traveling artist: Scotland 2012

Ready to Go...

my backpack is full of art supplies ready to go to Scotland.

i want you to understand that my packpack and i and God have a special relationship as we travel around the world ministering through art into different nations, cultures, and communities. i want you to undestand that i may be bringing art supplies and creative ideas with me...but i'm not bringing anything to anyone that isn't already part of what God is doing within the hearts of those i'm traveling to. it's not about me. it never is. it's not about me going somewhere to somebody and bringing my "artistic & ministerial expertise" to anyone. i'm not going to go teach anyone anything. in fact, it's not even about the art at all. it's not about any of that. it's about God's heart for people. it's about connecting and community, it's about caring and listening, it's about laughter and fun, it's about heartache and tears, it's about living and loving. you see, creativity is a way of walking through the walls that separate us and allowing ourselves to be real with each other and gives opportunity for us to build and culitvate relationship with each other and with God. God knows that about us because He is creative Himself.

my backpack and i are ready to travel with God and connect with the community of Arbroath and wherever else we're called to travel to. ready to listen to and engage in the conversation that God is already having with the people of Scotland. ready to play and paint on people's lives. ready to love in creative ways. we're ready to go...it's almost time.

I'M IN SCOTLAND!!!!

Art in Arbroath

I made it to Scotland! It's been so long waiting and praying and planning...and the time has finally come! Currently I'm in Arbroath (a fishing town on the east coast of Scotland in the region of Angus). It's beautiful here...blue skies and the North Sea! I've been enjoying walking around the town, taking in the sights and getting a feel for this culture.

This town has a lot of rich history. I've wandered around the Arbroath Abbey ruins made from the red sand stone of the land here. I've learned that the Scottish Declaration of Independence was signed here. And the fishermen are famous for their smoked fish called "smokies". The people are friendly and I'm enjoying my time here so far. The town is full of color and there are several art galleries featuring some vibrant and colorful artwork by famous Scottish painters, along with local artists. I had my first personal connection with the people of Arbroath this weekend as I was the featured artist at Cafe Amor (the coffeehouse/bookshop owned by my friends whom I have come over to partner with to do some art ministry while I'm here).

We had a creative day in the cafe, inviting the public to come on in, have a coffee, and connect with me through art. The morning session I painted while people had a chance to watch and chat with me. It was a wonderful time of engaging with them...answering questions about how and what I was painting, and also learning about each other in who we are as creatives.

On a large piece of cardboard that I had primed, I painted a scene of the Arbroath Harbour (with some maps of Scotland, Angus, Arbroath in the background) and lots of color exploding forth. I call the painting "Arbroath Rising" and my inspiration was artwork I had seen in the galleries (with my own style meshed in) and wanting to encourage the people that they have life within them that wants to burst out.

In the afternoon session I led a collaborative art activity for anyone who wanted to join in with me. I had primed & prepped a large piece of plywood with a black outline of an image that (from my imagination) was a representation of the words "Perfect Love casts out Fear" (love coming down from heaven...one hand receiving that love, the other hand casting out fear). I let people in the cafe paint the image however they wanted to...they just couldn't destroy something someone else had created.

It was a so fun to watch how individuals (whether they had experience with painting or not) worked side by side in collaboration to create one beautiful painting together. There's always a moment when they go from being individuals who might be apprehensive and unsure of what to do and begin to be inspired from each other and respond and connect with each other through the painting. It becomes a beautiful thing (not just the painting).

The evening session I got to paint once again in the cafe...I joined with a live band for a 2 hour time of singing in worship to God. It was actually the first time the band (and many of the people who attended the special night) had ever experienced seeing a live painter like myself paint during a worship set like that. I was very well received and many people engaged with the painting. (a special moment for me: at one point my friend joined us with her guitar and sang a song for us-featured in the photo above)

I painted on a large piece of cardboard that I had primed. I painted a tree with it's roots going deeper into deep wells within. I started out with putting on maps and images of Scotland and the Declaration of Independence and a Celtic Cross as the trunk of the tree. Out from them I painted the branches and the roots. Then I added words within the roots and the drips coming down from the branches (love, mercy, truth, forgiveness, grace, trust, seek, release, freedom). This image came from conversations I have had with my friends here and with others about the people of Arbroath seeking and going deeper into who they really are (their identity).

