Golden Hills Art Ministry

Welcome to the Audio Tour for Ecclesiastes: A Collection of Works. The artwork in this collection is created by individual artists in their chosen medium. Every piece is unique and personal to the artist, while the collection of artworks together tells the larger story of Ecclesiastes and the wisdom it holds for us today. There is much to ponder and discover within intentionally chosen brushstrokes, words, musical notes, and other expressive elements. As you look, listen, and contemplate these truths, may you find God’s timeless guidance for your own journey.

Light Show

Have you ever had that one thing in mind that you knew if you just had it, then you’d be happy?

Solomon literally had it all, and in Ecclesiastes counted it all as “hevel”- vapor, meaninglessness. He also says that God has put eternity in our hearts—a sense that there is more, something we are missing—and God’s gift is to eat and drink and take pleasure in all things.

“The Light Show” is God’s love reaching into our hearts through Jesus, to satisfy our search and bring meaning and pleasure in life. Ecc 3:14.

Chasing Shadows

Partly inspired by C.S. Lewis’ “The Great Divorce”, Chasing Shadows explores the idea of expecting the vapor of this world to satisfy an eternal longing for God. Punchy percussion and brutally honest lyrics invite both the listener and the performer into self-examination. Pop-inspired synthesizers, layered vocals, and rock guitars push toward the edge of “over-production”, mirroring our tendency to over-invest on finite things. The contrast between bright, energetic music and cynical lyrics builds toward an unexpected, triumphant conclusion: God’s glory is not a vapor.

Recorded and mixed in Logic Pro X using an Alesis V49 Keyboard, Rode Nt-1 Condenser Microphone, and various guitar amps and pedals.

Lyrics:

Verse 1

Just when I think my plans might go smoothly

A gust of chaos comes and blows right through me

How come my house of cards always fails me?

You can’t control anything

I’ve got a grip on all this world can give me

And as it slips away my joy starts drifting

I might be building on sand that’s shifting

Nothing will last forever

Pre Chorus

Then why oh why am I killing myself

When everything is never enough?

Chorus

Could it be that I’m chasing shadows of a glory grander than I can imagine

And maybe this longing in my heart reveals a desire for Heaven

If true life is beyond the grave, I don’t have to chase the vapor

I’m gonna cling to the hope that never fades

And brings great joy to the labor

But I need your grace to live like that

Verse 2

I’m running harder than my legs can take me

After a finish line that’s always changing

What’s the point if I’m always losing?

I can’t keep up it’s exhausting

Pre Chorus

Then why oh why am I killing myself?

When everything is never enough?

Chorus

Could it be that I’m chasing shadows of a glory grander than I can imagine

And maybe this longing in my heart reveals a desire for Heaven

If true life is beyond the grave, I don’t have to chase the vapor

I’m gonna cling to the hope that never fades

And brings great joy to the labor

But I need your grace to live like that

Bridge

I was wrong to expect these shadows to satisfy me

Yet through their death you bring life to the loves that you’ve placed inside me

And all of your people will rise and will reign forever in your country

And all our despair will explode into joy as we feast on your bounty

Ending

Your glory, your glory is not a vapor

It’s a dance in your love, our happily ever after

Your glory, your glory is not a vapor

It’s infinite joy, infinite joy with our Savior

Mrs. Folly

Inspired by Ecclesiastes 2:11, Mrs. Folly explores the idea that her worth isn’t in her Wealth and status. In the portrait Mrs. Folly is surrounded by the color blue consuming her ability to be happy, Also surrounding her, the light of the sun and the flow of wind leading to the dove of his word. Mrs. Folly isn’t happy though she has what she wants, she had seen what she needed but wasn’t willing to stand up and grab it.

Everything and Nothing

Without God, you will never have true contentment, and you will be forever searching. Centered, a man stands hunched with his eyes fogged and hope lost. He is a prisoner to his life that surrounds him. He seems to have everything… a wife, child, wealth, power, a home, yet he is miserable - “Everything and Nothing.” As believers we know all those things that are said to fulfill us mean nothing without Jesus. As this man’s story blazons, you can have everything you hope for in life, but you will never have true contentment without Christ.

Nothing Satisfies

In this Art piece, it portrays a teenager in a chair, who is bored, tired, and unsatisfied, where everything around him in his room doesn’t matter to him. He has everything he could possibly want as a teen. He has all the latest technology, he has comics for his leisure, and he has the newest Lamborghini, but he feels empty inside. In the first chapter of Ecclesiastes, king Solomon says in many ways how everything is vanity. In Ecclesiastes 1:2 it says “vanity of vanities, says the preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity,” but in the picture it also portrays the teenager glancing at the Bible, where the word of God is a bright light calling out to him. Yes, everything on thi

Gold For The Belly, Folly For The Heart

An emaciated king looks up at the viewer, clutching his tattered robe. Everything that surrounds him is known but unclear. There is a feast uneaten, gold unspent, and wisdom unknown. The lack of line work evokes a sense of impermanence in his surroundings. The contrast between his detailed body and the undefined background cements the idea that these things cannot ultimately satisfy. He looks up; will there ever be something more than gold for the belly and folly in his heart?

Out of the Darkness

I chose this style of art because of the rich colors and how deeply the emotion could be captured due to color schemas.

Reverence

The mango-yellow backdrop evokes truth, hope, and the call to fear God. Some may conceive light breaking apart darkness or a tomb. A fading sun-like feature recalls the Preacher’s refrain that all beneath the sun is vanity. To the right, forms may suggest endless labor, cultivated fields, and water vanishing into the air—echoes of humanity’s striving apart from God. Eternal truth contrasts with worldly ambition. The woven net symbolizes our longing to capture what forever slips away. Imagine and discover your own interpretations. Enjoy today.

Under the Sun

This illustration is pretty simple and speaks for itself; a man tilling soil with a rod under the sun. What is unique about this piece is that the words of Solomon are being illustrated by four faces of his ancestors 3,000 years later.