i love love love what i get to do in life! this week i had the priviledge of partnering with another VineArts leader to facilitate a special night of art for a group of about 15 young adults who desired to connect creatively with each other and with the concept of community. this kind of special night of art is an experience that VineArts offers to small and large groups of all sorts as a way of interacting through art for one purpose...to connect in community and to connect with God. people coming together to create one piece of art together. It sounds easy but it requires individuals (who may or may not have any experience artistically) to bring whatever they have within themselves to a common canvas and allow others to paint alongside of them in order to create one unified fluid piece of art together (with no plan or prep) while still allowing their own "voices" to be heard through the creative process.
We start out with a simple outline on a blank canvas. this image comes about through the teamwork of the VineArts leaders involved. We get together ahead of time to discuss and pray about a starting point for the group that will be experiencing the night of art. Sometimes there are discussions ahead of time with the leaders of the groups to get a feel for where the group is & what they're focus is. That way we can best know where to launch them from...so it's relevant to who they are. For this particular event we came up with imagery that included people gathering to wash and anoint feet (this sprung from the Scriptures in the Gospels talking about the woman pouring expensive perfume & oil over Jesus' feet, washing them with her tears & hair, and also when Jesus washed his disciples feet at the Last Supper...both a picture of Jesus preparing people for ministry & people giving their all back to God in ministry). The leaders of this group let us know that their intention of the night was to do something in community with each other that would speak of community...and that they could submit to the next VineArts Gallery Exhibit titled "With Everything" (about giving everything we are to God).
night of, we spend some time talking with the group about the topic and explaining painting techniques and ideas that they can implement in the painting as long as they don't actually destroy what someone else has done, but rather enhance it and expand upon it. then we encourage the group leaders to pray for the group. once the intro is over we set them loose on the canvas...we have music playing in the background...and we let the night ebb & flow as it needs to. the fun thing about these kinds of art nights is the group dynamics that happen throughout the night. i love to watch the transition from individuals to community. regardless of whether people have experience with art or not, they tend to start out as a bunch of individuals apprehensively approaching the canvas with colors and filling in the spaces as if it were a coloring book.
some people tend to hang back and let others go forth in order to allow ideas to stew...but others hang back because they're sort of scared to paint...as if what they have to offer isn't going to be good enough to the project.
throughout the night we will interact with the group (sometimes we'll talk with someone one on one, sometimes we'll address the whole group, sometimes we encourage the leaders of the group to interact with their own members to encourage). we want everyone to find their creative voice to add to the piece (maybe it's paint and brush or paint & fingers, maybe it's with pen and words, maybe it's with paper & glue, maybe it's with objects and layered texture, maybe it's with water & spray bottle allowing paint to drip, or rags & paint, or splattering) it all is a part of the creative process moving from individuals creating side by side to one cohesive group creating together.
i love that moment in these events when you can actually watch a kind of miracle happen and the group begins to create as if one voice, working together, communicating together, discussing ideas, implementing ideas...together. there's an intensified level of energy at this moment. and those of us who are facilitating are able to step back and watch this community take place right before our eyes...it's a beautiful thing to witness.
the addition of color & drips that create a mood....
little addition of details that enhance the composition...
the addition of paper & objects (like dirt & flowers) that create a layered effect & texture...
the addition of words that have meaning to the group...
the addition of interactive splatter that gives that finishing touch...
here it is...a creative piece about community created in community by a community for a community. Truly this is a beautiful thing to be a part of !!! At the end of the night we gather everyone together and have them discuss their thoughts, impressions & experiences of the night and then we spend sometime praying to close. By the closing prayer everyone is typically so exhausted from being stretched mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually but the energy levels don't dissapate because they're also so excited and energized and astonished about what they just experienced and created that they don't want to go home...they want to continue connecting in community! i love love LOVE what i get to do !!!!!!
i love love love what i get to do in life! this week i had the priviledge of partnering with another VineArts leader to facilitate a special night of art for a group of about 15 young adults who desired to connect creatively with each other and with the concept of community. this kind of special night of art is an experience that VineArts offers to small and large groups of all sorts as a way of interacting through art for one purpose...to connect in community and to connect with God. people coming together to create one piece of art together. It sounds easy but it requires individuals (who may or may not have any experience artistically) to bring whatever they have within themselves to a common canvas and allow others to paint alongside of them in order to create one unified fluid piece of art together (with no plan or prep) while still allowing their own "voices" to be heard through the creative process.
