Posted by DawnL9 20th 2008 August
Categories: Uncategorized
Hello all. I have joing Veritasse recently (about a month) and have truly enjoyed viewing everyone’s artwork. I am a little discouraged on the connection between the artists as I feel I don’t know anyone and despite my attempts to comment on your work I feel you must not look at your sites very much. Perhaps that has to do with the holidays. I am American so I don’t know British school terms tend to fall on. I was hoping to talk about Christian art and saying something real and true with other likeminded believers. Where are you all?
August 20th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Hi Dawn,
I’m sorry that this has been your experience too. I have to say, I was hoping for the same thing when I joined (in the last year) and although Sue in the office is great and very helpful, this hasn’t been the ‘community’ of artisans I was hoping to become a part of. There seem to be the same few who take the time to answer questions when they have relevant information, but it would seem for the most part people are just interested in having somewhere to post their work. Maybe I’m wrong, but on my first year, this has been my observation and it has made me wonder if it is worth continuing. As a busy mum, wife and painter my days are always filled with too much-and although I don’t spend a great amount of time on the pc, I would love to hear what others are doing, and where their painting and journey with the Lord is taking them. It would be nice to form friendships with others whom God has placed on a similar path. Just because we may never meet face to face on this earth, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t encourage one another and be there with a kind word, idea or prayer. I for one would value this, so perhaps there are others out there who feel the same? If so, why shouldn’t this be the time to grow this seed, what an amazing community Veritasse could really be. A real on-line community of artists from all around the world, sharing their faith and love of Christ, not just with possible customers but with each other! Now that would be worth staying for!
With love in Christ,
Jo Barltrop
August 21st, 2008 at 10:06 am
It certainly would be great to have more interaction on the forum. People are very busy; me too! I will try and check the forum more regularly!
August 26th, 2008 at 3:53 am
Phew! It’s not just be then! I’ve been toying with the idea of posting a similar message. We are a special group - likeminded CHristians with an artistic connection and we really should be interacting more, even if it’s just to check in now and again and say “hello!”
I belong to Flickr and Facebook and I chat online to other photographers, including Christians, all the time - it’s so busy in those sites yet here the conversation seems to have run dry.
I’m also wondering if I should continue my membership next year, but I’d really rather stay!
Lets get this forum buzzing!!!
August 26th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
thanks for writing me back. I am encouraged that there are other christian artists who want to talk. It encourages me to just know there are others out there that put God in art and hopefully, in all things. I am inspired by your work. really I am. Please let me know how you come up with your ideas. Does God give them to you or is it a process of going along and seeing what happens? I find that if I meditate on a certain word or word group, like “Tree of Life” I don’t just think of a tree but all kinds of things. In that I start to write and sketch and eventually I try to put them together. This is where I feel the Holy Spirit truly “takes over” and gives me the idea. He uses my limited ability (in that I mean, that there are things I can’t paint but want to) to communicate a truth in a fresh way.
September 1st, 2008 at 11:32 am
Hello Dawn,
I am much in tune with your final comment. I often work from scripture and will meditate on a phrase for hours days or weeks - not continually, I am not a monk! However I turn graffic ideas around in my mind and often as much drawing and painting goes on inside my head as it does into an ideas book. I approach a passage in a similar way to when I am preparing a sermon - look for illustrations from everyday life, new angles, challenges to comfort and familiarity to show that the Gospel is as relevant to people now as it was 2000 years ago.
I also admit that sometimes - often- my technical skills fail me and I scrap the work and start again. Personally I never say that “God gave me this picture” - I think that God is a much better artist than we would expect from seeing some of these paintings! I do however believe in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit - if I produce naff work it is my lack of skill and commitment or practice that makes it naff. We don’t expect musicians to thrill us with their work unless they are dedicated and practice and practice - why should it be different for visual artists?
Stick at it.
Jo
September 5th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Hey Guys
It has been a while since I even looked at the forum so I guesss I am as guilty as every one of failing to communicate….sorry!(deeply repented and just slapped hand) let grace abound
I have been impressed lately during the reading of the first 4 chapters of the book of acts about the subject of unity among the believers and am thinking how I can portray this on canvas since I am a Christian who paints rather than one who paints christian things this will be a new route for me but it sure isnt easy especially as I am more prone to painting landscapes in oils and am no good at thinking in abstract I like a tree to look like a tree guess I should do more photography!!
Putting that aside isnt being a christian great I gave my life to Christ when I was just 17 and have now reached 60 and it still amazes me that God cares about my life and its direction. I wite this to say to everyone who reads this keep going, keep painting, keep praying, keep encouraging one another most of all keep looking up and with the king of kings in your vision and heaven your final destination we are all in a win win win win situation no wonder I want to paint
Lots of love to you all
Dave Gilder
September 6th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Dave,
I just wanted to tell you that as I read your response I couldn’t help but smile. Keep painting trees the way He gives them to you, if we all were the same what a boring old place this earth would be! We are all called to be different and unique, but just like a jigsaw puzzle of the body of Christ, we are each just a ‘piece’, with our own perfect fit, but unless we ‘meet’ with the other pieces and fit together the jigsaw puzzle never takes shape. I always see that jigsaw as a sphere, that once all the pieces are connected and joined together, there is no end and no beginning, but we are dependent on each other for it to be complete. Jesus is the ‘glue’ that holds us together and The Holy Spirit and The Heavenly Father are what keep us in position and the reason for the jigsaw in the first place. Um….I feel a painting coming on……
May God bless you all,
much love in Christ,
Jo Barltrop
September 7th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Hi Dawn - sorry it’s taken a little while to get to back to you, but it’s great to see others joining in the conversation! Hello everyone!
