Pondering the Meaning of Art

I had a rare day off yesterday, and after my massage, hair appointment and fantastic coffee from a new place on Main Street called "Parlour Coffee", I sneaked over to the Winnipeg Art Gallery for a quick view of William Kurelek's exhibit "The Messenger". Mistake. I didn't allow enough time to thoroughly peruse the exhibit, although I'm so very glad I went, since the man's genius inspired me in many ways. What a great way to start the new year!

At the exhibit, I was standing with several people in front of a complicated and very detailed painting representing the results of a nuclear bomb upon the Hamilton/Toronto area, and a woman nearby said, "I certainly can't see this one in my living room."

This comment made me ponder the meaning of art in general. I have learned so much about art in the last little while, and realize that there is so much about art that the general population doesn't know. It's like Kurelek's painting of a barn where it shows children laughing and playing inside while the roof is an inferno. They go along their merry way, not realizing that there is an inferno looming. It's that way with art and music. Art is not just something that matches your livingroom colours, and music is not just a pleasant melody to listen to. There is so much more going on around us in this world and in the Spiritual realm that we are unaware of in our daily lives. It's our job to perk up our ears and look around, observe and discover what we can learn about our existence on this planet. "True Art" makes us think and feel.
My boss Steve Bell's music is true art. He doesn't write music just to please the masses - he writes music to please his heavenly Father - music that will also bring a meaningful message to the listeners, encourage them and draw them to know the Creator of all art and music. His lyrics are poetry, much of which is borrowed from precious Scripture. Art is a gift from God.

I have learned this with my painting also. I am not painting just to please the senses of the viewers, but to bring across a positive message of joy, love, hope and beauty. My faith and world outlook just naturally translates onto the canvas. Many people have commented that they have a positive sense of well-being when viewing my art. One woman bought a large print of "Faith", just because looking at it makes her feel good, as she struggles with a debilitating mental condition. Finding that my art can help and encourage others just makes me want to create more.

When I started painting in 2008, I had no plan, no vision or reason to paint, other than I knew I had to. As I learn and create more, God is unfolding the curtain increments at a time so that I can see light and shadow of the unfocused path ahead, and I will follow as best I can. I know His plan is best, since everything I plan falls short. It's an exciting journey...

To view more of my paintings at my website, click here.

The Year in Three Words: Renovate, Prolific and Restore

In reading what I wrote in my journal at the beginning of 2011, I realize now that I was very pessimistic about the coming year. I didn't feel confident about the future in many aspects of my life, except for the security in the love of God and my marriage. Those two things I clung to with ferocity.

Renovate: A women's Bible study at my church on the "fruit of the spirit" fed me spiritually as I struggled with issues of pride and forgiveness.I devoured helpful books like Laying My Isaac Down and Healing Soul Misery, and books by Frank Peretti dealing with spiritual battle. I bought a beautiful piece of racu art - a clay "spirit shield" by local artist Gloria D'Neve, to remind myself about the armour of God, and the spiritual swordplay going on behind the visible world. I learned to pray deeper, drink deeper from the Word and release myself through painting. While I still have a long way to go in my faith journey, it is a joy to discover the surprises that God has in store along the way.
While renovating my spiritual walk, my husband and I were renovating our home, and building a gallery to show my paintings.

Prolific: Sept. 2010 to Sept. 2011 resulted in (I counted them) 69 paintings. In hindsight, the themes of depression and turmoil, then joy and life aptly chronicled my year. The paintings had to be prepared for showing in my first solo show in September, and then at the Manitoba Art Expo in November (among other showings). I had to resurrect my freelance business in order to take care of the tedious side of selling art. Not only prolific, this was the second busiest year since I married Darrell and started my new job at Signpost Music in 2007.

Restore: The year also held joys and blessings galore to further restore my outlook. My sister and her family came for a week-long visit in the summer. We took family photos with our dear Mother who is in a care home with dementia. Our grandsons are also such a joy in our family life. I discovered that not only was my art restoring myself, but others viewing it were  also being blessed - what an honor! An art tour to Philadelphia in September taught me a great deal about Rembrandt, portraiture and faith, and was a relaxing break to gain perspective, and a weekend with my husband in the beginning of December to hear my boss Steve Bell sing with the Toronto Symphony at Massey Hall in Toronto was a fitting climax for a fabulous yet busy Christmas season.

A full year. A terribly busy year. Through it all, I discovered that Grace Like Rain (sermon series by my Pastor) comes after The Perfect Storm (one of my paintings). I am thankful for my marriage, our jobs, our family, friends and church. I will not view 2012 with pessimism - but with optimism and hope.

Making New Memories in Toronto

I have always absolutely LOVED Toronto! I have so many happy memories of visiting the area - most of them had been in my past (I was born in the area), and with my late husband Wern Kliewer. A couple of years after he passed, I went to Toronto by myself for a weekend to do some of the things we used to do together on visits, and to relive memories. It was a very therapeutic time, and I even repeated the visit to see "Mama Mia", the Abba musical. Wern and I had been in TO just a couple of months before he died - our last trip together.

This time I was in Toronto for an entirely different reason. My boss, Steve Bell was going to perform at Massey Hall for the first time with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra! My husband Darrell and I booked the weekend to see this prestigious milestone event  in Steve's career as a three day romantic getaway for the two of us. Oh - what a weekend it was, culminating in attending the rehearsal with the Toronto Symphony on the afternoon on December 3rd, and then the concert in the evening. We sat with two of Steve's friends and I commented to Esther as the orchestra began, that I had goosebumps!

