The REVELATOR Exhibit

I've just installed an exhibit of 12 of my original mixed media abstract expressionist paintings (ranging in sizes from 24in by 30in all the way to 4ft by 5ft) for a featured art show in the old Quarter Barrel building that the VineArts Studio is now housed in on Chinden in Boise (4902 Chinden Blvd., Boise). 

It's a limited time exhibit only showing for one week during The National 2016 Creative Church Conference being held in Boise at Vineyard Boise Church (sponsored by The New Renaissance, VineArts, Art Fruition, and Intervarsity Press).

The gallery will be open for The Creative Church Conference ATTENDEES ONLY on Friday July 29 from 12:30pm-3:30pm, Saturday July 30 from 12:30pm-5pm, and Sunday July 31 from 1pm-3pm. 

The original paintings are for sale to help fund my future art ministry travels. I also plan on making prints available of all 12 paintings (but at the moment only a couple of them have been digitally shot for prints). If you're interested in purchasing a painting you can contact me by email: revelatorart@yahoo.com 

I have 2 series being exhibited in: 

"THE REVELATOR EXHIBIT"

THE CONVERSATION SERIES

The concept behind this series has come from 6 years of traveling internationally as an Art Minister, utilizing creativity as a way of connecting cross-culturally with communities around the world.

There are conversations going on all the time that God is having with people. I believe that creativity is a language that God speaks (being the Almighty Creator) and it’s a language we all speak (being His creations made in His image). It allows me to come alongside others all over the world, to listen in on the conversations that are already happening between God and them, and enter into those conversations in creative artistic  ways and build relationship. It’s a relational collaboration between myself, God, and others.

These paintings have come about out of a process of allowing these conversations to permeate my heart and mind and spirit and make their way onto the canvas through imagery. 

My desire behind this series is for the viewer to spend some time with the paintings and experience a personal form of Visio Divina (Divine Seeing): much like Lectio Divina (Divine Reading: praying with Scripture) it’s a method for contemplative prayer with images or other media to look beyond and to hear from within. 

Richard Rohr states, “Contemplation is an exercise in keeping your heart and mind spaces open long enough for the mind to see other hidden material.” Perhaps through this form of prayer there can be a continued conversation between our Creator and each other. 

May we be part of the conversation, and as my friend Dean Estes says, may we “paint on each other’s lives”

WHEN YOU WALK INTO THE ROOM

24x30 mixed media on canvas 

$636

(prints available in various sizes/prices)

THE AIR IN OUR LUNGS

24x30 mixed media on canvas

$636

(prints available in various sizes/prices)

SET A FIRE

36x48 mixed media on canvas

$954

I WILL PURSUE YOU

36x48 mixed media on canvas

$954

POUR IT OUT

40x50 mixed media on canvas

$1,060

UNSTOPPABLE LOVE

4ftx5ft mixed media on canvas

$1,590 (SOLD) 

THE REVELATION SERIES

The concept behind this series has come from 33 years of a deep wrestling relationship with the Book of Revelation, all the way back to the start of my journey with Christ. In fact, this connection to Revelation is the reason my art business is called ‘revelatorART”.

The Book of Revelation is a book that is highly controversial, misunderstood, over-interpreted, and often feared. People seem to go to extremes and either obsess over it or avoid it completely. 

For me, the book has always been about God’s creativity and His Sovereignty-the Artist Warrior God in Love with His Tribe. The words of the vision given to John the Revelator are full of imagery and drama, God’s desire for relationship with His creation and His unstoppable love that is willing to fight to the death is the adventurous story that tugs at my heart and gets my blood pumping. It’s an epic story of love that compels this heart to worship. 

There are mysteries within the Book of Revelation that I am quick to admit I don’t understand and I don’t know if I ever will. I’m okay with that. As an artist, it is my desire to journey through it’s pages in an attempt to process creatively what my heart is connecting with: the LOVE of the Almighty God our Creator with us His creation. 

22 paintings:1 for each of the 22 chapters of the Book of Revelation. The paintings aren’t meant to be systematic theological interpretations, they are creative responses. These are the first 6 that I have completed. They are not in chronological order. But they are the chapters that have spoken to me the strongest and I have felt compelled to complete them first.