The more I travel around the world...the more I listen in on the conversation God is already having with people...the more I am able to recognize that...the message may seem like it's the same message...it may be a similiar image to something I've done before, or a similiar word to something I've spoken before...but God's heart is the same for all of us...He loves us. The words or images may be changed a wee bit to speak to the unique culture I'm ministering to...but His heart never changes for us. He loves us....and no matter who we are or where we live, we all not only need to hear that, we need to understand it and be able to take it in deep deep into our hearts. Art is a universal language and I love getting to paint on people's lives.

More to come from Scotland..

Discovering Creativity Throughout Scotland

this is me standing on a colorful rock near a vibrant tree in the middle of a boggy valley in the highlands of Scotland. here in this celtic land creativity is all around me!

Cathedrals and Streets:

when i was staying in Glasgow i decided to tour some of the cathedrals to see what sort of art might be within. when i lived in Glasgow 10 years ago i made it a habit to visit a different church once a month to experience the variety of the various denominations of the Body of Christ and what was taking place within the city of Glasgow as a whole.

St. Andrew's Catholic Cathedral sits facing the mighty River Clyde.

when i stepped in i noticed they had undergone a renovation...the sanctuary had some glorious artwork and gold trim and lettering...and a giant new painting of one of the saints. it was beautiful and bright within.

Glasgow Cathedral (Church of Scotland-Presbyterian) sits in the northeast of Glasgow and overlooks the city. when i approached the cathedral round the corner from the University of Strathclyde, i was met by scafolding on the building...it too is undergoing renovations and restorations.

when i walked around within i found some new tapestries that were being displayed in the crypt area...glorious color giving a modern look to normally dark and gloomy underground.

i decided to also go into St. George's Tron Church (Church of Scotland-Presbyterian) that sits in the hub of city centre in Glasgow. when i walked in i was met by some lovely people who greeted me and gave me a tour of the renovations the church had undergone recently. inside it was bright and modern (replacing the dark wood pews were orange plastic chairs giving a fresh look).

i met some lovely people and was shown some special commissioned pieces of art by well known Scottish painters that were displayed throughout the church building .

when i was walking along the Clyde i came upon this amazing street mural ...it was of a giant cat of flames unraveling a bawl of yarn.

Musicians and Performers:

during my travels around Scotland i've been able to meet and experience some very talented musicians, singers, dancers, and directors of theatre. being a performing artist myself (dance & painting) i love to connect with other performers.

one of the nights when i was in Glasgow i popped into an Irish Pub (Waxy O'Connors) for a pint

and a listen to the live music. there was a Glaswegian musician singing classic rock songs from the States and i found myself singing along and thinking i could be in any pub anywhere, it felt so familiar.

every so often when you go walking the streets of Glasgow you get to hear the heritage and heartful sounds of the bagpipes being played by a busker.

funny story for me...doesn't seem to matter where i'm traveling in the world i hear bagpipes being played on the streets (even in New Zealand and Paris!)

i got the wonderful opportunity to stay on the Isle of Skye for a few days. i experienced the wonderful hospitality of the Broadford Backpackers Hostel www.broadfordbackpackers.co.uk run by Ewan Connor. while staying i met many travelers from around the world and some would pick up the guitar as we sat in the common room and they'd play a tune or two for whoever would listen. this was my first experience in a hostel...and i'm convinced that if i can't stay directly with friends, this is how i want to travel from now on. i really enjoyed connecting with so many wonderful people from around the world all in one place.

while in Glasgow i had the honor of attending a special performance of "Music of Strangers: Le Gazengere Gila" presented by conFAB www.confab.org.uk at the Victoria Function Halls in Govanhill. a friend of mine, Sybil Brown was singing in the production.

conFAB led by Artistic Director Rachel Jury, is an organization that after reading what they're about i could completely back. "conFAB's ethos is that all arts practice is a conversation: a conversation between the creator of the work and it's witnesses; between the themes of the work; between the mediums used to express the artistic vision; between the practitioners delivering the vision; and between the multiple layers of relationships, emotions, ideologies and principles with which the vision is perceived and experienced. Art asks questions at every step of the process, engaging all participants in a continous dialogue with those questions both as practitioners and spectators. As with a conversation, so conFAB's work is a fluid, shifting, proactive, responsive, eclectic and open ended dialogue. conFAB is a cross-artform, text based arts organization that produces an eclectic range of art ventures, ranging in scale, format, genre, medium, and output."

i want to quote an explanation of the performance from the program. "for centuries Govanhill has traditionally been where new migrants to the city of Glasgow have settled: Irish, Jewish, Asian and most recently Eastern Slovakian Roma people [the Gypsy culture, my insert]

have all found their first home in Scotland in this vibrant, energetic part of the city, lacking in cash wealth but rich in cultures, ethnicities, faith, histories, and communities. Yet do these differences live side by side in harmony?" the production was a time of song, dance, and storytelling of the Roma people and their culture.

while in Arbroath i had the pleasure of painting live during a worship set of music at Cafe Amor. the band were members from Life Church in Arbroath...very talented musicians and singers.

