John the Baptist is traditionally depicted in the animal skins and sackcloth of a wild man in the desert, but this artist’s depiction of the prophet is quite different from most traditional pictures of John.
John the Baptist is traditionally depicted in the animal skins and sackcloth of a wild man in the desert, but this artist’s depiction of the prophet is quite different from most traditional pictures of John.
Here he wears the clothes and displays the symbols of his class before a background of a vast universe of shining stars, artfully depicted by the artist Toni L. Taylor, giving John a spiritual importance denied him by many centuries of scholarly neglect. It is fitting that his countenance be that of Ace Knight, one of the leaders–if not the foremost leader–of the movement to restore John to his true importance in religious history.
The artist has previously said that she wants to tap into “the ethereal and otherworldly.” In this work she has succeeded mightily.
The portrait is scheduled to appear on the cover of a forthcoming book by Ace Knight: John the Baptist: He Who Lives. Ace Knight’s ground-breaking research on John the Baptist (Prophet Yahya) has elicited both notoriety and praise.
When I first saw the finished portrait, I was stunned by Toni L. Taylor’s perfect realization of the Prophet Yahya whom I have worked to reveal and restore to his rightful position in religious history. “C’est magnifique!”
I thought aloud, “It’s magnificent!” She had replaced the conventional image of the loser depicted in the Bible who was allegedly decapitated at the whim of a courtesan with the prophet of much greater vision and purpose that I believe him to have been. Bravo! —Ace Knight
Toni L. Taylor is a visionary artist whose work travels through the realms of fantasy and mysticism. She feels a special kinship with the mysteries of Ancient Egypt as well as the spirit of Native America. Goddess imagery is represented powerfully in her collection. She says of her work, “When people view my creations, I want them to feel like they’re taking a bit of a mental, emotional and spiritual vacation… tapping into the ethereal and otherworldly. My desire is to touch some part of their soul allowing them to dream their dreams and stimulate their own imaginations.” Having had no formal training, Toni considers herself ‘life taught’ and her gift a blessing from the Universe.
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