Art and Faith
This week I am taking a class at the Grunewald Guild in my home town of Plain thanks to a kind man in our community who wanted to give a class to some youth in the valley. I have only attended two meals, the orientation and matins (which is a time for a faculty member to share about their art and faith journey), and I already love it! I am so excited for the rest of the week. This place is amazing! I don't know why I haven't checked this place out sooner. I never really know what it was all about.
At first I was super nervous to take a class here because of my lack of artistic talent. But, after talking to my teacher, hearing the orientation, and listening to the the previous directors talk this morning I am just EXCITED!
I'm taking an oil painting class. My teacher introduced the class as oil painting boot camp. So basically we won't walk away from this week with a fabulous painting but, we will learn a lot about how to use all of our tools: paint, surface, light, brushes, strokes, techniques, etc. There will be a lot of different exercises and exploring. It really is oil painting for very beginners and will provide us with the foundation and knowledge to develop our skills and paint after this week is over.
At the orientation the director read a summary of Tolkien's short story 'Leaf by Niggle' which he wrote when he had a writers block one time. It was about a man who was hired to paint a mural but, as hard as he tried he just couldn't paint anything but a tiny little leaf in one corner. The people complained because this is all he could produce from his paint brush. Soon after Niggle died and as he was traveling around on the other side he came upon a glorious tree. He realized that THIS was the tree he had been thinking of all the time he was painting but could never actually paint. As he looked at it he noticed one little leaf hanging from one of the branches and realized that this was the leaf he had painted. He was only able to portray one little piece of the magnificent tree, but that was enough because it was too glorious to try to portray.
After sharing this story the director shared a quote from Tolkien that said (not exactly these words but, this is the idea): All of us must create our own leaf. We can not create the whole tree. All of us artists must work together to portray the pieces of Gods glory. Together we can create a good picture but, we still will not be able to capture the entirety of the His glory.
I recieved even more inspiration, truth, and encouragement from this mornings Matins. The previous director shared about restoring the world and its problems through art. He emphasized that we can not change all the worlds problems between humans and God through one picture but, it will take loads of them to mend and change things. He shared on how he used to put tons of thought into his art to make it meaningful but now he paints almost carelessly and he find that to be more helpful and Christ centered because it is what it is and has meaning on its own. He said that you don't have to have incredible artist talent to create, you just have to be courageous and just create it without apologizing or worrying about what others say about it. The reason art is hard for us sometimes, he said, is becuase it exposes us. We would like ver much to just paint in a cubicle so that no one else can see. But, that is destroying the purpose of the art. Sculpt, create, paint what you choose to. You can not improve upon the subject you are replicating but, you can honor it and celebrate it in your art work. Art is a celebration of life.
There was so much more said, so much more that opened my heart and mind. This place is sooo amazing. I would encourage anyone, seriously ANYONE to take a class there. You really don't have to be good at art. There is something for everyone: film studies, pottery, stain glass, creative writting, painting, wilderness studies...etc.
I'm so stoked to be apart of this place this week and plan on spending as much time there as I can fellowshiping and creating. I'm excited to get centered and discover faith in a new way: through art.