Visual Arts and Crafts:

i got to meet some fun artists on my travels who showed some amazing talent and creativity.

when traveling on the Isle of Skye i found myself beckoned into a Woodland Walk near Ardvasar. it was a magical place full of creativity and inspiration.

deep within the woods i came upon a fairy land...bright and colorful fairies were alighted on trees along the path welcoming me to continue onward...

when i was in Glagow i stayed with my friend Debbie Black who is a very creative person.

she knits these lovely mug cozies and creates tea cup candles. her flat was decorated with her creativity throughout and it was a wonderful place for a respite.

the first week i was in Arbroath i met an artist at Cafe Amor who invited me to an art show that she and some friends were having that weekend. They call it Tentalicious and they create an artistical atmosphere under a tent in a garden to sell their work.

Jill Henderson (blonde hair) www.doodlestuff.co.uk and her friends Mhairi Scorgie www.fitakerfuffle.co.uk and Suzanne Scott www.whimsicallush.co.uk are very talented painters, print & card makers, jewelry & trinket makers

whose underground independent artwork compliments each other in ways that are inspiring to me. i spoke to them about their artistic community and was encouraged to learn that they are pro-active in each others' lives as creatives. we talked about how creatives tend to isolate ourselves and yet we need and long for community deeply. when we allow ourselves to be and work within creative community we as creatives thrive more and our artmaking thrives also. it was a joy to meet them.

while visiting Kyle of Lochalsh in the highlands i stayed with some lovely people, Alex and Magda Healey, who were restoring an old house to be their own.

while talking to Alex i found out that he works creatively with wood. he fashions all sorts of boxes and bowls and other things out of beautiful woods. i enjoyed getting to see his collection of his artwork that he sells and i loved our conversations of travels.

at the beginning of my time in Scotland i did some art activities within Cafe Amor (run by my friend Marco & Melanie Agolini) and during a collaborative painting workshop i met some very creative people who came into the cafe to join me.

Pam (who showed me her story through art), Beth (who is a playwright), and who brilliantly added their unique touch to the collaborative piece.

Art Ministers and Mentors:

one of the funnest things for me is meeting other art ministers and mentors on my journies. of like mind and heart, we hear the calling on our lives to connect with, reach out to, and get involved in the lives of other creatives that we meet in our communities. this trip to Scotland has given me the chance to meet up with two very kindred art ministers/mentors along the way.

Keith Stynes of www.causewaycoastvineyard.com/coleraine in Northern Ireland made a special trip over to Glasgow to meet up with me while I was there. Keith first connected with me through the VineArts Facebook page (VineArts is the arts ministry i also work with in Boise, Idaho through Vineyard Boise Church www.vineartsboise.org ) he and some others are in the process of starting up an arts ministry (I Am Creative) within their Vineyard church in Northern Ireland and wanted to connect and share ideas. Being from a Vineyard church also and ministering to creatives, Keith and I had heaps to talk about...it's like he's already part of my "Art Family" and I know we'll have many more conversations of the like to come.

Linette Penney-Gainham of www.penneylanestudios.com in Stewarton, Scotland connected with me a year ago through Facebook via a mutual friend Rose Daley. We've been encouraging each other via the internet. Linette is a fine artist and live worship painter who travels the world and teaches workshops and seminars on prophetic art and mentors artists in her studio.

She speaks and paints within Chrisitan churches and conferences but also finds connecting with the general public in community to be where her heart is drawn. This is something she and I have in common...being artists and art mentors no matter where our feet are dancing. Knowing that I'd be in Scotland, we made sure that we would meet face to face at last....so i met her at her studio for some heart to heart connection. We spent hours communing over coffee...and we even got a little bit of collaborative painting in together. Linette is so kindred to me and is definitely "Art Family"! I know we'll be painting together again someday.

creativity is everywhere...we just need to have the eyes to see and the ears to hear.

