Recent work from studiocrenshaw. Hope you enjoy!

Spring 2015

"Walking in Memphis"

Painted for Jason and Brandi Holbrook as a gift for their time in Memphis. The painting is of St. Peter's Catholic Church where they worshipped while in Memphis. They walked with Our Lord so well in Memphis, thus how the title was born.

"New Life"

This piece was painted for Doyle and Lisa Baker. Lisa is battling cancer and was a surprise gift from her sweet husband Doyle. The painting captures the vibrant spring colors showing new life and weaves in a church in the background to represent our new life through Christ. The blooms on the tree also are "breast cancer pink" to represent Lisa battling so well. 

"1+1=1"

This piece was painted for Will and Katrina Moore for their wedding anniversary. It is the chapel at Bonn Terre in Nesbit MS where they were married. It is painted on pine and constructed to resemble the chapel door at Bonn Terre. The title "1+1=1" is a phrase I often use when counseling couples in their pre-marital sessions. It has blessed Erin and I in our marriage even 13 years later to remember that God has created 1 new entity in marriage. The color scheme was chosen to match their new living room decor and to reflect the time of year (May) in which they were married.

Recent Work

Some new paintings from 2014…I will update with stories later. A couple of the final two are for sale. Please email me to inquire about purchase or commissions at bcrenshaw@fellowshipmemphis.org

"Untitled"

"Legacy of Grace"

"Nativity Tree"

"10 Minutes To Swim"

"Chapel at Seaside"

"Covered"

"For Brooklyn"

"Untitled"

Promises

This is a recent painting I did for Robert and Courtney Frazee's anniversary. It is titled "Promises". It was good for me to reflect on the promise of marriage to my bride, Erin while I painted this. For the Frazee's it has much symbolism. Working left to right, the fence is broken which symbolizes Courtney's experience growing up in a home where her parents divorced. The church is symbolic of the Gospel in her and Robert's life and also points back to their wedding day. The tree to the right is one tree with two main branches symbolizing the two of them becoming "one". The swing on the branch symbolizes their children. The greenish flower buds on the tree symbolize the new family created in marriage. My prayer for the Frazee's is that their marriage and the "promises" they made on their wedding day will continue to be a picture of the Gospel for their family and those around them even through future generations of Frazee's.

"Promises"

Increase

"Increase"

This past May, I was commissioned to do a painting for Robert and Courtney Frazee. Courtney wanted to surprise Robert with a gift, as he was launching into a new business with his father. Many times I have driven past one of these irrigation systems and have always wanted to paint one. I felt this would capture the faith and hard work of a business start up. The painting's title is based on 

1 Corinthians 3:6 "I (Paul) planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase". Whether in finance, vocational ministry, motherhood, or farming, we are called to be faithful planters and waterers. After doing that, we must rely on God to provide the increase. Sometimes the increase does not come, other times it comes in immeasurable amounts . Nevertheless, we are called to be faithful in our planting and watering. My prayer for The Frazee's is for faithfulness in the planting and watering. I also pray this painting will serve as a reminder of that call. May God provide the increase.

This painting is approx 30x40 and painted with acrylic. The desire was to capture a morning scene in mid summer. The irrigation system has a silhouette feel to it and the green areas on the ground represent new growth. One great outcome of this was that the road and barns in the background, reminded Robert of times growing up when he and his father would go hunting. I did not intend to capture that, but was something unique that God built into the painting for Robert. Thank you Frazee's for the opportunity to paint this!

Seeking Shalom

Shalom is a word often translated as "peace" in the Bible. It carries a deeper meaning though. More accurately it carries a meaning of things being made as they should be. A meaning of being made right. Isn't that what Easter is about? On a spiritual realm, things were made right? We cant always articulate Shalom, but we know it...at least glimpses of it. We see it in our kids hearts, in our spouse and community. We see it partially every Sunday at church. In certain moments and in people, we see a reflection of a coming day where every second will be perfect. This is what the Resurrection points us to. It provides hope and certainty that all will be made as it should be. A final, eternal shalom.

I recently painted this for the Geer family (pictured below). It is called "Seeking Shalom". It tethered me to the LORD deeper during this season of reflection on the resurrection. I am thankful to be a part of this special piece for their family.


                                                           

                                                              "Seeking Shalom"

"Rising Light"

This painting was done in the fall of 2012 for some dear friends (Ben and Aimee Parkinson). The Parkinson's recently moved to Little Rock and this was a gift from our church. We are so blessed by their friendship and time in Memphis.

The genesis of this painting began years ago with both of our families moving into the Binghampton neighborhood. The wood this is painted on is reclaimed wood found in Binghampton. The Title "Rising Light" comes from a verse in Isaiah 58:10 "if you pour out yourself for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted. then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday."

This passage in Isaiah 58 depicts the nation of Israel going through the motions of ritualistic fasting, but are far from pleasing God's heart with their actions. God then answers with what is pleasing to him... a true fast. The promises for shedding ritualistic fasting/worship and embracing true worship and fasting is laced throughout this passage.

The Parkinson's have been friends who have always embodied this pure heart towards loving the least of these. They have truly poured themselves out here in Memphis and in the Binghampton community. My prayer for them as I painted this was for their light to rise and be evident to all who experienced them here and for those who will meet them in Little Rock.

The colors were selected to 1) match Aimee's dinning room and 2) to portray an early morning sunrise breaking through to highlight a church. Hope you all enjoy this as we look to worship God not just in words but with pure deeds during this lenten season.