2009 Newsletter: a year of ART in review

“The Glory of God is man fully alive”-St. Ireneaus
This has been an amazing year of dreams being fulfilled and freedom being released within my heart.

I turned 40 this year (Gasp! No Way!) and (to use a quoted phrase about a dear artist friend upon his passing) I am finding that I’m just now beginning to come into my “Sweet Spot” in life.

This newsletter is jam packed with stuff that has poured out from my heart this year. Even this is not complete (there’s no way to describe everything here!) Thank you for taking the time to read & catch up with me.

The Palate—Writers Guild—VineArts Studio—The New Renaissance
In January I began to co-lead with Jessie (our VineArts Director), a discipleship group (also known as a small group or home group) for creative types. We meet each month on the 1st & 3rd Mondays from 6:30pm to 8:30pm in the VineArts Studio to “feed our inner artist” through Bible study, worship, prayer, poetry, book study, film, sketching, painting, writing, music, clay, and many other artistic expression.

Also in January I began leading the Writers Guild that I’ve belonged to for 8 years. It meets in the café area of Barnes & Noble in Boise the 3rd Saturday of every month from 9:30am to 11am.

During the summer VineArts inherited a large garage space to be renovated into our new Studio. Myself & The VineArts leadership team spent tons of hours preparing for our launch in September. We now hold all of our activities in the Studio (and we have Open Studio hours every Wed. from 3pm to 8:30pm for people to come & create freely). For more info about VineArts: www.vineyardboise.org/Ministries/VineArts.aspx

Saturday Nov. 21 was a Worldwide Arts Renewal Celebration. The Pope invited 500 world renowned artists to join him in the Sistine Chapel to discuss a new era of Art & Faith. The Protestant church joined in & called forth artists and churches to launch a New Renaissance that would bring art back into the church and out from the church. VineArts met in our Studio to celebrate this worldwide renewal.

Jerry Fee Concerts
My friend Jerry Fee is a well known local musician/song writer/recording artist. I’ve known Jerry ever since I moved to Boise back in 99 and he has a heart of gold. He enjoys supporting local talent by bringing them along-side him when he plays at various gigs around the Treasure Valley.

Jerry blessed me by asking me to paint live during a couple of his concerts in Boise.

In January I got the opportunity to paint live at one of his concerts in Boise (a benefit concert for a local charity). It was held at the Visual Arts Collective (a place that has a stage for bands/drama/live entertainment , an art gallery, and a bar). There were 4 bands playing that night. I painted 3 themed-original mixed media abstract expressionist collage paintings during the live sets, then we raffled them off at the end of the night.

In April I had another opportunity to paint live at a Jerry Fee concert...this time for Jerry’s new cd release (“Still Alive”) party at The Record Exchange in downtown Boise (a local music store with coffee bar & a stage for live music). I painted one themed-original mixed media abstract expressionist collage painting during his entire set. The painting told the story of each of the songs on the album. Then we raffled the painting off at the end of the night. You can check out Jerry’s music at: http://www.jerryfeemusic.com/

Revelation UnCorked—Bookstore Mural—CORE/DG Art and Worship
In January one of the pastors at Vineyard Boise asked me to paint live during a 2 week class he was teaching on the Book of Revelation. He wanted to present the artistic-apocalyptic book in creative ways. So I created a themed-original mixed media abstract expressionist collage painting live during the classes that represented Rev. 12:7-12. Later it was purchased to permanently hang in the church’s bookstore.

Speaking of the bookstore...in February I was hired to paint a mural on one of the walls. I did a painting of a Dead Sea Scroll & Pottery Jar next to some text speaking of the Word of God.

Then in September I joined some of our VineArts Leaders to help facilitate an Art & Worship Night for the youth of Vineyard Boise (The CORE) and in October we helped facilitate an Art & Worship Night for one of the home groups from the church. We prepped large canvases for them to paint on side by side while there was live worship music played. Both nights were about creating in community.

Forerunner Café
In March I had the privilege to be a featured artist in a local talent arts events held by The Forerunner Café in a venue downtown Boise called The Watercooler.

My friends Lisa & Suzanne have hearts to promote local talent so they started The Forerunner Café as a way to do this. The night was a themed semi-formal dessert theatre. There were 7 local talents featured (a hip-hop dance troupe, an acoustic guitarist with original songs, a ballroom dance instructing, a poet, a film maker, an actor, and a painter) with live performances.

I created a themed-original mixed media abstract expressionist collage painting live to a song specifically chosen for me. (“Somewhere Over The Rainbow/A Wonderful World” by Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole) I titled the painting “Dreams”. It was raffled off at the end of the evening.

Art Shows
During the year I had the chance to display my paintings in 5 local art exhibits in Boise.

In January we installed a VineArts Exhibit titled: “Transformation”. It was the second exhibit we themed with this title over the 5 years that we’ve had the VineArts Gallery open. In April we installed a VineArts Exhibit titled: “The Creator’s Heart”. And in July we installed a VineArts Exhibit titled “Refuge in You”. All of these exhibits were themed & juried.

In August I also entered a painting into The Western Idaho Fair: Fine Arts Display in the Expo Building. The art is judged for prizes. I enjoy submitting each year for the viewing exposure.

In October I was a featured artist at The Garden City Library in Boise for their ongoing “Books & Brushes” Art Exhibit. It was the first art show I have done (outside of the VineArts Gallery) in about 3 years. I had 15 original impressionist oil landscapes displayed. I shared the month with a local colored pencil artist & friend (Beverly), and we hung our work side by side for a nice contrast. If you’re interested in checking out Beverly’s art, you can go to her website: http://www.chickartisticcreations.com/

Heart of David Backdrop—Paul’s Epistles Backdrop
In January a I worked along with a team of VineArts artists to create the second painted backdrop for Vineyard Boise’s sanctuary. The backdrop coincided with the sermon series “The Heart of David” and told the story of King David’s life through an abstract painting with lots of symbolism interspersed.

And during the summer I worked along with a team of VineArts artists to create the third painted backdrop for Vineyard Boise’s sanctuary. The backdrop coincided with the sermon series “Paul’s Prison Epistles” and represented a prison cell (where Paul wrote the books of Colossians, Philemon, Philippians, & Ephesians) through an abstract painting.

The backdrops are 3 paneled canvas paintings (each panel is 12 feet high & 18 feet wide). We hung the blank panels and projected a rough outline onto the 3 panels using an overhead and some chalk. Then we took them down and we painted the canvases on the floor and used large brushes, mops, brooms, and all sorts of various materials to create texture.

On the Sunday that the backdrops were revealed to the church, myself and Jessie (our VineArts Director) joined the worship team on stage to apply finishing touches to the paintings live during the morning worship services.

Book Illustration—CD Graphic Design—Pastel Workshop
The book I illustrated, “Formation Generation” by author Robert Michael Kurz, was officially released in March.

I have over 20 detailed illustrations published within the book. It is now available at http://www.formationgeneration.com/, on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and at all major bookstores. I have been honored to be a part of this ground-breaking & nationally heralded publication about prayer for the pre-born.

This year I have also been privileged to be a part of 2 music cd graphic design projects for Idaho musicians Sigi Koefod and Daniel Cordova. I’ve enjoyed broadening my creative skills in the graphics field and have been blessed to be part of other artists’ publications.

You can check out Sigi Koefod’s music at: http://www.sigikoefod.com/
You can check out Daniel Cordova’s music at: http://www.facebook.com/

In November I taught a 3 hour VineArts workshop on oil pastels and soft pastels. It was a well attended class and I enjoyed teaching some basic & experimental techniques with the 2 mediums that I had started my art career out with.

What next?
I’m looking forward to 2010 with anticipation of many more heart filled creative adventures to come!

May God pour out His creative love into you and may you be released to be fully who you were made to be.

Dive deep!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Lisa

The New Renaissance Rising WorldWide Art Day

Today artists met in the VineArts Studio in Boise, Idaho to celebrate together. Click on the YouTube link to watch a short video created by artist & author J.Scott McElroy talking about The New Renaissance Rising and what it means for artists and churches worldwide:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bYqzxEXpmc We utilized Video

Worship & Prayer

Teaching & Sharing

Art & Creativity

I had so much fun! I love it when we come together for a common purpose! This is the painting I created during our New Renaissance Celebration. It's a 30x40 mixed media abstract expressionist collage on canvas. I call this "The Spirit of Joy" based on the Scripture Isaiah 61.

teaching

over the years, as part of my art business, i have taught private one on one painting lessons in my own personal art studio. once in awhile i do get the chance to teach for VineArts in a workshop capacity to numerous people. i have taught 3 abstract workshops over the last 4 years. this last weekend i had the opportunity to teach a pastels workshop. i taught some basics of utilizing soft pastels and oil pastels. i had 10 artists join me for 3 hours and we enjoyed playing with the 2 mediums together. it was a good time of experimenting with new techniques. pastels were my medium of choice when i first started out as a full time artist. many of the paintings that i sold during those first few years of dedicating my life to art were mainly oil pastel paintings. i encouraged the artists in my workshop to not be afraid to push themselves beyond what they might normally do with the tiny stick chalk & crayon like mediums and have fun with them. this might mean trying short strokes of color layering dark to light creating an impressionistic look...it might mean using your fingers to mix & blend colors onto the papers...it might mean using water and a watercolor brush with the soft pastels to get a wash watercolor paint effect....or it might mean applying the oil pastels thickly with pressure and using a pallet knife to create texture like an oil painting. the workshop seemed to spark interest for all who attended and each created amazing paintings full of vibrant color and life.

if you're interested in upcoming VineArts workshops, please keep checking our webpage at: http://www.vineyardboise.org (click on Ministries at the top, that will give you a drop down menu, click on VineArts under the heading Worship, there will be links you can go to for info on various subjects)

New VineArts Book Study

I'm excited about what's going on! Last night we launched a new book study at The Palate Discipleship Group in the VineArts Studio. We are reading & discussing a book titled, "Finding Divine Inspiration: Working with the Holy Spirit in Your Creativity" by J.Scott McElroy (an award-winning radio producer, writer, visual artist, national voiceover artist, and Vineyard Pastor). This book will take us on a journey of learning how to partner with God in our creativity.

Here's what the author has to say about the book:

"God wants to collaborate with YOU!

There is a New Renaissance coming in the arts and God has a special place for you in it! In Finding Divine Inspiration you'll learn how to hear God's voice and collaborate with Him in the work He has for you.

God wants to reform the arts, to bring a new infusion of Divine Inspiration into the mainstream and an explosion of arts in the church, but for these changes to come His artists must develop a lifestyle of collaboration with Him. Through solid biblical guidance, exciting historical and current examples, and practical steps, Finding Divine Inspiration shows artists how to partner with God in their life and work. Its a concept that can help invigorate your spiritual life, bring new inspiration, enable you to share God's messages more freely and ultimately transform the arts."

-J.Scott McElroy

http://www.findingdivineinspiration.com/

http://jscottmc.wordpress.com/

http://www.thenewr.org/

ABOUT "The Palate":

We are a discipleship group in which visual learners can grow spiritually and creatively in a safe place, through a sampling of artistic activities and solid biblical study. Our focus is worship, prayer, study, and community through creative things like film clips, book study, sketching, painting, poetry reading, encouragement, worship, & prayer. Our goal is to become ever closer to Jesus Christ. We meet the 1ST & 3RD MONDAYS OF EVERY MONTH IN THE VINEARTS STUDIO FROM 6:30PM TO 8:30PM. And yes, we spelled the name like your tongue. Come and feed your inner artist!

KaChow!

This Halloween I participated in a "Trunk or Treat" celebration at the church I attend. People decorated the trunks of their cars to hand out candy to kids as a safer & hopefully more enjoyable alternative to the door to door trick or treating.

My friend and I decided to go with the animated Disney movie CARS as a theme (knowing that the movie is a big hit with kids & many adults and because she has a really hot looking red sports car). So we took great joy in decorating her red Scion TC to look like "Lightning McQueen". We had tons of fun preparing. I created the outside decorations to make the car really look like Lightning McQueen. I used acrylic paints on paper and then fixed magnets to the back of them so they would stay on the car. My friend took care of the decorations within the trunk. There was a race track with matchbox CARS characters, a set of tools, racing flags, and of course TONS of candy.

We were dressed up as the PIT CREW for the famous animated race car to hand out candy to the kids. We had fun posing with socket wrenches and oil rags as parents wanted pictures of their kids with us and the car. We were like celebrities!
There was a contest for best decorated car at the end of the night. We won FIRST PLACE by a UNANIMOUS vote! Everyone loved us! The kids were mesmerized and lit up with joy when they saw the car. Many of them came running across the parking lot shouting with delight "Lightning McQueen!" I think one little boy actually thought the car was the REAL Lightning McQueen! This was by far the funnest Halloween I've had in a LONG time!

practicing my pastels

Today during Open Studio hours I decided to do some practice paintings using oil pastels and soft pastels. Pastels used to be my main medium of choice years ago when I was first starting out. I don't have any formal painting training, I taught myself to paint by reading art books & trying things out. Pastels were an easy way for me to move from drawing to painting. And then eventually I moved on to use oil bars (oil paint in a stick form) so that I could paint on canvas without using brushes and create paintings on a much larger scale. But once in awhile I get the pastels back out and give it a go again. And this time I'm doing so to prepare for a workshop I'll be teaching on Saturday November 7th in the VineArts Studio. I'm going to teach some basic techniques with oil pastels and soft pastels. I use techniques that entail layering color and I will also blend with my fingers. My style is very impressionistic and I love to paint landscapes. This is an oil pastel of a landscape in France (I used a photo from a book as a reference). I exclusively use Sennelier & Holbein artist quality oil pastels.
This is a soft pastel of the same photo reference in France. I exclusively use Winsor & Newton artist quality soft pastels.

The New Renaissance Rising: Worldwide Arts Renewal Celebration: 11-21-09

Okay I'm so excited to pass on this news to you!

The Roman Catholic Church, The Protestant Church, (CIVA) Christians In The Visual Arts...have declared Sat. Nov. 21 2009 a Worldwide Day dedicated to the Arts!

I'm totally serious!