This concert was arranged as the premiere event for the Tim Huff-led new charity "The Hope Exchange", which was created order to bring attention to, thank and give hope to people who work and live in the business of caring-for and giving-hope to others (nurses, street youth workers, social workers, etc.). Tim is a friend of Steve's who has worked for many years with street kids under Youth Unlimited in Toronto, and has written two amazing books (among others) telling of his adventures - Bent Hope and Dancing with Dynamite. The evening was emceed by Valerie Pringle and was also interspersed with poignant readings from Tim Huff's books.

That evening, Steve Bell, sporting dress clothes (with his shirt tucked in, no less!) was relaxed, funny and  his voice was the most beautiful and natural that I've ever heard. I wish that I was a more articulate writer, to describe the beauty, majestic perfection of the orchestra and the chemistry in the flow of the evening. It was magical! Rei Hotoda, the original conductor of Steve's symphony concerts (formerly assistant conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony and now working with the Dallas Symphony) was flown in for the occasion and gently but firmly took control of leading the instrumental part of the production with her usual grace and flair. Mike Janzen (who wrote every note of the symphonic arrangements), delighted us all with his own personal symphonic version of Chim Chim Cheree from Mary Poppins. His newest Broadway tunes CD is entitled "Try to Remember". Another memorable piece was Steve's "Moon Over Birkenau" along with his personal story  about writing the music.

Perhaps it is because I'm a huge Steve Bell fan, employee and supporter that I'm particularly biased about this concert, but I think the standing ovation and the encore featuring a more intimate side of Steve and his bandmates spoke volumes and finished off the evening to perfection.

Our three day getaway created so many wonderful and varied new memories of Toronto to share with my husband Darrell. We visited Queen's Quay, Chinatown, Casa Loma and Union Station, and walked or rode the TTC until our legs and feet ached. I love to sit in the front seat of the trains, hurtling through the tunnels into the darkness. Me happy.

One Small Boy

Imagine a beautiful old city, buildings restored from years of past conflict. The weather is sunny, warm and there's just a slight breeze. There's an old cathedral, street vendors and people selling fresh caught fish in the local market.

But something is different. When you arrive in this city, you receive a report on how to stay safe. Girls are not allowed out alone as soon as it gets dark. You are warned not to look people in the eye because that is seen as a sign of aggression. You will immediately be asked if you have a problem and you must reply "no". You are told never to carry much money or valuables on you, and many more useful hints. You see, the criminals are absolutely fearless in this city. They do not care about being seen, about injuring their victims or anything else. There is only one active church in the vicinity.

That first day walking around town, you will quickly see that while the criminals may be fearless, the rest of the population lives in fear. Everyone carries their bags in a very distinct way, close to their bodies and with a very firm hold. If you pass by someone too close you can see and feel them tense up. If you, out of habit, look people in the eyes for more than a couple seconds you can see the suspicion in their gaze. It makes you feel incredibly sad to see people so afraid that something as simple and respectful as looking someone in the eyes is taboo. You want these people to get their dignity back. They live in this most incredible city but they cannot truly enjoy it. There is a heaviness that is so evident in this city and everyone has to struggle with it everyday.

Truth be told, the above description was copied from an email letter I received from Vanessa Kornelsen, a young woman friend of mine who is traveling with YWAM, (Youth With A Mission) in Europe. She has been studying and serving amidst different cultures. The city that is being described is present day Marseilles, France. I found this description of Marseilles shocking.

What a contrast to my home city of Winnipeg, Canada. We live in a culture that largely embraces Christianity, and despite my city being well-known for a high crime rate, we still feel pretty safe walking the streets at night in most neighbourhoods. We look one another in the eyes as we pass, sometimes smiling or calling greetings. We don't live in fear. We are free to believe in and worship God in our churches, for which I am so very thankful. I hope that we never take this for granted.

We can boldly say "Praise the Lord!" on our Facebook pages, when we receive good news. In fact, I had some GREAT news today. My husband's niece and her husband had a baby boy on Thanksgiving Day, 2011, born prematurely at 23 weeks and five days. He was given 0% chance of survival, because his bowels were damaged/dead. Nov. 30th (1 1/2 months later) he survived his second surgery on his bowels, most of which was repaired and is now healthy. He is a miracle baby, and the parents believe that baby Bennett now has a future.

What if the parents didn't love God and believe that He could heal their son? What if they had listened to the doctors' recommendations to "let him go" when he was born? What if God didn't exist? There certainly wouldn't be tearful praises to God resounding audibly and on the internet across Canada and the U.S.. People from all over the world have bonded together to pray for the life of this one small boy. What an inspiring sense of unity and purpose!

One small boy. Our Lord Jesus was one small boy who changed history. Thanks to Him, instead of a world where crime reigns supreme, we can worship Him freely and without fear. We are about to enter into the season that celebrates His birth and life. May we not become submerged in the busy-ness of the season and forget to reflect on the true meaning of the season.

A recent painting of mine was created in honour of, and dedicated prayerfully to Baby Bennett, our niece's new son.  You can view this painting at my website by clicking here.