Divine Encounters
by Douglas G. Campbell
My work often explores the tension between the sacred and humanity; these pieces draw from Christian scripture to reflect on divine encounter, spiritual struggle, and the unseen realities that shape our lives.
Be Not Afraid, 1996. Acrylic on canvas. 26 x 32 inches.
In Be Not Afraid, I explore the sacred moment when the archangel Gabriel appears to Mary with the announcement that she will bear the Son of God. Mary’s vulnerability is central to this piece—not as weakness, but as a threshold through which faith enters. The title echoes Gabriel’s words, “Do not be afraid,” a recurring assurance throughout scripture. Mary’s posture mirrors our own—faced with unknowns, confronted by a purpose greater than ourselves, and invited to trust. Any uncertainty, fear or confusion she experiences is not erased but transformed through faith.
Mary and Elizabeth, 1995. Acrylic on canvas. 38 x 34 inches.
In Mary and Elizabeth, I depict the encounter between two women joined by faith, wonder, and the miraculous life growing within them. In their embrace, I sought to express not just familial affection, but a prophetic recognition: that within their wombs grow Jesus and John the Baptist, two lives intimately linked in God’s redemptive plan. Their meeting is quiet, yet monumental—a moment when divine promise begins to take human form. By visually revealing the unborn children, I invite viewers to reflect on the mystery of incarnation and the holy presence that moves even in the unseen.
I Offer What You Desire, 1997. Gouache on paper. 15 x 9 inches.
I Offer What You Desire shifts from sacred narrative to moral allegory. The towering vines offer the illusion of reward—lush with leafy forms shaped like dollar bills. The vine, often a biblical symbol of life and fruitfulness, here becomes twisted and corrupted—rooted in greed rather than grace. Each figure represents the human pursuit of material gain, some ascending with desperation, others already impaled and lifeless, caught in the tragic irony of their striving. The title is deliberately double-edged. It represents the deceptive voice of worldly temptation, offering fulfillment that ultimately wounds, while also gesturing toward God's truth: that only when our desires are reordered by love can we find freedom from the thorns of greed, ambition, and self.
Across these works, I use biblical imagery as a language to explore spiritual realities. My practice is shaped by questions of faith, surrender, and the invisible struggle between divine purpose and human desire.
Douglas Campbell is an artist and poet. He lives in Portland, Oregon, and is Professor Emeritus of Art at George Fox University where he taught painting, printmaking, drawing and art history courses. You can see Douglas’s artwork at: http://www.douglascampbellart.com.