REV #6

3ftx3ft mixed media on canvas

$954

REV #12

3ftx3ft mixed media on canvas

$954

REV #16

3ftx3ft mixed media on canvas

$954

REV #19

3ftx3ft mixed media on canvas

$954

REV #20

3ftx3ft mixed media on canvas

$954

REV #22

3ftx3ft mixed media on canvas

$954

I will update if I'm able to have a PUBLIC showing for this exhibit. And I will also update as I have prints available for each of the paintings. I will continue creating the remainder of the Revelation series and will post them as they are completed. 

Painting Live

I'm an abstract expressionist artist and live painter, I'm the sole-proprieter of my art business "revelatorART", the co-founder of the local Boise performance art company "Marten Evergreen",  I'm an art minister with the local Boise arts ministry "VineArts", and I travel the world connecting cross culturally in communities through creativity. I work in mixed media painting. I create most of my work in my studio, but I often paint live as a way to allow the creative process to be a collaborative conversation between me (the artist), the audience, and (if available) other artists, musicians, dancers, and speakers. 

Over this last week I had 2 really cool opportunities to paint live in 2 very different venues, collaborating with 2 very different groups, to converse with 2 very different audiences. 

 I painted live on a stage in a church during their Sunday morning services and I also painted live in the display window of a downtown city center vintage clothing shop. 

What I loved about both very different experiences is that in each opportunity, of creating art live in front of people, there was the chance to connect with people not only visually (as I painted) but also conversely (either during or afterwards). Connecting with people is the main reason I paint live. Yes it's a cool thing to get to show the world the creative things that are within me as they find their way onto the canvas. But it's an even cooler thing to talk with people and have them share with me what they are/were experiencing by watching me create the art, or have them share with me what's going on in their lives and how the simple vulnerable act of me creating something in front of them became a safe invitation for them to open up too. It's a really cool thing! 

For me, human interaction is the stuff of life. It doesn't matter to me if I'm in a Christian church, in a shop on a busy city center street, performing at an art event, accompanying a band at a concert, creating something special at a birthday party or private event, or connecting cross culturally in a community overseas. Painting live is like the ice breaker for conversation (art is only the language) so human to human hearts can connect. 

That's what I'm about. I'm all about the heart to heart. I'm all about the love. 

Painting Live at Vineyard Boise Church:

 photo taken by J. Nilo

Abstraction in design within a church.

photo taken by J. Nilo

Collaborating with the band that led the congregation in song.

 photo taken by J. Nilo

Collaborating with Pastor Mike Freeman as he spoke to the congregation. 

The finished painting. A parable of Jesus about being generous to others with what we've been given.

It is only one of many style-similar images that local artists are creating at the church on Sunday mornings May-Sept 2016 to illustrate the parables of Jesus. They are being hung up as a backdrop to the stage in the sanctuary. 

Painting Live at LUX Fashion Lounge in Boise:

Partnering with local shop owners to help support local (both ways!)

 photo taken by R. Rodriquez 

Abstract Expressionism within a shop window.

 photo taken by G. Deeming

Interacting with people watching.

The stopping point for the painting at the end of the night. It morphed and changed throughout the 3 hour time I was creating it. It went from complete abstract to an impression of the Boise River. I don't know what it will end up actually looking like, but I will finish it up in my studio.

And this is the finished painting after spending some more time with it in my art studio. It's still representing the river....but I moved it back into more of an abstract expressionist painting rather than impressionism (which is what it was moving into while I was painting live). I really like how it turned out. I realize that I couldn't really have done the splatter effect the way that I really wanted to do in this painting while painting it live in the shop because of being in close quarters in the display window and in such close proximity to clothes racks and other merchandise. Once I was in my studio I had the freedom to let the painting go where it wanted to go. 

Painting Live at LUX Downtown Boise for July 7 First Thursday

I get the really cool opportunity to paint live during the July Boise First Thursday Art Walk events downtown on July 7! 

I'll be set up in the window at LUX FASHION LOUNGE at 817 W. Idaho St. from 5:30pm till roughly 9pm. 

If you're in the downtown area that night enjoying the art, the music, the shopping, the food, and the entertainment...stop by and check out what I'm doing and have a look around the shop, there's some great finds in LUX.  

The Dude Abides

Once in awhile, if you're ever so aware with new eyes, you're given opportunities to catch a glimpse at how completely messy and yet profoundly beautiful being human really is. It's qualities seem to contrast and intertwine all at once. Fragility and constancy. Peace and war. Nurturing and using. Creativity and stagnation. Hope and disappointment. Joy and sorrow. Pain and love. Life and death. 

