A Study and a Prayer

 Unless the Lord builds the house,

the builders labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city,

the guards stand watch in vain.

Psalm 127:1

Fabric Study with Pin Cushion, 2020

Willow, vine, and charcoal pencil 

24” x  18”

Recently, my mother has been teaching me how to sew. This has been quite a treat because Mom has some serious skills, dare I say, “Master Seamstress” level skills. Watching a master at work is very awe inspiring, not to mention it’s just fun to hang out with my mom. The only thing that outshines her love of sewing is her eagerness to share it with me. Mom has total confidence in my ability to learn this skill. I have to say it’s nice when you are a little shaky to have someone who wholeheartedly believes in you. Learning to sew has been a fun and rewarding challenge. So many of the elements one finds on the sewing table are aesthetically intriguing and down right beautiful. Can you feel the still-life coming on?

I was still in a bit of a classical mood from my last piece, Princess Venezia, so for this week’s subject I decided to go with another classic - a fabric study. If you are unfamiliar with the term, an artistic “study” simply means “a detailed investigation and analysis of a subject or situation.” (Dictionary.com). Fabric presents so many things worthy of visual investigation. Perhaps that is why artists have been “studying” it for thousands of years. There are your basic art concepts like light and shadow of course; additionally, there is also form and dimension. Then there are more challenging and abstract ideas for an artist to express like gravity and visual movement. And let’s not forget that fabric is just beautiful which is what drew me to this particular arrangement in the first place. This piece of fabric will someday become a pretty summer dress but until my skills catch up with the idea it can be a pretty still-life.

I’m not going to lie, drawing this past week has been difficult as my body has been fighting a terrible cold. Illness has a certain way of taking everyday tasks and just making them unreasonably challenging. Art is no exception to this phenomenon. I would definitely define my drawing experience this week as a marathon not a sprint. And when I say marathon, I mean one with a lot of water breaks, and if I’m being honest, a lot of nap breaks too. Ok, so maybe this metaphor is breaking down a bit. However, there is something about when the difficulty-level in life gets turned up to eleven that my need for the Holy Spirit’s supernatural help becomes highlighted all the more. On a good drawing day, when I’m feeling 100%, I might be tempted to lean on my own skill and understanding but when I feel like crap - all bets are off! There is zero doubt in my mind that I need help, I need Jesus! This is just a good reminder of one simple artistic truth: unless the Lord establishes the work of my hands, I can do nothing. All my knowledge, all my training, all my planning are pointless if I forget to acknowledge where my real help comes from - God (just in case you didn’t know where I was going with that, lol). And prayer is the most effective way, that I know of, to acknowledge this very important truth.

There is a reason why I always encourage my students to begin their drawing sessions with prayer - because prayer is the best place to start! Assuming a spiritually “prayerful posture” is just as critical for the formation of great art as standing properly at your easel. Besides, pointing your heart and your thoughts towards God can only ever be a good thing, can I get an amen? If you have never tried to incorporate prayer into your process, it’s easy. Simply take a moment, before you pick up that pencil, before you get carried away in the details and the challenge, and just talk to your Dad. Thank Him for all the gifts He has blessed you with and invite Him to join you in your creative time (*hint* - He is already there but it’s good for us to remember that).

I once asked my students to write out their personal art-prayers to God as an exercise. This week I would like to share mine.

Father God, 

Thank you for this day. Thank you for this time alone with you. Thank you for the gift of my talent and my skill, I know they are blessings from you. Thank you for my health and my hands. And thank you for the gift of my tools. Thank you Holy Spirit for inspiring me with beautiful ideas and encouraging me to get out of bed and create! God, please partner with me today, help me to make something beautiful. Please guide my hands and my choices. Lord, I know that apart from you I can do nothing but with you all things are possible! Please establish the work of my hands and help me to realize my ideas on paper. Thank you for being right here with me, in big things, in little things, and in everyday things. 

I love you, I praise you, and I thank you, in Jesus’ name!