An Artful Life: Art and Life Together...

It is said, "Art Reflects Life." I agree with that statement. In my experience, the more art I make and the more life I live, the more integrated my living and art-making become. Now, I cannot separate the two. Maybe that is what makes an "Artful Life."Here are a few things that are a part of my current artful life:I have a dear friend who has a relapse of leukemia for the third time. She has walked a hard road the past 8 years. As we talked the past week, she shared the miracles that have happened, the faithfulness of God. Amazingly, she clearly had the peace and hope only God can bring. Walking with someone through a time like this, I have felt at times overwhelmed by sadness, at a loss, hopeful, seeking, aching, praying for healing and peace. I am struck again that we can only live in the present and that is where God lives with us. He is meeting me where I am at. He is with my friend, always loving, always present. As I prayed, I doodled and wrote this card for my friend:

In the past month I worked on a commissioned prophetic painting for a family, friends in our community. I haven't done many commissioned prophetic paintings. It is one of those things I see myself as an assistant with, not the main person doing the work. I must rely on the Holy Spirit. With nothing in mind for the painting, I come to God and ask for His heart for the person/people I am painting for. It is a prayerful painting. Often the words come first as in this case. I took a day to listen, then to write down what I sensed was the answer. I looked up verses that came to mind in Scripture. The images for the painting grew out of that. For the painting part, I made a small painted sketch of the idea to scale for the larger piece. Then I met with the couple commissioning the painting. I also gave them a copy of what was written, which was the heart meaning of the painting. Here is the lovely couple and their new painting.

For me, there is nothing like the personal interaction of people making art together. This year is a growing year for me (taking new classes, reading, writing, teaching new things...) and I already see it is one of deeper integration of Art and Life. For a number of years, I have taught art classes in my studio in Hillsboro, Oregon (just outside Portland Oregon.) One of the joys for me is teaching the Art Journaling 2-day Workshop. It is fun and fast-paced. The group is small, limited to 12, so there is the positive personal interaction I value in learning and developing creativity. I'm consistently amazed by the creative energy and spirit that flows during our time together. There are a few spots left. For more information, click on this link to my website page: Art Journaling 2-day Workshop.

May you be blessed this day with abundant creativity in your Art and in your Life!