STUDIO DAY!

one of my favorite things in life is when i get to create in collaboration with other creatives. i love the challenge of working side by side to create something together. the inspiration of varying skills, the compilation of differing experiences, and the cross-pollination of stimulating ideas can help cultivate and grow each others' imagination and art making. 

today was a STUDIO DAY with artist, Lukas Evergreen. Lukas and i have partnered on many creative projects together. people mostly associate us with our public performances as the performance art company, Marten Evergreen. we combine choreographed dance, music, painting, and drama and partner with other artists to create unique avant-garde performances for art events. but we've also spent a lot of time collaboratively painting together in both of our art studios. some of those paintings we've had on display but some have only been seen by us. 

we spent the day in my studio today after not having seen each other for several weeks. we decided to work on a large painting together as a way of reconnecting. we chose a rather large piece of corrugated cardboard to paint on. we used charcoals, soft pastels, acrylic paints, and latex paints as our mediums. if you were to ask us to explain our creative process...well...we had iTunes music playing, we grabbed some supplies from what he had brought and from what i had, and we just sort of went for it. i mean well you see, we've worked with each other so much and are so comfortable together that we were easily able to play off of each others' creativity. it's like we were creatively conversing. i mean we did talk, of course, but the art making became a subconscious way of being able to communicate with each other on a deeper level. it just flowed.

here's some photos and video of our time together today in studio.

Lisa drawing on cardboard with soft pastels

Lukas drawing on cardboard with soft pastels

 Lisa drawing

 Lukas applying latex paint on top of soft pastels

Lisa applying latex paint on top of soft pastels

Lukas painting 

so after about a 6-7 hour time together, here's a sneak peek of what we came up with today. it's not finished. we'll come back to it on another Studio Day to continue working on it. it sure was fun to create in collaboration this way! i can't wait till we can get together again and continue! 

a night of "communion" at envision

last night, at a local gathering for creatives of faith (called ENVISION: which meets to build community and inspire each other in who we are and what we do), i had the wonderful opportunity to share about being a traveling art minister. 

i set up the room in the round with a mock campfire in the middle. i tried to create the atmosphere of those moments we experience in intimate community around a campfire while sharing drink and food and stories and music and parts of who we are with each other. 

this is what i was going for...

okay so it actually looked more like this...

but hey it was inside during the cold of winter with around 35 people, so ya know, i improvised. 

and let me tell you the setting didn't matter at all on the quality of conversation and connection that took place amongst people while we gathered. 

we talked about what it means to minister to each other and what that can look like through creativity.  i brought up the importance of "communion" in community (connecting with others through relationship) which can look like so many things but always has the purpose of love. and we worked together on an art project as an example of that.  

the art project represented how we are all broken & hurting people with inner struggles of life. being in relationship with God guarantees us we are not alone and there is hope. being in relationship with Community allows us the safety to experience the hard work of inner healing and see it lived out daily. when we begin to trust God with our lives and start to give those areas that are hinderances, struggles, heartaches, pains over to him to partner with us for healing and growth...and when we allow him to do that within the safety of trusted fellow human beings, he is able to create some beautiful things in us and others. 

while we created, my friend & artist, Jessie Nilo played some beautiful songs for us on her guitar, continuing the mood of intimate campfire communion...

here is the result of 3 groups made up of broken people (all of us are) working on a new creation together with each other and with God...

photo taken by J Lund

i enjoyed the conversations we had with each other (whether verbally or through the art activity or just through our presence together). we are all creative (made by a creative God). what can we do with our creativity? we were all made for relationship and we were all made to minister to each other. 

thank you to all who attended this month's ENVISION meeting and for partnering and participating in the ongoing conversation that God is having with us.

if you want to learn more about ENVISION and how you can get involved, you can click here.

if you want to learn more about my art travels and how i minister throughout the world through creativity you can click here.

The Art of Jessie Nilo

 My friend, Artist Jessie Nilo will be having an art opening this week on Tuesday night January 7 from 5pm - 8pm at The Coffee Studio in Meridian, Idaho (6360 Saguaro Hills, Suite 100, Meridian, Idaho). 

It's free to the public. Along with the beverages and food that the Coffee Studio sells, there will be live music and lots of opportunity to connect with Jessie and experience her art. 

