Planning for New Banners

Today it was great fun to attend a meeting for a prospective banner commission. Beginning a new commission is always exciting...the ideas are brainstormed, the goals are set, and the creativity starts to churn as you try to meet the needs of the physical space in combination of integrating art that enhances but doesn't distract from worship. This meeting had some extra bright spots. First, I don't usually get to meet my clients face-to-face. Most work is done via email with an occassional phone call. Secondly, it was delightful to learn some of the history of this sanctuary. For example, the main stained glass window was actually taken from another church building that was no longer going to have a congregation and was installed when this sanctuary was built. I think this is a lovely symbol of the Church continuing--just in another location. Lastly, this group was particularly open to new ideas. Ideas were flying...long skinny banners instead of wide ones, flags with symbols telling the story of the church hung the length of the nave, painting of the walls (and ceiling!), and processing with the worship banners on the first Sunday that they were to be used. What is working for your worship space visually? What do you dream of adding to your worship space. Try this: take a photograph of your worship space and study it. Sometimes you'll see and think of things in a different observational mode with this technique. Dream, think, pray, plan, and search for those in your community that have the gifts to meet your needs!

The photo in this post is of a commission that took much prayer, planning, and time to execute so it would be ready for Advent 2007. And the commission all began with a vision of doing something a little different from whta had been done prior in this congregation!

Three Rivers Arts Festival

For me, it's always good to be amongst artists. This year's trek to the Three Rivers Arts Festival in Pittsburgh, PA provided an interesting bit of installation art at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

Trinity Episcopal is by itself a grand space that allows you to realize it is sacred. Artists Jeffrey Mongrain and Nicholas Kripal created several pieces that are a response to the site itself. "Our work involves creating ceramic pieces that respond to the history, congregation and architectural iconography of the church," Kripal says. Read more in the Post Gazette article here. If you're anywhere in the area Sunday is the last day....open 7-1:30.

Pittsburgh, like many cities, has wonderful old churches that reflect the culture, history and faith of the community. If you can't get to Trinity Cathedral tomorrow, but are in Pittsburgh another time you might be interested in a Pittsburgh. Learn more about the Pious Pittsburgh tour here.

Through the Eyes of a Child

Last night I had the fun opportunity of teaching an art class at my home church to 23 second through fifth graders. It's always energizing to step back to my professional roots of art education. The group was creating art that will be used in an exhibit in our church art gallery. Guess who's the curator of the gallery? ME! The gallery has the mission statement of "...to encourage artists, individuals, and the congregation to engage the visual arts in the spiritual life of the church. Westminster Presbyterian Church values the significance of visual imagery in spiritual formation and the development of faith." To me this includes the artistic gifts of the children in our community so, the children will display their art work during the month of July. I got a warm feeling when one of the little girls in the class showed me her work (shown) that was in response to Joshua 1:9-"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Before creating our art we discussed all of the places that God would be with us. This creative group came up with a wide variety of ideas including at the amusement park, to in the middle of a tornado, to while I'm at school. I particularly enjoyed this picture of God is With Me at Church. We get a glimpse of church inside and we can see church outside...a great example of the fact that the church is not the building. And, don't miss the fun detail on the left hand side of the congregants doing cartwheels! This art reflects the joy of God being with us at church seen through the wise eyes of a nine year old.

Devotion

I came across the following from the Rule of St. Benedict (AD 480-547).

Let us consider, then, how we ought to

behave in the presence of God and his
angels and let us stand to sing the
psalms in such a way that our minds

in harmony with our voices.

These thoughts on coming together for worship make me think of Psalm 63 illustrated here by Magrit Prigge an artist residing in South Africa.

Oh God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

You might think about these questions while examining this art:

• What might this artwork's purpose be?
• Do I recognize any images? If so, what?
• What kind of lines do I see?
• What kind of movement do they suggest?
• Are there any visual metaphors in the artwork?
• Does each visual metaphor look like something in or outside of the artwork?
• What does this art mean to me?

On My Travel List

I'm a list maker. I'm afraid I go well beyond the "what to buy at the grocery store" list. I have lists of books I want to read, movies I'd like to watch, things my children should pursue this summer, gift ideas, ways that I might fund my children's college educations, vines to try, etc. etc. I love to travel. For the time being most of my travel is in my dreams....so I keep a list of all those places I will go someday when time and funding allows. On the list is the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence, France. Henri Matisse used shape and color toward the end of his career to design this Chapel. I feel drawn to the simple and quiet and the photographs of this space tell me I'd love to experience it first hand.Isn't it wonderful?

