Wednesday, November 28, 2012

A Reflection: A Week in Haiti


Prior to our trip to Haiti it was suggested to our team to prepare by reading the book of 1 John. John presents God as light, as love and as life. Pastor Pierre the leader of the New Testament Mission in LaCroix, Haiti also studied it in preparation of our arrival. Additionally on Sunday morning in the community of worship we were inspired by a sermon given by Pastor Wisner based upon the instructions in 1 John. As the week unfolded and we spent time in morning and evening devotion and prayer we focused on passages from this book. It seemed powerful to all be focused on the same words and I’d like to share a few of the ways I believe the message of 1 John was lived out last week while we were in Haiti.
morning devotions on the rooftop
John wrote this book to encourage the Church to grow. In the first chapter he focuses on light representing what is good. When you go to Haiti you observe crowded living conditions, immense amounts of trash, and housing that looks like it could topple over with just the right gust of wind. But what you really “see” is the light of Christ shining through the people. They are hospitable, friendly, welcoming and full of smiles and laughter. Over and over our Haitian brothers and sisters greeted us with “we have been praying for YOU.” We were humbled time and time again. Through this we experienced "the Church."

Secondly, John urges us to obey Christ fully and to love all the members of God’s family. I'm drawn to the verse in 3:23 that instructs us to “love one another”. And in response to God's tremendous love for us we spent a week working side by side our Haitian hosts. We became one community.
 
Painting scarves together and making new friends 
(Jenny and Regina-who both have the gift of teaching)

Lastly, chapter 5 focuses on “God as life.” Jesus never promised obeying him would be easy. But the hard work and self-disciple of serving Christ is not a burden to those who love him. Our week was full of hard and challenging tasks. For example, who really desires to do things like carry 100 buckets of sand and water up two flights of stairs in the heat of the day? Not a complaint was uttered during these times of "hard" work. The team was devoted to the tasks we were handed each day as God continued to reveal what we were to accomplish. Our load was literally heavy at many times but we trusted the importance of the tasks and received strength through Christ to help us bear it.
Our "men" tried to be as strong as the women of Haiti
who transport water and food on their head.
The team is grateful for the support of prayer, monetary donations, and donations of supplies from the congregation of Westminster Presbyterian Church, our family and our friends. Personally I feel very blessed for clients that allow me to occasionally step out of the studio to work in Haiti. Your patience with shipping is greatly appreciated. 

Friday, November 16, 2012

The Labyrinth as a Christian Symbol

Walking a labyrinth has always been regenerative for me. I wonder why? Maybe because circular and spiral forms are visually interesting. Additionally, walking for exercise and for meditation is doubly therapeutic for me. The past several weeks I especially have been feeling the regenerative aspect of this shape as my days have been extra busy keeping up with family, the approaching liturgical seasons and preparing for a mission trip to Haiti. It's all been for good resolution but at times it's mounted to moments of almost hyperventilating. But because the path I have been following has had purpose I feel like keeping the goal in mind along with walking with the Lord through the days has had a similar regenerative activeness as walking a labyrinth does. So I wasn't actually walking the labyrinth every moment of the past weeks but the rhythm of the days felt like I was. I have moved in and out and round and round yet have maintained a path. This line of thinking has caused me to realize I put spirals, circles and labyrinths on quite a few of the stoles we create...including a new one this week. What would Freud say about this!? Here are a few:

A new Christmas design.
A stole for Communion
A labyrinth stole
                                 
I came across this quote and it seems like an appropriate ending to this post--
Solvitur ambulando... It is solved by walking... --Saint Augustine

I walk forward into that mission trip tomorrow. My daughter will be blogging about it here 
if you're interested about our journey and prayer requests.



Wednesday, October 31, 2012

All Saints Day

Find this stole here.
Historically on November 1st (today!) the Church honors all saints, known and unknown. Personally, when thinking of saintly people that have crossed my path, I think of the people that have infused my life with the Word of God, who have demonstrated that God is love through unselfish acts of kindness, and who have been patient with my growth as a disciple. I could go on and on! Are some specific people coming to your mind? 

One of our clients will be celebrating "All Saints" with her church congregation this coming Sunday. She's chosen this stole to wear on that day. We created the stole for those that serve in Children's Ministry and its focal point is the border of children of the world. This pastor did a good job perusing our ministry stole website and thinking outside the box as to how this stole as a visual connection to those that she ministers to, 

While Carrot Top Studio is always striving to connect the visual to the Word sometimes we are inspired by the visual images that dance in our head instead of on a vestment. For example the beginning of this poem conjures up some especially wonderful imagery. 