As created beings (both physical and spiritual) we are able to look past the outer more tangible sights and deeper into the more inner metaphysical concepts. Being human is the journey. And the journey is being human. And all of it...the good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly, the joy, the sorrow, and especially the never ending questions...it's all relevant to the eternal questions: Who Am I? Why Am I Here? 

For each of us (those who have come before, those who are, and those who are yet to arrive) the way we (humans) answer those questions (the way we choose to live) reflects (shines) on the faces of those we encounter along the way. The good, the bad...etc. Our stories are written on each other. And our stories are read by one another. And if we are ever so aware with new eyes, we will catch glimpses of each other on each other's faces, in each other's hearts, upon each other's lives; even after our life spirit has departed from our physical body.

 I have a friend who has done this kind of "painting on people's lives". He recently departed our physical presence...but he still abides in each of us who were touched by him. And we are experiencing that contrasting relevance...together. In community and collaboration, we are reflecting and shining. 

Esau "Mark" Kessler 
artist, writer, graphic designer, musician, businessman, entrepreneur, radio and online persona, art minister, father, lover, son, friend. ...and personal fan to so many!

Esau "Mark" Kessler

The "New Eyes" exhibit: The art of Esau "Mark" Kessler

   

Some examples of Esau "Mark" Kessler's art.

*Mark, your 48 years has highly impacted all those who encountered you. The world is a better place for knowing you. Thank you for living your life to the fullest, for loving yourself as you did, and in turn being able to love us as you did. We have all been encouraged by who you are, to be who we are. We are better people for knowing you. You helped us have new eyes to reflect and shine. Thank you for your friendship. I love you and miss you.* -me

Mark's memorial service was held between the Christmas and New Year holidays. An incredible amount of people from all over and all walks of life gathered together to honor and reflect the dude we so lovingly miss. He positively touched so many lives (young and old, from all backgrounds and walks of life). 

I was blessed to collaborate with my artist friend Lukas Evergreen to paint live during the service as a tribute to Mark. Mark was a huge supporter of local artists and musicians. He helped to promote Lukas and my work (individually, and jointly as the performance art company "Marten Evergreen"). Performing live at his memorial was a great honor. 

We painted to the One Republic song "I Lived" (you can play the song below).
Photos taken by Birgit Phelps and Sarah Goetter.

"I Lived"  3ftx3ft mixed media on canvas. Performed live on 12-30-14 by Marten Evergreen for Esau "Mark" Kessler

As we enter a new year, many of us (myself included), are grieving, maneuvering through pain, holding onto hope and love, and learning the oh so fragile and constant steps of the dance of joy and sorrow. May our life song be one of breathing in deeply, never giving up, reaching out, creating, making sweet memories, and loving much and loving well. May the legacy we leave behind be like the one my dear friend Mark has left...a legacy that reflects and shines with new eyes. And may it be said of us, that throughout all the beautiful mess of life..."I Lived". 

Much Aloha, my friends.


Mark has a fiance and 4 kids (with one grandchild on the way). Here is a link if you'd like to contribute to a fund helping the family out with finances in memory of Mark: 
Esau "Mark" Kessler Memorial Fund

ART IN THE BAR XI

That's right...

Sunday December 7th from Noon to 7pm at The Knitting Factory Concert House in Downtown Boise. 
Sponsored by Dead Bird Local Art & Framing.

It's the 11th installment of ART IN THE BAR!

This show is one of the best local artist shows in Boise featuring 40 local artists of the Treasure Valley displaying and selling artwork (just in time for the holidays!)

And yes...
Myself and Lukas Evergreen will be sharing a booth and we'll have new artwork for sale! We'd love to have you stop by and see us! 

My Self Portrait Series

#1. "Warrior Painter"

(inspired by Joan of Arc, this painting represents the intercessor and worshipper in me that enters into the battle through creativity)

24x36 mixed media on canvas

c. 2010 Lisa Marten

Original Not For Sale

Prints Available For Sale

#2. "Dancing Child"

(inspired by a friends 3yr old daughter, this painting represents the uninhibited and free in me filled with wonder and awe that dances with joy because of trust amidst the storms of life)

24x30 mixed media on canvas

c. 2011 Lisa Marten

Original Not For Sale

Prints Available For Sale

#3. "Favored Queen"

(inspired by Queen Esther, this painting represents the chosen in me that bravely approaches the feat with confidence and intention for such a time as this)

24x30 mixed media on canvas

c. 2014 Lisa Marten

Original Not For Sale

Prints will be Available For Sale

*I've been given a 4th Name to paint...at the moment I don't have an image in my head yet...but I trust it will come in the right time. 

