke

Ecclesiastes 12:14 – one verse is all it took to summarize this books’ message. I know there are more messages in this wonderful text. Still, I am weary of textbook knowledge and wondered about my heart. What do I really know of God? This 18x24 piece is made with paint and fabric. It is so inadequate to the story I want to share. All I know is that God is on one side of the divide and I am on the other. I am a weary, gathering fool with no claim except Jesus. For this I prai...

An Endless Cycle

Inspired by Ecclesiastes 1:1-11, this piece was created to reflect the emptiness of riches and war, and how all people seem to want “more time” most of all because everything around us is fleeting. The ships above demonstrate the war of flesh against spirit, with the faint glow of the masks creating 3 crosses behind the right ship, and the sail represents the veil being torn for us to be in God’s presence through Jesus Christ; whilst the shark beneath seeks to devour and destroy as the enemy.

A Time to be Benevolent

This piece was created in reference to Ecclesiastes chapter 3. For my musical pieces I like to create a music score for the passage in The Bible that we have been currently studying. In my years of school I studied film composition so I love to create music that you would hear in a film. In this piece I created it based off of the words from the passage of Ecclesiastes 3, which includes, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a...

Time

We all feel the endless pull of time. Our lives are shaped by clocks, calendars, deadlines, and the longing for play and rest. Ecclesiastes names this tension and reminds us that nothing in this world can truly satisfy, that it is all absurdity. Yet in Christ, the struggle is transformed. We no longer have to be enough, or strive for enough, because He is enough. He is making all things beautiful in His time, freeing us to receive life as His gift. This piece reflects the tension between striving and resting, reminding us to enjoy all...

The Honor of Kings

Have you seen meaning in the murmuring of the birds? Have you heard the whisper of truth in the flutter of their wings?

The search for wisdom in a fleeting world is like grasping at meaning in the chaos of birds in flight. Wisdom is vanity without control, and there is no controlling the wind. And yet, there is order in the midst of chaos, order in the flight of the birds synchronized with harmonies carried on the wind. There is order and meaning, but control is only divine.

Teach Me Your Ways Lord

This song communicates the active struggle of a Christian who constantly strives to do better and trust in their own strength, yet God invites us to become weak and find our strength in surrendering to Him. The striving becomes vain when it leads worldly pleasures, where Ecclesiastes gives wisdom and direction to fear the Lord, obey his commands, and please Him alone. "Teach Me Your Ways Lord" is a song of surrender and asking the Lord for his help in teaching us how to fear Him.

Lyrics:

Our Toil, His Sun

The strawberries in my yard are more dead than alive. I thought that if I did enough research, bought the right soil, and watered them often, they would grow, but that wasn’t the case. Humans almost always try to control the outcome of our work. “If I just try harder” or “if I just put in more time” are things we might think because we think our efforts are what sprout the fruit. Without full reliance on the Lord, all we really can manage are some rotten berries in the planter boxes we build...

A Season of Stillness

Ecclesiastes reminds us that “there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” This piece reflects the importance of recognizing the different seasons of life and finding meaning within each moment. The calm lake, distant mountains, and isolated figure in the canoe all add onto this peaceful landscape, reminding us to appreciate the beauty of God’s creations. Often, moments like these go unnoticed or are taken for granted because we become consumed by the distractions and demands of everyday life. The figure also represents each of us as...

Feasting

Small Bites to Nourish and Delight.

Beauty in Stages

The juxtaposition between beautiful, living blooms, and crumbling, spent flowers portray the finite lives we have on Earth. Living and dying happen simultaneously and beauty can be found in all stages of life. Happiness and fulfillment come from embracing the good and the bad, because ultimately all is for God’s glory, therefore beautiful.

The Journey

The large mountain in the background represents something bigger than himself, while the brick wall is the division between that and his life. The two sets of footprints symbolize that you are only remembered for as long as you are here. Lastly, the red string being the tether to his life.