The Saints Are Standing Row on Row
The saints are standing row on row
engulfed in light and peace,
stand face to face with God their King
whose love will never cease...

Author unknown, from the Dutch Gracia Grindal

Blessings for your celebration of the saints!

Monday, October 22, 2012

Reformation Sunday

Reformation might have started out as celebrating division.  Today it seems healthier to celebrate the movement of the Holy Spirit in our Church and our hearts. It is this movement of the Holy Spirit that brings us newness and renewal, both in our personal lives and in the life of the Church. When we pray, "Come, Holy Spirit!" we know that the whole Church is always in need of reform, and we each are always in need of dying again in Christ.

This poem by Hildegard of Bingen comes to mind:

The Holy Spirit is life that gives life,
Moving all things,
It is the root in every creature
And purifies all things,
Wiping away our sins, anointing wounds,
It is radiant life, worthy of praise,
Awakening and enlivening all things.

Knowing a little bit of what worship might be like this coming Sunday I keep humming "I Mighty Fortress" in my head. Here's an interesting contemporary version of this much loved hymn.


Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Pumpkins

Does my hair color
inspire my love for pumpkins?
I feel a connection to pumpkins. Is it my hair color? Maybe it's the variety of colors pumpkins come in. The variety of color in nature (such as in a pumpkin) is truly magnificent. I'm trying to focus on things to be thankful for and today as I write and look at the pumpkin on my front stoop I am thankful for color. 

Why are we drawn to pumpkins? One reason might be is that the color is hard not to notice especially in the fields at harvest time. The orange round squash like fruit dotting the dark ground surrounded by dull dying vines capped off with the contrast of a brilliant blue or stormy fall sky really stands out. This color theory applies to how we use color to draw us into worship. Liturgical color connects us to a specific time of the church year. We've been working on Advent stoles in anticipation of the upcoming season. The vibrant purples and blues are a great example of a color being a meaningful reminder of the life of Jesus. Churches that use purple textiles and vestments are recalling Jesus coming as Christ the King because this is the color of royalty. Those that focus on blue might be doing so as a reminder of the deep blue predawn sky.  This is symbolic of watching for the light so to speak....the promised light of Christ the only one that can fill our darkness.
The colors of Advent draw you in! See a ministry stole similar to this here.
During my day in the studio, you can see through this brief post, how I make thoughts connect. As I wrap up my work for the day I am looking forward to the pumpkin soup that is in the crock pot for my dinner tonight. It's obviously a total theme day for me!

P.S.--Haven't ever tried pumpkin soup? Click here for my new favorite recipe.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Principles of Design Applied to Worship Spaces

One of the first classes I had as an art student in college (way back when) was based upon the elements and principles of design. Even though that was quite a few years ago these basic artistic tools are still as applicable today as they have been for many years in the history of art. In this post we'll look at these principles as they might apply to our worship spaces.

Balance
Balance refers to the placement of various elements in the worship space. Your church may have formal or informal balance. This is important to recognize so you are consistent when you introduce new visuals.
This is the sanctuary in my home church. Not only is the architecture formal but so is the balance. To maintain this balance we wouldn't want to hang just one Carrot Top Studio banner. Two banners keep the balance.

Repetition
Repetition of a form or a shape creates a pattern. When patterns are small we call them textures. Patterns can enrich a surface, but they can also dominate and become loud or boring. Repeating pattern creates unity. This applies to the architecture like we've referenced but can also apply to the stoles worn by ministry leaders. The repetition of all the ministry leaders wearing the same stole (or at least the same color stole) creates unity and gives a visual impact that makes a great statement.

Variation
Variation creates interest. Too little variation makes a boring space; too much may make the space appear chaotic. 

For example, the variation of the red banners against the white wall is enough in this chancel. The curved architectural trim around the banners and stained glass window smartly echos the front shape of the chancel. It the trim had been painted an accent color it would have been too much variation.

Contrast
Contrast is needed to make certain elements stand out. If we're very used to our worship space it can be hard to see the contrast. A good tool is to take some photographs of the space and see what stands out. It's interesting to see what we notice in a photograph that we hadn't paid attention to before.