Churches worldwide are being called to join with Painters, Dancers, Writers, Photographers, Singers, Actors, Sculptors, Musicians, Filmmakers...artists of all types...to begin a "New Renaissance" where the church takes back the arts for God's glory!

There was a time in history where the Church employed artists to speak God's message in creative ways. Our museums and galleries and historical sites throughout the world are filled with evidence of this. But at some point in history that all seemed to stop. Man became selfish. Art became only a part of history. Artists were silenced. The modern church has become void of any artistic evidence. And artists have been told that their "vocation" is no longer suitable as a serious endeavor. The title "Artist" has been relegated to an elite few. And the world shouts that God is no where to be found. His creative heart, His voice through art has been stripped from His churches. Man has declared God is not Creator. His Beauty is no longer sought. And the Church has been silenced.

But change is on the wind.

The Pope in Rome has invited 500 world renowned artists to join him in the Sistine Chapel to discuss "rekindling the special relationship of faith and art". And on the same day the Protestant church worldwide is calling for churches throughout the world to open their doors to the arts and join together in prayer and celebration!

Will you join us in prayer? Will you join us in celebrating? Will you join us to usher in this "New Renaissance" bringing art BACK INTO the Church AND sending art OUT FROM the Church?


For more info about New Renaissance Rising: Worldwide Arts Renewal Celebration 11-21-09: http://thenewr.wordpress.com/2009/10/01/hello-world/

Those of us involved with The VineArts Ministry at Vineyard Boise Church in Boise, Idaho are on board 100% with this one! We've planned to gather Sat. Nov. 21 from 1pm to 4pm in the VineArts Studio at Vineyard Boise. We will come together for a time of prayer for all artists and churches worldwide and then we'll break out the art supplies to spend time creating together in community!

Date: SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2009
Time: 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: VINEARTS STUDIO at VINEYARD BOISE

For more info about The VineArts Ministry at Vineyard Boise:
http://www.vineyardboise.org (click on ministies at the top to get a drop down menu then click on VineArts under the heading Outreach. that will get you to our page & you can click on links to videos that explain about who we are and what we do). You can also find us on YouTube and Facebook: just type in VineArts.

my VanGogh wall

today i painted my version of the VanGogh painting "A Cornfield With Cypresses" onto part of one of the walls in my art studio. i had so much fun creating this inspirational painting where i can always see it when i work. i have really been enjoying painting on a large scale these days. i crank up the music and get in my zone. hours pass by and when i step back i can't believe what i've created. it makes me smile!

this painting takes up 1/2 the wall that it's on. perhaps i'll paint a different painting on the other end of the wall?

painting during open studio

yesterday i hung out in the VineArts Studio for Open Studio day. Open Studio is a weekly time when we open the studio up for public use. from 3pm to 8:30pm every Wednesday we welcome anyone from the community to come in and join us for some creative time (kids, youth, adults, all skill levels). we offer the use of our space & art supplies (we have all sorts of supplies in various medias) for a small suggested monthly donation of $5 (to help replenish the art supplies).

i am one of the studio monitors (representing VineArts). each week i enjoy the moments i get to spend interracting with people and their art. it's a wonderful opportunity to connect, to learn, to teach, to share, to laugh, to cry...with people of all various life & art backgrounds, ages & genders, skill levels & faith beliefs....people who are all on the journey of getting in touch with their creativity. Wednesdays are becoming my favorite day of the week!

and sometimes i even get to create while i'm there!

this week i created a 20x24 oil on canvas of a Van Gogh painting as a study piece for a wall mural i'm going to work on in my own art studio. it's my version of the famous painting. i used Winsor & Newton and Sennelier Oil Bars and applied, mixed, and layered the paints on the canvas with my fingers (no brushes used!). i painted flat on an art table so i could walk around the table and view the painting from different angles. this is how i like to paint in my own art studio.

this week we had around 20 people come & utilize the VineArts Studio for Open Studio.

OPEN STUDIO

location: VineArts Studio

(in the garage building across the street from Vineyard Boise)

days: Wednesdays

times: 3pm-8:30pm

cost: a suggested $5 donation per month

(if you choose to utilize the studio & supplies on an ongoing basis)

what to bring: your creative ideas, a willing heart to have fun!

(you can also bring your own art supplies & artwork from home if you choose)

....because i'm an artist

have you have felt that you were created to be creative? born to be different?

recently an artist friend emailed me this fun YouTube video of an old SNL skit of Father Guido Sarducci doing a commercial for art school as he explains the advantages of being an artist.

i think he's got it right. i know now that i chose my vocation well...because i'm an artist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK0ITXBWpHE

Facilitating Art & Worship Events

One of the coolest things I get to do as a leader within VineArts is to help facilitate special Art & Worship events for large & small groups. The people who participate in these events with us have usually either never experienced putting paintbrush to canvas before or have never experienced utilizing art as an act of worship to God. These events become opportunities to break down barriers, cut through defense mechanisms, face fears, and bring healing to hearts as people allow themselves to work side by side partnering with God in creating something together in community as an act of worship to God.

Tonight I helped to facilitate another one of these kinds of events in our VineArts Studio. No matter how many times I get to do stuff like this...I am always blown away by what I get to see taking place within people as they connect and create. There's a joy that flows throughout the room when people start letting go of their fears and allow themselves to engage with the art...and ultimately allow themselves to engage with God.

Tonight I got to see people connecting, engaging, and being released through creativity within community. It excites me to see people set free in these ways.

painting side by side

once again, this last Sunday the Director of VineArts & myself joined the worship team on stage during both morning services at the Boise Vineyard. while the band led the congregation in worship, we painted additional words to the righthand panel of the 3 paneled stage backdrop that coincides with the current sermon series on Paul's prison epistles. this time "unity", "forgiveness", and "faith" were added representing concepts taught from the letters of Philemon and Philippians.
in the past i had difficulties painting when people were watching me. i found it even more difficult if someone wanted to join me in painting something together. but the more active i've been in the arts community within the VineArts ministry at the Boise Vineyard, i have learned to become more comfortable with sharing my creative space with others. this has been a positive & safe experience and has helped me to grow in my creativity and challenged me to strive to see others excell in their creativity in this same way.

it has been such a positive experience that i feel completely comfortable painting on stage side by side with others in front of thousands of people. it's not about the crowds or the stage...regardless of how many people are there...ultimately it is just me and the paint and the canvas expressing my heart to God through art. but to do this kind of thing within such an encouraging and creative community of believers who choose to express their hearts to God too...it is absolutely amazing!

i'm glad that i have overcome my apprehension of painting side by side with others. the act of allowing others into our lives (even our creative lives) can be risky...but i believe we were created to be relational people...and therefore, i have the opportunity to become a better artist and a better person by allowing myself to be in community (working, serving, ministering, painting side by side).

i feel very blessed that i am a part of a church that embraces the arts and expresses their importance in meaningful ways of worship, service, ministry, and outreach. if you're interested to know more about VineArts and what we do (from art workshops, art gallery exhibits, open studio hours, mural & graphic design projects, community art walks, video production, art & worship events, art outreach events, to a writers group and an art home group) you can check out our webpage at: www.vineyardboise.org (click on the ministries dropdown menu, then click on VineArts). once at our page you can click on & watch short videos we made that talk about the various areas of our arts ministry.

photos taken by R.H.

October Art Show

During the month of October 2009 some of my art is on display at The Garden City Library in Boise, Idaho. I am being featured, along with artist Beverly Chick, in their "Books & Brushes" Art Exhibit (which features local artists each month). The exhibit is located inside one of the busiest libraries in the city.

I have 15 of my impressionistic oil landscape paintings on display (and for sale). Beverly has 14 of her detailed colored pencil & turpenoid animal & landscape paintings on display (and for sale). If you're interested in checking out her work, here is her website: www.chickartisticcreations.com

This is one of the paintings I have displayed in the show:

"More of You" 22x28 oil on canvas. Sagehen Falls, Idaho. c. Lisa Marten, 2006

a crazy creative idea

I've mentioned before that the great American expressionist painter Jackson Pollock has been a huge influence on my abstract expressionist paintings. There are several of his works that I really like, but one in particular has stood out for me over the years. It's called "Male & Female". Today I painted my own version of that painting...but not on canvas...on one of the walls in my art studio!

I got this crazy creative idea a month ago when film director John Hughes passed away. John was the creative mind behind many of the teenage angst movies we high schoolers of the 80's connected with...movies that starred actors we affectionately called "The Brat Pack". After his death I spent a couple of days watching some of those movies and being nostalgic high school and the 80's. One movie in particular, "Some Kind of Wonderful", became a favorite of mine (on so many levels). It was about a guy who wanted to be an artist who had a drum playing tomboy as a best friend. Both characters struggled emotionally as to where their place in life was to be....and in the end they found true love and acceptance with each other. But I digress...

The artist had this painting on the back of his bedroom door. The entire door. And it when I rewatched the movie and saw that in the scene...I knew what I needed to do. Today I did more than paint a door...I painted a wall. And with each stroke I thanked God for blessing me with this crazy creativity inside of me that can't be squelched. This wall in my studio is a tribute to Jackson Pollock...but also to Some Kind of Wonderful...a chance to hope and dream and be who we really are.....glorious in the sight of God!

getting out of your comfort zone

Tonight I got to participate as a leader in a special event that VineArts facilitated for the youth of Vineyard Boise. We held an Art & Worship night for them....an opportunity to get them out of their comfort zones to work together to create something that represents who they are as a youth group. There was close to a hundred teenagers!

We prepped 3 large canvases with outlines of scenes painted on them that represent some core values of what the youth group stands for (1. a scene representing Christ-like behaviour of serving others, 2. a scene representing encountering Christ through worship, 3. a scene representing relationship & fellowship as believers in Christ & participating in baptism and communion).

The youth were encouraged to each spend some time painting on each of the canvases....together! They could paint whatever colors they chose, however they wanted to paint, they could embellish on something someone else had started...they just couldn't destroy what someone had painted.

Throughout the night there was a worship band playing, one of our VineArts leaders spoke to the group as the kids painted (he had inspirational stories, poems, quotes, and things to share), the Youth Leaders helped with some of the logistics and made sure each of the youth were participating at some point in some way, and those of us VineArts Leaders who were there helped with the paint & encouraged the youth individually as they painted...all the while the youth were painting the scenes and spending time in prayer and worship as they felt led.

It was an amazing night of creativity! I always love being a part of these kinds of events. I get to see how a group of people (many who have no art background at all) can let down their walls and let go of their fears and allow the simple act of painting open up whole new worlds for them. For many of the them, painting is not something they do naturally (and that's okay, cuz this kind of event helps to get people out of their comfort zone and paint side by side with each other...artistic talent isn't the point, willing hearts are the point....which this can be a scary thing even for seasoned artists!). Many people also don't connect or understand worshipping God & creating art at the same time...this kind of event gives them an opportunity to actually experience what it can be like to partner with God creatively. It's incredible to watch what happens!

They were unable to finish the paintings tonight in the time we had, but they will have a chance to finish them over the next couple of weeks. The canvases the youth worked on will later be hung up in the youth room as inspirational artwork.

cathartic creativity

have you ever been compelled to do something spontaneously...as if you were encouraged from within to do or say or be something meaningful?

have you ever had something from the past creep up on you in the present? i mean...where, because of a current situation, you feel transported back emotionally to a place that seems so familiar and you have to remind yourself what was in the past and what is right now.

recently i experienced this sort of thing (and although i won't go into detail of the whats and the whys, for that isn't my point here, rather i want to focus on what happened in the midst of it). instead of reacting or responding like i might normally have done, i chose to paint my way through the emotions...a cathartic & therapeutic experience with art.

don't get me wrong...painting has always naturally been a bit therapeutic for me whenever i allow my creativity to flow. and i have on occasion utilized art to help others experience some inner breakthroughs and freedom in their lives. but rarely have i created art for myself to specifically work through a personal issue of my own. i know, i know...it's about time, eh?!

years ago i drew a pencil sketch of how i saw myself at the time based on what i was experiencing emotionally. this week i felt a deep intense desire to search for that sketch amidst my numerous sketch books and bring it to life through paint onto canvas. i never did find the sketch but it has been engraved in my memory for years and i decided to go ahead with it anyways.

as i cranked up the music and began grabbing paint cans and brushes, inspiration washed over me like a giant ocean wave and i was overcome with a new vision for the painting. it became clear to me that i wasn't supposed to just paint the sketch the way i had drawn it all those years ago...but rather, i was to paint the sketch as it would appear today (with where i am at emotionally now). i was to depict the changes in me (i am not the same person i was when i did the original sketch) and therefore beable to tell my story of emotional and spiritual growth.

now i recognize that i'm speaking very vaguely and i apologize (i don't really want to go into details here). but if you can think about what i'm trying to say...almost 20 years ago i did a sketch about myself that depicted my emotional state during some very difficult circumstances in my life. it was a very dark, lonely, selfish sort of sketch expressing deep hurt and pain in response to negative circumstances in my life. the sketch showed destruction and desolation and it was quite depressing. then this week i was compelled to paint that sketch...but instead of painting it like the original, i knew i was to paint the same concept or scene...but representing where i am today emotionally. i was to still express deep pain and hurt-for we will always have sorrow & grief in our lives, but this time showing a huge difference: instead of selfishness and lonliness, there would be hope, freedom, and community through God's love-for it is through great suffering that the most intense joy is experienced. and through painting it that way it was to show the change and growth in my heart.

and I must say...it really was therapeutic! when i was finished i stepped back from the canvas with tears streaming down my cheeks. it's an amazing feeling when you have been able to look into your heart (amidst all the brokenness and woundings) and see God & His Body and experience His love, His acceptance, His grace, His forgiveness. it's liberating!

the above photo is a bit of the painting i created. this is the center of the canvas. i just wanted to show you some of the emotion that is in it. art can be an amazing tool for understanding.

Painting During Worship

These photos were taken this last Sunday morning. Myself and the Director of VineArts were able to join in as part of the worship team on the stage for the morning services at the Boise Vineyard. Along with the band, we helped to lead the congregation in the worship of God by painting inspiring words and colors onto the backdrop painting. Together we painted side by side.