The Journey

A woman walks down the street; the weight of her backpack presses down on her shoulders while she travels alone. She is framed by family members taking a leisurely walk, the wind and sun at their backs. The nature of the film invites a warmth to the photo. An image captured while trying to compose and continue forward leaves less in focus than desired, but such is the pace of life. There is joy found in the enjoyment of the riches God has provided and gratefulness for the perspective that is enjoyed through this frame...

Wanderer

We won't be able to answer every question we have for God on this side of heaven. God's working and purposes are simply too complex to always understand the whys of all his doings. This can leave us to despair at times, and lament in our hardships and trials rather than rejoice. This is often due to the fact that, more often than not, finding purpose and meaning in our circumstances is what spurs us onwards. But when life is 'meaningless' and 'all is vanity' what is left to compel us to continue on? The writer...

Walk with Jesus

In my art piece, I drew my walk with Jesus, which began when I was a young girl at a clearing in the forest. It was a beautiful experience and I had no idea the paths that my life was about to take.

I have traveled down many roads in my life, crooked they were, and it has taken many turns.

Like in Ecclesiastes 1:15

My drawing represents the gifts we receive from God. We try as Christians, to follow the 10 Commandnents, but human we are, so stumble we...

Guiding Tides of Eternal

This Watercolor scene reflects Ecclesiastes, where temporal life meets eternity. The setting sun and sandcastle symbolize earthly impermanence, while the foraging sandpipers and playful seals represent life’s steady rhythms and companionship. The distant lighthouse and illuminated cross offer guidance, as the boat carries her beloved dog Kylie to a peaceful shore.

Fill Me With Your Peace

This song deals with circumstances that are difficult to understand – as is often the case in the book of Ecclesiastes. As one attempts to make sense of different events or situations, it’s comforting to reflect on the understanding that God is in control of all the different seasons of our lives. Also of importance is to take time to appreciate and enjoy the simple pleasures that are before us each day, especially during periods of struggle. And, through it all, we consider Paul’s prayer in Romans that, as we trust in God...

Follow

In regards to the theme Ecclesiastes, the overall purpose of the artwork is to represent the main lesson of the book, which is to fear the Lord and follow his word. The shepherd and the sheep are meant to symbolize this main lesson, with the composition pointing directly at the shepherd. The ruins that surround them symbolizes vanity and how worldly glory doesn’t last forever. Overall, the simplified painted details of the artwork is meant to convey a storybook like quality, and connect itself to Ecclesiastes.

A Time to Live

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1.

The focus of this piece is how Jesus, the Tree of Life, works with purpose through a man’s life. Through times of joy and hardship, Jesus softens a man’s heart, gives him wisdom and understanding, and opens his eyes to see His light. When Jesus calls out to a man, He breaks the bond that keeps the man from hearing His voice and following His Way. This painting reflects a man’s life at the...

The Creator’s Handiwork

Ecclesiastes 1:4-5 contrasts the brevity of human life with the steady, enduring rhythms of creation. Set against the Grand Canyon, the meaning becomes both visible and deeply spiritual:

Human Transience: The canyon has watched civilizations rise and fall. Against its ancient history, human life appears brief, a moment within a far greater timeline.

The Enduring Earth: Its layered rock gives physical form to the words “the earth remains forever,” presenting creation as lasting, steady, and vast.

Creation’s Rhythm: Sunrise and sunset over the canyon echo verse 5, remindin...

Cascade of Hope

Vellum Bristol Art paper, KIT PIPI Graphite Pencils, framed in Oak. (4H, 3B), Castle Arts Performing Touch Color Pencils | 11” X 17”

The variety of images in this piece capture the scriptures in the book of Peter through Karen’s eyes, and how she sees them after hearing them preached at Golden Hills. In 1 Peter, we can see the incredible amount of work that Jesus has done for us and how the struggles that we all face in life can become a pure testament to His amazing existence in each of our lives. The main p...

