"What you have painted is not a portrait of God, but a proof of faith."
- Pope Julius II to Michelangelo about the Sistine Chapel ceiling, from the movie The Agony and the Ecstasy |
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"In the beginning God created....
God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them."
Genesis 1:1,27
With each new day, my wonder and amazement grow over the creations of God. From the rooftops of Florence to the forests of the Natchez Trace, or from the sands of North Carolina Beach to the snow topped Swiss Alps, I never cease to marvel or value all that I see. I cannot remember when I first began to create, design, or at least appreciate art. Art in some form always played a role in my life. As I studied studio art in college at
David
Lipscomb
University
in
Nashville,
TN,
I questioned for a while if art was just a mere selfish motive for praise and self-fulfillment.
In more recent days, as I teach my high school art classes, I cannot help but realize and hope to encourage my students to grasp that art is not selfish, but in high contrast, a natural and basic human characteristics and need to communicate, inspired by God...
to create as God created.
I long to be in the dance of creation.
Now,
I paint to capture
the subtleties of expression,
the softness of light,
the splendor of composition,
I paint to experience
the sensation of connection with other people,
I paint to reveal
my faith in God.
Erin Rickelton
Erin lives in
Nashville, TN
with her husband, Patrick. By day Erin teaches high school art and Patrick works with Earthsavers.org, but by night, Erin works as an artist, while Patrick writes and records music.
Check out Patrick's music at:
www.prattleonrick.com
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