Why create?

My most recent new experience has been teaching art to a small class of homeschooled children ages 5-12. While I have been immersed in visual art my whole life, translating that into communicable language seems like quite a challenge. I have been using some sources here and there but mostly I am creating a curriculum from scratch. In one of my first lessons, I decided to talk about why artists do what they do. Why do we create? That seemed like such a vast question to me. Yet, in the same instant, I silently replied just as I had been taught, "To glorify God of course." While I do believe that to be the answer, I also tihnk there is much more depth to that whole idea than I had realized before. I have heard the term "glorifying God" so many times that it has settled into that group of pat Sunday school answers along with "Jeeee-sus". As I rolled this question over and over in my mind, I was reminded of a lesson I taught recently on color. Color fascincates me in the fact that the colors we see are only a small portion of a gigantic spectrum and that we only are able to see those colors because of special equipment that God as built into our eyes. It blows my mind to think of what we will see in Heaven, when we have perfect eyes. But I am getting off subject quickly here! What God showed me was in the fact that color comes from light being reflected or absorbed by the object it is shining on. Do you see where I'm going here? The reason God chooses us as artists, the reason our reflection of Him is so important is because he made us unique. The light will reflect and absorb in different ways on each of us, revealing a new aspect of Him, a new portion of the spectrum of His glory. This gives new meaning to the idea that we are all part of one body, each playing a different role. It makes no sense to compare our works one against the other to see what is best. The only purpose comparison should serve is to bring greater glory, greater honor to the ultimate picture.

All things new...

So we slipped off the radar for awhile there. Though we had planned for a smoother transition, life was not so accommodating! It’s good to be back! Despite our lack of web presence in the last few months, our Richmond Christian Artist community is steadily brewing. God appears to be sending out little shots of new life here and there. In my own life, he added baby #3 to the Pheifer clan in February. As you might imagine, it has taken awhile for the schedule to re-boot itself. Though the days are quite full of homeschooling, feeding, bathing and chasing, I feel God leading me toward new “births” in the creative realm as well. I have received multiple words about new opportunities and doing things that I never imagined myself doing before. In June, I sensed that God was releasing me from my work in organizing and running The Reflecting Pool Art Gallery at Commonwealth Chapel. I feel a ting of sadness in letting go of a ministry that God has allowed me to plant and tend since it’s inception over four years ago. But as with most endeavors that I pour myself into, the end has revealed some hidden truths. Some are good…confidence, encouragement, accomplishment, community. Some bear a sting like that constant fear of being fully known, fully revealed and vulnerable. But experience has showed me that pain leads to growth. So, as I think on new things that God is stretching into my view, I plan to focus on simply and honorably being an artist, creating with all my chips thrown in.

In Transition...

HisArt.Org is in the process of changing from an online store to a blog site. Please excuse the lack of content at the moment. We'll be back soon!