Tension

FROM OUR JOURNAL PAGES:

PEG: This is the first painting Chuck and I created after he moved to Minneapolis to go to seminary. Somehow I expected us to paint like we had for the last two years, but it was a struggle. We spent weeks trying to get back to our normal painting process, and each other. We didn’t get comfortable until our subject matter matched our emotional state. Finally with the help of the painting we dealt with the reality of the changes we’d experienced. It reminded me that reconciliation is a process and requires tending. Relationships between people, communities or countries need attention.

CHUCK: Tension when managed can lead to new discoveries. When left unattended can spin out of control and can lead to divide. This painting has been a dialogue of working through our tensions of creating together. Our process and each other needed tending and nurturing. Working through our process of listening, responding and creating again confirmed for us that holding in the tension can lead to something new. The risk being that tension left unbalanced can lead to destruction.

Global Missions prayers offered on World Canvas

The World Canvas Project was part of the Global Missions Institute gathering at Luther Seminary. Students from around the world, faculty and friends of the seminary gathered in community and to hear a presentation from Dr. Guillermo Hansen.

World Canvas Project begins at Luther Seminary

The World Canvas Project is a prayer canvas where your prayer is first penciled onto the canvas, then select a color to paint your prayer into the canvas. The canvas has been part of the Minnesota Without Poverty gathering, Luther Seminary, Global Missions, United Theological Seminary and the Summer Institute in Spirituality & Art. A second canvas is currently in Iraq. Photo's by Holm Photo.

Exploring light from darkness

These were a few of the pieces of art created after a lectio divina of the creation story in Genesis. Relecting on the meaning of the word light, brought forth these images using black and white construction paper.

Creative Leadership: Claiming the Artist Within

22 artists gathered at United Theological Seminary for our workshop in Creative Leadership. Our tribe formed around art and prayer, sharing and inspiring one another. We worked with sacred questions that explored the connection between our spirituality, creativity and living it out in our vocations.

Exploring the Landscape of Art + Reconciliation

We were honored to share our passion for art and reconciliation with the community at Luther Seminary. It's good for us to have traveling companions as we search for meaning with our art. Art can be a powerful proclamation of who God is in us and in so doing has the ability to touch the heart and soul of others. Our time at Luther inspired the creative spirit in us. Here are a couple of images of the community sharing their creative gifts. Blessings.

Luminae

Here are some of our thoughts about this painting from our journal pages:

PEG: When I imagine God breaking into creation I am also mindful that God is creation as well. Most often when I think of God, light is the visual in my head. Bringing that light to the canvas, and God's light shining into the four corners of the earth, helps me to remember how God permeates the cosmos. The small white symbols at the center of the light represent "the word" always present with God from the beginning.

CHUCK: I am not sure that this is where I thought this work would go. The layering of the pigment became an exercise of patient contemplation. In the many reside my thoughts, prayers, reflections, hopes and a whole stream of consciousness of the days and time standing before the painting. The color became more soothing with each addition of thin films of color. The light is still revealed in the intersection of teh divine (vertical) and humanity (horizontal). This is the intersection where Peg and I seem to reside. While simple in its form, this was a very complex path to simplicity.

SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 9:2