The thought of creating art as being a viable way to worship God can be somewhat of a foreign concept to many people (regardless of if they're followers of Christ or not). I believe the words of Romans 12:1 in the Bible "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life---your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking around life---and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing to do for him." I believe that God placed creativity in each of us (and just as we are all uniquely different in who we are individually...that creativity will look and feel different for each person). Art is one way that many of us are able to express who we are deep down. Just as the singers sing their songs, the musicians play their instruments, the speakers speak their words, the dancers dance their movements...the artists create their art. I believe God wants us to worship him no matter where we are or what we are doing.

What is worship anyways? What does it mean to worship God? Good questions.

Thankfulness. Praise. Gratitude. Awe. Wonder. Joy. Peace. Hope. Love.

Perhaps we should chew on the Bible verses in Philippians 4:8-9 "Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious---the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned, what you heard, and what you saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies."

It's all about the SONG.

I've posted before about the performance painting I have done in music venues downtown Boise. It's no different to me whether I'm painting in a church or painting in a club (and I don't believe it makes much difference to God either). It's no difference to me whether I'm painting a landscape in oils or an abstract in mixed media. And it certainly makes no difference whether I am painting a "religious" scene or not. I paint because it's what I was made to do. I paint from heart. And I worship when I paint because it's what I'm compelled to do.

Deep thought: Next time you do that thing you do (whatever that is)...consider for a moment...could you offer it up as worship to God? What would that mean to you? Would you be okay with that? Does it change you at all inside when you do? It's just something to think about.

photos taken by R.H.

drops like stars

i just read Rob Bell's newest book "Drops Like Stars". i'm compelled to recommend it to you. it speaks to the artistic spirit. it speaks to the human heart. i found myself profoundly touched by the message in this simple-yet-memorable coffee-table-style book that houses stunning photography and "a few thoughts on creativity and suffering."

i've been a fan of Rob Bell's teachings, books, and NOOMA dvd films for several years now. if you would like to check things out, you can go to the following websites:

http://www.robbell.com

http://www.flannel.org

adding to the backdrop

today myself and the director of VineArts continued painting on the backdrop that hangs on the stage in the sanctuary. we added words and phrases and color to the right hand panel during the 2 morning worship services while the worship band led the congregation in singing. the backdrop is 3 12ftx18ft canvas panels hung up like curtains. the theme of this backdrop goes along with the sermon series that the pastors are teaching us right now. we're focusing on the letters in the New Testament that Paul wrote to various churches while he was in prison. here i added orange and yellow to intensify the color and bring out the stones in the painting that turn into parchment letters as they burst forth (representing the Word of God coming forth to everyone).
here i added blue and a purple-red to distingquish the stones of the prison more. i also did some splatters of various colors throughout to contine to add to the grungy texture effects.

currently we are studying the book of Collossians (the letter that Paul wrote to the new Christian church of Collosai). here the director painted a phrase that the book opens up with in the first chapter "grace & peace to you".

the director also painted the word "fullness" which is spoken of in chapter 2.

another phrase that the director painted was "mystery revealed Christ". Paul talks about that the mystery of who the Messiah was to be was fulfilled in Christ Jesus.

here is the word "Song" that the director painted on the center panel during the worship services for the first Sunday that the backdrop was up. it was the introduction to the sermon series. the word "Song" was painted to represent the common thread throughout the Bible, throughout history...that the Gospel of God is a Song to creation, sung through Christ's life throughout the pages of the Bible and into our lives. we are to "sing the song". it's a metaphor...it means that God's heart has always desired for us to be in relationship with him...and for our hearts to be free.

the word "identity" was also painted by the director on the kick-off Sunday onto the left panel of the backdrop near where the cross is situated on the stage in the sanctuary. it means that our identity should be in the freedom of Christ and life with him...instead of in the bondage of our problems and circumstances.

Refuge in You: a VineArts Exhibit

this week my team and i installed a new art exhibit in the VineArts Gallery. this show is called "Refuge in You". the artists created pieces that dealt with the subject of turning to God as our refuge and shelter when we experience difficult times in our lives.

this is a quick video taken during the opening reception for the exhibit.

The SONG...

If you remember some of my previous posts this year, myself and several others worked together to create another 3 panel backdrop for the sanctuary stage at the Boise Vineyard. That backdrop is now hanging up to help illustrate the new sermon series on the letters the Apostle Paul wrote while he was in prison (Collosians, Philemon, Ephesian, Phillippianes).

The backdrop is representational of physical imprisonment and persecution and also representational of spiritual and emotional imprisonment in our hearts. Going from left to right, the backdrop shows the darkness of this world that we live in. We as humans can tend to mistake our identity in that darkness. But our identity should be in Christ (notice the word "identity" painted near the cross). It is the the love of Christ that pours into the darkness and sheds light. That light permeates into our hearts (even through the bars and walls that may be oppressive obstacles). It is His light that breaks down the walls and sets us free.

The word "song" is painted in the center panel towards the top, to remind us that the Bible (and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus) is really God's song (His story) being sung in the lives of the humans he created. Some choose to sing the song (even amidst great adversity and hardship). Others choose to sing only one verse and then they move on to other songs. Some choose to keep the song locked up, buried, and even will persecute others who try to sing the song. This happens because they haven't allowed the song to fully grow within their hearts to allow themselves to experience the freedom that the song really brings.

We were created to see that song.

It's not about breaking out of prison. It's not about finding an easy way out of our problems and difficulties (like a "get out of jail free" card). It's not about escaping this world of darkness, nor is it about lying down and letting the darkness overcome us, or letting our hearts become cold and angry. It's about letting God's love to set us free in our hearts...that no matter what our circumstances...we will be free. It's about singing the song in amidst all of it...and allowing the light to shine into it. It's through the song that we are set free.

If you haven't read the "Singer Trilogy: The Singer, The Song, The Finale" by Calvin Miller...I highly recommend it. It's a creative allegory about this song I'm talking about.

The plan is that a couple of us from VineArts will continue to paint words and phrases onto the backdrop during Sunday morning worship services throughout the 8 month sermon series. The additional words and phrases will be painted on the right panel (which shows the stone walls being blown away and the stones turning into parchment letters flying out to all the world). It'll be a way that we all can remember and reflect on what we're learning as we continue to embark on the journey of this life. It'll be a way we can recognize that even in the bad times...God is with us.

Art is an amazing thing. So many layers. So many ways God can use art to speak His song to us.

recycling paintings: creating new from old

today i spent some time in my art studio creating a new painting from 2 older paintings that i have done. this is something that i do sometimes. sometimes i end up having paintings that i've done that either i never really liked or they just don't seem finished...like the concept is good but needs to be re-worked somehow. so sometimes i will cut them up and use bits and pieces of them to create a whole new painting. or sometimes i'll just paint something new right over the already existing painting. i did both today. i had a painting that i did 7 years ago that i never really liked (it was an oil impressionistic landscape painting of a calm lake)...so today i used that canvas and painted right over the top of what was already there. i also had a painting that i did 3 years ago and i really liked the concept of it but i just didn't like how the painting turned out (it was a mixed media abstract with some tiles fixed to the canvas)...so today i cut that canvas up in pieces to fit bits here and there within the new painting. i was able to elaborate on that concept and create (what i think) i really intended.

this new painting is a 16x20 that i have titled "STRONG TOWER" and i base it on Psalm 46:1-3 and also the song by the same title written by the band Kutless. i used oil paint, latex house paint, acrylic paint, images printed on paper, text (song lyrics, Scripture, words), tiles, and the cut up canvas of a previous painting to create this new abstract expressionist collage. the photo of the fortress is one that i took last year when i was in Ireland. its of The Rock of Cashel (located on a hilltop, it had been a castle, a cathedral, and a monestary. It was a major center of refuge for many during the 12th & 13th centuries).

Psalm 46:1-3

from The Message

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in the seastorm and earthquake, before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift the mountains. Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God of Angel Armies protects us.

Strong Tower

song by Kutless

When I wander through the desert.And I'm longing for my home.All my dreams have gone astray.When I'm stranded in the valley.And I'm tired and all alone.It seems like I've lost my way.I go running to Your mountain.Where your mercy sets me free.You are my strong tower.Shelter over me.Beautiful and mighty.Everlasting King.You are my strong tower.Fortress when I'm weak.Your name is true and holy.And Your face is all I seek.In the middle of my darkness.In the midst of all my fear.You're my refuge and my hope.When the storm of life is raging.And the thunder's all I hear.You speak softly to my soul.Now I'm running to your mountain.Where your mercy sets me free.

I plan to submit this new painting to the upcoming juried/themed VineArts Gallery Art Exhibit titled: REFUGE IN YOU that will run from August through October.

Creating Memories

i finally created a scrapbook documenting my trip to Ireland that I took a year ago (May 2008). i wanted to do something different than just a normal photo album or even a normal scrapbook. so i "revved" it up a wee bit.
i used a normal composition book and printed off my digital photos on normal computer paper. using the same abstract collage painting techniques that i use in my canvas paintings...i created a unique look for each leg of the trip.

to help tell the story, i used the blog posts from my Ireland blogsite:

http://www.uiscebeatha-wateroflife.blogspot.com

with some of the pages i was able to almost create a themed landscape painting with the photos and paint and a little embellishment of writing or sketching.

now i can look through the scrapbook and remember the trip on so many levels.

these are just a few of the pages. i had so much fun creating this scrapbook. i plan to do one for my trip to Paris and for my trip to Germany that i took last fall.

I'm on YouTube!

Recently the leaders of the VineArts ministry at Vineyard Boise have created over 30 short videos (2-4min each) for public viewing on YouTube. We had a blast making them! The short films range from information about what VineArts is and how to start an arts ministry, discussion about what it means to be an artist who is a Christian and what it means to be an artist in & out of the church, info about the events and happenings that take place within VineArts, and details of how to get involved. Some of the films have a serious side...others have a more silly side.

Go to http://www.youtube.com and type in vinearts and you'll get a list of videos that you can view. Check em out!

I thought I'd give you a taste here with one of the videos that I'm in. This is a call out to anyone in the Boise area who would want to join our VineArts Gallery Installation Team to be a "Gallery Grunt" and work with me installing the quarterly art exhibits in our art gallery. Take a look...I warn you though...this one has a high rating of sillyness...so be prepared!

video taken by J.N.

walking on a painting

this is me applying some white highlights to one of the 3 canvases that i've been working on to create a stage backdrop. there truly is something so amazingly fun about standing on top of a huge canvas and painting. most people put their canvas on an easle or a table or even hang it on a wall to paint...these 3 canvases are so large that it's just easier to do most of the painting flat on the ground. however, this creates the issue of how to reach certain areas of the canvas. so walking on the canvas is actually required. for this project i've splattered and applied paint with long rollers, brushes, mops, rags, sheets, bubblewrap, foam, and anything else that will help to add color and create texture. even my sneakers have added cool prints of texture to this painting. walking on a painting is definitely a unique experience!

grunge

i'm originally from Seattle. i lived there when the word "grunge" began to describe a style of rock music that sounded as if it was made up of the manky dirt & mingen grit & grime like you'd see & smell at the Seattle shipyards and waterfront. it's a mixture of salt water corrosion, mold and moss, muck and mud flowing from the rain.

it's sort of a good picture of how our hearts can be at times. we can be full of hate & judgments & meanness & selfishness & pride & jealousy & lust & unforgiveness & all sorts of ugliness...whether all this is due to terrible stuff that's happened to us or whether we've been fed lies about ourselves and we've believed them, or whether we find ourselves to blame...we need the love of Christ to wash all that away. when we allow ourselves to have relationship with him and allow him to be Lord of our life, and give our hearts and our circumstances and our struggles to him...he is able to create in us a clean heart. he can fill us with hope & love & joy & kindness & mercy & generousity & forgivenss & peace...and so many more glorious attributes. we truly can be his reflection...if we're willing.

i've been having fun working on a painting project which requires layered texture techniques that create a grungy look. this look seems to be quite popular in graphic design today. it reminds me of Seattle grunge and i've been a bit nostalgic lately.

the project represents exactly what i just described above. the love of Christ can wash away the grunge in our hearts. the hope of Christ can bring joy in the midst of our most difficult and darkest times. but we have to allow him to do the sort of work in our hearts that is required to clean up all that grungy mess.

it isn't easy. it can hurt a lot. it doesn't happen over night. but it's worth it for the freeing of our hearts from the grunge of this world. our hearts are worth it!

this is just a quick picture of what REVELATORART is about...through art, God can speak to us.

Applying Texture

This is me applying texture to one of the three 12'x18' canvases that will make up the next backdrop for the Boise Vineyard sanctuary. Yes, the canvas are on the ground now and we walk right on top of them as we paint with large brushes, brooms, rollers to apply the paint and things like sheets, bubble wrap, and foam, and squirted water to create texture. Today we utilized rollers on extension poles to apply some of the darker base colors of the background. For this painting we are using a lot of layering techniques. We water the paint down quite a bit and also spray water on the canvas as we go. This allows the paint to be a bit transparent. After some dry time the colors, textures, and shapes that we're applying and creating come through and enhance each other layer after layer. When we finished for the day, it felt really good to stand back and look at all three canvases and see the painting begin to come together.

VineArts Exhibit: "The Creator's Heart"

This last week was the submission dates for our new art exhibit in the VineArts Gallery. Most of our art shows are themed and juried. I'm the coordinator of the installations (they call me "The Grand Gallery Grunt") and so along with our VineArts Director, I have a huge part in each of the exhibits. The Director and I work together from designing and printing entry packets, to sending artists emails and making phone calls, to creating signs, to taking in the artwork submissions, to administrating jury day, to typing up and printing artist statements, to leading a team of "Gallery Grunts" to install the show (which is quite a huge undertaking in and of itself), to designing advertisement postcards, to planning and producing the opening receptions.

Today we had the Opening Reception for a new art exhibit called: "The Creator's Heart".

It was a chance for the artists to mingle with those who came to view the show. We had live music and refreshments.

