The Call of Beauty

I had a painting class yesterday and so had a rare opportunity to paint. I rarely paint anymore, as most of my artwork begins as a demonstration in classes I teach, and I don't do painting classes. I teach kids and have found that kids and paint in general need wide open spaces to paint and ideally, no carpets, clothes, or walls that would be ruined should paint spatter on them. So I deal mostly with safer materials like pastels, or pencils. But everyone is a closet painter in their heart I think. Give anyone a big canvas, a few lovely colors, and a brush to sail her with, and they will embark on a voyage of beauty and delight.

It was a three hour class which may seem like a long time, but we were racing to get a painting completed in that time, and it flew by. My demo painting is never good- just a snapshot to help them with basic techniques, and I will even show them what not to do on my painting, so it is not meant to be a work of art. Yet, I find myself at times lost in the joy of mixing color, stroking
swaths of meandering color across the sky.... and then have to shake myself back to the class.

"Who are you all and why have you interrupted my painting?" I demand.
They blink back at me and one of the braver little girls says, "We are your class. Remember my daddy had to sell my brother to afford your lessons and you are teaching us how to paint?"
"Are you certain?"
Since they insist, I sigh and turn from my painting to teach the little urchins.

This is the danger of painting. I have all my class members sign a release, because art is not considered a dangerous sport but there are hidden traps in art. When I start a painting, my children often have to go sit on street corners with little tin cups to beg for dinner. Time stands still and I forget the rest of the world. The beauty of color and form beckon so strongly, that even the strongest often succumb.

There are few things in life that so totally captivate my attention that I forget all my worries, concerns, struggles, or drooping skin. Consumed with the pursuit of the perfect color, the elegant line, the balanced design, everything else melts into irrelevance. I think this is how we are supposed to worship God- that all consuming melting into His presence, His desires, His direction. He is the one that fills my brush with the color of Heaven, and draws the road that leads me there.

Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.