Harmony
Harmony deals with how all the elements in the worship space work together. Is there anything fighting for attention? Color can actually be the tool that unifies. Whether you follow the liturgical seasons or not, if the color that is the accent for worship carries from altar cover, to Bible book mark, to worship banner to stole then you will most likely have created harmony.
The use of this table cloth creates harmony. Despite the use of many colors in the table cloth  the repetition of red from the chair cushions, to the pew cushions to the carpet helps to create harmony. Does this make or break our faith? Of course not! But visual harmony can help us focus on what is most important--the worship of our Lord and Savior. If there isn't visual harmony our minds and hearts might not rest for the worship...at least for those of us that are visual learners.

Keeping in mind the principles of design as we look at our worship space will help to make sure the elements are supporting each other and not dominating. And in turn the space will call attention to God, not itself.

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Book Review: Praying with Our Hands

The words of prayer are powerful but so is the kinesthetic and visual nature our bodies display as they move through times and types of prayer. Jesus modeled different types of prayer postures and I must say I feel more focused and engaged when I "change things up" and try a prayer posture that is not within my norm. Considering our body and prayer I'd like to share a book I stumbled upon. It is a delightful coffee table type book that focuses on our hands in prayer. What an interesting topic the book Praying with Our Hands has taken on. In this inspiring book of reflections and accompanying photographs, we see how our hands can give meaning to our prayers in a way that words alone cannot. The photographs are sensitive in their black and white values and should appeal to believers of many different faiths.This book is simple but given that I love the phrase, "tis a gift to be simple" I think the images and message of this book are inspiring and educational. See what you think of this book by Jon M. Sweeney!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Utilizing Art in Worship

Here at Carrot Top Studio we focus on the use of fiber art in worship....stoles, banners, paraments, etc. But of course this isn't the only way to utilize visual art in worship. The very easiest might be adding images to your worship bulletin cover or multi-media screen. There are a wealth of copyright free images available, artists often will let you use an images if you seek permission first and give them credit or you may purchase images for use from a specific artist (for example, see how artist Jan Richardson's available work here).

Last week I stumbled (online) upon a church that is going a step further. They actually line the sanctuary walls with art. The space is used like an art gallery. The art aids worship and the space is also used at other times as an art gallery.
galllery
Glade Church, Blackburg, VA
Whenever you use art it is helpful to guide the viewer that maybe isn't used to examining or responding to art works. This image below supports the Lectionary this week. JESUS MAFA is a response to the New Testament readings from the Lectionary by a Christian community in Cameroon, Africa. Each of the readings were selected and adapted to dramatic interpretation by the community members. Photographs of their interpretations were made, and these were then transcribed to paintings.
Jesus Welcomes the Children, JESUS MAFA
If you were to help someone examine this art you would ask them to:
  1. Describe what they see. Just keep to the facts.
  2. Analyze the evidence.  Look for relationships – similarities, differences or repeated patterns.
  3. Interpret the artwork by making a good guess about the meaning of the work.  
  4. Judge the artwork. A critical judgment can be made after you have interpreted an artwork.  Judging art is always a matter of being fair and logical.

We need to keep in mind that some worshipers are visual learners. By including art you are helping to draw them in (pun intended!) to the moment of honoring the Almighty!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

A Brief Interview With the Artist at Carrot Top Studio

Tell us about your shop and the idea behind it.
Carrot Top Studio can to be after creating a liturgical year's worth of worship banners as a volunteer for my home church.  I discovered I loved the tactile materials combined with the design process, the connection to my faith and my appreciation of worship and worship spaces. The name "carrot top" hearkens from the childhood when I experienced my fair share of teasing for my orange hair. 
Here's one from 'back in the day!' As you can see my mom was a 'carrot top' also!
Tell us about your previous working situation.
Prior to becoming a sole proprietor I was a preschool teacher, an elementary art teacher, and a stay at home mom to my son and daughter.
Back in my elementary school teaching days on a field trip to the Contemporary Art Museum in Houston, TX. Could you guess this was the 80's?
What steps did you take to prepare for transitioning into full-time selling?
I checked out and read every book I could from the local library on how to start a small business and how to sell online. There wasn't any start up money for this endeavor so I'm forever grateful for libraries! 

Ebay gave me the opportunity to tryout online sales. The initial offering were vintage items I scooped up at estate sales. Because I'd enjoyed making worship banners so much my marketing aficionado (always thinking of the next thing) husband suggested I take the worship banner techniques I learned and apply them to ministry stoles. I was SO reluctant but he wins the prize for this idea! The first stole was sold on eBay and Carrot Top Studio then quickly swung into action! It's still fun to watch the excitement of the eBay auctions that we sell at least one stole through each week. 
Click here to see these auctions on eBay that close Thursday this week!
What is your favorite part in the process of making stoles for worship leaders?
The idea process is very invigorating--whether it's collaborating with a client on the idea, or researching  scripture for inspiration or stumbling upon a new thought and then working it out in the sketchbook.

