Prayer painting completed

To Send a Prayer series, #1, by Richard Fudge

I tend to paint to music. Probably because I got use to doing that when I paint at the Stirring. I also think that music can be very inspiring and helpful if you need to stay in a certain frame of mind. For example, if I want to express anger in my painting, I keep the hard, load angry songs playing.

So for this series on prayer, I've been trying to build a playlist that fits the theme.

"New Redemption Song" – Over the Rhine
"Thank you my angel" – Over the Rhine
"Sending me angels" – Delbert McClinton
"Alleluia" – Erin Fudge
"Wish you well" – Katie Herzig
"Down to the River to Pray" – Alison Krauss
"Help!" – the Beatles
"Thank You" – Dido
"Did you get my Message" – Jason Mraz
"Don't Speak" – No Doubt
"Cold Shoulder" – Adele
"Night Terror" – Laura Marling
"Machines" – The Jealous Girlfriends

New Memphis Mural by Richard Fudge

Doesn't that look great! And I'm installing acrylic or painted sheet metal balloon cutouts coming off the building to make the balloons look like they're really floating away.

Sigh, I'm just kidding. That image is photoshoped, but it is what I keep imagining all over town. Every building like the one above seems to call out to me. I'd like to do a mural, but I suspect it is more complex than showing up with cans of paint, a ladder, and brushes. Why didnt they teach Murals 101 at the UofM?

Live painting at Resurrection Catholic Church

I've been asked to paint live at Resurrection Catholic Church here in Memphis. Certainly not the type of church service that I'd thought I'd be painting at next. To me, it feels like a very traditional service for live art. But Catholic churches are typically full of art and understand art's role in enriching the worship experience. It seemed like most of my art history courses spent the majority of the time discussing art done for or in the Catholic Church.

I'm so excited to work with another church to add art to it's worship service ( or in this case, it's mass ). Sharing my experience with another church has been a prayer of mine for the last two years. The Stirring arts ministry has grown so much that it feels poised to mentor and help other churches.

General idea for the piece is from following scripture:
John 14:6 – Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 1:4-5 –In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

While reflecting on this scripture and the crucifixion, I felt inspired to visually illustrate Jesus being the Light. Sort of like there is light releasing from Him into darkness.

Better Prayers through Art

Two items that came to my attention recently that I thought were very interesting. They really reinforce the idea that art can add so much to your worship and relationship with God. Now I don't feel so bad about doodling in my bulletin at church.

Bored? Try Doodling To Keep The Brain On Task
by Alix Spiegel

The function of doodling, according to Andrade, who recently published a study on doodling in Applied Cognitive Psychology, is to provide just enough cognitive stimulation during an otherwise boring task to prevent the mind from taking the more radical step of totally opting out of the situation and running off into a fantasy world.

Praying in Color
by Sybil MacBeth

Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God by Sybil MacBeth introduces the active, visual prayer practice the author calls "praying in color." The book provides a little bit of memoir and theology and a lot of how-to. Step-by step instructions in Chapter 3 introduce "praying in color" as a way to do intercessory prayer. Additional chapters explain how the practice can be applied to learning Scripture, keeping Advent and Lent, practicing lectio divina, and praying in other ways.

Stirring Book Club

The Stirring Book Club will begin meeting the first and third Tuesdays of each month starting March 17, 2009. We will be reading the Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning.

We'll meet at Panera Bread Co. located at
714 Germantown Pkwy in Cordova @ 7:00 pm.

If you need additional information please email: bookclub@thestirring.net

An interesting take on The Ragamuffin Gospel that an artist would enjoy is the Visual Edition. Mind you it contains only 12% of the content of the original book, but it's very inspiring and creative.

Time to get painting

Hurray! My 10 canvases and other art supplies have arrived. Special thanks are due to buyers Tim K. and Genie S. for their timely purchases and support. I can't wait to get rolling on these To Send a Prayer pieces.

An Artsy Fartsy Gathering

I had a get together at my house yesterday. About eight artists and I enjoyed some fellowship and chili. The chili turned out to be a good choice because not the weather had turned very cold and windy. By the time our gathering was wrapping up, snow was falling.

We talked about painting live during church. I got a few more sign-ups for The Stirring. In fact, only November and December are still open. Isn't that amazing! Only two months into 2009 and already the year is more or less booked. I can think of 2-3 artists who have yet to volunteer for this year who'd be interested in Nov. or Dec. I might have to start having more than one artist painting during the service.

2009 Stirring guest artist list:

1. Jan -- Letitia Sutherlan*
2. Feb -- Cara Ann Laughlin
3. Mar -- Molly Brown*
4. Apr -- Stephen Pilgreen*
5. May -- Gail Wilkins
6. Jun -- Alberto Cabrera
7. Jul -- (Pam) Napapon Santirojprapai*
8. Aug -- Joyce Petrina*
9. Sep -- Richard Fudge
10. Oct -- Pamela Davis*
11. Nov -- Chris Reed
    
12. Dec --

*First time to paint at live at The Stirring.