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. 

Teaching in My Studio

So one of the things I do is teach private art lessons in my studio. I enjoy working one on one with students (teens to retired) to help them become more comfortable with their creativity. Oftentimes people just need the time and space (and the permission) to play creatively. That can look like many things. 

oil painting. acrylic painting. splatter painting. mixed media painting. 

I don't teach every kind of medium or technique...but I'm all about giving people the chance to try new things in a non-threatening environment. 

I don't necessarily teach "this is how to paint" specifically, like many other art teachers...I teach more like "here's some mediums to try, here's some techniques to try, let's see what you can do with them". I'm more about expressive creativity, allowing the individual to explore themselves and their world through various mediums and techniques. Sometimes to stir it up a bit I will paint with them, collaborating on something as a way of helping them become more comfortable with artistic experimentation.

When I give a lesson I charge by the hour. People often choose to set up weekly or monthly lessons, even setting up blocks of hours each time to allow themselves the chance to get the most out of their experience. Working one on one opens the door for conversation and gives me the opportunity to get to know the student and their specific interests and goals  so I can focus specifically on certain areas tailored to the student. Full attention is given for art-filled play. 

I truly believe that everyone is creative. We just need to give ourselves the permission to explore that creativity. I like to offer my studio to people as a safe place to begin that creative exploration or continue the journey. 

3 Exhibits, 3 Cities, in 3 Months...The Creative Conversation of Connie K Sales Art

I met abstract artist Connie K Sales in 2011 the first time I performed with artist Lukas Evergreen at Art in the Bar (a quarterly art show in Boise showcasing local artists held at The Knitting Factory Concert House and produced by Dead Bird Art and Framing).

Connie's art drew me in immediately.  Bold. Raw. Beautiful. Provocative. Expressionistic. Rich in Story. and Honest. I couldn't help myself...I had to get to know the artist behind the art. Connie is a beautiful soul who has mastered not only her art making but also her ability to communicate experiential themes through creativity that reflects the realness of humanity, sparking conversation and connection between the art, the artist, and the art appreciator.

It is with this same heart that I want to make you aware of a project that Connie is working on.

Connie has been given a wonderful opportunity to share in this creative conversation with 3 Exhibits in 3 Cities over 3 Months in 2015. "I Pray On Dirty Knees" at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA during March; "I Am Because You Are" at Gallery Five18 in Boise, ID during April; "Rainmaker and the Flower" at La Bottega in Laguna Beach, CA during May.

In Connie's words: "This project consists of almost 85 figurative and abstract works inspired by poetry, spiritual devotion, and personal experience. The primary objective is simple; to bring people together through art; to provide a place for conversation to begin."

In order to undertake this kind of project, Connie is need of assistance through prayer and positive energy, financial sponsorship by donating, and sharing about this unique artistic adventure.

If you're interested in helping to support this project, here is the link to the fundraising page. There is much more detail on the page about Connie and her art, the details of the project including costs for framing/crating/shipping/installation/travel/lodging expenses, and how to help. We can all be a part of the conversation. And if you're in or nearby any of the cities that are hosting her exhibits, be sure to stay informed and if you're able, plan to attend and become a part of the conversation face to face. 

http://www.gofundme.com/cksalesart 

To learn more about Connie and her art, here is the link to her website:
http://www.connieksalesart.com

Thank you friends. 

My Creative Travels Fundraiser Art Event in Photos

Thank you to everyone who made this event possible. I believe art is a universal language that transcends all language barriers (whether it be differences linguistically & culturally, whether it be differences potically & socially, whether it be differences spiritually & faith based, whether it be struggles emotionally & relationally with self and others). Creativity is an amazing expression of one's world view and inner voice that needs to be heard...and it can be the element that opens conversation. Thank you to everyone who came and shared in this conversation with me and heard my heart, viewed my art, experienced our live painting/dance performance, and spent time connecting with me and others. Thank you to everyone who contributed and continues to contribute to the support of these creative travels and adventures that I'm on (whether financially and/or through prayer and encouragement). Wherever I go I take you with me. You are all just as much a part of "painting on people's lives" as I am...together we are loving on people throughout this world in creative ways. Thank you. May we love much and love well.