Thinking of simple I'd also like to share with you one of the books I'm working my way through. The Holy Way: Practices for a Simple Life, by Paula Huston is about the author's search for simple living modeled after the lives and writings of the great monastic saints. Using her first hand experiences she relates a variety of practical, day-to-day measures that we might apply to our lives. Yes, it was on my summer reading LIST!

Healing Meditation Banner

Carrot Top Studio is now offering a selection of small banners on our etsy site. The image to the left is our newest creation.

This 24 x 30" art quilt would be meaningful hung in a church, retreat center or the quiet spot of your home. Use it to help you focus and center your thoughts and prayers.The images remind us of the story of the Samaritan woman at the well from John 4:1-26. The jug recalls the woman seizing the opportunity to get water from the well. Jesus uses the water as a metaphor to teach the woman. It is seen on the banner horizontally and vertically. The stones disappear visually to remind us that living water through Jesus "washes away" our sin. The woman goes to the well but receives so much more!

This inspirational banner is created out of cottons in a multitude of fabrics. The symbols are all machine appliqued. It is backed with a coordination dark blue cotton broadcloth. It has a 3" hanging sleeve that runs across the back for you to run your own dowel, curtain rod, or natural branch through for hanging (see photo).

Email us to arrange a purchase ($115 + 6.00 S&H/US) of this banner jenny.gallo@CarrotTopStudio.com!

Announcement

The green stole created for our birthday celebration is no longer available at the special price as mentioned in the previous blog post. Thank you to all our clients that chimed in.

If you love a bargain, great deals are still available for our celebration on ebay. Auctions end Thursday at 9:45 EST!

It's Our Birthday!

It's been three years since I took my faith, my quilting, art quilt, painting and educational skills and combined them to create my business at Carrot Top Studio. We love every day (I'm so not kidding as my teenagers would say). It's a pleasure to offer unique, handmade stoles and worship banners to ministers, pastors, priests, churches and wedding officiants worldwide. To celebrate we're offering stoles at $3 opening bids on eBay! These special auctions will close Thursday, May 29th.

We are also offering the green stole shown on this post for $33.33 + 6.00 S&H to US clients, 10.00 S&H to Canada and 12.00 to Europe. This offer is available to the first three people that email us at jenny.gallo@CarrotTopStudio.com. The stole is 49" long. It is embellished with a voided cross on the chest as a reminder that we are called to preach the gospel to all corners of the world. The border fabric is a lovely batik that carries many colors of Ordinary Time. It is lined with a solid green broadcloth and is interfaced for added body. Our clients and friends are wonderful....we have greatly appreciated your support the past three years. We welcome any suggestions of how to better serve you for the next three years at Carrot Top Studio. Thank you!

Trinity Sunday

This Sunday many people will celebrate Trinity Sunday. It commemorates and honors not an event, but a reality: the Holy Trinity. Trinity Sunday falls on the Sunday after Pentecost. The Trinity is a mystery. By mystery the Church does not mean a riddle, but rather the Trinity is a reality above our human comprehension that we may begin to grasp, but ultimately must know through worship, symbol, and faith. Symbols for the Trinity include three interlocking rings, shamrocks, the Chi-Rho, and an equilateral triangle. We see these in art, worship baners, architecture, and on vestments among other places.

A prayer I like for Trinity Sunday is:

Father, who sent your Word to bring us truth and your Spirit to make us holy. Through them we come to know the mystery of your life. Help us to worship you, one God in three Persons, by proclaiming and living our faith in you. We ask you this, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, true and living, for ever and ever. Amen

For worship, Creating God, Your Fingers Trace is a Trinity Sunday hymn with the text based on Isaiah 45:7 The auther (Jeffrey Rowthorn) uses present participles to draw our focus to a God who is still working in our world.

And how would you explain the Trinity to children? You could try using a mobius strip. Children would even love making their own!

The how to:

Cut a length of adding machine tape — about 30 inches long — for each child. Show the children how to write the words "God" and "Jesus" on their strips spaced one on each end of the same side. Then flip the strip over — so the words are face down — and upside down. Then write "Holy Spirit" in the middle. Turn one end of the strip 180 degrees and fasten the two ends together securely, taping both sides. Twist the paper once and bring the ends together so that the paper forms a continuous loop (with one twist that won’t be very obvious). Tape the ends together. Now run your fingers over the paper from the word "God" to "Jesus" and keep on going. The word, "Holy Spirit" that started on the other side of the paper, is now on the same side as God and Jesus. If you fiddle with the paper, you can shape it into a triangle — and God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit can all be read. What will the children say these strips tell us about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit?