What’s been your most popular item or line to date?
It's interesting to note that red stoles move most quickly through the inventory. That funny guy that I'm married to say's that they're red hot!
Something from the 'red collection! See the Pentecost stoles here and the Ordination stoles here.
What do you enjoy most about not having a traditional day job?
Hearing from a client that we've met their needs and helped in their ministry to connect the Word to the visual is always gratifying. And I must confess it's nice to have a short commute (walk down one flight of stairs from my kitchen to my studio!) And, oh yeah....no uniform or makeup required.

What’s the hardest part about running your own business?
Learning to balance it all. I'm the webmaster, artist, warehouse manager, accountant, research assistant, media specialist, marketing guru, cleaning crew, education consultant, shipping department, and last but not least seamstress. I have to make sure that artist and seamstress don't get lost in the shuffle because the rest can consume me!

This is Jenny Gallo ending this brief interview (with herself) with gratitude that I have work that I love to do. Thanks for your support clients, friends and family. 

Friday, September 07, 2012

Welcome the Children

Does your church kick off fall programming andnew Sunday School classes or celebrate Rally Day this weekend? This is the tradition in my home faith community. Therefore when I came across this scripture and painting it seemed right for the blog post this week. The passage is of course familiar.

Jesus sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." Then Jesus took a little child and put the child among them, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me." Mark 9:35-37

Emil Nolde, Christ Among the Children
The interpretation of this painting in Imaging the Word reads as follows: In this rather abstract painting from the early part of the twentieth century, Emil Nolde presents Jesus leaning toward eager, responsive children with his back to the viewer. The artist visually invites the observer into this joyous encounter. Adults are presented in the left and darker segment of the picture. It is they who have been preoccupied with an argument over who was greatest among them.

As you know, Carrot Top Studio is in the business of using the visual to make connections to the Word primarily in worship. But reading the above as made me think of the visual as our body language and postures also. The painting is a "joyous encounter". Do we enter into worship with this same visual joy? If we did/do it might be as contagious as it seems in the scene in the painting!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Fabric Fanatics

What makes you fanatical? When my children were little it was those little stuffed animals called beanie babies. They loved building a collection and searching for their favorite animals when they were in a new store. For my sister it is fall foliage. She lives in a part of the United States that most would consider absolutely gorgeous but come October she yearns for the gold, orange and red hues of the leaves, fields of pumpkins and the smell of the crisp air in the northeastern part of the United States. And me? Well I do confess that a chocolate shop can raise my blood pressure but so can a fabric store. You're not surprised are you? We were recently asked where we get our fabrics for the stoles at Carrot Top Studio. Here are a few examples of our many sources...


Commercial fabrics, like in this stole, are accentuated with hand painted details. The base blue of this stole is very common fabric from a national retailer. The border is specialty fabric purchased from an online quilt store.


It's exciting to be able to use fabric that supports ministries like this border fabric that is from the Congo Cloth Connection. Our purchase of this fabric supports a ministry of the Mennonite church where they believe "every stitch is a prayer" and which they build relationships with their brothers and sisters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We have used some of their fabric in a red stole here and this fall will debut one in green and one in purple.


We are slowly finding more resources for eco-friendly fabrics such as the tone on tone white background fabric of this labyrinth stole. Bamboo is a sustainable plant because it grows so quickly. We also like it because the texture is silky smooth.



Supporting other artists with our fabric purchases has been quite a privilege. We offer a line of stoles using hand dyed silk used in the appliques. The silk is dyed in LaCroix, Haiti by a delightful group of young women. Our purchase of the silk and in turn your purchase (we give 50% back) supports the women's education fund.

Lastly we haunt several different sources for vintage fabric. We consider this re-purposing of the fabric to be another earth friendly source that is good for our stoles and honors this world's creation by not allowing good fabric to end up in a landfill. We have several of these on the cutting table to add to our new fall inventory. We're also working on stoles created out of fair trade fabric. We dream of using a lot of fair trade fabric but we've sadly been challenged with finding resources that are affordable so we can keep our price point in a good spot for our clients. We'll keep searching for fabrics here and there. You can make sure to stay tuned to the website and our Facebook page to see what's new!