An Artful Weekend in Arbroath

here i am at my last weekend on this artistic journey to Scotland. it's been an incredible month traveling around and connecting with people, soaking up the beauty, and creating out of love.

i was able to surprise my friends' 6 yr old daughter by creating a mural in her attic room. she loves horses and so i painted a wild horse for her, she was so happy to see it when she came home from school (as i had created it while she was gone during the day).

i had the opportunity to paint live during a youth worship service at Life Church in Abroath. it was a mix of those who were very new believers in Christ and those who were not believers. this would be the first time any of them experienced seeing painting during a church service. i painted the symbol of a heart and wrote the Bible verse Philipians 1:9 "This is my prayer for you, that you will not only love much but love well." within in the heart. After the time of worship to God i was able to speak to them about worship and what it means to worship God and how we can worship God through our creativity.

i invited them to join me afterwards for a time of connecting with me. i did an art activity with them called "First Impression Art". i had each of them draw a symbol that could represent who they are (it had to be something positive) and we talked about that. then i had them pair up and interview each other for a wee bit, then each of them were to draw a symbol for the other person (it had to be something positive) that would be their first impression of that person and they were to share with each other. i then challenged them to take the picture home with them that the other person had drawn for them and continue thinking about it and ask God about how He sees them. the kids responded quite well to this activity...it's all about speaking positive things into each other. i had two groups of kids join me throughout the time.

i also had the opportunity to paint live during the Sunday morning worship time at Life Church in Arbroath. it was the first time the church was experiencing a live painter.

i started the painting out by putting a map of Scotland on it and then wrote the Bible verse from Jeremiah 31:17 "And there is hope in your future says the LORD, your children shall come again to their own country." ...i painted a waterfall and river representing the Spirit of God pouring out, i put a tree near the River of Life drinking from deep wells and being set ablaze with life. I believe this was a word & picture for Scotland and it's people. The church received it well, they let me talk about it afterwards and many of them confirmed to me it was resonated in their hearts.

i've painted a lot of murals in my art career. i've painted on walls (brick, concrete, plaster), i've painted on plywood and particle board, i've painted on canvas panels.......but i've never had the opportunity to paint on a vehicle until now. my friend Marco asked me to paint something on their white van on a panel that had a large gash. so i took time to sand, prime, and paint a wee mural on the panel for them. i created a Van Gogh inspired water scene that represents love. it was fun to paint and has sparked my interest to paint on vehicles more! i'd love to be able to paint on an entire vehicle, if given the chance :)

More Art & Artists in Arbroath

I got a chance to step inside the Resin Art Gallery on High Street in Arbroath and talk with owner and resin artist Gail Knight about her unique artform. I was really taken by the vibrancy of color and emotive movement of design that she is able to accomplish with the resin. I enjoyed talking with Gail about being an artist and business owner and it was a delight to have met her while I was in Arbroath.

I also had the chance to meet felt artist Sarah of Jellipot (hand felted thingymabobbers). She creates a wide variety of brooches, pins, cuffs, book covers, cards, soaps, toys, bowls and many other "thingymabobbers" out of felt. I was intrigued to watch her work and learn about the dry and wet techniques she uses.

Through my connections with painting live at Cafe Amor at the beginning of my trip and painting live at Life Church at the ending of my trip, I met artists Richard Sammarruco, Diana Stuart, and Paul Smith. We met up for a coffee to talk all things art and art ministry related. They let me know they (along with a few others) have been meeting since the summer to hang out and be artsy types together and have been interested in starting an arts ministry at Life Church. After meeting me, they had heaps of questions about how they might go about doing something like that. It was an amazing time of encouragement and confirmations for them. I love getting to do what I do because it's never really about making art...it's about making artists.

Speaking of making artists (and art)...i had the wonderful experience of painting a mural with my friend Melanie in the hallway of her flat while I stayed with her and Marco and their children. We took an afternoon and spontaneously created a mural together. We painted the walls, the door frames, and the doors! The mural is representing the new birth of creativity spreading light into the darkness.

here's the light...

...moving out the darkness.

One morning I got to do a collaboration painting with 3 of Melanie's artistic friends. Sarah, Julie, and Jacqui. We painted together on one canvas.

I was told that they each have their own artforms that they work at on their own. They get together quite often to hang out but haven't really done much art together. So this was a great chance to get them to the common table and collaborate on a project.

Melanie let me know that each of their personalities was evident within the painting just by looking at the color usage, the design, the style, etc....and here is a beautiful collaboration of each of them on one canvas. As we sat around the table talking about it afterwards I heard plans being made to meet up again to perhaps teach each other some things and learn together. This made me smile because I knew something new and creative had begun.

it's not about making art...it's about making artists.

I'm Not Done With Scotland Yet

my heart will always be linked to this beautiful country