Pentecost

On this Pentecost Sunday it is fitting to think visually. This oil painting on wood is titled Pentecost and is by Chris Shreve. Chris states that he uses his art as a prayer, a meditation. The story of the birth of the church is familiar to many of us. The Bible is a gift that can be read and reread with new meaning and understanding gleaned from each exposure. The story is found in Acts 2 and begins with: When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Relating to the art of Mr. Shreve you might consider the following questions:

• What is this a painting of?
• Is it fancy or plain?
• Do I recognize any images?
• What kind of lines do I see? How are the lines used?
• What colors did the artist use? Are they warm or cool colors?
• What does the color remind me of, or what feeling does it give me?
• What does this artwork seem to tell me about the subject?
• If I made this artwork, how would I explain it to others?

May this art draw you closer to the season of Pentecost as we explore and examine what it means to us personally.

For Your Book Shelf

I recently found a quiet Sunday afternoon (I love the Sabbath!) to sit and savor Art for God's Sake: A Call to Recover the Arts by Rev. Philip Graham Ryken. This little gem draws out the Biblical view of the arts and the artists who make art for God's sake. Ryken concisely discusses how artists are called and gifted by God and recognizes how art is often misunderstood or rejected by the church. This book is full of encouragement for artists. It affirms that God loves all kinds of art (meaning types of medium) and that we as artists should have a high standard for goodness, truth and beauty.

I would recommend this book if you are considering incorporating the arts into your ministry, if the visual arts in your congregation can be improved or if you have a group (artists and non-artists) that needs a book to use as a discussion starter. The icing on the cake is Ryken's concluding suggestions for further reading. Pick up this highly recommended book to enjoy the conversational writing style. Maybe you are being called to be a catalyst to recovering the arts in the Church.

I had to chuckle as I read the newspaper this morning. In the "Living" section was an article about Crayola's new color choices that have been introduced to mark the occassion of the 50th anniversary of the 64 Box.

The new Kids' Choice colors include:

• Super Happy--A bright yellow.


• Fun in the Sun--An orangy color that means exercise and keeping fit are important and fun.


• Giving Tree--A lime-green color that shows kids are thinking green and want to play a part in protecting the Earth.


• Bear Hug--A brown hue of hamrony as kids want their homes to feel warm and loving just like a great big bear hug.


• Awesome--A bright red that means kids think school is cool and getting good grades feels awesome.


• Happy Ever After--A blue that shows that kids want to create moments for others so everyone's story has a happy ending.


• Famous--The pink-red color shows kids to believe they can become celebs just like everyday people who become stars.


• Best Friends--The shade that says spending time with you BFF is what you enjoy most.

Much of the business at Carrot Top Studio revolves around color used to celebrate the liturgical church year. So I'm going to write Crayola and suggest with the upcoming Pentecost celebration they should introduce a "Pentecost crayon". I envision firey reds, oranges and yellows on one end to represent the tongues of fire. On the opposite end we'd see a pale blue/grey for the rush of wind that was felt on the day we commerate as the church's birthday. We'll let you know when this crayon goes into production!

And now I must confess a particular fondness to Crayolas. In fact, on my studio desk sits a box of 96 crayons and if I'm in a creative dry spot the crayons can often help me through the process. Have a colorful day!

Mini Banners

Carrot Top Studio often gets inquries about carrying "ready made" banners. Up until this date we have enjoyed providing a custom worship banner commission service. We feel strongly that worship banners should be created to an appropriate scale/size for each worship space. Because worship spaces don't come in standard sizes (now that would be boring!) large worship banners are difficult for us to provide in standard sizes.

Through our etsy store we are now offering "mini banners". They are approximately 24 x 30". We envision these providing an option for customers to purchase a banner for their home, a quiet spot in a retreat center, or a chapel or small worhsip space. We are proud of our designs and craftsmanship and for someone not familiar with our products we hope this will be an affordable option for you to get to know us better.

Thank you to all our clients that took time to let us know that they desired in stock banners to be offered!

What We're Reading

Finding Time for the Timeless by John McQuiston II is a refreshing little book documenting how contemporaries practice their spiritual habits and routines. Over the years my personal routines have changed and evolved. Sometimes it has been starting the day with quiet, or being in tune to respond to opportunity, or even being able to make the mundane into the holy. This book affirms that there are other people that have similar routines as I do, but it also opens my eyes to a variety of spiritual enrichments I might add to my day.

A New Product

We have new products in our etsy shop!

One of them was inspired by Philippians 4:6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."