You asked how I get my ideas: Mainly I take a theme and run with it, sometimes it works - sometimes it doesn’t! I tend to explore two main themes; God’s Creation and psychological issues such as mental illness.
My B&W 10×8’s are mostly from my A level photography portfolios. Photography itself is therapy for me. I have an interest in self-portraiture and how it helps us gain insight and explore how we see ourselves. It has very little to do with vanity, honestly! (I see a few eyebrows raising…) but we are all God’s beautiful creations and we should be proud of the unique places we fill in God’s world and how much each one of us is a part of His great plan. I see the world through the viewfinder in my mind, reading each scene and asking myself what God’s plan is each episode of my life and the lives of those around me. Discovering my artistic gift has helped me learn more about Jesus’ teachings and has enabled me to strive to be a better Christian. I find it so much easier now to forgive, love - even my ‘enemies’ and to eschew sin. Praise God!
More recently I’ve branched into the wonderful world of digital, which obviously has more opportunities for me commercially. My customers want digital prints ‘NOW!’ so I have had to respect the market. The pictures themselves though, unless they are specific portrait requests, are my works, as inspired by God’s words and His Creation.
Basically, what He puts in front of me, I shoot!
September 9th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Hello everyone! I just want to echo what Jo said about us each being unique. I have spent a fair amount of my life comparing myself with other people and I have decided to STOP. It doesn’t do any good. There is always someone who can paint landscapes better (Dave!), who has a better memory, who is …………………………………………
But God wants each of us to be ourself. We are different because that is how he has made us.When we accept ourselves, when we make peace with who we are, God is much more able to use us. We are also easier people to be around. Insecure people can be defensive and prickly. If we are secure in ourselves, we are also more able to accept others as they are.
I am going to carry on painting, because God has made me to be creative. That’s a good enough reason!
September 14th, 2008 at 12:41 am
Amen sister sue
September 26th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Hi.
I must admit I have not heard from ANYONE on another forum I go to. I think everyone must be VERY busy. Never been this quiet though!!!
Very strange.
I am very busy getting ready for exhibition at St Marks Wimbledon with www.worplegroup.co.uk 11th October.
Welcon me to ALL Veritasse artisans. You are all special!!!!!!
GOD BLESS!!!
September 26th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
pps David another 60 year old!!!
September 29th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Just thinking about this whole forum business. Is it better in a way to have one conversation at least that is just an onging sharing of thoughts, without too much of a set agenda. That way, we could “chat” without having to check every single forum topic.
Each month we could have a topic called “October chat” or whatever the month is. Does this seem sensible to others too?
By the way, please, SOMEONE add a comment, There are so many different topics where my comment seems to have been the fianl kiss of death to the whole conversation! I am beginning to get a complex!
September 29th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Hey Sue…I think your idea for a Monthly Chat is great. I would love an open forum. I have so appreciated the responses and artists who are interested in talking about God in art.
I loved what you wrote about “just doing art no matter our talent.” That is exactly right. If we waited until we “arrived” we would never get the enjoyment of learning the process with Him.
September 30th, 2008 at 9:51 am
hello….i confess it’s been a while since i contributed i apologise to those who have felt a bit on a limb.Monthly chat idea would be great - Jo Field is also organising a big get together next year - so take heart!(I hope that’s still right Jo?)
How paintings ‘come ‘to us is interesting question - I have had moments of meditational zapps! and long deserts to treck through when i thought i could never think of a painting again.I guess the upshot is that because we paint ideas it will allways be deeply personal and relative to the way we form our relationship with God?
Sometimes i find the process of prayer and meditation related to painting almost exhausting and it’s only just struck me that ,that is because it is a constant re - examination of my relationship with God.Perhaps this is then when the support of the forum kicks in.Like Sue i will continue to paint regardless because i can’t function without doing so but if i feel a seascape or a flower ,or even an Emin bed, is were i am at God will be at the centre of it.
Just a little aside to Dave - i don’t know if it’s any help but i painted a picture of a tree/bush thing not long ago. the painting was about family unity - it’s in my portfolio if it helps.
September 30th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Dawn, thanks so much for writing a comment after mine!
What I will do is start a new “Chat” topic each month, so please could you all keep an eye out for it. (We could just keep adding to the same topic for ever, but that means we all end up doing a lot of scrolling through lots of things we have already read!)
I do appreciate getting to know people electronically. Although there is no substitute for “face to face”, it does make me feel less out on a limb to know that you are all out there!
Anyway look out for “October Chat”! I am going to start it now!
October 10th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Hi Dawn and all,
I’ve just discovered this site, thanks to some guidence from my vicar and I’m very impressed. It looks as if it’s still in its infancy stages and perhaps that is the reason why there’s limited cohesion between the artists. I think it would be a great shame for you all to drift away, as potentially this looks as if it’s going to be a great asset to you all. Good luck with your art and spreading God’s message through it.
best wishes,
Stephie
October 21st, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Hi
If we cant support one another who will!!!!
Pithy afternoon quote!
Ho Ho