Monday, August 13, 2012

Inspiration from Tomie dePaola

We're drawing a close to summer here in Pittsburgh, PA where our studio is located. But this doesn't mean we can't sneak in some unstructured days that include reading just for fun. This weekend we breezed through Tomie dePaola: His Art and His Stories by Barbara Elleman. I used dePaola books when I was teaching and especially loved The Art Lesson because it expressed a lot of the sentiment as to why I became an art teacher. I am drawn to dePaola's illustrations, the well balanced artistic layouts and incredibly thought out details of the pages of his books. It was a lovely surprise and thrill to read in this biography that the artist briefly designed church vestments

 I additionally was drawn to this statement," In Books and Religion, writer Mary Zeman, an artist and educator interested int he spiritual growth of children, comments that [dePaola's] voice is that of a receptive man,whose approach to his work betrays what Thomas Merton once described as the willingness of saints 'to answer the secret voice of God calling--to take a risk and venture by faith outside the reassuring and protective limits of our five senses.'" This makes me think of worship, how we do it, see it, experience it, etc. I understand and embrace that the visual is just one component.

To make the reader aware of how symbols are important to this artist's work the author explains the possibly puzzling image of Mary, the mother of Jesus on one of dePaola's book jackets who is holding an apple. Of course this fruit is more typically associated with Eve in the Old Testament. Here it is appropriate as a symbol for the virgin Mary because it was her son who took away the curse of sin. The artist didn't originate this symbol as the apple was used this way in medieval paintings. But it is exciting to know that dePaola applies his knowledge of the past to encourage us to make visual connections today. Learning how dePaola is drawn to the history and use of religious symbols helps me to further understand why I have felt a connection and admiration to his work. I certainly don't have the artistic credibility of dePaola but I'd like to think that we put similar thought and credibility into the how and why we use symbols in our work at Carrot Top Studio

Thursday, August 02, 2012

Signs and Symbols

This week's gospel lectionary text is John 6:24-35. Using signs and symbols is a great tool 
throughout the Bible and this is a story in which bread becomes "I am the bread of life", a symbol for Jesus Christ. Some symbols are important to the culture of the time but bread is still one we can relate to today. 


The lines and colors in this art make me think of the energy and fuel we receive from actually eating a loaf of bread but is also symbolic of the life we receive through Jesus Christ. We see similar images in our worship spaces including sheaves of wheat which is a reference to bread.
Bread of Life by Kennedy A Paizs
In the studio we too use the bread or wheat symbols whenever we can. For example on these two stoles...
Go here to see this ordination stole.
This Communion stole can be seen on the website here.
The teacher in me is always looking for connections and when I stumbled up this statement by Dietrich Bonhoeffer it seemed like a perfect sentiment to end this post with. He said, "The table fellowship of Christians implies obligation. It is our daily bread that we eat, not my own. We share our bread. Thus we are firmly bound to one another not only in the Spirit but in our whole physical being. The one bread that is given to our fellowship links us together in a firm covenant  Now none dares go hungry as long as another has bread, and anyone who breaks this fellowship of the physical life also breaks the fellowship of the Spirit."

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Inspiration

Believe it or not, there is no rule book on how to run a small business creating ministry stoles and worship banners! So sometimes people ask, "where do you get your inspiration?" Honestly, it comes from a lot of places. Among the many sources of inspiration an example might be having observed a great color combination in nature on our daily walk and then feeling compelled to try to replicate it. Or it might be a piece of fabric stumbled upon in a fabric store, that nudges us to combine it with other fabrics and symbols for a new stole. Of course we also love visiting all different types of worship spaces as there is almost always something inspiring in the architecture, the liturgy or the message of the service. But last week you might have read on our Facebook page that we'd taken a field trip. This inspirational junket included a stop at our local art museum where Henri Matisse's The One Thousand and One Nights (seen below) was on display. 

The One Thousand and One Nights was created in 1950, when the artist was 81 and permanently confined to a wheelchair after complications from an intestinal operation severely weakened him. The artist was unable to sleep and found himself kept alive by his drive to create. This very large (5 1/2' x 12') beauty is inspirational to me because it tells a story with lines and shapes that seem so very carefree and expressive. It gives you a lot to think about through its simplicity. I appreciate that the color combinations and layers that are at times unique while breaking the rules of theory. Additionally if you examine the work closely you can see pencil lines and pin holes. Discovering the markings causes chills to run up and down my spine. It makes this man seem real as I grasp that Matisse had made a plan and then had felt it necessary to readjust. One lesson learned: we often think we know what the result needs to be in a project (art or otherwise) but we are wise to let the process transform the end result.  But what touches me the most is that Matisse felt the need to keep creating. He had been a painter but with his age and his ailments he had to reinvent how he created art. Paper and scissors allowed him this freedom of expression. This artwork is inspirational. It makes me want to design stoles that have bold flat shapes that tell a story. But inspiration and encouragement also come from the way the artist lived his life despite his challenges. 