We start out with a simple outline on a blank canvas. this image comes about through the teamwork of the VineArts leaders involved. We get together ahead of time to discuss and pray about a starting point for the group that will be experiencing the night of art. Sometimes there are discussions ahead of time with the leaders of the groups to get a feel for where the group is & what they're focus is. That way we can best know where to launch them from...so it's relevant to who they are. For this particular event we came up with imagery that included people gathering to wash and anoint feet (this sprung from the Scriptures in the Gospels talking about the woman pouring expensive perfume & oil over Jesus' feet, washing them with her tears & hair, and also when Jesus washed his disciples feet at the Last Supper...both a picture of Jesus preparing people for ministry & people giving their all back to God in ministry). The leaders of this group let us know that their intention of the night was to do something in community with each other that would speak of community...and that they could submit to the next VineArts Gallery Exhibit titled "With Everything" (about giving everything we are to God). 
night of, we spend some time talking with the group about the topic and explaining painting techniques and ideas that they can implement in the painting as long as they don't actually destroy what someone else has done, but rather enhance it and expand upon it. then we encourage the group leaders to pray for the group. once the intro is over we set them loose on the canvas...we have music playing in the background...and we let the night ebb & flow as it needs to. the fun thing about these kinds of art nights is the group dynamics that happen throughout the night. i love to watch the transition from individuals to community. regardless of whether people have experience with art or not, they tend to start out as a bunch of individuals apprehensively approaching the canvas with colors and filling in the spaces as if it were a coloring book.
some people tend to hang back and let others go forth in order to allow ideas to stew...but others hang back because they're sort of scared to paint...as if what they have to offer isn't going to be good enough to the project.
throughout the night we will interact with the group (sometimes we'll talk with someone one on one, sometimes we'll address the whole group, sometimes we encourage the leaders of the group to interact with their own members to encourage). we want everyone to find their creative voice to add to the piece (maybe it's paint and brush or paint & fingers, maybe it's with pen and words, maybe it's with paper & glue, maybe it's with objects and layered texture, maybe it's with water & spray bottle allowing paint to drip, or rags & paint, or splattering) it all is a part of the creative process moving from individuals creating side by side to one cohesive group creating together.
i love that moment in these events when you can actually watch a kind of miracle happen and the group begins to create as if one voice, working together, communicating together, discussing ideas, implementing ideas...together. there's an intensified level of energy at this moment. and those of us who are facilitating are able to step back and watch this community take place right before our eyes...it's a beautiful thing to witness.
the addition of color & drips that create a mood....
little addition of details that enhance the composition...
the addition of paper & objects (like dirt & flowers) that create a layered effect & texture...
the addition of words that have meaning to the group...
the addition of interactive splatter that gives that finishing touch...
here it is...a creative piece about community created in community by a community for a community. Truly this is a beautiful thing to be a part of !!! At the end of the night we gather everyone together and have them discuss their thoughts, impressions & experiences of the night and then we spend sometime praying to close. By the closing prayer everyone is typically so exhausted from being stretched mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually but the energy levels don't dissapate because they're also so excited and energized and astonished about what they just experienced and created that they don't want to go home...they want to continue connecting in community! i love love LOVE what i get to do !!!!!!
1 comment:
Lisa, thankyou so much for your thoughtful description of this process. I feel like I actually became part of the community by participating in seeing the pictures and reading what you wrote. Therefore, to your sentence, "Here it is- a creative piece about community, created in community, by a community, for community..." I get to add..."drawing (no pun intended) in yet another layer of community". It is this dynamic that enables the "With Everything" theme to also include "With Everyone". An aspect that is crucial is the subject matter, which is the bull's eye, starting with the depiction of what it means to be community. And the ripple effect of interacting with it provides the experience of community. Now, reflecting on it, expands the periphery of the community. Even though I was not there that night, I feel drawn into this communion with the group, with the leaders who concieved it, with you the author of the report, and primarily with my Creator, Savior, and friend. This is what reading the gospels does...the authors witnessed and testified to the subject matter (Jesus, what he did and what was done to him)...others read the account and are dynamically drawn into the community...God's people. This satisfies our deepest need- to know God and be known by Him- which is not just an individual experience, because God is not just an individual...he is in community with Himself being Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In this we reflect his very nature. He created us in His image. It is a different "oneness" than some religious concept of "we are all ONE". We are BOTH uniquely individual (where as you said, can come to a common canvas on which we can immplement techniques) AND one (where we are careful not to destroy what someone else has done but to enhance or expand upon it.) This demonstrates a good principle by which we can live our lives. Again, thank you. Gaylene Golden of Coast Vineyard, Oregon.
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