I made a short video for you. The show will be up for about 2 months.

making the process easier

today we hung up one of the primed 12ftx18ft canvases. one of our leaders built a hanging system that was installed yesterday. and hooks were fashioned today to be able to hook into the grommit eyes on the canvas and set into the hanging racks on the wall.

our next step is to project outlines up onto the canvas, with overheads, of the images we will be painting. we will trace them with chalk. this will help to make it easier for the painting process (because we will be painting the canvases flat on the floor and it can be difficult to get correct perspective and placement from that angle).

remember...we have 3 of these panels to do. all 3 will create one large painting to be hung up behind the stage in the church sanctuary. we'll be painting them over the next few weeks.

PRIMING

today myself and our VineArts director began working on our next sanctuary backdrop. we have 2 sets of canvas panels (3 panels each set) which form a triptic mural painting that hangs behind the main stage. each panel is 12ft x 18ft. this is the 3rd mural backdrop we've worked on in little over a years' time. so in order to paint this one we needed to prime over one of the mural paintings in order to create a new one.

the panels are so large that we lay them out on the floor in a huge garage to paint on them. that's a photo of me standing on one of the canvas panels pouring primer onto it with a ladel. then we used long handled rollers to spread the primer to cover the canvas.

you may be gasping thinking about us painting over such a huge and memorable painting (but we did take lots of photos of it before we ruined it). this is somewhat of a normal thing for artists to do...to paint over other paintings. it was a little sad to cover over the painting underneath (see the post "RE:FORM")...but we didn't mourn too long...it was great fun spreading the primer all over it. and now we have 3 huge blank canvases to create something new and exciting on for the congregation.

and currently the 2nd backdrop mural painting is still hanging in the sanctuary (see the post "Painting the Heart of David") and will continue to hang until this new one is ready to go up (as it will coincide with an upcoming sermon series for the church).

we'll be painting any chance we get over the next few weeks...this new backdrop will be hung up by June sometime. i'll try to post updates for you as the new painting comes to life.

Still Alive

tonight i painted live at a venue downtown Boise called The Record Exchange. my friend Jerry Fee and his band were playing there live to release their new cd titled "Still Alive".

it was an amazing experience to create a painting throughout their entire set. i was positioned just a few feet away from the stage. and by the end of the night i felt like part of the band.
the painting is themed to coincide with the new cd. the lyrics of the songs are all throughout the background of the painting. the images i used all work into what the songs are about. and the overall color scheme and look of the painting was inspired by the cd cover painted by another artist friend of Jerry's.
here is the finished painting. it is an 18x24 mixed media abstract on canvas. i used ink, oil paint, latex house paint, paper images, matte medium, & acrylic paint. it was raffled off to a member of the audience at the end of the evening.
here is a wee snippet of me painting live to the song "Still Alive" as Jerry and his band play live. i apologize that the video is sideways. it was recorded verticle and for some reason i can't seem to get it to play that way. hopefully it won't distract you and you can get a taste of how i paint.

i want to give a big thank you to all who came out to see the show and also to Jerry Fee, his family, and his band for letting me PLAY with them. it was a blast! Jerry...your music is inspiring!

photos & video taken by E.M.

painting LIVE

okay, so besides what I typically do with my art business Revelatorart (selling my paintings, doing commission work, teaching lessons, doing art shows, illustrating books, etc.), and in leadership with the VineArts ministry (installing gallery exhibits, leading art groups, painting murals & backdrops,etc.)....God has been opening doors this year for me to do a bit of performance painting (creating a painting live in front of an audience to music) in various venues for various purposes. Some events have been small, other events have been quite large. Some events have been worship focused, other events have been for charity, and other events have been arts & community related. Performance painting has been something I've always been interested in doing (as part of how I like to express the creativity God has placed within me) and I have been enjoying these opportunities by embracing them with all I've got to give. I wanted you to know about the most recent opportunity coming up.

You have another chance to see me create a painting live...

I'm going to be painting at another cool event THIS COMING FRIDAY NIGHT!!!

This event will be FREE and open to ALL AGES...

WHAT IS THIS COOL EVENT?: JERRY FEE  CD RELEASE PARTY

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?: Jerry just finished making a new cd titled "Still Alive". He will be playing songs from that cd. And you can have the chance to be among the first to actually purchase the cd (he'll give you several ways you can do that...all very inexpensive and tailored to fit for your convenience) 

Get a sneek listen to Jerry's music at: <http://www.jerryfeemusic.com> 

WHEN IS THIS COOL EVENT?: Friday April 3

WHAT TIME IS THIS COOL EVENT?: 7:30pm to 9:30pm

WHERE IS THIS COOL EVENT?: The Record Exchange in downtown Boise ( <http://www.therecordexchange.com>)

[1105 W. Idaho St, Boise: <http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=+1105+W+Idaho+St%2C+Boise%2C+ID>]

{This is a place where you can buy new & used cds & dvds & other merchandise. They also have a COFFEE BAR!}

WHAT'S IT GONNA COST FOR THIS COOL EVENT?: It's FREE to come to the event!

WHO CAN COME TO THIS COOL EVENT?: ALL AGES are welcome! 

WHY SHOULD YOU COME TO THIS COOL EVENT?: This will be loads of fun to listen to some great music, watch me paint, and enjoy the atmosphere.

WILL THERE BE AN OPENING BAND AT THIS COOL EVENT?: Yes, Low-Fi will open with an acoustic set.

IS THERE A BONUS AT THIS COOL EVENT?: YES! You can watch me create a painting live to Jerry's entire set of music. 

There will be a raffle for the painting (raffle tickets will cost $2 each...you can buy as many as you want!) and YOU COULD WIN THE PAINTING I CREATE LIVE AT THIS COOL EVENT!!! 

Remember...this cool event that I'm painting at is....THIS COMING FRIDAY NIGHT. 

Tell your friends. Tell you family. Tell your neighbors. Tell your co-workers. Tell your postman. Tell your barista. Tell the kid who bags your groceries. Put a reminder on your frig, on your computer, on your Blackberry, on your dog, on your forehead. 

THIS FRIDAY APRIL 3. RECORD EXCHANGE. BOISE. 7:30PM. FREE. LIVE MUSIC. ME PAINTING. COFFEE. GOOD TIMES!

Hope to see you there!

Scraping Paint

today i got to do something i hadn't done since my days in Scotland (2000/2001/2002) when i helped to transform a hundred+ year old building into a coffeehouse/church in Glasgow.  being an artist...typically you can find me applying paint to things....but today i got to scrape paint off. 

i've been helping with a large mural project (details in the previous post) and part of that project has been to not only paint the walls and ceilings...but also all the doors. we ran into a bit of problem when we realized that the paint that was originally on all 12 doors was an oil based paint. the paint we are applying to do this project is a latex paint. this won't work. as you know, oil and water don't mix...so latex will just peel off once applied on top of the oil based paint. 

we tried sanding the doors...but didn't get very far. so a stripping solvent needed to be brushed on (it's purpose is to eat away at the paint and bubble it up to make it easier to scrape off). special gloves and masks were needed to protect us from the toxic fumes. then we set to scraping the paint off with scraping tools. it's a long, tedious, and muscle aching job. 

once the paint is completely scraped off we can apply a coat of primer that will allow us to use the latex paint we have to paint the murals with onto the doors (creating a continuous scene). 

so i had a bit of a nostalgic experience today...scraping paint, something i did A LOT of when i was in Scotland. you can read about my experiences in Glasgow at my blog: http://www.streetsofglasgow.blogspot.com

working together

part of what the VineArts Ministry does is make ourselves available to do art projects for the various ministries at Boise Vineyard Christian Fellowship. this time the project was so huge that we opened it up to not only the artists who are a part of VineArts, but also to anyone who wanted to join in and help out. 
the building that the children's ministry is located in was in need of an "extreme makeover". so the head of the ministry partnered with our VineArts director and came up with an amazing artistic concept...to paint the hallways that surround the gymnasium with vividly colorful and fun scenes from our world.
these scenes include the desert, the ocean, the mountains, the jungle, space, etc....and are filled with water, foliage, animals, and other things that would be found in each of the scenes (all things that children would enjoy looking at). each scene morphs into the next...and some even continue through doors and up onto ceilings. 
this is the week for the project to be completed...so over a 100 people have been contributing their time and efforts to work together to get the job done (yes, you read that right...over a 100 people!). our director has made it easy for everyone no matter what their skill level in painting is. first the pictures were traced onto the walls with chalk in simplified shapes and then a numbering system was created to paint by number (match the number on the wall in the shape with the number of paint in the paint cans at the paint table, pick up a cup with that paint in it, grab a brush, and go to work)...this way lots of people can work together side by side with as little instruction as possible and the job gets done quickly and easily. 
today i helped do some detail work...like these pink water roses in a cross section of a lake. it's a really cool experience to work on such a large scale project as this. it's a reminder that if we all work together we can accomplish big things much easier than if one person or a few people were to try and take it on. and it ends up being way more fun too! 

Dreams Really Do Come True

Tonight I was one of several artists that were featured at a special arts event in downtown Boise.

The Forerunner Cafe owned by my friend Lisa Johnson is a company that specializes in promoting local talent and inspiring others to take hold of their dreams and be who they are meant to be. This evening was the first of many more events like this to come. There were hip-hop dancers, an actor, a poet, a musician, and a ballroom dancer featured along with myself (a painter). We were the evenings' entertainment for a semi-formal dessert theatre. It was an amazing night of inspiring art, creative hearts, and passionate performances. I'm still flying high from such a amazing time!
I painted on stage to a medley song of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What A Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole. I used a 3ftx3ft gallery wrapped canvas. I had prepped the background beforehand...writing the lyrics of the songs, some Scriptures, and various phrases onto the canvas and then rubbed on oil paint, and then brushed on latex house paints (let them tack up and then rubbed them off in certain areas to give a weathered look). During the performance I glued on various images and words and bits of other paintings I had done, and then applied acrylic paints with my fingers and did a bit of splattering too. Oh my goodness I had so much fun with this painting! 
Here is the final piece. I call this painting "Dreams". People were able to purchase a raffle ticket and get the chance to win the painting at the end of the evening. The MC joked from the moment I had arrived with the painting that he was going to win it. Funny thing is...his wife's raffle ticket actually did win! They both commented that it was really cool to have such a artistic reminder of the event to place in their home. 

The painting is a reminder...that dreams really do come true. 

THE BOOK IS RELEASED!

Today is the day! The book that I illustrated, "Formation Generation" by Robert Michael Kurz, is OFFICIALLY RELEASED. You can find it in all Major bookstores, Christian bookstores, and on-line at Amazon.com and directly through the Publisher and the Author himself. 

Here is a little promotional video made for the book:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpbJ0qt-Hyg

Here is the Authors Official Website for the book:

http://www.formationgeneration.com/

Here is the Amazon.com page for the book:

http://www.amazon.com/Formation-Generation-Robert-Michael-Kurz/dp/1606965565/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233809712&sr=8-14

Here is the Tate Publishers page for the book:

http://tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-60696-556-6

You can read reviews on Amazon.com.

some upcoming events that i'll be featured at

EVENT #1:

This next Sunday is the BOOK SIGNING for the book I illustrated.

What: "Formation Generation" Book Signing 

with Author Robert Michael Kurz & Artist Lisa Marten

When: Sunday March 1, 2009

Time: 10:30am-11am AND 12:30pm-1pm

Where: Boise Vineyard Christian Fellowship

Copies of the books will be available for you to purchase at the book signing.

The book will be released to all major bookstores and on-line at Amazon.com as of March 3rd. 

<http://www.amazon.com/Formation-Generation-Robert-Michael-Kurz/dp/1606965565/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233809712&sr=8-14>

EVENT #2:

WHEN: Saturday March 7th, 2009 

WHAT: The Forerunner Café will be presenting: 

The First Dessert Theater in Boise , Idaho

TIME: 7pm

WHERE: The Water Cooler in downtown Boise

COST: $8 

PURPOSE FOR THE EVENT: It is a semi-formal event to give you an evening of entertainment, 

and to show you what can be done when you pursue your passion and use the 

talents that God intended for you to use to make a difference in this world!  

The performances will encourage and excite you to pursue your own!

Artists that will be performing are:

Lisa Marten: Nationally and Internationally known local artist who owns Revelatorart.

Natalie Wickstrom: Dance Instructor and Choreographer who owns Carpe Danza Ballroom in Boise, Idaho

Matthew Le Baron: Actor and MC for the night and who is also a local Real Estate Broker

Chuck Cathcart: Videographer with Clear Creak Productions

Samual Fortner: Local singer and guitarist

This is just to name a few of the artists and performers...

WHAT TO EXPECT: Shortly after the performances, there will be a time of networking 

intended specifically for you to meet the artists and other prospective talents to help you pursue 

your personal desire to grow in that area.  The night will also be topped off as with 

specialty desserts, exquisite coffee and drinks.

BONUS: Watch me create a painting. You could win the painting in a raffle!

EVENT #3:

What: JERRY FEE CD RELEASE PARTY

Where: The Record Exchange, Downtown Boise

When: Friday, April 3, 2009

Time: 7:30pm to 9:30pm

Cost: It's FREE for ALL ages. 

Why: Come listen to Jerry play and pick up

his new CD titled "Still Alive" 

Opening Band: Low-Fi 

BONUS: Watch me create a painting to his 

entire set of music. And you could win the

painting I create in a raffle!

Check out Jerry's music at:

<http://www.jerryfeemusic.com>

word UP

the photo above is of a mural that i was hired to paint in a bookstore this week. it was a challenge to paint on a cement block wall (with all the bumpy nooks and crannies) but it also gave a cool texture to the Dead Sea Scroll and Clay Pottery Jar that i painted. i enjoy painting murals...it's the ultimate HUGE canvas! with this particular mural i got to do more detailed work compared to the abstracts i've been doing lately. it was fun to work on something different. 

doin what i do

this week i've been doin what i do.

it's a good week.

the beginning stages of prepping a 3ftx3ft canvas for an upcoming art event where

i'll be a featured artist. i wrote out lyrics, phrases, scriptures onto the canvas with ink.

then i covered the whole thing with various colors of oil paint with my fingers

(that's what you see in the photo above). i rubbed the paint off leaving a thin layer,

 allowing the words to show through. then i brushed on various colors of 

latex house paint and let it tack up. oil and water don't mix so i was able to rub away

some of the latex paint giving it a peeling paint kind of look with the oil and words

showing from underneath. i will finish the painting during a performance that i'll do

on March 7th downtown Boise. i'll layer on images, words, objects, and acrylic paint to 

give it the final thematic look i'm goin for. i'll be painting live to a song medley. 

look for my post about it soon and i'll put up a photo of the finished painting. 