Monday, July 02, 2012

The Making of a Commissioned Ministry Stole

Several months ago I was thrilled (ok, actually I was positively giddy!) to respond to a request to create a stole for the moderator of the 220th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA. This was special for several reasons. First, the commission came to be because someone told someone who told someone about Carrot Top Studio and the unique stoles we create. This is how our business has been built and we are continuously grateful. Secondly, the General Assembly is in our hometown of Pittsburgh, PA this year. In the midst of the behind the scenes planning of this event we've been so proud to discover how the people of the "Burgh" would be extending hospitality and wrapping the time together in prayer. Lastly, I come from a very long line of Presbyterians (I'm at least a fourth generation) and I am proud and thankful for this heritage.


This commission gave me wonderful artistic free reign with the criteria simply being that it should represent the GA scripture from Isaiah 40:31 (but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint) but also reflect Pittsburgh. Here's a little documentation of how we came up with the finished product:


First step in a new stole design is to "audition" fabrics on the design wall to make sure the values and prints are compatible and create visual balance. Choosing the sky fabric was our greatest challenge and the blue in this image didn't make the cut! What we ended up working with was a piece of vintage blue denim. The vintage quality of the fabric seemed to shout, "remember those that have gone before you!"


Pittsburgh has 446 bridges. We thought a bridge was a great symbol for the moderator's stole because we think of the General Assembly as a place where a lot of ideas are bridged together. As the stole components were put into place we weren't sure which bridge would serve this piece the best. The Roberto Clemente bridge (on the left) that leads from downtown to the home of Pirates baseball at PNC Park seemed to be the best choice. On the finished stole (at the end of this post) you can see that the bridge is set above the three rivers that come together at the point of Pittsburgh. Of course this liturgical artist sees the number three as spiritually significant here!


There are times that we get caught up in a creative zone. Our left brain has learned to leave our right brain notes during these moments so we won't forget to do things--like add the birds above the bridge that represent "soaring in hope."


Creating the stencil for the seal applique.

I've always admired the PCUSA seal because it speaks to so much about our faith. Personally, I've always seen the Holy Spirit, the activeness of studying and proclaiming the Word (because the Bible is open not closed) and the Baptismal font. It's actually deeper than that and you can read about the seal here. During our brainstorming phase it was exciting to learn that permission was granted for us to use this trademarked image on the moderator's stole.


We have many hills in Pittsburgh so couldn't resist including a few! The medium green fabric used in the hills of Pittsburgh is from Malawi where our Pittsburgh Presbytery has a longstanding partnership


The back tip of the stole is a rising sun. Artistically throughout history the sun has been used as a symbol to represent "the son." On this stole it is in the midst of a colorful sun rise. We thought this was fitting imagery as a symbol of hope because we are blessed to have the light of Jesus replacing the darkness. The colors of the sunrise have been created using fabric hand dyed from a ministry my Pittsburgh church home has in La Croix, Haiti. The silk scarves are dyed by LaFemme de la Croix at the New Testament mission in Haiti and the sale of the scarves in the United States benefits the women's education. I've worked side by side with these dynamic young women and it was meaningful to include a piece of this silk that came to be because Christians from two very different communities were able to work together. This is a reminder that we are one in the Spirit.


What else reflects Pittsburgh on the 220th GA stole? We toyed with including a pierogi or Pirmanti Brothers sandwich but an incline won out instead. Inclines originally dotted the mountain side surrounding the city and allowed for the movement of people and supplies as the population expanded in the 1800's. Today there are two inclines left and they tend to be a favorite tourist stop.


And here's the finished product that was presented to Rev. Dr. Neal Presa after he was installed on Saturday night at the GA. We pray that it will be a fitting visual tool during his ministry.










Friday, June 22, 2012

Summer Reading

Carrot Top Studio is headed out of town today for a week of rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. We appreciate your clients patience as shipping will be on hold from today until July 2nd. 


