Katy Rose Collection: Art, Words
Art for Joy : Folk Art to help us reject perfectionism
I love using American Folk Art in my art class because, historically, it was often created by untrained artists who just used what they had to create the beauty or pain they saw around them. It’s a great way for my students, often without art experience and always walking through trauma, to see that we can just put our hand to the page and CREATE.
A peek at one version of basic Folk Art I’m using in Art Class this week!
I love using American Folk Art in my art class because, historically, it was often created by untrained artists who just used what they had to create the beauty or pain they saw around them. It’s a great way for my students, often without art experience and always walking through trauma, to see that we can just put our hand to the page and CREATE. It doesn’t have to be perfect. And in fact, sometimes the less formal training the art reflects, the more character the artist brings to it!
This week we are studying some epic women from Folk Art history who used whatever scraps and old paint they could find to capture the hardships and victories they experienced through their imperfectly beautiful art. What’s the imperfect beauty you can bring to the world even if it feels like scraps?
Amazingly, God uses our “imperfect” to shine His light even still.
Go search for some examples of American Folk Art and I’m sure you will be delighted with the variety of styles. (You can peek at my Pinterest Board here.) I’ll be back to share some more on this genre soon.
Art for Joy : His Eye is on the Sparrow
Story behind the hymn, His Eye is on the Sparrow, by Civilla Martin, and the simplest How-To. Collage is so calming, and history is so inspiring!
The story behind the hymn, and the simplest How-To!
Art Class is back in session! This week we listened to "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" (Sister Act 2 style obviously) and talked about Civilla Martin of Nova Scotia who wrote the lyrics. Civilla was visiting her friend, Mrs. Doolittle, an older woman who was bedridden and perpetually sick but was always "bringing inspiration and comfort to all" who knew her. Civilla mustered the courage to ask her how she could remain so cheerful and Mrs. Doolittle replied, “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” Civilla carried those words home and wrote the rest of the lyrics to “His Eye is on the Sparrow” from inspiration found in Psalm 32:8 and Matthew 6 and 10.
Our art project, collaged sparrows, turned out beautifully. I'm always struck by how each individual brain and hand creates something totally unique. The choices of colors and content -- all so different! I love it. (My friend and neighbor, Krista, helped me prep and this is her beautiful bird pictured.)
HOW TO:
Gather the following:
paper scraps of your favorite colors and magazine images
a glue stick
scissors
a paper or shape (like a sparrow) to stick them on.
Instructions:
Turn on hopeful music.
If you want to collage on a shape like this sparrow, I suggest tracing/drawing your image on one side of the paper, then turning it over and collaging on the other side.
Begin to compile the scraps you like, either cutting or tearing them out
Use the glue stick to glue scraps onto the paper/shape
Then at the end turn it back over and cut it out along your lines. Makes filling the space so much easier. (My genius friend/neighbor did it this way.)
Collage can be so calming. Your kids will love this too. We did this with a group of little neighbor girls recently and I was so impressed with their creations.
Stay tuned for more projects this year from my class and a bit of the work I'm doing with individual therapeutic art clients. Such a joy!
Uncertainty & Wildflowers
For the beauty of the earth. Hymns from the past that transform today.
The year was 1863. In America, the Civil War was in full swing with families torn apart and people like Harriet Tubman sneaking through fields and rivers, risking their lives to help.
Across the Atlantic, lingering dread filled the air as scarlet fever took 30,000 lives across England.
And up on a hilltop outside the town of Bath, 28 year old Mr. Pierpoint sat watching the waving wildflowers. It was spring and River Avon sparkled as it ran past.
Ah! The sight was inspiring, a breath of fresh air.
He thought of the mercy of God's creation before him, and the words started to form…
For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies.
Christ, our Lord, to thee we raise; This our sacrifice of praise.
And then…
For the wonder of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale and tree and flower,
sun and moon and stars of light.
Christ, our Lord, to thee we raise; This our sacrifice of praise.
He was an Anglican poet, weaving the beauty and gratitude and grace all together for others to consider as well. The words eventually formed a hymn, frequently accompanying the Lord's Supper.
The year is 2024. Back over in America, there is turmoil and uncertainty. There always will be here on earth. I sit by a stream where my children play, wildflowers all around. I think of the words to this hymn, not knowing anything about its history or writer, only that it seemed apt in the moment as I'm thankful for God's gift of nature around us. I hope that would make Mr. Pierpoint glad to know.
FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH,
by Folliott Sandford Pierpoint, 1863
For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies.
Refrain:
Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
this, our hymn of grateful praise.
For the wonder of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale and tree and flower,
sun and moon and stars of light, [Refrain ]
For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth, and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild, [Refrain]
For yourself, best gift divine,
to the world so freely given,
agent of God's grand design:
peace on earth and joy in heaven. [Refrain]