Have you ever needed help focusing your mind on prayer? Some people like to use a journal but you can use the pocket on this pillow to record and remember prayers, disappointment, struggles, joys and miracles. Leave the pillow in a place where you can enjoy quiet moments.

The pillows are 9 x 12”. Each is embellished with a religous symbol and a pocket to hold written thoughts and prayers.

These pillows will make perfect gifts for a first communion, confirmation, graduation, sickness/hospitalization! A descriptive hangtag is attached to the pillow with an explanation of the pillow’s symbolism and suggestions for use.

Color Theory

This past week we closed the studio and took some time to focus on Holy week and have a little R & R. We had an opportunity to visit an old friend, a pastor, who kindly inquired about the business of Carrot Top Studio. I explained first that we have the very best clients and then mentioned that red stoles were one of our best sellers. My friend was suprised so I had to impart my theory...beyond the Holy Spirit connection (that's obvious!) red makes everyone happy. It's a color that we easily gravitate too. It can even be a color of confidence and leadership. Aren't you supposed to where a red tie when you go on an interview?

So now we're back in the studio and gearing up for Pentecost and ordinations...we're seeing red, designing in red, and stitching red!

Palm Sunday

Many varieties of plants and trees are used symbolically throughout the bible. Palm branches are most often used as a symbol of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the event that heralded his coming Passion and crucifixion.

By derivation, palms may represent the fickleness of human acclamation. Used by the Romans as a symbol of victory, they have been used by the church as a symbol of Christ's ultimate victory over sin, or of the saints' victory over death. Therefore in art history martyrs are sometimes portrayed holding palm branches and the branches were used as a funerary emblem among the early Roman Christians.

How will your congregation celebrate with palms this Palm Sunday?

Some of Our Favorite Books for Lent

Last Supper Art by the editors of Phaidon Press. This book presents a sequence of over 100 images of the Last Supper. It demonstrates how each artist responded to the complex challenge of creating a convincing group of individual personalities and expressing their relationships with each other.







Palm Sunday Parade by Martha McKown. The impact of that first Palm Sunday parade will be remembered long after the use of this resource. All ages will recall both the joy and the sadness of that day's events. Church families will experience the rich joyous praise as they become involved in the narrative, the procession and hymn singing.



The Image of Christ by Gabriele Finaldi is a beautifully illustrated, colorful history of how Christ has been portrayed by artists from the early church to the present. the book explores the challenges Christian artists have faced as they have tried to imagine what Jesus looked like. Since no eyewitness descriptions of Jesus' physical appearance survived, the earliest artists' depictions of Christ played on the symbols and images that he used in his parables--such as the Good Shepherd, the Light, and the Vine. Later, artists became concerned with capturing Christ's true physical likeness, based on miraculous relics such as the cloth that Saint Veronica offered him on his way to Calvary, which was believed to be imprinted with an image of his face. These stages in the history of Christian art are described by several art historians in brief essays, each of which is lavishly illustrated.

Visual Reminders During Lent

In worship we use stoles, paraments, banners, flowers and other elements as visual reminders of the liturgical season we are celebrating. What can we do at home to help us focus particually during our Lenten journey?

Rober Fulgham in From Beginning to End: The Rituals of Our Lives suggests using sand. "Perhaps a bowl of sand can help us remember our journey. God led the people in their journey in the desert. Jesus himself reenacted that journey to face his own temptations. The desert can be a place of retreat, where there is a freedom from distractions. It can be a good place to be led and to face our temptations."

May you make time for desert days prior to the joy of Easter.

Donut Day

I can't wait for tomorrow morning when this granola and green tea loving Mom will surprise her children with a great excuse to eat donuts for breakfast! I grew up in a Dutchy area of Eastern Pennsylvania where Fausnaught Day (donut day) was celebrated with great gusto. The original purpose was to use up the baking ingredients in one's pantry before Lent, as these items were not to be consumed and would not stay fresh til the end of Lent.

Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. So even though I went to the store to purchase our donut treat instead of cleaning our my pantry I hope the sugary breakfast will lead us into a great discussion of how we can retreat into the wilderness with Jesus this season.

Purple for Lent

For the first millennium, little concentration was paid to creating fixed cycles of colors for the vestments and textiles that were related to particular seasons of the church year. Through the Middle Ages, most churches in Europe began developing and sharing traditions that associated certain days with certain colors. In 1570, when Roman authorities issued universal rules, these patterns differed from region to region and from parish to parish.

Today liturgical color continues to harmonize the message of the seasons and special days during the church year. Color allows us to see the Light of Life, Jesus Christ. The changing hues emphasize a specific "colorful" chapter in the life of our Lord and his church. We live this rhythm annually by the church calendar.