The Lion that Seeks to Devour

Digital on photo paper | 24” x 54”

Taking pictures of 3 people in history; fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie and Ethiopian English professor, Asfaw Malaku.

I “shredded” each person, rearranging their “digital DNA”, and created a distinct new pattern for each person. I then took that pattern and created a symbol that represented each person’s life.

Mussolini is depicted as the “Devil who prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” I Peter 5:8 Haile Selassie is depicted by a Coptic cross, as he was widely k...

Shadows

Oil on canvas | 30"x40"

In 1 Peter 5, the devil is described as a prowling lion, seeking to devour. The danger of a lion is obvious, but what if the lion is the kitten that you’ve raised, not recognizing it for a lion until it’s too late? It is easier to resist an enemy that declares itself your enemy. Do you know what danger looks like? In the garden, Eve had a choice. To eat the forbidden fruit or not. We have that same choice every day. To resist the devil or not. It is t...

The Journey To...

Acrylic on canvas

“The Journey to…” is my piece to reflect on 1 Peter. Through acrylic paints, I really wanted to capture God beauty throughout the world. The people at the bottom of the painting, are those who choose their own path and not the path of the Lord. The ones who are walking to the cross, are those who choose to follow the Lord. Our journey as believers, is to look much different than those who are self reliant. I have much symbolism in my painting. One of which I was able to inc...

Resist.

Acrylic on canvas | 11” x 14”

Throughout the book of Peter, God calls us not to conform to our former evil desires, but instead to live wholly for Him. The four dark shadows crawling from behind symbolize the undesired evil company that so often linger in our lives. Turning away from those sinful desires that tempt each of us may not be easy. Yet, seeing that gleaming light above is a reminder that through God’s mercy, we have been born again. Therefore, it is vital to place our full trust in Him and seek to glorif...

The Path of an Exile

Digital | 8"x10"

A man has been freed from his shackles and looks out at the bright morning sun. However, he is notably separated from the procession of men who march northward, all of whom are masked in shadow. Rendered in gouache and fresco-style brushes, the rolling hills and winding path evoke a graphic sense of texture. While rays of sunlight streak across the scene, providing an impressionist quality that amplifies the contrast between freedom and the alienation of an exile.

Into His Marvelous Light

Watercolor, Gouache, & Watercolor Pencil | 15.75” x 29.75”

The inspiration for my piece was 1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Life on earth is full of dark moments, shadows, trials and difficulties. We struggle with each other, we struggle with our selves, and we struggle with God. God calls us out of this darkness into fellowship with Him. Only when we seek Christ our Saviour...

The Holy Priesthood

Acrylic on canvas | 36” x 24”

In the center of the painting, there is a small stone house (the holy priesthood) with its door open. Inside the house, you see two stone figures (living stones). One, shining with light, is washing the other man’s feet.

Outside the house, there are four more living stones. On the left, a man is gently wiping away a woman’s tears. On the right, a woman is feeding soup to a sick man. They are grounded in their faith, making them like stones, but alive because...

Campfire Conversations

Acrylic on canvas | 14” x 11”

I Peter writes about us being living stones built together into a spiritual house through Jesus. Using my familiar animals I paint with I was inspired to paint a scene with them discussing this scripture. I enjoyed painting the darks and lights caused by the campfire. It was also fun bringing in the personalities of Sully the frog and Ginger the hedgehog. Can you hear the crackling of the fire? The giggles from the gleaming eyes spying in the background? The mouse not sure what to think of Sully’s outb...

The Art of Food - Roman interpretation

Edible Loveliness

Ancient Roman Food is perhaps more familiar than we might think. In the Apicus, the oldest recorded Cookbook, we find many things we enjoy today, fruits and vegetables, stews, bread and so forth. Now there were some items that we don’t so much see today - like stuffed door mice and roasted flamingos. It is no doubt within the context of Peter’s ministry within the Roman Empire that being raised in Jewish culture and tradition that eating with Gentiles was certainly a challenge. In Acts...