We are ALL artists

All of my life I have loved art. I let the beauty wash over me and transcend the moment. I was so envious of those with an artistic gift. I longed to express myself in color and form and texture. Finally, I released the need to be "good". I decided to paint just to delight myself. I took one class in watercolor and enjoyed buying brushes and tubes of paint. And then I started to paint. I like some of my paintings a lot. Some not so much. But I love the process. I love the act. I love expressing myself and releasing my creativity into concrete form. I recognize God as the creator. And I believe we are created in God's image. That includes the call to create. This call is inside ALL of us. Don't be tyrannized by earthly judgements. Get in touch with your divine side. And for heaven's sake, don't wait.
(the painting above was done by me in summer 2010. It is the fifth painting I have done in my life.)

Happy Birthday to me!

My face book entry for June 21, 2010

Wesley Watercolor

This is my second watercolor: Nags Head.

Watercolors

This semester at Wesley Theological Seminary I took a class in Watercolors. I have never done this before. I love art but was mystified by the artistic muse. I couldn't be any good at it. I was imcompetent at expressing beauty. Age is a gift. I have come to realize art and beauty are relative. Expressing yourself through the arts is a gift to yourself and judgement is misplaced.

This is my first watercolor.

Joy's Wedding Day

June 19, 2010

Random memories...dancing to Sweet Home Alabama...

A Fat Saint

She smiles serenely. Her arms are resting gently on the sides of her soft belly turned upward in a gesture of praise and acceptance. She radiates a quiet, gentle moment of peace and relaxation. I see her as a visual version of St. Julian of Norwich's quote, "All is well, and all is well. All manner of things are well."

When I received her one of her hands was cracked off and lying beside her. She had been part of an African creche: a wise woman. An application of super glue and a firm hold repaired the hand but a scar is left behind at her widest point.

Altoona Angel Hospital

Enter the Washington National Cathedral from the south side opposite the bishop's garden. "The Way Of Peace" is inscribed over the door. The Bethlehem Chapel is to your right. Turn left down a long hallway. You will pass the Resurrection Chapel and the Center for Silent Prayer. Continue up five steps into the Museum Store and there will be an arched door way on the right at the rear. Pass through and go down five steps and you are deep inside the cathedral, under the nave. Now you are in the museum store stockroom. Down a center aisle, to your left and right are rows and rows of perfect items. But in a dark corner on the right is a stack of shelves with odd and singular pieces. Angels and saints are clustered together here. There is something wrong with everyone of them. Many angels have broken wings; sometimes just the tip, but many have one or even both wings missing. Saints may be without a hand or foot. St. Francis has a hand out to hold a bird but it has flown away. Porcelain figures are gathered in a nativity scene but baby Jesus is gone. A terracotta wiseman from Peru stands next to a llama with a broken leg. A little German angel plays a violin with one arm. Virgin Mary has a deep crack on her side where she holds the infant.
Usually, the broken piece is laying beside the victim.
I found this religious article emergency room while writing copy at the cathedral. All these broken items were supposed to be thrown in the trash but this made the stockroom staff uneasy.

"We can't throw these angels away."

"I won't do it. Put 'em over there."

"Why don't you take them?"