ART! Art retreat, Lent, The Johnny Cash Project

Hello, there.

I am taking part in a Lenten online art retreat. Who knew such a thing existed.

(The only similar thing more appealing is an in-real-person Lenten art retreat).

Although the resources and guides for the 'retreat' are laid out clearly, I don't know what this time will look like. Art is not linear; neither is our spiritual walk. Both unfold. Neither are formulaic or, really, predictable. Art can be so expressive that it feel dangerous--it makes the maker vulnerable. Vulnerable--from the Latin for wound--woundable. God made Himself vulnerable in incarnating, for us. By His wounds we are healed.

While this would seem to provide fodder for art posts, we'll see what happens. The results will probably be inner, made in me by the Lord, rather than any outer, made thing of note.

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So, I had started to paint prior to this retreat; this is the medium I am most uncomfortable exploring. This piece is nearly finished--and, indeed, it is not acrylic alone, but fun textiles appear everywhere!

It is an art therapy piece for myself--inspired by these verses: "Create in me a clean heart, O God" (Psalm 51:10) and "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds"(Psalm 147:3) and Jeremiah 31:3: "The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, / 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; / Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness (hesed).'" The idea is that each wound in the canvas, symbolic of the most central sins and wounds throughout my life, has been bound up, lovingly stitched up and woven back together to wholeness, with cords of God's lovingkindness. Each physical cord--yarn, ribbon, or wire--has symbolic weight personally as well.

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On another note, check out this find.

Whoa nelly. Below is a crowd-sourced video of Johnny Cash's Ain't No Grave, with each frame drawn individually by fans from across the world.. Visiting the site, it is possible to choose frames in the video according to artistic style or viewer rating (only those that are pointillist, realist; those with the most brushstrokes per frame, most popular, etc). Because people add to it regularly, the video-portrait changes regularly. The video I linked below goes through a blurb describing the project before showing the music video; if you don't want to watch that as well, go to www.thejohnnycashproject.com and under the "explore" tab, choose "highest rated frames." It is nearly subliminal, and fascinating.

Enjoy!

The Creation Space