Frequent instruction about the church year and its corresponding colors must go hand in hand with its weekly use. For example, when thinking about the purples of Lent we are informed to know that violet or purple was a very cherished and expensive color in the world Jesus lived. The dye used to make the color was painstakingly acquired by massaging the neck of a Mediterranean shell fish that secreted a special fluid. It was therefore afforded only by the rich and worn most exclusively by the royalty.

Jesus, the king of the Jews, wore a purple robe only once. As the soldiers mocked and tormented him, the Scriptures record that they placed on him a "purple garment" in order to ridicule him and belittle the claim that he was a king.

Therefore, purple is used during this penitential season of Lent as a vivid reminder of the disrespect and ridicule he endured, and the subsequent sacrifice he made for our salvation. During Lent the purple of stoles, worship banners and other paraments should remind all Christians of their daily need to humbly give attention to leading a life of repentance.

Lent Banners

Our latest worship banners...headed to Chicago to help focus the congregation's worship on the season of Lent. The banner on the left represents the wilderness, reminding us of the forty days of withdrawal Jesus spent there. The banner on the right tells the story of Holy week. The palms are for Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the rooster for Peter's denial, the nails and crown of thorns remind us of the crucifixion. Purple , the color of royalty is a reference to Christ the King. The variety of purples in addition to the black, red and gold remind us of the pain, suffering and passion that we remember as we pray, fast and are penitencial during this season.

It's Cold Outside!

Young visiting artist in the studio today...we decided it was too cold to go outside so she created snowflakes to dangle in our work space. We're delighted!

The Image of Jesus

The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple, Holman Hunt

January 20th and 27th from 9:45-10:45 I have been asked to speak about the "Image of Jesus" at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Upper St. Clair, PA and I am anxiously anticipating guiding the examination of many intriguing works of art.

The Bible doesn't tell us what Jesus looked like. So, how did our image of Jesus develop? Fairly early in history, he was shown as a man on the threshold of middle age, with brown to black hair and a beard, and an facade of sorrow and compassion. Beyond this, each age has produced its own deviation of the Jesus image to meet its own needs, projections and beliefs. The following is a little hint of what we'll look at...

The Gospels give us only one glimpse to satisy--or to pique--our curiosity about the childhood of Jesus. In Holman Hunt's Finding of the Saviour in the Temple, the incident narrated in Luke 2:41-52 epitomizes the ambivalance of his relation to the Jewish tradition. His parents find him seated among the teachers of the Mosiac law and confounding them with his questions and answers; but he gently rebukes the reproof of his parents by asking, "Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"--referring to the Jewish temple in the Holy City of Jerusalem.

If you are in the Pittsburgh area please feel free to attend. Additionally, worship at Westminster is at 8:30 or 11:00.

Baptism of Our Lord

This Sunday we will celebrate the baptism of our Lord in my congregation. Two baptism items come to our mind that we'd love to share with you. First, we love the hymn for this Sunday that is titled: Lord, When You Came to Jordan. The Presbyterian Hymnal Companion explains that the hymn focuses on Jesus' baptism and lifts up the tradition that suggests it was a moment of personal revelation as well as an outward sign of his mission. It asks questions concerning Jesus' inner life and then becomes a prayer on behalf of our being able to see God's work today. We just love when a story is told! We often convey a story in our stoles and worship banners and when we're in worship and the visual connects with the Word and the music the story really hits home!

Secondly, have you read Water, Come Down! The Day You Were Baptized by Walter Wangerin is beautifully illustrated by award-winning artist Gerardo Suzan? It is a wonderfully imagined story of God's power and love joined in the baptism event---a story that will grow richer in meaning each time the book is read. We appreciate that the author also provides several pages of excellent resources for family Bible study, exploring the scriptural sources behind his story and making the theological concepts both accessible and engaging.

What do you relish about the celebration of baptism?

Epiphany of the Lord

The Three Kings Altarpiece, Hans Baldung.

About the Artwork
Baldung was a German painter and graphic artist. He probably trained with Durer in Nuremberg, but his brilliant color, expressive use of distortion, and taste for the gruesome bring him closer in spirit to his other great German contemporary, Grunewald.

In 1507 Baldung was probably in Halle when he received the commission for the alterpiece, The Adoration of the Magi (Berlin). Although displaying some clumsiness, colors are surprisingly sure, and Baldung's self-esteem is revealed by the fact that he drew a self-portrait behind the main character at the center of the retable of Saint Sebastian. It is an oil on wood.