I grew up absolutely absorbed in my library's summer reading program. Thanks for signing up for that Mom! Reading still brings great pleasure and my bags are packed with probably three weeks worth of choices instead of just one! Here's a little of our selection:


Passing the Colors : Engaging Visual Culture in the 21st Century by Chris S. Overvoorde who is professor of art emeritus at Calvin College. In this book he addresses challenges faced by artists who long to remain in the church. The purpose of this piece is to demonstrate how important the visual is to worship and devotion and how including artists in faith communities strengths the ties that bind. I've never felt unwelcomed by the church as an artist but I think this book will expand my thinking. 


I'm almost a year away from turning fifty. Wow! So I'm taking a friend's recommendation and packing Jubilee Time. She used it in a class about seeking spiritual direction in the second half of life at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Reading her course description made me intrigued. Typically I don't make a big deal out of birthdays in general or even milestone birthdays but this book looks to be interesting and the format seems great as it's written by the author but infused with writings and thoughts from others. I wonder what I'll be challenged to think about?


I couldn't resist already starting to read Awaken Your Senses: Exercises For Exploring the Wonder of God by J. Brent Bill. This topic takes me back to when I was a elementary art teacher and there was much emphasis on teaching to the many different learning styles students have. I've always felt that this applies to worship as well. Some people connect visually, but others through the auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, etc. Bill applies this notion to our five senses and our personal faith. I suspect that much of this will translate easily to corporate worship as well and might open my mind to new ways to use our work in the studio.


Due to my passion for and recent trips to Haiti I also hope to read through Following Jesus Through the Eye of the Needle: Living Fully, Loving Dangerously by Kent Annan. I am more and more constantly reminded of how comfortable my life is. I don't believe this is what it's called to be but boy is it tricky to give that up! As I continue to pray for what God has in store for me next I suspect Annan's personal experience might give me a glimmer insight for my life. 


And lastly, I must admit I love "reading" cookbooks. The creative soul in me really likes cooking also, but a cookbook that tells stories of the how and why of the recipe is doubly delicious (pun intended!) So Ripe by Nigel Slater is a super large volume that will probably be absolutely devoured. And because I won't be actually making the recipes during the reading it will be very skinny on calories. 


And you? What's on your summer reading list?

Thursday, June 14, 2012

World and Church

I've been reading about love and God. I'm drawn to what Mother Theresa teaches when she said, "do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary... Do not pursue spectacular deeds...In the work we have to do it does not matter how small and humble it may be, make it Christ's love in action." This seems like a great message for Ordinary Time when we celebrate God with us, God for us and God through us. Within this I am grateful for a God who insists on both incorporating us into a nourishing, worshiping community and mobilizing us as his compassionate, transforming presence in the world.
prom ready


So what is your world? My world this week consists of a daughter who has just completed her junior year in high school. She spent a very festive night dining and dancing at prom and then having a group of friends to our home for the rest of the evening. Through subtle acts (such as providing their favorite pop tarts for breakfast!) I pray that these young people experienced our home to be a place where they were all welcomed. That the small, humble acts of hospitality were a demonstration of Christian hospitality.


with one of my nieces
Secondly, I'm preparing to be out of the studio for a week with my extended family.  We live throughout the United States and almost half are "carrot tops". We aren't all typically together but for once a year for 24-48 hours. So this week together will certainly be a time to loving each other as neighbors and functioning as a compassionate, family community.


Lastly, we're planning our next mission trips to Haiti possibly in November but definitely in February. We participate in the mission of God. We all are capable of this on a daily basis but are also at times called to leave our neighborhood to do the work. This might be the neighborhood next to ours or it could be half way around the world. In Haiti we've been able to evangelize, serve the poor, educate, and worship in community alongside the Haitians. We are also able be the salt and light to each other--as brothers and sisters in Christ. This shouldn't surprise me but I still am greatly moved by the memory of a Haitian friend telling me on my second trip that he had been praying for me since our first encounter six months prior. Awww yay....Christ's love in action.


Our current collection of stoles created using silk hand dyed in Haiti can be seen here.






Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Trinity Sunday

Preparing for Trinity Sunday I think back to creating a meditation banner as a commission for a client in Great Britain. When Carrot Top Studio became a business eight years ago we didn't anticipate liking one of a kind commissions. The lovely surprise has been that we really enjoy these projects because it stretches our knowledge and challenges our creativity. It's also a wonderful way to get to know our clients better as the commissions often have a very personal nature to them. 

When we created this small banner with our interpretation of Rublev's Icon of the Trinity we had not been familiar with this work of art that was originally created in 1410. It depicts the three angels who visited Abraham at the Oak of Mamre--but is often interpreted as an icon of the Trinity. The original icon is full of symbolism from the dove to the house to the colors of what the figures are wearing and even how they are seated. We highlighted the oak tree which serves as a reminder of the tree of life that was standing in Eden and of the cross.  The oak tree for Christians can be a symbol of courage and strength and the three leaves reiterate the message of the Trinity.

