When I look at Orion—my favorite constellation—I often wonder how it never changes, how it remains fixed in place as if held by an unseen hand. That simple question led me to a deeper reflection on God as Creator, a title many of us claim to understand but rarely explore in depth.
As I began studying God’s works, I realized that the title “Creator” extends far beyond the seven days of Genesis. Christians often recite or read the creation account without truly considering how those initial acts continue to shape the way we express ourselves, especially as artists.
God’s canvas was not cotton, flax, or linen; His medium was the void itself. His brush was His Word, and from that Word everything came into being. From the skies to the seas, God designed with purpose, and that same divine design echoes in our human creativity today.
Introduction and Purpose
This series explores God as Creator and the full scope of what that title means. My initial realization came when I tried to grasp how God’s works have influenced society, art, and culture throughout history. Most Christians understand that God created everything, and many have read Genesis 1 and followed the seven days. We hear the story countless times, yet do we truly see how important those works are, and how they still impact us as artists today?
God ordered temples to be built, the Ark of the Covenant to be constructed with precise measurements and materials, and even designed the rainbow Himself. The Bible itself, with each book interwoven, is a timeless masterpiece authored by God. From the tablets of the Ten Commandments to the plan of salvation, God was meticulous in His direction. In this series, we will examine God’s creative acts—from Genesis through to Jesus’ resurrection and Revelation—to see how humans have drawn from them in our own creations.
We begin at the beginning.
Genesis and the First Creations
Genesis 1:1–8 lays the foundation. In the opening verses, God creates the heavens and the earth, then brings forth light and separates it from darkness, calling the light “Day” and the darkness “Night” (Genesis 1:3–5). Next, He makes a firmament (heaven) in the midst of the waters, dividing the waters below from the waters above (Genesis 1:6–8).
In these few verses, God establishes core elements: light, darkness, water, earth, and heaven. These are not only the foundations of physical reality but also the building blocks of visual and design language.
Artistic Inspiration From Creation
Every human act of creation borrows from what we observe in God’s world. Young children in their first art classes paint basic scenes: a house with a sky above and grass or ground below. Some place the home under a night sky, others add stars, a rainbow, or water. These elements—sky, stars, moon, sea, grass—are among the first creations artists study. Light and darkness, contrast, and white space are fundamental principles we practice in drawing, painting, and sculpting.
We cannot create from nothing. We are inspired by what we see and touch. While many take these elements for granted, it is important to recognize they were given by God. We did not invent light and darkness, water and earth, or the contrast between them.
In the same way artists today are influenced by Michelangelo or contemporary designers like David Airey, it is humbling to accept that even they were ultimately inspired by God’s original design. His voice and Word created what we copy, trace, and capture on film.
Revelation Imagery
In Revelation 1, John describes a vision of Jesus using familiar earthly materials. After hearing a voice, John turns to see seven golden lampstands and, in their midst, One “like the Son of Man” clothed in a long garment with a golden band across His chest. His eyes were like a flame of fire, His feet like fine brass refined in a furnace, His voice like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, from His mouth came a two-edged sword, and His face shone like the sun in its strength (Revelation 1:12–16).
Notably, until the sword is mentioned, John uses fire, gold, brass, and water—materials common to humanity across every era. Fire (a gas), brass (a metal alloy), water (the source of life), and gold (a precious metal reserved for royalty) evoke light, earth, water, and divine value. God chose these accessible, tangible descriptors so any reader, in any time period, could visualize the divine majesty. The Bible proves time and again that God is intentional; His works are deliberate and purposeful. He clothed Jesus in His own creation and described Him using elements from it. He could have used unknown terms or heavenly materials beyond our grasp, but He chose not to. God created with us—His audience—in mind, using what we can see and touch to reveal His Son.
Application to Modern Artists
Artists create within the boundaries of God’s realm. Every medium—earth pigments, metals, fibers, light—originates from His creation. When we shape clay, stretch canvas, or manipulate light, we are using what He first designed. In that sense, every artist collaborates with the Creator, whether they acknowledge it or not.
Historical and Contemporary Examples
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling (1508–1512) directly translates Genesis 1 into visual form. In “Separation of Light from Darkness,” he captures the same divine act described in the verses above, bridging scripture and Renaissance art.
Centuries later, contemporary artist Sarit Dekundy continues this lineage. Her 2023 acrylic painting Genesis: Separation – Light from Darkness abstracts the same moment: a dark, pointed mountain form contrasts with a bright triangular light above it, evoking duality, space, and the origin of illumination. Though her approach draws from a Kabbalistic perspective, the imagery remains anchored in Genesis 1—showing that the biblical creation narrative still inspires abstract expression today.
From Renaissance ceilings to 21st-century canvases, artists across time reinterpret the same divine origin story.
Scope of the Series
This series will explore God’s creative works chronologically, tracing how His Word and design have shaped artistic vision throughout history. The focus will remain on direct scriptural influence rather than generalized creation, aiming to show how divine inspiration continues to inform art, culture, and beauty in the modern world.
In no way will I preach to my audience. Instead, I will show—with His Word and His creation—how we have been influenced by Him, whether we believe in Him, His Son, or not.