The Liturgical Celebration
This Sunday we celebrate the epiphany of the Lord. The word epiphany comes from the Greek noun epiphaneia, which means "shining forth," "manifestation," or "revelation." In the ancient Greco-Roman world, an epiphany referred to the appearance of one of the gods to mortals. Since Hellenistic kings and Roman emperors were considered by many to be gods, the word epiphany was also used as a term for divine majesty. The Epiphany of our Lord is the Christian festival that celebrates the many ways through signs, miracles, and preaching that Jesus revealed Himself to the world as Christ, God Incarnate, and King of kings.

The scripture: Matthew 2:1-12 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Looking at The Three Kings Altarpiece

• What title would you give this work of art?
• What types of colors has the artist used? Does the color remind you of a certain feeling?
• Does everything in the artwork look equally important?
• What would you say if you were to meet the Lord in person?

If you enjoyed this post then bookmark our new blog www.RelatingToArt.blogspot.com which strives to describe, analyze, and interpret art as it relates to religon with new posts at least once a week.

Family Time

Something to think about as we enter a time spent with families to celebrate the newborn King...If someone placed a hidden camera in your home, what would they discover about your family's celebration? What evidence would they find that Jesus is Lord of your home?

Have a blessed Christmas!

The Nativity

“... Mary gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the place where travelers lodged.”

The Nativity became a favorite subject in Christian art by the 14th century. One of the reasons for this fascination with the scene was the devotion practiced by St Francis of Assisi. Around 1220 he celebrated Christmas by setting up the first presepio or crèche in the town of Greccio near Assisi. He used real animals to create a living scene so that the worshippers could contemplate the birth of the child Jesus in a direct way, making use of the senses, especially sight.

As a child my parents took me to see the elaborately, garnished 20' blue spruce at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that is surounded by a Baroque creche. It is dramatically displayed in the midst of the medieval sculpture hall. Today in my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA I enjoy carrying on the tradition of marveling at the presepio with my children at the Carnegie Art Museum. I particularly enjoy the fact that this elaborate, Neopolitan masterpiece is surounded by many large live evergreen trees decorated with handmade ornaments from different groups in the community. The old and very classic figures of the presepio are enveloped by contemporary art from professional artists, hobbyists and children...it is artistically the best of both worlds!

St. Francis was certainly savvy when he realized that worshippers would benefit from using their senses to better connect with the message. Today we carry on the the tradition with elaborate presepios but the message can be accentuated in simple ways. The light of candles (Christ was the light of the world), the use of the colors white and gold (purity and royalty), or congregants adding pieces of straw to a manger to help prepare the way can be just as powerful.

Ceremony of Carols

Things we love about Advent....

...listening to music for the season such as the above posted Carols by Benjamin Britten.

...lighting Advent candles each Sunday prior to our evening meal. Included in our candle lighting are short readings from the Bible and family prayers.

...making paper chains to helps us count the days--purple loops for Advent (a pink one for the third Sunday of joy), white for the 12 days of Christmas and green or gold for Epiphany. We rip the loops off the chain as each day passes to help the little ones “see” the passing of time.

...praying for the people that we receive greeting cards from each day.

...reading--this year in particular we are enjoying the Advent blog by Jan Richardson. The rich artwork and text that is thought provoking and inspirational.

Just read...

Max Lucado's, The Christmas Candle. This sweet story is an easy, quick read yet you will savor the message of the mystery of faith and the wonder of love.

We loved these lines, "With passion. Your preaching could use some. A little puplit fire never burned a church, you know...." and "What are you afraid of, Reverend? Afraid the prayers won't be answered--or afraid they will?"

For Advent: Click on banner for a virtual calendar

A Visit to the Art Museum

This past weekend I took pleasure in my inaugural visit to Harvard’s Fogg Art Museum in Cambridge, Mass. This museum, which opened to the public in 1895, is Harvard's oldest art museum. Around its enchanting Italian Renaissance courtyard are galleries illustrating the history of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present. The galleries particularly strong in Italian early Renaissance are a great reminder of how religious and liturgical symbols have been incorporated into visual art for centuries. I found the tempra and gold painting of Saint Catherine of Siena by Giovanni de Paola (as seen at left) particularly charming. History knows Catherine Benincasa as the persuasive mediator who negotiated peace between Florence and the papacy. In this portrait, St. Catherine of Siena appears with a sprig of lilies as a symbol of peace, and is wearing the black-and-white vestments of the Sisters of Penance of St. Dominic. Paolo’s graceful approach to Catherine of Siena is accentuated by her elongated figure.