Interested in a commission for a stole, a banner, or other type of fiber art that might be used to make a visual connection to the Word? Email us your ideas and we'd love to enter into a discussion regarding your needs (and dreams!)

PS...interesting to note that pre-Christian Celts ate acorns from the oak tree to help with preaching preparation. I'm thinking it's good we've gotten' past this tradition!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Pentecost

The work of the church continues today and this Sunday we will pause in worship to recall the story of the formation of the first church. Reaching into American art history archives we thought  to share this image for Pentecost.

Can Fire in the Park, Beuford Delany, 1946
Vivid colors thick on canvas convey the need for fire for the homeless in the city. Around the fire is heat,  light, life, comfort, and community.This is a reminder to "guide us down the dusty roads of this world so that we may lift up the downcast, heal the broken, reconcile what is lost, and bring peace amidst unrest." (Garth House, Litanies for All Occasions)

See Can Fire in the Park at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

See stoles for Pentecost by Carrot Top Studio here.

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Church Architecture: Our Heritage

Why is our church architecture configured the way it is? Did you ever stop to think about that? Occasionally I have had the privilege of leading an adult Sunday seminar class within my own home church community. It's always a pleasure partly because the attendees are often the older/wiser type and I adore their company. Secondly I am usually academically stretched when preparing these one hour talks. And this is a good thing. This past week I was really challenged with the subject matter of how the Reformation changed church architecture. I'm not an expert on this topic...I know the art component. But I do really enjoy research and am grateful to have opportunities to dust off my "teacher" hat. Here's a synopsis of the presentation that kicked off a four week series on sacred space....
A stone altar discovered south of Isreal. Might this be what Noah's looked like?
An early Old Testament example of worship was when" Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it." Genesis 8:20 (God was pleased and Noah was blessed.)

      Another Old Testament worship setting is in Numbers 9:17, ‘Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped’.…the tent was continually being re-pitched… and this was unique to other religions of the time that had to pilgrim to one set location to worship. Having worship today in the communities we live in is a blessing. The Old Testament way remains today. Thank you God. 

T   The New Testament tells of Jesus and then the early Christians worshiping in each other's houses.
This is what we think house worship might have been like.
It makes me think of what many of our worship spaces represent today also!
After the early Christians there was much growth and development including the reason why church architecture developed the way it did.

At one point it was believed that you needed to be a monk to get to heaven.
 It was difficult being a monk and it was difficult even getting to some of the monasteries as you can see in this image.
Gothic architecture was very vertical so that the building actually pointed toward heaven.
The beginning of the Protestant Reformation saw an outburst of iconoclasm....the removal of statues and images from churches. Because Reformists couldn't instantly build their own churches they made modifications in existing architecture.
This Roman Catholic cathedral in Grossmunster, Zurich is an example of a church who had their walls whitewashed of murals when the Protestants started to worship in the space.
The major message of the Reformists was people gathering in a spirit of intimacy for a shared ministry of word and sacrament. Therefore pulpits became large and often had a sounding board above them to give visual emphasis to the word and to help improve the acoustics.
This is the pulpit at Oude Kerk in Amsterdam. What a prominent figure it makes within the architecture!
The Puritans were Reformers who in America built meetinghouses for their worship spaces.The image of the Sandown Meeting House in New Hampshire is another great example of how important preaching the Word was.

Reformed theology can even translate into the architecture of a mega-church. This is Coral Ridge Presbyterian in Florida. The pulpit with it's large sounding board is given major emphasis and the seats are arranged in a way for every participant can see and hear. The Reformers believed that Word of the Lord was for everyone and the architect of this large church kept that in mind

Sometimes great architecture has to be modified as time evolves. Miller Chapel at Princeton Theological Seminary as seen here in its current state has gone through three transformations and renovations since being built in 1834. The first converted the meeting house into a basilica. The second removed much Victorian era decorating and added a chancel. The last in 1999 allowed the Communion table to be placed forward in front of the pulpit.

Given that this post is from Carrot Top Studio, I suppose you're wondering what the Reformists would say about our worship banners and ministry stoles? We'd like to think that our works are not icons but merely pieces of fiber art that are used to enhance worship and help the people make a visual connection to the Word. Wouldn't be fun to have John Calvin or Martin Luther chime in on that subject?