FaithQuest 2011_6

Who knows what the Holy Spirit was up to?  I talk to all the speakers about what they’ll be talking about to see what sort of ideas we can come up with.  Brian was going to stress that the Israelites had the land itself as a reminder of what God had done for them.  So I thought I’d do a ‘traditional’ landscape.  Then the Holy Spirit prompted him to go in a different direction so then it seemed like I made a picture completely unrelated to what he was talking about.  Perhaps that idea would be best expressed through the drawing and so a speaker repeating it in words was unnecessary?  Who knows? 

So here’s a little art lesson for you.  Atmospheric Perspective.  When you look far off in the distance, because of the atmosphere, things in the distance are lighter than things up close to you.   I was actually pretty nervous about doing this.  One- charcoal is kind of tough to work with.  Two- I’m pretty hard on myself in terms of quality.  I often set the bar pretty high- in this case this phenomenal drawing by the artist Claude Lorraine.

 So how do I measure up?  I feel I still have a LONG way to go skill-level-wise.  There are times when I try to imitate an artist and I feel good about it-  that I ‘know’ their work because I can do it just as well.  Not here, my friends.  I would love to master charcoal but I’m just not there yet.  (granted this Lorraine work looks to be in ink- scarier still!)  Also- a word to the wise:  if you’re going to do a landscape, don’t make it up.  Go someplace and actually draw/paint what you see.  Perhaps I would have done better positioning myself where I could see a ways up the river and draw someplace real. 

Regardless, here’s the really tough part for me.  I got lots of compliments on this one and garnered several ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs.’  It kills me that I could do something that I consider somewhat mediocre and get such a good response.  So here are a couple words to myself that I hope is taken to heart by all who use their talents in Kingdom work:  Don’t sell out to the crowd.  Don’t settle for popular.   Your audience is God.  Bring it the way He created you to.