"crescendo" c.2013 Jessie Nilo

acrylic on board

painted live

Jessie is an accomplished Acrylic Painter and Graphic Designer. She is an Art Teacher at Fresco Arts Academy (in Eagle, Idaho) and the Founder and Director of VineArts (the art ministry at Vineyard Boise church in Boise, Idaho). She has been featured in books such as Kingdom Calling:Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good by Amy Sherman, and is the co-founder of The Creative Church Conferences with author J Scott McElroy. She has been involved in several individual and group art exhibits, she paints live, and she travels the States connecting with artists and Art Ministers throughout the country. She blogs about her experiences as an Art Minister at The Lonely Art Minister and has several instructional videos on YouTube regarding arts ministry related topics.

If you're in the Boise area on Tuesday January 7 and have the chance...stop in to The Coffee Studio to catch Jessie Nilo's art opening. Her original paintings will be on display throughout the month of January. 

an update from VineArts Boise

Here is the latest news from VineArts Boise introducing upcoming opportunities for 2014: Photo by Jessie Nilo

VineArts Update January 2014 It's a new beginning, a fresh start. Maybe a time for reflection and asking honest questions, or for spending some quiet time with God. What are your needs as an creative person? How can we help equip you this year? Our goal at VineArts is to provide opportunities for everyone to grow spiritually and artistically in Christ-filled community. Let us know how we can serve you. Bless you in this coming year! Heart of the Artist Book Study Monday evenings January 6 & 20/February 3 & 17/March 3 & 10 6:30-8:30 PM at the VineArts Studio Cost: $14 for book (purchase at Book Cellar or online) This isn’t just a class, it’s an experience... Join us for this groundbreaking study on being a Christ-filled artist. Explore what it means to serve God with your artistic gifts. Open to creatives of all genres (writing, music, theatre, visual art, dance, etc). Special guests each week from VineArts will give insight into the Heart of the Artist. Sorry, no childcare provided. This study is for ages 16+ due to the contemplative and reflective nature of our topics. Contact: Jessie Nilo and Corinna Stevens jessie.nilo@vineyardboise.org Click here to learn more or to sign up for Heart of the Artist! The Creative Church Conference Save the date! July 25-27, 2014 We're excited for this second international gathering of Christian creatives who desire to see God's glory reflected through the arts in churches everywhere. The Creative Church Conference is a beautiful, encouraging, and connecting experience. Save the date and invite a friend to the 2014 Conference in Boise! The conference will take place all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 25-27 at Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Boise, Idaho. Cost: $75 for the entire 3-day conference. Special rates for hotels also available. Registration begins in two weeks! Miss the First One? DVDs of our 2012 conferences are available for purchase: The Indianapolis DVD set costs $105 for all 7 main sessions plus 8 workshops. The Boise DVD set is $75 for all 7 main sessions and does not include workshops. Please reply if you'd like to learn more about purchasing a set of 2012 DVDs. It's a great way to share and enjoy the practical teachings of passionate artists, pastors, and leaders in the arts while providing funds for future Creative Church Conferences. January Envision A Community of Support for Christian Creatives  Third Wednesdays 7:00 - 9:00 PM (next one: January 15) You're invited to a beautiful Envision experience! This month our main speaker will be Lisa Marten. Get ready to hear some highly missional and relational stories about being a traveling art minister overseas. Sherri Coffield has created Envision, a safe place for creatives throughout the Treasure Valley to come together to worship Christ, be inspired in our calling, and know that we belong. Our Envision members come from many different churches and traditions, and we worship one Savior, Jesus Christ. Our gathering takes place in the VineArts Studio on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 pm sharp. Please forward this open invitation to any artists of faith you may know. January VineArts Exhibit "Second Chances: Mercy and Grace" (up through Easter) taking art entries January 19, 21, 22 “PEOPLE NEED LOVING THE MOST WHEN THEY DESERVE IT THE LEAST.” —Jim Elliot (a missionary killed in Ecuador while ministering to native warriors; after his death, Jim's family led the warriors to Christ)   Mercy:  The withholding of punishment shown to an offender; abstaining from the degree of strictness or severity deserved; relieving another’s distress or misfortune. Grace:  The sovereign gift of totally undeserved kindness, shown by God to man; an unexpected act of kindness or compassion; undeserved or ill-deserved favor/gifts. Who deserves another chance? God's mercies are new every morning. What greater mercy has ever been shown when He sent His Son to die for us? He is limitless, continually creative when we make choices that get us off track, and able to lead us to a new path. It’s never too late for a do-over. It’s never too big or small an act to show someone else the extravagant love, mercy, and kindness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Download the required entry packet here. More thoughts, scriptures, and quotes about mercy and grace here. Open Studio Remember, our studio is open to the public every Saturday from noon to 4:00pm at the VineArts Studio. Come for free coffee and creating in the chilly winter months, and you can even use our art supplies! Find out more about Open Studio here.