Painting Live...I love what I get to do!

Ya know how there are some things in life ya just really love to do that make you all happy & giddy inside when ya get to do them?...well one of the things I really love to do is be able to paint live. It just makes me happy to be able to set up my easel, paints, and canvas and gather a crowd around to interact with as I paint to music or teaching. I've been painting live for various events at various venues over the last 6 years. Sometimes I've painted live at local rock concerts and art events. Other times I've painted live at local churches during their worship services or during dramatic readings. And still other times I've painted for private parties as part of the entertainment. Whether I'm painting in a church or a concert venue, for payment or for the pure joy of it, one thing that is consistant for me...I love the collaboration process that I get to experience as the act of my painting partners with the musicians, the singers, the speakers, the crowd and God...and I get the wonderful opportunity to connect with the human spirit as I interact with people before, during, and after.

This month I have the honor of painting live at  Trinity Presbyterian Church in Boise . They contacted me when they were looking for an artist that does the sort of live painting that I do. They asked if I could come join them for a couple of Sundays as part of their morning worship services to paint something that would coincide with their current sermon series. Now having a live painter in their worship services has not been done before...so this particular church was stepping out into a whole new world of creative freedom for themselves by inviting me to join them in this way. I have to say...I love doing this sort of thing...getting the chance to utilize my talents to give glory to God and as a way of collaborating with people (other churches, other styles of worship) in creative ways to help others connect in and be drawn deeper in understanding and in experiencing worship. The best part for me is that it's never really about me. I may be the one with a spotlight on me painting, but there's always a bigger picture...there's always a deeper meaning behind it all. And for this church, the bigger picture-the deeper meaning is more about recognizing that everyone has gifts and talents and we are all important and have a place and a role in this story, we're meant to live our lives fully alive, and be who God meant us to be...and perhaps by me doing something new in their presence like painting live and creating something they can all connect in with...perhaps they too might find themselves opening up more, letting their creativity come forth in new ways, and perhaps they might be encouraged to live life fully in who they are meant to be (inside and outside of the church).

My first Sunday to paint was yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience of collaborating with everyone who was a part of their morning worship...the greeters who welcomed, the singers who sang, the musicians who played, the sound & audio visual technicians, those who prayed, those who read Scripture, the Pastor who spoke, the children, and the congregation who came to be a part of it all. Everyone had an important part. We all contributed to the worship experience. I was honored at their invitation to be a part of this with them all.

Their current sermon series is on the Seven Deadly Sins (Lust, Gluttony, Envy, Sloth, Anger, Greed, Pride). The Pastor is taking one Sunday per sin to talk about how that sin can affect us, our relationships with others, and our relationship with God. And he is sharing about how important it is to allow Christ into our lives to redeem and renew us (through His saving & forgiving blood).

"SEPARATION"

4foot by 4foot mixed media on canvas sound panel

This is the first of a 2 painting series I will do for Trinity Presbyterian in Boise. This painting represents how it can look and feel like when we are consumed by our own selfishness. The background was created with latex house paints (a base coat to add texture), acrylic paints (layers of colors added with brushes, rags, my hands), a water bottle (used to create drips & other textures), and paper (with the image of a person curled up&words typed throughout that speak of specific sins, what sin does to us, how it makes us feel, and how we can become when it takes us over). I painted it throughout the service. It formed and changed and evolved before all of our eyes over an hour and 15 minutes.

After the service was finished I had the chance to talk and interact with several of the people of Trinity Presbyterian.They all seemed so thankful and excited to have experienced me being there with them. I was giddy with joy as I got to talk with people. I really enjoyed listening to their hearts and hearing about who they were and how the painting was speaking to them in their lives. Some people let me know that they found themselves connecting with the sermon at a deeper more meaningful level as they watched the painting evolve. Some of them even confessed to me that they had hidden creative talents themselves and they were so encouraged and inspired by watching me paint that they had a new desire to express themselves through that creativity! And some of them seemed to linger in conversation with me as if it say "you get me, thank you". I sensed something shifted for those people. Something tells me that church will never be the same again.

Oh yes! It's never really about me. But I will continue to be open & willing to put myself out there in creative ways...to love on people and to see them come alive.

I love what I get to do!

I will paint the second painting in the series in 2 weeks during another Sunday morning worship service.