Painting Scotland

recently i've been a bit nostalgic. it seems like everywhere i turn i am reminded of Scotland. last fall i traveled to Paris & Germany and even there I came upon a bagpiper playing on a bridge in Paris and men in kilts at a castle in Germany. this week a friend gave me a cd of a Scottish bagpipe band and I've watched "Braveheart" twice. the weather today made me think of Scotland...it was a bit damp and cool and had a musty smell in the air. it was brilliant! i guess you can say i miss Scotland.

you see...i used to live there. i lived in Glasgow for 9 months. in the big picture of life that's really not a long time...but it was long enough for me to know that I will always be going back. it's a place near and dear to my heart. in fact...if you're ever interested in reading more about all of that, visit my blog dedicated to my time in Scotland: http://www.streetsofglasgow.blogspot.com or my travel blog of my return visit: http://whatswhat-ukandireland2005.blogspot.com/

all of this Scottish nostalgia has made me think of the paintings that i've done of that beautiful land. i've painted so many i can't even count. but a few stand out as my favorites. so this post is about that...painting Scotland. 

"The Presence of the Future" 18x24 oil on canvas

Isle of Mull looking towards the Isle of Iona, Scotland

while living in Scotland i had the wonderful opportunity to visit some beautiful places in the Highlands and in the Hebrides Isles. i took lots of photos and would spend time painting while i lived in Glasgow. my paintings began to change from the ones i did after my first trip to Scotland. originally i tried to capture the romantic beauty of the "bonnie isle" but what transpired was a ruggedness & a wildness of what i came to know as the Scottish spirit...the kind we all learned about in "Braveheart". i got to set foot on some pretty historical battlegrounds and explore some pretty ancient sites. some of the paintings I've painted I did while I was living there. others i completed when i returned to the States. they speak of what continues to live deep in my heart for Scotland. as i know i will always be going back to Scotland...i know i will always be painting Scotland....like a "warrior poet"!

"History Maker" 22x28 oil on canvas

waterfall in the GlenCoe area of the highlands, Scotland

"Breakfast on the Beach" 11x14 oil on canvas

beach on the Isle of Tiree, Scotland

"He Says Come" 11x14 oil on canvas paper

the falls of Dochart, Scotland

"Can I Ascend?" 11x14 oil on canvas paper (and again 14x18 oil on canvas)

the GlenCoe area of the highlands, Scotland

"Breathe Again" 11x14 oil on canvas paper (and again 18x24 oil on canvas)

beach area on the Isle of Coll, Scotland

"Break These Chains" 18x24 oil on canvas

ancient broch on the Isle of Tiree, Scotland

touch screen for a tactile finger-painting artist

so i've joined the 3G network with my new Blackberry Storm thru Verizon Wireless. i've got internet access, text & pix, Facebook, an 8GB memory card, and an international chip so i can use the phone when i travel overseas, and much much more. i've been trying to get used to the touch screen and all the doo-dads. it's a little intimidating...but i think with practice i'll get the hang of it. being that i'm quite the tactile touchy-feely finger-painting kind of artist that i am...i think i'm gonna become good friends with this phone. i'm sure that before long it'll have paint smudges all over it. makes me smile just thinkin of it. 

Hanging A Sale

today i finalized a transaction. remember in a previous post i wrote about being able to paint during a class that was being taught at the Boise Vineyard...the painting (titled "You Shall Not Pass!") that transformed during that Revelation UnCorked class sold and is now hanging up in the bookstore of the church as a permanent piece of art. i was able to help Bob (the Builder) in the process as he let me use some brand new bolt cutters to cut the chain that would hang the painting. (*enter the Tim the Tool Time grunting sound here*) . Oh yeah! 

VineArts Exhibit: Transformation 09

today was the launch day for the new art exhibit in the VineArts Gallery. the name of this exhibit is Transformation. it's all about the process of a transformed heart, life, spirit, world through Christ. here is a little video i took during the opening reception today to give you a feel for what the show is like. today's opening receptions included a band that played live music, refreshments for the guests, and a chance to allow people to mingle, view the art and meet the artists. the show runs till the beginning of April. 

A Full Days Work

so yesterday i put in a full days work (i mean a FULL days work: 9am to midnight!)

it was installation day in the VineArts Gallery. we install an art exhibit about 4-5 times a year with the shows running usually a couple or so months. each show has a theme and the artists are required to submit their work (with artist statements) by deadline dates. the artwork is then judged as to thematic congruity and theological integrity (the gallery is inside a Boise Vineyard church...so we do have some guidelines as to content). we don't judge on artistic skill. any age can submit. and artists do not need to be a part of the church.

the deadline date for submissions was on Wednesday. we had the jury day on Thursday and then on Friday we installed the show. i have a team of faithful helpers (i call them Gallery Grunts) who take time out of their schedules to join me in hanging each of the shows. i couldn't possibly install a show without them. they are my hands and feet and sometimes even my brain as we work together to bring what at first appears to be a palette of artworks that differ in size, medium, and style...and create one fluid exhibit that speaks the theme and flows aesthetically. there are so many details to handle to hang a show and i am so grateful for my Grunts!

launch day for this new exhibit "Transformation", is this Sunday. the opening reception is from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. it's a chance to meet the artists and view the artwork. we will have refreshments for all those who come and a band will be playing live music. the show will be up till the beginning of April.

so once we finished up the installation (which was about 4pmish) i needed to head over to the venue that i would be painting in the evening. the Visual Arts Collective is a venue that houses an art gallery with a bar and an area with stage that is set up for events (like concerts and theatrical productions). i had the wonderful chance to work last night with my long time friend Jerry Fee. he is a musician and has a real heart to create benefit concerts. so the night was filled with 4 bands (including his) and i painted to songs by 3 of the bands. part of the ticket price benefited a local charity and tickets holders had a chance to win the paintings i would be creating throughout the night.

this was my first opportunity to paint like this in a venue outside of the church. the crowd seemed very receptive to art being created during the music. each time i was to paint there seemed to be a little crowd that would form around me to watch as i quickly painted to the rhythm of the songs.

earlier in the week i had prepped the 3 canvases in my studio. like i've blogged...doing "performance art" is a new thing for me, but it's something i've always wanted to do and am enjoying. i hope to get to the point where i could actually paint something from start to finish during the length of one song...or even throughout a set of songs. Jerry and i talked a little bit about the possibility of some more future events that we could do together. but for this show i prepped the paintings in my studio ahead of time (doing the main backgrounds) so that while i was actually painting at the show during the specified song, i would just add in the final touches and people could watch as i did this. each painting corresponds with a song that the bands were playing at that moment.

as you know, concerts tend to run long into the night (especially ones that have multiple bands) so the show ran till about midnight. i've always been a bit of a band groupie when it comes to my friends who are musicians. so it was a fun experience to actually be part of the show (set up/perform/take down) along with all of the bands. i enjoyed meeting the band members and hanging out. i was also really blessed by some of my friends & family who turned out for the event...it was nice to see some familiar faces amidst the crowd. all in all it was a great experience.

i've included some photos here of me painting, of Jerry singing, and of the 3 paintings i created.

photo taken by J.D.

painting and music for a cause in our community

my friend Jerry Fee is a local musician who likes to produce benefit concerts. he did the two OVERCOME concerts that raised money for Isaiah Rodriguez (re: child leukemia) that were held at The Big Easy 2 years in a row. This time it's a concert that will benefit The Idaho Youth Ranch and it's being held at The Visual Arts Collective in Garden City. he asked me if i'd be willing to do some paintings during some of the songs. the paintings will be raffled off to ticket holders. this is an opportunity for me to paint outside the walls of the church...and to allow God to be revealed through the paintings i create while we reach out to our community. i'd love to see you there. i'd also appreciate your support by having your prayers...for me, for the bands, for those who would attend, and for the kids who benefit from the IYR. Thanks!

to have a sneek peek at Jerry's music, you can go to his website and have a listen at:

<http://www.jerryfeemusic.com>

concert info:

FRIDAY JANUARY 23, 8PM

VISUAL ARTS COLLECTIVE

GARDEN CITY, ID

TICKETS ARE $7

($2 go to benefit The Idaho Youth Ranch)

DOORS OPEN AT 7PM

AGES 21+

bands:

JERRY FEE

THE UNIVERSAL

THE VERY MOST

SPONDEE

with local artist LISA MARTEN painting to the music

don't cry over spilled paint...just laugh

today i managed to spill about a quart of white paint all over my hands, my jeans, my converse sneakers, the drop cloth, and an easel. 

i don't know how many times i have reminded myself to make sure that the top of a paint can is fastened securely before i just go ahead and give it a shake. well, today i forgot. 

i was working on 3 projects at once and was a bit distracted. i had music blasting in my studio and i was in my groove. when i'm painting sometimes i have  so many ideas that are speeding around in my head so fast i can barely keep up. i was shifting gears from one painting to another. i wanted to add some paint splatter to one of the paintings so i quickly grabbed a can off the shelf in my right hand. i no more than took the can in my hands and gave it a quick side to side shake and SPLOOPSHGLUGSPLOT! the lid came off and out flew white house paint all over! 

it was like a slow motion scene from a comedy movie. in fact, those of you who know me...can you just picture me there in my studio juggling with white paint that's flying in the air? pretty darn funny! 

luckily i didn't get the paint on anything important, like the finished paintings that were sitting about the studio. 

it was water based paint, so it was a bit easier to clean up than if it had been oil based. but initially all i could do was stand there with paint dripping off of me and laugh. many of my abstract paintings are created by me utilizing paint splatter to enhance texture and give things a certain look to enhance the visual experience. but this was no paint splatter...this was a mess!

unfortunately i was all alone in my art studio...so no one got to share the hysterically funny moment with me. it took me a few minutes to figure out how best to go about the clean up process...meanwhile my legs were getting cold from the paint soaking into my jeans. i should've gotten pictures of the silly scene...but being that my hands were covered in wet paint i chose not to reach for the camera. 

i can't tell ya how many times i've done silly things like what i did today...but take my word...don't cry over spilled paint...just laugh. art is supposed to be fun...and if we don't take the time to laugh at ourselves once in awhile...we're livin life too seriously. 

painting scripture

(this is a photo of the final painting. i call the painting "You Shall Not Pass" it's based on Revelation 12:7-12.)

when i first became a Christian (just before i entered high school in the mid 80's) i remember going to a youth rally weekend in Wisconsin. the theme of the weekend was the Book of Revelation. i had never read Revelation...actually at that point i hadn't read the Bible in any length at all at that point. all i remember is that the leaders of the weekend had the youth split up into groups and we were to give a presentation on a chapter. i remember my group drawing a huge poster of a dragon. i thought...whoa, a dragon...in the Bible! jump ahead a couple of years and i remember a lot of my Christian friends in high school (who had been raised growing up in the church) had their theories of what meant what in Revelation and they read all the latest books on end times prophecy. me...i wasn't sure what i thought...but Revelation sure was full of imagery and some crazy stuff!

many years later as i attended Bible college, it was mandatory for me to take a course in Biblical Eschatology, and a class solely dedicated to Revelation. they were probably the 2 most boring classes i had ever taken. the professor was one of those monotone types who had graphs and charts plotted out on overheads and we were forced to sit through hours and hours of pre trib, mid trib, post trib theory...and i fell asleep in most of the classes (could explain the D's i got). needless to say...those classes taught me nothing about Revelation.

again...jump forward several years as i was starting my art business. i desired to partner with God in how & why i create art. i began to see new things as i read Revelation. symbolic, artistic, creative, layered, crazy, mysterious images popped out of the pages and realized that Revelation was God's story. it's not just about gloom and doom and fire and hell. it's really about God...and how the world is redeemed, restored, renewed, reformed through Christ. and God is a creative God...it appears that He didn't want to "spoon feed us"...He wanted us to think on it, chew on it, grapple with it, all the while seeking Him and His glory.

i decided to call my art business Revelator Art (but putting the words together as one) because i wanted God to be revealed through my life and my art. yes...i named my business after John the Revelator (that God would be revealed). so this is why most of my paintings are not typical "religious" art...whether i paint a landscape, a portrait, or an abstract...my prayer is that God would be revealed in a creative way to the viewer.

the book of Revelation is not black and white. it's not "this is this and that is that". it's God's art. it's meant to be freakin mysterious...and by that mystery we get to experience God in a creative way.

anyways...back to my point about this post.

tonight i got to paint during the "Revelation Uncorked" class at VCF Boise. the teacher is giving all of us a creative and fresh look at the apocalyptic scripture...focusing not on plotting eschatological charts & interpreting the news as end time prophesy...but rather, giving recognition to a God who is so creative that He purposefully gave a vision to be written down that would speak of the depth of His mystery. the class is not a theological dissertation on what is what...but it is an opportunity to give glory to God for who He is. we're being challenged by the utilization of film clips, book quotes, and a reading from "Word on the Street" a paraphrased Bible from the UK, along with me painting an abstract expressionist collage).


these photos were taken as i painted while the teacher read Revelation. the painting is not finished. i will finish it next week in the final class time. i am doing a painting of Rev. 12:7-12 when Michael the ArchAngel defeats the Dragon and the Dragon is thrown out of Heaven down to earth. i will call this painting "you shall not pass" (using the line that is spoken by Gandalf to the Balrog in Lord of the Rings). i layered the foundations (using printed Scriptures from Revelation, images, and paint) mostly with my hands and fingers and then later i did a little bit of brush work. tonight i added in the "bad bits". next week i will finish up the painting by adding in the "good bits". the painting, to me, represents WORSHIP....for that is what i think the Revelation is about.
ok so after talking about all of the recent events that i'm painting at, i've had a few people in the last week say to me, "so you're becoming a 'performance artist'". wow...i guess i hadn't thought of it that way (i'm just saying yes to requests from friends who have asked me to do this stuff)...but what i'm doing right now IS actually a "genre" of art that i have always wanted to do. "performance art is a form of art in which the artist creates a live performance, often using a variety of media." But to call me a "performance artist" actually makes me cringe...cuz i don't feel like i'm performing when i paint (although i am painting on stages in front of hundreds and sometimes thousands of people). in fact, i wouldn't want to "perform". i just want to be me. i just want to paint. in my heart and in my mind when i paint like this...i'm worshipping God with my talents and allowing Him to be revealed through my art.

photos taken by E.M.

