Painting by hand

We were back in business today as the sun poked its head out and within a short time temperatures were rising. Work started in earnest on the image of St. John the Evangelist with group members painting the background on which Joel will lay the details.

There was no shortage of willing hands eager to leave their mark on the mural!

Whilst the group worked on the mural, Joel got going on the details of the timeline and one panel in particular which features four key local leaders.

Disaster strikes

It's not sunny every day in paradise and rain stopped play today on the first day of the painting phase of the project. We had to call off the morning session but a small beginning was made by a determined few late afternoon as the grey clouds started to clear.

An artist at work

After a few days' thought, Joel sketched out the mural today. It will have three sections. The outer two will show the City of God externally, the middle section will offer an internal view.

A large figure of St. John the Evaneglist will point to the vision of the City of God, the New Jerusalem, that he had whilst exiled on the island of Patmos.

Joel has narrowed the community's history to ten key moments or themes starting with the architect Guiseppe Badolato designing the City of God and the first residents arriving in 1966.

In the shade

Today saw the last day of the design phase of the mural and the group turned their hands to their own interpretation of the theme based on a week's research and conversation. Each person was asked to design a personalised version of the mural and their own selection of events for the timeline.

We'll now have a week's break whilst Joel works on the final designs and sketches them on the walls before the painting can begin!

Time travel

Local history forms a key part of the project this time around because the space where the new mural will be painted will also feature a timeline recounting the highlights of the City of God's 45-year story.

Today we sat down to look at photographs of the first residents arriving in the 1960s and with help from people who have lived in the community for more than four decades started to make a list of the key events and players.

It's all Greek to me

Fr. Nicholas took the group on a tour of the Book of Revelation today, the last book of the Bible from which the text for the mural has been taken. The mural will feature some key phrases in the original Greek: 'Behold, I am making all things new'.

Joel then led a workshop on abstract art and how different colours could be used to express different emotions.

By the end of the day we had our very own open air museum of contemporary art!

Face to face

Artist Joel Bergner took project members on a world tour of his artworks today. Joel, who is based in Washinton DC, explained how mural projects in Cape Verde and Poland had been conceived, designed and delivered.

Joel, who began his working life as a social worker, stressed that no matter what gifts we are born with we must practice if we want to improve. Every artist has to develop discipline and determination if they want to succeed.

Then Joel led a workshop on drawing a portrait, where to position the eyes, the nose, the ears and how to add shade and light. The participants then sketched the faces of their neighbours and shared which features they had found hardest to draw.

The ABC of Mural Art

Workshops began today as the 25 representatives of five community organizations set out to create a new community garden for the City of God.

Participants from 8 to 80 divided between morning and afternoon sessions and began by watching a presentation on mural art across the world.


















Artist Joel Bergner explained that the origins of mural art could be traced to cave paintings and that archaeologists had even found evidence of grafitti in Pompei. He brought the story bang up to date with the work of the London-based street artist Banksy.

Group members then split into two teams to play ´Pictionary´ to help them think about the importance of communication in art and design.

Fr. Nicholas said: ´´One of the most exciting things about this second phase of the project is that it is intergenerational. So as well as bringing five organizations to work together for the first time we are seeing young and old side by side.´´

I have a dream!

Five community organizations came together at the Church of Christ the King this morning to launch the second phase of the City of God Bible Art Mural Project.

The congregation joined together in a reading from the Book of Revelation describing St. John's vision of a new heaven and a new earth and the City of God to come, which will inspire the production of the mural.

In his sermon, Fr. Nicholas pointed out that, according to the Bible, humankind's final destiny would be a city where healthcare, lighting and clean water would be in plentiful supply and where there was no need for security. All very different from today's City of God.

Artist Joel Bergner then told the story of his past year and mural projects he had undertaken in Cape Verde and Poland before representatives of each of the participating organizations joined with him for a blessing.

After the celebration, many stayed for a community lunch in the church grounds before going home to prepare for the first day of workshops tomorrow.

New mural will be a revelation!

International mural artist Joel Bergner arrived back in the City of God this week for the second phase of the Parish of Christ the King's Bible Art Mural Project.

Last year, Joel joined forces with 25 teenagers from the local community to paint murals of the Garden of Eden and the Last Supper on the church's boundary walls.

This time round Joel, who has just completed a project in Poland, will be working with church members and representatives from four local organizations to produce a mural of the Book of Revelation's vision of the City of God and a timeline of key moments in the 45-year story of the neighbourhood that will form the backdrop to a new community garden.

The project launch takes place during Mass on Sunday, November 6 and will then be followed by a week of workshops on art and design.

Painting will begin later this month and it is hoped to finish the 'City of God Garden of Memory and Hope' in time for an official opening before Christmas.