The painting is back on the easel after a resting since spring. Gilding the letters of the divine and sacred promise to the land at the threshold of the picture was the first order, now I am glazing the purple field behind them, before addressing the errors in the gilding.
All the work is prayer- engaging EVERYTHING through the materials their resistance the colored dust the stillness the distractions the sable bristles the sticky oil the waiting the music in the background looking at Giotto interruptions aching neck lunch the glory the emptiness the inspired seeing fires skunks under the floor cold hands the failures and doubt exaltation pulling off a difficult passage looking at Gerard David the heavens the earth instinct the breathe the blood the sighing lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.
The School of the Transfer of Energy 
Lately I’m writing an article on your sacred text, the divine motto from Zechariah 3:9. It’s one of my favorite lines from the Bible. “I will remove the guilt of this land in one day.” Glorious stuff. Your painting expounds that text remarkably. Thank you for posting it.
That motto’s seven words in the original Hebrew:
וּמַשְׁתִּ֛י אֶת־עֲוֹ֥ן הָאָֽרֶץ־הַהִ֖יא בְּי֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃
= “Umashtî ‘et-‘avôn ha’aretz-hahî’ beyôm ‘ehâd.”
I think the “seven eyes” on the “one stone” in the previous clause of Zechariah 3:9 are seven facets on a gemstone.
Upon each one of these facets one of the seven works of the motto is inscribed, so that the seven facets enshrine the entire motto. In the vision, that inscribed stone is then given to Yehoshua the Priest:
“See! On the stone that I have set before Yehoshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription,” declares the LORD of hosts: “I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.”—Zechariah 3:9
. . .
The whole eight-fold sequence of the night visions in Zech 1–6 text is dated to 519 BC, when the Second Temple is underway, but not yet complete, and not yet consecrated. Since Yehoshua was born in Babylon without benefit of temple or priestly purity, the Jerusalem community must have exercised considerable doubt as to whether he qualified for the job of dedicating the new temple: no kosher priest; no kosher temple.
. . .
It’s a Catch-22. Hopeless—until this very vision, wherein Heaven itself qualifies the unclean priest for his work. To great acclaim, Yehoshua dedicated the new temple in March, 516 BC.
Blessings upon the work, Jacob.
Byron
Byron,
Thank you for your kind words. Zechariah’s vision here is one of my favorite moments in the whole Bible. I am so grateful for all that you have shared in your comment. I learn so much from these interactions. I would love to read your article when you complete it and publish it, if you would kindly let me know where?
thank you
As always Jack your art is astonishing.
Thank you so much, my friend.
Wonderful Jack. Your authentic spiritual commitment of sweat and tears, joy and agony, pleasure and pain, uncertainty and revelation come through in your work and your beautiful description of the process. Much love from your kin!
Thank you- all of it is such enrichment!