The Palate Art Discipleship Group

"The Palate is NOT an art class. We are a discipleship group in which visual learners can grow spiritually and creatively in a safe place. Our focus is worship, prayer, study, and community. Our goal is to become ever closer to Jesus Christ."  

we will track with the Sunday morning sermon series at VCF Boise and utilize the study tools for discussion. we will incorporate worship and prayer. we will utilize film clips, book study, poetry readings, sketching, painting, and many other creative activities. and we will spend time encouraging each other as artists who are Christians.

we were supposed to launch this artsy group tonight...but due to snowy weather conditions, we decided to cancel for driving safety purposes. so we will try again in 2 weeks on Monday night January 19th. 

and yes, The Palate is spelled correctly. we chose to spell it the "tongue" way (instead of the "art" way) because we want to live out Psalm 34:8 "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." our group is about feeding our inner artist with a sampling of artistic activities and solid biblical study. 

"the sense of taste: The ability to tell good wine, food etc from bad. Palate training teaches the

art of recognizing and appreciating what is good. The intake of variety awakens the senses of taste, touch, smell and sight, stimulates the appetite, gives exposure to a variety of different

textures, is visually exciting in a wide spectrum of colors, provides nutrition, allows experimentation and discovery. A variety of types, tastes and textures, become more accustomed to trying new foods and will develop tastes accordingly."

Painting the Heart of David

here is a final photo of the 3 paneled canvas backdrop that i helped paint for VCF Boise, and some photos of myself and our VineArts director painting during worship on Sunday. i used a small step ladder and the director used some large wooden boxes to stand on. and keeping to freeform, we used brushes, brooms, rags, and our hands to apply the paint onto the canvas. i was on the left panel (painting in the heart and the stump of Jessie) and our director was on the right panel (painting in the branch at the cross and some Hebrew text that reads: man after God's heart). the center panel was already complete (because it sits right behind the band).

photos taken by R.H.

sharing my happy with you

well...we are officially into 2009. Happy New Year! and things are already pickin up for me art-wise (i've gained some clients and some sales and some cool creative gigs). it's starting out to be a fun creative year and i'm pretty gobsmacked about it.

i had lunch at Panda Express today (mmmmmmorangechicken) and the fortune in my cookie said: "share your happiness with others today". well...painting makes me happy. so i want to share some of my happy with you.

here is a rough list of some upcoming events that i'll be painting at. i will do my best to blog about these events individually.

1) Sunday January 4

9am and 11am

Vineyard Boise morning services

myself & our VineArts director will be

finishing the backdrop on stage

during worship for both services.

2) Tuesday January 6th AND

Tuesday January 13th

6:30-9:30pm both nights

Vineyard Boise (I think in the Chapel?)

"Revelation UnCorked" class

(a fresh&creative look at the Book of Revelation)

no sign-ups, just show up

3) Friday January 23rd

8pm

Visual Arts Collective, Boise

Charity Concert Event

I'll be painting while bands play music.

there is a ticket price

(as soon as i get more info i'll post it)

4) Sunday March 1st

10:30am and 12:30pm (after both services)

Vineyard Boise (Book Cellar in Heritage Hall)

Book signing with author Robert Michael Kurz.

This is for the book I illustrated "Formation Generation"

You'll be able to purchase a copy early that day.

(okay, so I'm not actually painting at this event...

but I'll be signing books that I illustrated)

5) Saturday March 7th

7pm

The Water Cooler, Boise

Special Arts Event

I'm a featured artist.

I'll be painting to music.

there is a ticket price.

(as soon as i get more info i'll post it)

OH...i almost forgot, here are a some other art related things that i'm involved with:

*starting Monday January 5th.

The Palate: an artist discipleship group

every 1st and 3rd Monday nights.

6:30pm-8:30pm

VineArts Studio in the Barnabas Bldg at Vineyard Boise

i am co-leading a small group for artists.

feed your inner artist with a sampling of artistic activities

and solid biblical study.

*every 3rd Saturday morning

Writers Guild

9:30am-11am at Barnes & Noble, Boise

i lead a group of local writers who have been meeting

for years to encourage each other in our literary creative efforts.

*with my team of faithful helpers (i call them gallery grunts),

i will be installing a new art exhibit in our VineArts Gallery

at Vineyard Boise towards the end of January.

the art exhibit is called, "Transformation"

we will have an opening reception for all the artists

who will be in the juried/themed show on:

Sunday January 25th at 1:30pm in the VineArts Gallery.

everyone is welcome to attend. there will be live music, refreshments,

and a chance to view the artwork and meet the artists.

the exhibit will be up till the beginning of April.

maybe i'll see you at one of these events.

thanks for letting me share some of my happy with you.

keep creating and dive deep!

photo taken by J.D.

painting with brooms and anything available

remember my post about working on large scale projects?

here are some photos of the process. i was one of 12 people who worked on this project at various times over the last 3 weeks.

the 3 paneled canvas painting is now hanging in the Vineyard Boise church sanctuary as a backdrop on the front stage, to coincide with a new sermon series on the "heart of David".

this coming Sunday Jan.4 at 9am and at 11am, myself and the director of our VineArts ministry will be painting on the finishing touches during the morning services. we will do this as a creative expression of worship along with the band that will be leading the congregation in singing.

i have a deep belief that we can worship God through all of the various aspects of our lives (not just when we're attending church). Art is a large part of my life and who i am...and when i do it with my whole heart...i enjoy blessing God through my creative efforts.

photos taken by J.N.

"Coffee Talk" (My End of the Year Newsletter)

"FARTHER UP & FURTHER IN"

That’s a quote from the Chronicles of Narnia written by C.S.Lewis. It’s an attitude of the heart to continue the journey set before the traveler.No turning back. No giving up. Always moving forward, pressing on to the goal. This is a journey of discovery and exploration(as John Eldredge says). With each step I take I am learning more about my heart and my desires...I’m learning that they are good and worth seeking out. So this year was about me & God. It was about painting & travel, ministry & support, friendship & family. I read some great books, created some new art, encouraged some beautiful people, visited some amazing places,wrote some fun blogs & made some great memories.

IRELAND:

This year I had the amazing privilege of traveling back to Ireland. It was my second trip to the Emerald Isle (my first trip was the summer of 2005 with my parents). This time I traveled with some friends from the VineArts Ministry that I’m involved with at Boise Vineyard. We toured all over the Republic in May. They’re photographers and artists, so our trip consisted of exploring picturesque landscapes, ancient celtic ruins, castles and monastic sites to photograph, sketch, paint, and enjoy. I also had the chance to do a little bit of family ancestry searching on my Mom’s side. There’s such rich history in the land and everywhere you go, the people are friendly and welcoming. I know I will always be going back to Ireland...it’s deep in within my heart (just as Scotland is).

to read more about my trip to Ireland, visit my blogsite: http://www.uiscebeatha-wateroflife.blogspot.com

PARIS & GERMANY:

In September I got to experience my second trip to Europe this year. I traveled to Paris & Germany with my parents. We have friends who live near Frankfurt, Germany and it had been many years since we’d seen them. We decided that it was time to go for a visit. We thought it would be fun to stop off in Paris first on our way. I fell in love with Paris! It’s an artists’ dreamland! The atmosphere of the street-side cafés, the glorious beauty of the architecture, the museums full of art, and the delicious foods. It was all such a wonderful experience. And then we took a train to Germany. We had a great time with our friends. They showered us with hospitality. We got to taste some amazing foods, see some gorgeous castles, and learn about the life in Germany from past to present. It was a priceless experience.

to read more about my trip to Paris & Germany, visit my blogsite: http://www.hanginoutineurope.blogspot.com

PAINTING:

This year has been an incredible year of creativity for me. I’ve been able to be a part of some really impactful artistic experiences. And on more than one occasion I have been stretched out of my creative comfort zone to try new things and be utilized in new ways with art. I was given a travel set of watercolors for my trips to Europe. This freed me up to be able to sketch and paint while I traveled...from the ancient green bog-lands of Ireland to the endless halls of the Louvre in Paris. Back home in my art studio I will be creating larger oil paintings (from the wee watercolors that I did on my trips). I’ve also continued to be in leadership with the VineArts ministry at the Vineyard church in Boise. This has given me endless opportunities to work with other artists installing art exhibits for our VineArts Gallery, doing workshops, writers groups, downtown Boise art walks, art hangouts, our Annual VineArts fundraising Gala, and collaborating on paintings for a purpose (like the RE:FORM ripple effect backdrop for the sanctuary, and the Art & Worship day for 60 students at a local university). I love being utilized in this way for God’s Kingdom. I am currently helping to paint a new backdrop (3 large canvas panels, each 11 ft high & 18 feet long) that will be hung in the sanctuary in January to coincide with a new sermon series based on the heart of David (from the Old Testament). And also in January I will begin to co-lead a home group for artists and will continue to paint & be involved in ministry as much as I can. Beyond the arts ministry...I am still painting and selling with my art business "REVELATORART". I've also had some new doors open recently for my business where I will get to paint for some special public events (downtown Boise) in January (i'll blog about that here on this site in more detail later). I am really loving being an artist!

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

May you be surrounded by love and may you know His Love.

Dive Deep!

photo taken by T.&K. N.

working on large scale projects

being on the leadership team for the VineArts ministry at the Boise Vineyard gives me many opportunities to play with paint and hang out with friends doing art. this week we began our prep work for a 3 paneled canvas painting that we will be creating over the next 3 weeks. each panel is a little over 11 feet high and 18 feet long. The 3 piece painting will serve as a backdrop in the church's sanctuary for the new year and will coincide with the pastors' sermon series theme of "the heart of David" (King David from the Old Testament in the Bible) The Bible says that David was "a man after God's own heart"....so the backdrop painting will be an abstract representation of that concept. i will continue to post photos of the paintings' progression for you as it forms.

last year in January we did this process for the first time when we painted the backdrop for the sanctuary coinciding with the "RE:FORM" sermon theme focusing in the Book of Acts (New Testament in the Bible) you can read more about that project if you scroll down further on this blogsite to read the post title "RE:FORM".

today we built a huge stretching frame so we could staple each canvas to it in order to prime them. years ago i had worked as a professional canvas manufacturer for a local art supply company. i gained some valuable skills from that job regarding stretching & priming canvas and it's good to still be able to utilize them at times.

i'm very excited about the next 3 weeks as we work as a team to create this huge painting. i love the chance to work side by side with other artists. i love the conversations that go on, the laughter that is shared, and the learning that happens as we work together to get a project done.

by the end of the year we should have this finished and then it will be hung up behind the stage in the sanctuary as the backdrop where the worship band plays and the pastor speaks. during the first couple of Sundays of January-myself and the VineArts director will join the worship band on stage and we will be painting the finishing touches on the backdrop during the morning worship services while the band leads the congregation in singing. it will be an opportunity for everyone to experience the arts as an expression of worship to God.

and as a sidenote: during the month of January 2009 i will be painting at 4 separate events as an act of worship. i will blog more about this as time gets closer to each event.

photos taken by J.N.

painting landscapes

I've been creating abstract collage expressionist paintings so much lately...that many people forget or don't even know that I paint impressionistic landscapes in oil too. 

After traveling to Europe twice this year I have a tons a inspiration to paint from and have now begun to put paint to canvas to capture some of those moments abroad. 

I spent a month on the Emerald Isle of Ireland in May and then a week in Artistic Paris and a week in Beautiful Germany in September/October. 

Here is one of the paintings I just finished. It's a 16x20 oil on canvas. It's of a tree and rock wall that I stood by in Tipperary, Ireland. 

When I paint my oil landscapes, I exclusively use Winsor & Newton Oil Bars and Sennelier Oil Sticks. I layer the colors (dark to light) so I can create depth. I use my fingers to mix, blend, and paint right there on the canvas. This technique creates a very impressionistic style and is a lot of fun for me (as I am a very tactile kind of person: so to get my fingers right into the paint and to feel the texture of the canvas as I move the paint around is really cool for me!)

I like to paint scenes that I've actually been to...so I can create emotion into the painting as I remember how it felt to be there. 

I utilize photos that I take when I travel on my trips as a reference for what I paint. And actually when I was in Ireland and also Paris/Germany I knew that I would be using the photos to paint by later on...so I did my best to set up a scene (composition, lighting, mood, subject of interest, etc.) to make it easier on myself once back home and in my studio.

When I paint landscapes I listen to music that either is representative of the place (ex. Irish music for Ireland) or music that I might've been listening to on my iPod when I was visiting the place (ex. soundtrack to the movie "Once" set in Dublin). 

If you're interested in seeing some of the impressionistic oil landscapes I've done in the past...there are 2 short slideshows of some of my paintings on this blogsite (one that you can click on a link to go to: located on the right hand sidebar. and the other was a previous post labeled "slideshow of my paintings": just scroll down the page). 

allowing yourself to worship God creatively through the arts

Today i got to be a part of a team of leaders from VineArts that went to a local university in the Boise area to facilitate an ART & WORSHIP day for over 60 students. We had prepared 3 rather large canvases beforehand that stood up near a wall. We had outlined some Carravaggio paintings of Christ (the left painting was Christ being whipped, the center painting was Christ coming down off the cross, the right painting was Christ with his disciples after he has risen) in which the students would then add the color during worship (however wherever they wanted to).

There was a band playing worship music as a way of helping people focus...but this was an opportunity for the students to experience a different way to worship God...through art. It was a chance to allow the creative parts of the hearts to be set free.