The seasons ahead of Advent and Christmas can be so busy. I recommend you take time to pause and enjoy an art exhibit. There is something very theraputic about walking through the quiet of an art gallery, meditating on, contemplating about or simply enjoying what you see.

Need a gift idea? Enrich a life with the gift of an art museum membership!

Preparing for Christ the King Sunday

Christ the King is the last Sunday of the liturgical church year calendar. The day completes our annual journey of celebrating and learning from the life of Christ on earth. We can worship with confidence and joy that Christ is the King!

We can reflect upon: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation! Let all who hear Now to his temple draw near, Joining in glad adoration! (Psalm 93).

Marking the kingship of Christ makes a healthy transition that leads directly from Ordinary Time into Advent and the remainder of the Christian year. So ignore the Christmas tunes on the radio and the decorations in the mall and recognize Jesus as the King of Kings.

*pictured stole is new to our collection and illustrates the "I Am" statements. The photo is a link to this item on our website.

Thanksgiving

Here in the United States we are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving. At Carrot Top Studio we love this holiday because it is not terribly commercial. We can simply take the time to be reverent for the gifts of the earth at this harvest festival. Interestingly our American commemoration of the Pilgrim's feast might be a carry over from the European tradition of St. Martin’s Day which celebrates the end of the agrarian year and the beginning of the harvest.

Many faith communities gather on Thanksgiving Eve or Thanksgiving morn to worship. In addition to worship banners and minister’s stoles that represent the colors of a fall harvest, churches might enjoy the use of a cross created out of sheaves of wheat and offertory processions that include food items that can be distributed to those in need. Our home congregation includes the giving of five pieces of corn to each family. We take them home and place them on our table as a visual reminder of the hardships the Pilgrims endured. The story has been handed down that this faithful community of Pilgrims was able to be thankful to their Lord even on days when they only had five pieces of corn to eat.

I’ll close by sharing a favorite recipe that usually graces our Thanksgiving table:

Pumpkin Apple Bake

Clean out a medium pumpkin. Fill with a mixture of raisins, chopped apples, nuts, dates, cranberries, dried apricots, a small amount of brown sugar and cinnamon. The amounts are very flexible and you can use items that you enjoy that you might typically find in fall pies. Pour fruit and nut mixture into the pumpkin, dot with butter. Bake on a cookie sheet 1 hour 15 min.-1 hr. 30 min. The pumpkin will turn a lovely deep color and can be used as the center piece on your table for you to serve the wonderful warm fruit directly from.

And as Ralph Waldo Emerson said:

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
Thank you, Amen.

Life of the Mill Girls

In my spare time I enjoy quilting. I’m pleased to share that I have a quilt in a museum exhibition at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts. The show opens November 15th and sounds like it will be inspiring, delightful and diverse. This is our inaugural exhibition in a museum so we’re quite excited!

The New England Quilt Museum asked quilters to interpret how Lowell could inspire them to create in fabric. You can see my answer to this challenge in the photo. The corresponding artist statement reads:

I am a fiber artist. I have been sewing since I was old enough to lace a shoestring through a cardboard sewing card. Today I enjoy quilting for pleasure and sewing for my business that caters to pastors and churches. My work usually tells a story.

I find contentment in researching, contemplating and designing a new piece. Once I am comfortable with the design, I dive in and become very focused in the actual production.

“Inside the Life of a Mill Girl” grew out of reading about the young women who headed to work in the mills with great anticipation of how their lives would be changed. The symbols represent the bell that rang for every step of their grueling work schedule. The shuttle and the saw tooth borders symbolize the type of work that was performed amidst much machinery. The oil lamp stands for the dangerous working conditions in the mills. The promises made of a safe life with healthy meals and a regard for high moral standards are characterized in this quilt’s boarding house and church steeple. Lastly the steps of picking, carding, spinning, warping and weaving are graphically included to complete this piece.

The accomplishments, courage, and independence of the young mill girls are something we can learn from and be encouraged to apply to our lives today.

I think we can easily find inspiration in the story of the mill girls who went to work to earn money for their struggling farm families, tolerated work conditions that did not promote a joyful environment, yet diligently went to church, loved to read and appreciated the arts.

For Your Bookshelf

For my birthday, my brother recently gave me a photograph of an ocean scene with a person walking on the beach. Upon opening the gift I pondered the symbolism of peacefulness one gets when walking on the beach, the imagery of water curing thirst and cleanliness, and a desire for retreat to the wilderness.

