A work of art

Ever since I was very young, I loved all things "art." I loved the process of creating art, I loved looking at art... everything. Over the past few days the subject of art has made it into several of my conversations.

At church, we have been creating prayer stones -- forming bits of clay and then when they harden writing words or drawings that help express our feelings in prayer.

I knit. Knitting has become my current creative expression of art. Knitters are such funny people and always get in arguments over types of yarn and ways people knit. The subject of novelty yarn had come up. Most either love it or hate it. Another knitter put it very simply -- novelty yarn is like junk food for the needles -- it is not good for you but sometimes you just have to use it. (for you non yarn people -- novelty yarn is like fun fur and goofy textures and usually all acrylic. This is as opposed to natural fibers).

Someone also described her knitting and designing as creating and a work of art. As we know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I have knitted some items that I would not give my dog for a chew toy. I just don't find them aesthetical. There is always someone who loves them.

I used to paint and draw. These were my times of greatest spiritual release at that stage of my life. I would be inspired by songs or scriptures or really just life in general. I remember standing at a concert with 60,000 people all worshiping God It was breathtaking. I had to paint it. I had to find a way to express that joy onto that canvas.

I have also done a bit of sculpture and pottery. While these did not give me as much satisfaction and joy, I still found them quite enjoyable. One piece, pictured above, was with mixed media of chicken wire armature and paper mache. We were supposed to create a vessel of life. Forming and playing with the chicken wire reminded me of fire. I remembered growing up and the "planned burns" in West Texas of ranchland to help make the soil more rich. The piece became known as "Dying to be Reborn" and was displayed in an religious Art Show in downtown Chicago.

I was talking with a friend about digital art and he said it was "just on a computer." It wasn't like it was done with a paint brush. I disagree.

Through all of the different media I have used to create art throughout my life, I have found that even cutting little scraps of paper and gluing into a collage, provides me great comfort and joy. I become more aware of my surroundings because I notice the darks and the lights the positive and negative energies that are there.

Art is what you make it -- whatever you make it. Art is an expression of being, of loving and of beauty in every form.

AMEN