Every once in awhile during the 3 hour block people read out Scriptures that were speaking to their hearts as they participated in the art. Sometimes people read poetry that they had written right there on the spot...inspired to express through words. One of our leaders read encouraging quotes and told stories of moments when God brought healing to people's hearts in a creative way.

Many of the students had no art background at all. It was really cool to watch them let go of any apprehensions and fears that they carried. They each got up there and put paint brush and paint to the canvas...together, side by side. It truly was an amazing thing to be a part of. I enjoyed the conversations that people were having with each other about the subject matter of the paintings. And those of us who were leaders were able to not only help in regards to pracitical things (like mixing colors, changing out brush water, etc.) but we also had the chance to get to know the students and learn about who they were and where they were at in their lives.

Once the time was ended and the paintings were finished we all spent a moment in prayer together. Later when the students had moved on, those of us on the leadership team made grids on the back of the paintings and CUT them up in 12x16 rectangles. Each student will take a piece of the whole home with them. The piece is represents a memory of this very special art & worship day, and also as a reminder that God is continuously painting their lives (sometimes with dull colors, sometimes with bright colors)...and perhaps they can't quite tell what the whole picture is about if they're only looking at themselves. The point is...each of them is a piece of the bigger picture. That's what being a part of the Body of Christ is about...that's what it means to be part of the Kingdom of God. We each play a very important role and we need each other.

CIRCUMCISION of the heart

This is an edit to the post below...the photo above is the finished painting. 

This painting is NOT FINISHED. It has been a process of about 6 months to get to this point. I was given a word picture about God holding a heart and massaging it to bring it back to life. I was told that I needed to paint it. It took months of grappling with the concept, spending time in prayer, and researching. And finally this last week I began to put paint to canvas.

I don't even know what the title really should be yet. The painting is about God taking our hearts and doing surgery...indepth cleansing, deep healing, cutting out the old dead and grafting in new living...all through the death and resurrection of Jesus. This surgery can be painful as He cuts deep within our old man, and the recovery can take years, but the results are healing.

There are many layers to this painting...and there are still many to come. I did part of this at the VineARTS Gala themed "Hearts and Hands"...experiencing God's healing through the arts. It is a 36"x48" canvas (that by the way, had been sitting around my studio for years without a vision for what to paint on it). I'm using oils, latex house paints, acrylics, images on paper, Scriptures, ink words, objects.

It's a big canvas so I am painting it on the floor...hovering over it, dancing around it, kneeling beside it.

I started out putting oil paints (specifically Oil Bars) down with my hands. Then I painted latex house paints with brushes over the top of the layer of oils. I let the latex tack up and then in various areas rubbed away the latex with a cloth (creating a really cool effect that looks like weathered paint on wood-as the latex lifts off in areas and the oil shows through). Then I did some splattering with more house paint. At the Gala I then began applying the images, I've printed out, with Mod Podge (an acrylic glue that dries clear and you can add paint to it and also paint over it and wipe off and still see the image below). I also began writing words and phrases all over the canvas with a Sharpee and also paint pens. Then I took acrylic paints...and with my fingers I applied that in various random areas around the images to begin blending everything together as one.

Next I will do more of the same (write words, blend with paint)...perhaps also adding in some objects here or there). And then to finish up I will paint a large circle of white & black with a brush...sort of all encompassing....and then splatter the latex house paint (mostly red and white) out from the circle (giving a bloody effect)....cuz this painting is about the blood spilled for us...and the transfusion we need of His blood.

When I finish I do a new post with the final piece for you to see.

VineArts Gala

This coming Saturday November 8th from 7-10pm in Heritage Hall at Vineyard Boise, the VineArts is having a Gala. It's a semi-formal event to celebrate how God heals through the arts.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for students & clergy.

They'll be live jazz music, a guest speaker, visual artists creating on-site, a dance performance, video productions, and hors d'ourves & desserts.

Sidenote: Myself and several of my artist friends will be creating art on-site and speaking that night. I would love it if any of you in the Boise area could come out and join us for this special VineArts Gala...tickets will be sold at the door.

RE:FORM (VineArts Gallery Exhibit Opening)

this little video is of the VineArts Gallery at Boise Vineyard: http://www.vineyardboise.org/ (click on the Ministries dropdown menu and then click on VineArts). we opened a new exhibit today called "RE:FORM". we purposely linked this exhibit with the upcoming Boise Vineyard Conference (Sept.24-26) with the same name: http://www.reform-now.org/ focusing on seven areas of world crisis.

1. confusion and spiritual deadness
2. environmental decline http://www.letstendthegarden.org/
3. world hunger
4. human injustice
5. illiteracy & lack of education
6. poor health & disease
7. immoral & corrupt leadership

we have around 30 artists (of all ages with various skill levels utilizing numerous mediums) who submitted their artwork with artist statements coinciding with the theme for a juried exhibit. the exhibit runs for 2.5 months in the VineArts Gallery at the Boise Vineyard http://www.vineyardboise.org/.

gallery hopping

okay...so i belong to a rather large arts collaborative called VineArts (you can read more about who we are as you scroll down the page on the right side bar of this blogsite).

and each month some of us gather together for a field trip to experience the art culture of Boise by attending the First Thursday Art Walk downtown. once a month the art galleries stay open late. many serve refreshments, and some hire live musical entertainment. it's like a city-wide gallery opening reception. it's a great way to connect with the art culture of Boise and to be inspired by the creative efforts of others in our community.

we begin our evening adventure by meeting up at the Boise Art Museum (BAM) which has free admission all day on First Thursday. BAM usually has new art exhibits to walk through and enjoy. the city also provides a free trolley shuttle service (a hop on-hop off bus) that will drop you off at the various art gallery hot spots throughout the city. we like to utilize this for a quicker trip to the galleries we've chosen to check out.

once at a gallery, we meander through the exhibits and allow ourselves to dialogue about the art we're seeing. as we discuss the concepts, the techniques of medium, and perhaps even meet the artists and creators of the art, we get the opportunity to step outside of our own artistic endeavors and connect with those people and ideas that are shaping the world around us.

i don't know if your city offers this sort of cultural experience...but if it does, i encourage you to take part in it on a regular basis. gather some of your artist friends and take a field trip in your own city. you'll be surprised at how much you'll learn and grow artistically through the experience.

take a risk

ever since i moved to Idaho i have tried to enter a painting or two into the annual Western Idaho State Fair Art Exhibit held in Boise. i enter paintings mostly because it's a great opportunity to have my work viewed by thousands of people as they browse through the exhibits...and there is always the chance that the judges will like my work & i could win a cash prize.

for years i have displayed my impressionistic landscape oil paintings in various venues around the world (coffee shops, small galleries, juried art shows, and fairs). and almost every year at the Western Idaho State Fair i have been blessed to receive a ribbon or two...("honorable mention" or "4th place").

this year i noticed they had a couple of new categories listed in the handbook for submissions: abstract and mixed media. this got me excited, because along with painting impressionistic landscapes in oil...i also create expressionistic abstracts in mixed media...and other than the displaying my abstracts once in awhile in the quarterly juried art exhibits in the VineArts Gallery at the Vineyard Boise church, i have not ventured out to display my abstracts in any other art show or venue.

so i decided to take a risk and give it a try. i really wasn't sure how my abstracts would stand up against the rest of the competition out there. but i gave it a shot. i entered my painting "Sweetly Broken" (a 24x36" framed mixed media expressionistic abstract painting on canvas: oil, latex house paint, acrylic, printed images, sketches, words, objects)....and to my complete surprize, i won a ribbon!

a first place blue ribbon! with cash prize!

boy oh boy, i'm glad i took the risk!

my studio

some of you have asked to see my studio space, so here are some photos. when we had the house built in 2005, we had the builder take part of the 4 car garage and section it off as a seperate room for my studio. it has 2 doors (one that leads to the garage & one that leads outside to a patio). there's heating/air, 2 large windows for light, it's plumbed and has a sink, there's rubber flooring, and the rest is shelving for supplies.



half of the room is where i have a desk and bookshelves and supply shelves, along with frames hanging on a wall for storage. the other half of the room is where i create. i paint flat on an art table or flat on the floor. when i'm teaching students i bring in other tables for them to use. there is also a section of wall that i utilize for displaying paintings on easles.

i've painted some of the walls earthy coffee shop colors and have hung up lights for ambiance. i have plans of installing track lighting but i don't know when i'll do that yet. there is a light and fan in the center of the ceiling currently. i can get pretty wild when i paint, so i do utilize plastic tarps and drop cloths when i need to protect things. so there ya go. if you find yourself in Star, Idaho...let me know and we can do some painting together.

art in motion: created to worship

i put together another wee muvee...this time a fast & fun film about me doing art & worship. this is what i'm about...it's interspersed with photos of me in action and many of my paintings created in the midst of worshipping God. the song is "He is our King" by the David Crowder Band.

grand gallery grunt

that's me...the 3G.

i'm in charge of the quarterly art exhibit installations that we have in the vinearts gallery at the vineyard boise.

our shows are juried and themed. we do 4 a year. there are a lot of details to take care of each time we install a show. my responsibilities include partnering with our vinearts director regarding thematic choice, design, and details. i help create signage to title each show, take in & document submissions, oversee the jury process, communicate with the artists via phone & email, and coordinate a team who helps to type up artist statements, photo archive the artwork, aesthetically hang and place the art in the gallery, and plan & put on opening receptions for the artists. i'm also in charge of the take down process once each art exhibit has finished, which includes: contacting artists, taking down artwork & signage, and prepping the gallery for the next exhibit. that's a lot on my plate...considering it's all volunteer time that i give. but i'm not alone. i have a wonderful dedicated team of volunteers who help me out. i call them my gallery grunts. they give of their time and efforts each time we install an exhibit. and i work with an amazing team of leaders who (though they each have their own areas of expertise that they oversee within the vinearts ministry) they give of their time and efforts to pitch in where help is needed throughout each installation process. i'm very blessed by each of them, they make my job easy and fun. and we do have loads of fun and laughter as we work side by side to get the job done. speaking of fun...i love what i get to do within this arts ministry. to be a part of a leadership team...doing art, worshipping God, loving people. i am so blessed and so honored to be a part of something so cutting edge, so upside down, so creative. i get really excited when i think about what a cool thing i get to do. one of my favorite things about working in the gallery is the personal contact i get with the artists who submit artwork. the stories i get to hear about how they created their work, or what God was doing through them as they began to paint, or how God has transformed their lives and their art, or how just even being able to gain the courage to take the risk and submit their art to a show...they feel empowered and encouraged. and then once the art is installed i love to walk through the gallery and sort of be a fly on the wall as people gather to view and read and experience the art. i enjoy hearing the conversations as people discuss how the art has impacted them. it's a wonderful tool for ministry. we just finished installing the latest art exhibit today...i'm exhausted, i'm humbled, and i'm filled with joy. life is good.

workin thru it

i taught myself how to paint years ago. i consider myself an oil painter, mostly. it's my preferred medium when it comes to landscapes. i use oil bars and i paint with my fingers (not brushes) mixing the colors on the canvas flat on an art table. my style has been somewhat of an impressionistic style (i've been told by many that my paintings are Van Gogh -ish.)

a few years ago my art evolved to include abstract painting. i had always wanted to find more expressionistic freedom with my art...and so i let the paint fly. with my abstract paintings i combine oils, latex, acrylics, objects, images, words, papers, fixatives, etc and i use a combination of techniques to create some very unique art (kind of abstract expressionist collage). i have a very Jackson Pollock-like style of painting (even splattering and dribbling with brushes and sticks)...flat on a table or the floor so that i may walk around the canvas and hover over it to get at it from all directions.

i am learning to adapt as an artist...trying new mediums & techniques does help to expand what i do as an artist and my art seems to evolve in new directions with each season.

recently some friends of mine generously gave me a rather expensive artist grade pocket travel watercolor set and paper to utilize on my upcoming month long trip to ireland in may.

in all the years of my travels throughout the States and overseas, i have never really taken to the typical artist thing to do: to plein-aire paint (to sit somewhere outdoors picturesque and sketch & paint the scenery that is right before my eyes.) it conjures up images of masters like Monet and Van Gogh...sitting in French fields before easles with canvas, palettes held with thumbs fixed thru, long brushes dipping into paints....very romantic.

i'm not completely new at it, i have taken a plein-aire painting course from an art university, and i have done a little bit of sketching outdoors here and there...but i've always been more of a studio painter (preferring to take photos of the beautiful landscapes and then afterwards to go back into my studio to paint the scenes from the pictures and from my memory.)

i've only taken a one day watercolor painting workshop...so i'm not very experienced in that medium. but i am willing to give it a try out there. it feels fun...and it does seem so...artsy. i long to have wee journals filled with sketches and paintings of foreign landscapes and architecture, people and impressions. there's always a first time...so, i'm practicing with my new set of paints.

this is my start at working my way through the 'artist block' i've been experiencing. it's crazy...but the freedom is coming not from a medium and style i'm used to, it's coming from something new and different for me. i'm rather excited about it. i wonder what it will mean for my art...am i going through another creative evolution? maybe that's why i've been 'blocked'...it could be part of the process....of change?

the way of the journey

I belong to a Writers Guild in Boise, Idaho. We're a group of about 20 who meet every 3rd Saturday at Barnes & Noble for a couple of hours. We grab some coffee and spend some time reading whatever we've been working on to gain encouragment & critique. Some of the members are published authors and some are just creative types who like to write. We seem to all have a commonality that our faith in God is very important to us. Being that it's March...this month our assignment is to write something (in whatever genre we choose) about marching forward or about our dreams and hopes, perhaps even St. Patrick if we choose. I'm starting to figure out what might be causing my artist block and I'm trying to work through it. I pecked this out on my laptop today. I'm quite excited because it's a start at pushing through this block I've been experiencing. So here is my attempt at writing a poem.

The Way of the Journey.

c. 2008 Lisa Marten

Walk.
Run.
Fly.
Crawl.

Climb.
Reach.
Jump.
Fall.

Just keep going.
Just keep swimming.
Just keep praying.
Just keep living.

Cathart.
Learn.
Dream.
Be.

Embrace it.
Push through it.
Get to know it.
Don’t rush it.

