Featured Artist: Marvin Harrell | Further Up, Further In!
Few people in my life have called me upwards into AWE like my friend and brother Marvin Harrell! He’s a visual artist across multiple mediums, with the soul of a poet, and the calling of a guide. You’ll see what I’m talking about when you see how he answered my interview question, below.
Marvin calls people upward. Marvin seeks to enter into worship and awe through contemplation and creativity. Marvin has had beautiful and sublime visions and dreams of friendship and intimacy with the Savior. Marvin is a humble, gentle man with a secret smile and a ready word of encouragement for all who need it. He has such a clear calling on his life, and I speak from experience of the worshipful awe that flows from his heart.
When we talked prior to the release of this article, we talked for over an hour. In that time, the veil between heaven and earth seemed thinner to me, like we were breathing the crip air upon the mountain top. We talked of Aslan, and artistic movements, and the riding of stallions with Jesus across wide open plains at full speed, seeing the Lamb erupt into wild laughter. We talked of “Further Up, Further In” and the journey to run into the adventure and glory of the endless exploration of an endless God.
Here’s one of his pieces!
Psalm 116:3-4
Marvin told me the following piece is based on Psalm 116:3-4:
The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”
Couldn’t take my eyes off this when he sent it to me. So beautiful. The hand of the Savior coming down into the waves, beneath which I lie, trapped, surrounded in seaweed, bound with ropes.
And as I look at this, I remember that He always comes for me. Because this is who He is, rescuer, Father, lover, the hands and fingers of the light.
Reminds of me this song by Cory Asbury:
Interview Question for the Artist
Tongues Afire: Marvin, where do you find the most awe?
Marvin: I find awe in the quiet and alone places. When I pull away from what seems to be designed to distract, meaning the moment I open my eyes in the morning to the moment, I close them at night, finding that space to look upon the Invisible One often results in seeing something a different way. Ever since I started working as a contractor, I have been afforded the wonderful opportunities to devote one day a month to get out of my HSP-focused world, and purposefully stifle my intake to receive from the Lord a concept or an image on which to focus. That may sometimes result in an image like the ones I provided. Or it might result in a photo of a silent and still place that carries a deep reminder of that moment, I was encountered by God and the busy world seemed to fade away. One of my favorite hymns is “turn your eyes upon Jesus” which has a lyric that says, “and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.“ I can’t think of a better description of awe. It’s the place where heaven kisses earth and where we are made fully awake to our maker and all that he has made seems to take on his glory for a moment and shine with its intrinsic and embedded being that is responding to its maker. I could go on and on, brother. When it comes to those beautiful moments that fill my journals and my sketchbooks I go all “wish-washy” thinking about the love of God that, in a small way, is manifest through something he has made. And Awe is the result.
Contact
Get in touch with Marvin!
Marvin’s Profile
Website
harrelldesign.com (Company)