This makes me think of the history of Christian worship and how it is immersed in symbolism, beginning with the symbols from the Jewish scriptures such as the rainbow God gave Noah. Until modern times literacy was limited therefore worship depended upon signs and symbols to remind and teach and aid us with the mystery of God. Signs and symbols still serve this purpose today.

A book I often turn to while researching the design of minister’s stoles or worship banners is Worship Without Words by Patrica Klein. This little guide is a very helpful explanation of the liturgical calendar and the signs, symbols, gestures, vestments and architectural elements that accompany liturgy. You may also enjoy it for your bookshelf.

Banner Commissions

At Carrot Top Studio we enjoy the challenge of making banners for a specific setting. That is why we don't carry ready made banners. We think it's important that the color, size, and visual message accentuate the existing architecture and environment.

Above is our latest commission. It is a set of seven banners for Advent/Christmas that focus on God's messengers, the angels. The narrow banners are embellished with symbols of Mary: the rose and the fleur-de-lis (a stylized lily). The center banner uses the symbol of a Natal cross which is shaped like a star. This reminds us of the story of Jesus' birth and the foretold purpose of his birth. The decorative flower borders are created using the Glastonbury thorn plant. According to legend it budded from the staff planted by Joseph of Arimethea when he took refuge in Glastonbury. Because it blooms during the Christmas season it has become a symbol of the Nativity.


And here's a glimpse of the process it took to get a finished product.

All Saints Day

The day after Halloween, November 1st, is a time to turn attention to those who have inspired us by their unselfish actions. Who are you thinking of today?


The above is All Saints Day as interpreted by William Kandinsky, an oil painting from 1911. It does not represent the exterior world but rather expresses inner feelings of the human soul.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving for All Saints Day

We give you thanks and praise, O God,for by your great power you have called us to a rich hope and pledged us a glorious inheritance among the saints. In time before dreaming you sent the wind to stir up the sea of chaos and bring forth the earth.Through your law and prophets you promised us that your Kingdom would belong foreverto those who embraced your holiness.Through your son, Jesus Christ, you proclaimed a day when the hungry will feast and the mourners laugh. When he was killed on the cross you raised him from the deadand seated him at your right hand. In him you give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that we might know that hope to which you have called usand embody the fullness of Christ who fills all in all.Therefore, with our hearts lifted high, we offer you thanks and praise at all times through Jesus Christ our Lord,who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.



©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Walking A Labyrinth

Solvitur ambulando…It is solved by walking…

--Saint Augustine

A labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. The labyrinth represents a journey to our own center and back again out into the world. Labyrinths have long been used as meditation and prayer tools.

Walking a labyrinth is a right brain task. It involves perception, creativity, and imagery. With a maze many choices must be made and an active mind is needed to solve the problem of finding the center. With a labyrinth there is only one choice to be made. The choice is to enter or not. A more passive, receptive mindset is needed. The choice is whether or not to walk a spiritual path.

I am a right brain person and I have the need to move. Walking a labyrinth is something I crave and I have had very moving moments while using one as a tool for prayer. I love the openness of a time on the labyrinth—it accepts you for whatever age you are, where you are in your faith, what you look like, or whether you needing to move mountains or molehills.

If you want to learn more you will certainly enjoy Walking A Sacred Path by Dr. Lauren Artress. She explores the historical origins of the labyrinth and shares the discoveries of modern-day seekers. If you question the potential of a labyrinth this book will inspire you to try a walk to quiet your mind and open your soul.

To find a labyrinth near you click here.

A Fine Discussion With Wise Women

This week I had the delightful opportunity of visiting a local retirement community to speak about how color and symbols apply to the seasons of the liturgical church year. We looked at symbols in stoles and worship banners that had specific meaning; like the Alpha and Omega. Symbols like this require previous knowledge or education to understand. Other symbols seem obvious but can have different meaning to different people. We discussed the example of fire. Knowing that we were focusing on worship some of the participants immediately chimed in that fire was a symbol for Pentecost, but upon reflection we also came up with destruction (like the terrible fires currently raging in California), joy (like the flame of a birthday candle, and warmth (like a lit fireplace on a cold winter’s night).

There are also times when symbols rely upon the interpretation of the viewer. We looked at one of Carrot Top Studio’s stoles for Lent that is just an arrangement of purples. The somberness, depth of color and the arrangement allowed us to reflect upon feelings and emotions that we move through during the penitential time of Lent. These women, in their wiser years of their lives, were in agreement that congregations and those in leadership could do more to educate about the visual components of our faith. Human insight, both spiritual and visual, can be expanded and be a significant step in our journey toward a deeper relationship with God.