Podding Artistry

I was interviewed this week on the Dustyn and Molly Stevens Remarks Podcast. We had a great conversation about art as business, creativity as language, art as ministry, world travels and cultural diversity. Check it out and have a listen. 

http://www.dmsremarks.podbean.com

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! 

Marten Evergreen performs at private party

Marten Evergreen has performed at concert venues and bars, in urban alleys and parks, and now in a backyard! Friday night the artists of Marten Evergreen got to be a part of a special event. We got to perform live at a private birthday party! It was my friend Heidi Tucker's 40th birthday and we held her a 70's hippie/summer beach party in my backyard. Along with normal birthday fanfare, we had a night packed with live entertainment. The birthday celebration was filled with live music, art, and dance. The evening started with live music performed by local musicians Gabe Miller, Kona Estes, and Molly Ellis. It progressed to the live art performance by Marten Evergreen, followed by dance party music by Sarah Goetter. The night ended with a drumming circle around the firepit. 

This was our performance area set up at the end of the backyard in a suburban housing development. 

Here are two videos, taken by one of the party-goers.

Performance: Breathe: YHWH

Performers: Lukas Evergreen, Lisa Marten, Jessie Nilo

Music: Fallen by Volbeat

part one

part two

Here is a photo of Heidi standing with the finished 2D paintings that were created during our live performance. We had stretched primed canvas onto chip board. We prepped the primed canvas by pre-painting Hebrew lettering (the Hebrew name of God: YHWH: Yahweh) and then we hid it underneath a separate piece of canvas that we stapled on top. During the performance, paint was splattered and sprayed onto the canvas and danced upon. Once the performance was over we removed the top canvas to reveal the lettering underneath. 

Marten Evergreen would like to offer the option of hiring us to perform for private parties. To learn more about us click on the Marten Evergreen tab on this blog, check out our Marten Evergreen page on Facebook. If you're interested in hiring Marten Evergreen email me at: revelatorart@yahoo.com or Lukas Evergreen at: lukasevergreen@gmail.com . If you are interested viewing and purchasing any of the 2D paintings that have been created during Marten Evergreen performances, contact us. They are on display at Nebula Shift in the Bistro Building downtown Boise. 

Marten Evergreen performs "Love Much Love Well"

 

 

Here is video of the full Marten Evergreen performance of "Love Much Love Well" performed live at The Meridian Summer Arts Festival on June 29, 2013.

 

Performers: Lukas Evergreen, Lisa Marten, Krysta Nebeker, Caid Jones, Travis Nelson

Music: violin interludes-Caid Jones, first movement-"Tomorrow, in a year" a Darwin electro opera, second movement-"Alive" Adrian Lux.
Poem: original piece written & performed by Travis Nelson
----
Intro: Lukas Evergreen & Lisa Marten creating our backdrop representing Marten Evergreen

Violin Interlude: Caid Jones

First Movement: Lisa Marten, Krysta Nebeker, Lukas Evergreen, Caid Jones
this depicts when we experience disconnection & hurt & pain in relationships

Transition: Poem by Travis Nelson storytelling about 2 people's journey to find love

Second Movement: Krysta Nebeker, Lukas Evergreen, Lisa Marten
this depicts when we experience connection & unity, favoring each other in relationships

Artist Statement: (this isn't the full statement, just a summary)
Journey with us into the obstacles of relational battles as we explore the ruts and roots of love found and love lost. Pop culture and spiritual leaders today are doing a very good job of telling us to love...but are you loving well? Are you investing love with your soul? Do you truly give "shirt of the back" kind of love? Are you dancing in front of the people in your life? ...or behind them? ...or along with them? For those who have been victims of the abuse of love, are you able to reach out to yourself or others with grace to forgive? This performance is not an answer to how to love well, but it is meant to be a launching point for discussion and conversation (individually and communally) about the need for all of us to learn to not only love much but love well.