Paintbrushes :)

“In things of beauty, he contemplated the One who is supremely beautiful, and, led by the footprints he found in creatures, he followed the Beloved everywhere” 

[St. Bonaventure]

Having been out of town this summer I have completely neglected my paints! So today I decided to pick up the paintbrush and finally get my fix. Right away, I rediscovered the wear in both my hands and my tools that have occurred over the years. The smoothened, oiled grooves of both the palette and paintbrush. My callused finger tips and writer’s indent (attractive, I know, hahaha). As a painter this is one of those moments of joyful captivation.

To put forth an analogy for this experience I will beckon my romantic muse… One thing that not too many people know about me is that I love holding hands!! Whether it be with children, my grandmother, or someone I really like. So as someone with this disposition, I find “hand holding” with someone you really like to be perhaps one of the richest comparisons. Similar to painting, there’s the anticipation- where every bit of you becomes alive with excitement and hope. And as soon as you allow trust to pulsate through your fingertips one becomes captivated by that moment of relaxation when the two hands meet (haha, I know this sounds like a lame teen movie but bear with me, haha).

It is interesting how initially one only encounters the oddity of the hand you are holding. But little by little the many crevasses of one’s own palm come to the attention of the blind eye. In this searching something else occurs. As if an invisible thread has begun to bind the two hands, one becomes lost in the other. There is no longer searching for beginnings and ends because in the simple expression of unity one discovers feelings of security, rest, completeness. 

Hahaha, I should reassure you now that I have not fallen in love with my palette and paintbrush over a real person but I think that it provides a vivid example of my experience with art. What initially drew me to painting was this inner awakening that the hand holding analogy is meant to convey. However, rather than remaining at the level of excitement I was guided by art to continue seeking that sense of completeness where even my spirituality and faith become more fully alive. What’s neat about it is that it requires both an outward and inward movement of the spirit. The outward is where the senses are animated by a spirit looking for its proper tools of subject, composition, color, and light. Fittingly, the inward is a spirit being illuminated, pieced together, and experienced in a poignant way. This fusion, orientation, clarity- to me is a pure expression of art.

I believe that because art springs from the spirit, art throughout the centuries has allowed us to experience such a full spectrum of the human person (I could happily live in museums for this reason!). The joys, sorrows, and many intricacies of thought and human experience are highlighted through the way we encounter light and form in our cherished art pieces.

One of my favorite memories of sharing art occurred during a mission trip a couple of years ago. I arrived with luggage containing 2 tubs of chalk, 5kilos of paint, paintbrushes, a bible, and two changes of clothes (I am convinced this is all you need for a successful mission trip! Hahaha). After having interacted with the community for about a week we welcomed all of the children from the surrounding area to participate in a weekend camp. We ended up doing so many activities including some very elaborate art projects of a mural and a chalk festival!!

On the last full day of our visit a little girl brought a box to our mission site. She had dragged it from her home and shared with us that it was her most prized possession. All of the kids asked if they could play with it and after some rounds of capture the flag and fort building we decided to paint it. In a moment we had all of the paints out with kids crammed around the box working to cover every inch of it with their vibrant colors and free-flowing streams of creativity.  It was amazing to see that in an area where there were so many difficulties encountered on a daily basis, our little backyard was transformed into a beautiful refuge of peace filled with laughter!! It was an incredible moment of joy as we sang, had a little paint war, and rested to admire and reflect on our newest masterpiece. As simple as the activity was- to me this was a pure expression of art.

I am far from being a renowned artist, and yet my days revolve around these moments of rich colors, lines, and compositions which continue to captivate my mind and heart. Still searching for that mysterious unity which seems to pull me to these moments of contemplation my hands are constantly drawn to that humble reunion with those blank canvases and pages. So even though it had been a while, I think I am ready to start painting again!

I've included a few of the little doodles, pastel splotches, and paintings that I have been able to enjoy creating these past months.

May peace always be with you,

Teresa :) 

Our masterpiece!! hahaha

“Not all are called to be artists in the specific sense of the term. Yet, all men and women are entrusted with the task of crafting their own life: in a certain sense, they are to make of it a work of art, a masterpiece.” [Bl. JPII]