Parables Illustrated

Cara Hochhalter has illustrated the well-known parable from the Gospel of Luke [Luke 15:11-32]. Cara welcomes noncommercial use of her woodcuts without charge to organizations engaged in religious and educational work; she is the pastor of a United Church of Christ congregation in western Massachusetts and her artwork regularly graces the front covers of the Sunday worship bulletins. To enlarge each image, simply click on the image: it will open in it's original size.

The Prodigal Son [from the King James Version]:

11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:
12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.






The Parable of the Mustard Seed

From Luke 13:18-19 [King James Version]:

18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.


The Parable of the Sower

From Matthew 13:3-9 [King James Version]:
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.


NOTE: The woodcuts above, and other works throughout this blog, are available as original prints from limited editions produced by the artist. For further purchase and pricing information, contact Cara Hochhalter at her email address: hochhalter.cara@gmail.com

The conundrum

As this blog embarks on its own creation, the constant conundrum guiding its development is the consideration of the art of creation... and the creation of art. And the wonder of it all. Cara B. Hochhalter brings to her art the delight in what elevates the world around us, both visible and emotional, to the realm of art. It is not a religious art per se, and terms such as the art of spirit or of faith are inadequate. Instead her work can best be approached and appreciated as part of the universal and eternal impulse toward creation. Cara hopes to heighten the viewer's awareness of the immediate and transformative act of creation, whether the creation at hand or the Creation.