"It is hard for God to steer a parked car," he said. "The spiritual experience of the painting comes because I am willing to proceed not knowing how it will turn out."

Kershisnik said that painting is "self-revealing" and sometimes results in some figurative bruises, but the experience is ultimately positive.

One difficult experience that eventually forged a successful series of works occurred while Kershisnik was in graduate school in Austin, Texas. He had seen several sculptors deal with the subject of a pilgrim and thought it was an appropriate metaphor for life. So, he painted a pilgrim sleeping next to his horse.

The work was harshly criticized in the classroom.

Kershisnik, however, stuck with the theme and realized that having the pilgrim walk up a wall — "this guy actually leaving our gravity," he said — was a more effective representation. The resulting work was a success and inspired several variations.

"I had to undergo the humiliation before I could get to the metaphor," he said. "Rather than being destroyed by it and throwing it out, it became the catalyst for what became a beautiful metaphor."

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E-mail: ashill@desnews.com