Dance.
Laugh.
Sing.
Give.

Risk.
Fight.
Hope.
Forgive.

Soak it up.
Mess it up.
Suck it up.
Don’t give up.

Breathe.
Cry.
Trust.
Release.

You were made for this.
You can get through this.
You are worth this.
You can do this.

This is the way of the heart.
This is the way of the journey.

Hi, my name is.....and i'm an artist.

paint. sketch. splatter. erase. scribble. smudge. brush. rub. type. dry. layer. glaze. spray. delete. rip. write. draw. wash.

Okay, so I admit, lately I've been dealing with a wee bit of ARTIST BLOCK. What's that?--you ask. It's when yer creativity has seemed to come to a standstill...there's a block, a sort of subconscious/conscious nothingness that fogs up any inkling of artistic passion and productivity.

Do you ever experience this? I stare at a blank canvas and....nothing. I stare at a blank computer screen and...nothing. It's not like I'm not trying. Oh, I can paint little bits of this and that (lately i've been doing little abstract expressionist collage card thingys for friends)...it's not that I'm not "doing" anything....but I'm not painting ...something big, something new, something that has depth and meaning and is passionately from within...it's just not happening right now...zilch. And yes, I can write little blurbs (like this blog or an email) here and there...but to write poetry or stories or essays that are mine, that really have depth and meaning or are even anything remotely fresh and fun...it's not happening for me right now...nada.

Why is this? What's going on? I recognize that sometimes we artists go through seasons like this. I'm no exception. Julia Cameron addresses Artist Block in her book "The Artist Way" (sort of a self-help creative recovery book for artists). "As you learn to recognize, nurture, and protect your inner artist, you will be able to move beyond pain and creative constriction. You will learn ways to recognize and resolve fear, remove emotional scar tissue, and strengthen your confidence."

That's it, isn't it? I mean...it's about working through the inner stuff to figure out what's really going on with the creative stuff. To move forward ya gotta deal with the here and now. It means being willing to let God undo me. Being an artist is about being real with myself. It's more than just what I DO, it's also who I AM.

"batter my heart, three-personed God; for you

as yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;

that i may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend

your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.

i, like an usurped town, to another due,

labor to admit you, but O, to no end;

reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,

but is captived, and proves weak or untrue.

yet dearly i love you, and would be loved fain,

but am betrothed unto your enemy.

divorce me, untie or break that knot again;

take me to you, imprison me, for i,

except you enthrall me, never shall be free,

nor ever chaste, except you ravish me."

-john donne, sonnet no. 14

So I guess it's back to the drawing board.

the heart of this artist

sometimes i get the opportunity to look at my heart (it's motivations and desires, it's movements and responses, it's thoughts and emotions)...and i get the chance to see (or wake up to understand) that the mural that is my life is still in progress of being painted. though i desperately want it to be completed...and many times cry out in angst that it is not. the picture is still rough, unfinished, and at times, unrecognizable. and there are reasons for this. there are many cans of paint of various colors that still need to be mixed and applied. there are several parts of the canvas that still need to have primer brushed on. there are still slops and spills that need to be forgiven and worked in. there are still details that need to be carefully painted in (at the right moments, only after the base colors are applied)...and all the while, i am in constant need of refocusing on the pre-liminary sketches and tweeking the current layout to reflect the original idea...and yet, allowing for spontaneity and creativity to bring the mural to become an even deeper more intimate and beautiful painting. that is my heart. that is my life. sometimes it feels like an un-mixed can of paint (goopy and unwilling to show it's true color). and sometimes it feels like a slopped on, muddled, and overworked area of the canvas (will it ever be salvagable?). but every-so-often i am given the chance to experience my heart from a very tall ladder or scaffold high above the canvas...to see it as a whole mural from above...to understand that though it is still in progress of being completed...my heart is good. God is painting a beautiful mural with my life.

RE:FORM

have you ever found yourself in the middle of doing something and you realize that there is something very special happening in the midst of it all? this week was one of those moments for me...and i'm finding it hard to put into words how i feel. what i do know, is that my heart has been impacted in a very profound way due to some very spontaneous and creative events that have taken place at my church recently. as you know, i am an artist...a full-time self-employed painter. i've been doing this for almost 10 years...walking the journey of making a career out of what i love to do. i call my business "REVELATORART". the name is after Saint John the Revelator (author of the book of Revelation in the Bible...a letter of prophetic imagery revealing all kinds of phenomenal spiritual & supernatural aspects of God and His Kingdom)...it inspired me that God is the ultimate artist who has filled me with His creativity to do art (and not just "pretty" art...but art that creates emotion, that takes action, that says something, that goes deeper). and i live my life as an artist who desires that God would be revealed in creative & prophetic ways through the artwork that i create...that others may experience something special with my art and be inspired and perhaps even challenged. about 4 years ago i began a deeper creative journey...i became a part of a new art ministry called vinearts at the Vineyard Boise *i talk more about vinearts and the role i get to play in leadership as the gallery coordinator and a task force member, on the left sidebar of this blog site...just scroll down some and you'll find the info about the ministry and what we're about.* this week our vinearts director was commissioned to gather a team of artists and paint a very large mural as a backdrop for the sanctuary stage. the mural would depict the theme of our all-church Bible study in the Book of Acts. our pastor has called us all to be reformers...to make a difference in the world by "engaging in the Spirit-filled advent-ure" (that's "believing for the advent-ure by living a life of daring faith between Jesus' first & second coming"...which is NOW!) he sees reformation like a ripple effect...a rock dropped in water creates ripples that move out from the center farther & farther & farther out...making a bigger impact than the original rock (that rock being Jesus and us being the ripples) so our director called a few of us to task and we set to making this large piece of art a reality. she came up with the design and we all worked on it together. we stretched 3 panels of canvas (equaling 51 feet long and 12 feet high) onto a garage floor to prime. this was truly the largest painting i've ever worked on (and i've done some large murals over the years). then we hung the canvas & traced the outlines of shapes from a projected image of a multitude of ripples (creating a paint by number on the canvas). then we brought the canvas back to the garage floor to be painted. there were 7 of us artists working for days all hours using large brushes fashioned to long sticks, mops, & brooms to paint the majority of the mural. then the canvas was rehung in it's resting place as a backdrop for the sanctuary stage. and then themed wording was traced from a projector & painted on top. and if that wasn't enough to get us all excited...the director and myself (specifically chosen) were able to put finishing touches on a strategic part of the mural (the spot where the rock is plunked into the water) by being a part of the worship all 3 Sunday morning services for the paintings' unveiling. the director & myself helped lead worship with the band by painting alongside of them! it was the first time the Vineyard Boise has had that sort of thing take place in a main Sunday service (i know that there are many churches out there who regularly incorporate art in their worship services). a couple of years ago our arts ministry held some special art & worship nights at the church for people to come and interact with art as worship (but we haven't done one for a couple of years), and of course we do have an art gallery that displays themed art exhibits (4x/yr) which i am in charge of, and we have various teaching workshops & inspirational monthly meetings for the artists of our community, and we have had a guest speaker visit twice who is a potter (he throws pots and gives a sermon at the same time)...but honestly, painting during worship (as worship) on Sunday morning...this was a first! and i must say that i was totally honored to be one of the two people who got the opportunity to break it loose in this way. WOW! not only was it a dream of mine to be a part of something like that...not only was it an extremely fun experience (unifying & meaningful for all involved)...but as the band played and the singers sang & us artists painted...we were all worshipping and proclaiming God's majesty & His faithfulness & His glory. i could hear the congregation responding with more enthusiasm than i've heard in a long time, as they sang and danced with their all amidst such creativity....GOD's creativity! it wasn't about me. it' wasn't about vinearts. in fact, it wasn't about art at all. it was about God...to God, for God. it was a memory that i will hold dear to my heart and cherish for the rest of my life. it was truly a moment that transformed us all. and it was the beginning of re:form.

Living the Advent-ure: grace in retrospect

“the glory of God is man fully alive.”
-Saint Irenaeus

Hey there! Well this has been a year of high adventure and diving deeper. I’ve journeyed to the top of a mountain, I’ve zip-lined at amazing speeds high in the air across a canyon, I’ve waded out into the middle of a river to fly-fish, I’ve illustrated a book, I’ve continued to lead in ministry , I’ve reached new levels of creativity, I’ve even become a dog lover despite my life-long fear of dogs. These are all dear memories of overcoming fears and pushing forward in the adventure.

It’s been a great year of creativity. Along with painting a lot I’ve taught a great deal of art lessons & abstract workshops. I’ve even had the chance of illustrating a book that should go to print by the end of this year. And I’ve written a lot of poetry & short stories, as I am now a part of 2 writers groups in the community. I’m still very involved as a leader with the VineArts Ministry at the Boise Vineyard church here in Boise, Idaho. I oversee all the art exhibit installations in our art gallery. I’ve enjoyed getting to know some amazing artists this year who are very talented and who have a heart to let God shine through their creativity (no matter what their medium of choice). It’s also been a year of soul searching & deep intimate growth. We’ve been studying in the Gospel of Luke this year as a church focusing on believing for the Advent-ure (living a life of daring faith between Jesus’ first & second coming). I attend 2 home groups focused on deeper Biblical study and application. One group that I attend has been studying the Gospel of John and is now doing a book study of Randy Alcorn’s “Heaven”. The second group, I actually lead, and it has challenged me & enriched my life as a teacher and leader. We’ve begun a book study of John Eldredge’s “Waking the Dead”. I’ve also had some great opportunities this year doing some really fun stuff with my friends & family. Some of the highlights have been enjoying winter carnival, sledding & inner tubing, bowling & playing games, hiking up Tablerock Mtn, taking up beading & learning mosaic, going to rodeos & the fair, fishing, doing some watercolors & abstract collage paintings, getting back to the gym, embarking on road-trips, watching movies, taking in art galleries & concerts, eating a lot of great food, zip-lining, laughing hysterically, talking & sharing deep thoughts, playing with kids & pets, AND supporting each other through some tough times with love & tears & prayer.

This was a year of stepping into the fear. I'm relieved to say that I made it to the other side! I wonder what this coming year has in store? Perhaps bigger adventures with bigger risks? Hopefully I'll still be having a good time & laughing at myself. As I look back on this year I am so very thankful for the quality of people that I am blessed to be surrounded by. Whether close by or far away...friends & family are dear to my heart & I am better for all that I’ve experienced with you. You’ve helped to make this year a great one! Thank you! May you have a blessed Christmas & New Year and may you also live the advent-ure to the fullest!

DIVE DEEP!

Cheers!-Lisa

Sounds of Creativity

What does Creativity sound like?

Well in my art studio it can sound like many things:

The soft skritchy of a pencil across paper as it sketches a thought, a picture, a plan. The glug glug glug sound of a paint can being shaken to mix it's contents. The popping sound of a paint can being opened with a tool. The swishing sound of a brush moving over the surface of canvas. The squirting sound of a dollup of paint being squeezed from a tube onto a pallet. The splatting sound that wet house paint makes once it hits the canvas after being flung in the air by a mixing stick. The spraying of water in the sink as brushes and sticks and hands are being washed. The ripping sound of paper as images and words are utilized in a collage of paint on the canvas. The sound that paint makes as it's being moved about and mixed on the canvas with fingers (yes, there is a faint sound...somewhat like a squishy sucking sound). The pitter patter of feet or sneakers as they dance and adjust in movement around the painting. The squeeky sound of the art table legs as it moves with the rhythm of the finger or brush strokes being applied to the canvas with force and vigor. The loud joyous sound of worship music being played in the background as inspiration for creativity!

The many sounds of creativity are there...you just have to listen.

Art & Worship

you know that i’m an artist. you know that i’m a worshipper of God. and you also know that i try to live my life with the viewpoint that everything i do can be worship to the Lord…even art. within my art business “REVELATORART” i ask God to be revealed through the art i create, through the lessons that i teach, through the relationships i form. and within the arts ministry that i am in leadership with at the Vineyard Boise called, The VineArts League…i ask God to be revealed through the gallery exhibitions, through the workshops taught, through serving the church & the community creatively, through the relationships we form with other artists, through the art & worship services we hold. For you creative types (and even for those of you who don’t think you have artistic talents)…if you love worshipping God (singing, dancing, playing music, speaking words of poetry, etc.), if you love creating art (painting, drawing, sculpting, writing, filming, acting, etc.)…i encourage you to step out your comfort zone, take some risks, be willing to see God as so much bigger than you already see Him. get outside of the religious box that says “this is how we’ve always done things” or the critical skepticism of “art in church?! you can’t do that, that’s not right!”….YOU CAN! and it is right. God made us creative and He made us to worship…we can do both at the same time!i don’t know if you’ve ever had the experience of creating a piece of artwork during a time of worshipping God (whether alone at home or together with others in public)…but it can be one of the most profound tools of worship for not only the artist who is doing the creative worship, but also for the worshipper who is there amidst it all. i’ve had the incredible privilege of being a part of worship services where art is being created on the spot by others, and where i myself am creating art while worshipping. i’ve also held my own creative worship times in my art studio or outside in a large open area (sometimes by myself and other times with people joining me). God is the Grand Creator and He created us to be creative beings. He created us to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. And it’s through our worship (however that looks & sounds & feels & tastes) that we can connect and go deeper in relationship with God…more intimately. God can speak, God can heal, God can comfort, God can stir in us the adventure. it is all about relationship with our Creator.

photo taken by J.D.

To Paint

To paint…

I want to paint like Jackson Pollock.

To let the paint fly and find its’ own way to the canvas. Freeform emotion splattering onto a sea of innocence. That would be freedom to meIf I could paint like Jackson Pollock. I love the feeling of the paint between my fingers. Squishing and oozing into a kaleidoscope of color. The paint becomes a part of me, and I a part of it. We become one with the canvas. Like lovers intertwined we danceI’m intoxicated with passion as I stroke the canvas with my tinctured fingertips. Sometimes gently, sometimes rough. To know my paint is to know me. We are one essence. Shall I raise my hands to the air in praise of the God who poured out His creativity into me? To paint…to live…to worship…this, is my desire.

c. 2002 Lisa Marten

photo taken by R.H.