Artist's Work B.e.n.c.h.

September 2009 Artists Work B.e.n.c.h.

2009-09-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the e-magazine/blog for Artists' Work B.e.n.c.h., the Inland Empire's Christian fine arts organization! We hope you will find this to be a useful, enjoyable and worthwhile resource.

Here are the newest items in the Artists' Work B.e.n.c.h. blog. Just click on the titles to go to the articles:

Fine Arts Bible Study 11- In pursuit of Excellence

Master Class-Vocal Warmups (Or, What to Do in the Car Before Rehearsal)

Happenings for September, 2009

The Cafe for September

The Somgwriters' Showcase Keeps Evolving

Bookclub: It Was Good

Gaudi's Folly: La Sagrada Familia and the Face of Barcelona

Artist Profile: Hugo Distler

Artist Profile: Debora Iyall

Poetry Corner: Morning

So, brew a cup of coffee, herbal tea, or whatever you like, and stay a while. This page will be updated monthly with new articles and interviews. Enjoy!You are part of a growing group.
What is Artists' Work B.e.n.c.h? This is a place for Christian artists in the Inland Empire of Southern California to mix, network, relax, share, and learn.

What types of Christian artists?
1. Visual arts (sculpture, painting, glass blowing, etc.)
2. Dance (performing, choreography, etc. )
3. Music (playing, writing, learning, singing, etc.)
4. Creative writing (poetry, stories, etc.)
5. Drama/theater (acting, playwriting, directing, etc.)
6. ??????

Artists Work B.e.n.c.h. is for Christian artists: simply, people who are Christians and who are also artists. Some Christian artists make art exclusively for Christians, but many use their talents in secular ways as well (writing screenplays for television, jingles, playing in a philharmonic orchestra, acting in a community theater, displaying their paintings in a gallery, etc.) All are welcome here.

Christians follow the Creator of the Universe, and therefore should be the most creative people in the world. The church has historically been the patron of great artists. Hildegard, the writer of the very first opera, was a nun. Michelangelo, Donatello, Edward Hicks, and many others made art for church and used church subjects.

But, today, Christian art is not considered "forward" or "interesting" in many circles. This reputation is well-deserved in most cases. Christian art has become a punchline. In our own little way we hope to change some of that perception.

What does Artist's Work B.e.n.c.h. stand for?

B=BUILD new Christian artists, ministries, avenues.

E=ENCOURAGE Christian artists to use their talents.

N=NETWORK with Christian artists, churches.

C=COORDINATE opportunities for Christian artists to use/exhibit their talents.

H=HELP Christian artists and help churches utilize artists.

This group is for people who fit one or more of these categories:
1.) Just starting out
2.) Being used mightily for God
3.) Frustrated
4.) Seasoned professional
5.) Curious
6.) Talented amateur
7.) Wanting to learn/improve
8.) Not sure if God can use your talent
9.) Good enough to teach others
10.) Wondering if your talent (flower arranging, calligraphy, photography, etc.) even qualifies as art.

Christian artists--unite! Let's be creative, interesting, and forward thinking enough to lead the artistic world, while still making quality pieces that reflect our worldview.

Free Hit Counters

Fine Arts Bible Study 11: Excellence

2009-09-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

Colossians 3:23

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

There is nothing wrong with being a beginner. It means you are branching out, trying new things, walking new paths. Sometimes those new things just don’t pan out. Maybe you realized the road was going to be more difficult than you originally thought, and you just don’t have the time to devote to it right now. Perhaps circumstances change in your life. Once, you were a bachelor and all of your free time was yours. Now you are a husband and a father, plus a boss at work. Your hobby was fun for a while, but you gave it up long ago when time became a premium for you.

Other times, a beginner takes to a new path like white on rice. It becomes something you enjoy, which feels natural, and something you wish to move forward in your talent and vision. There is certainly nothing wrong with being a beginner.

There is something wrong, however, with someone who has been doing a certain thing for a long time, but still has the talent and knowledge of a beginner. Even worse is when said “artist” is on the worship team, choir, drama team, etc. at church.

Psalm 33:1-3

Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord;
it is fitting for the pure to praise him.
Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre;
make music for him on the ten-stringed harp.
Sing a new song of praise to him;
play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.

1 Chronicles 15:22

Kenaniah, the head Levite, was chosen as the choir leader because of his skill.

1 Chronicles 25: 6-8

All these men were under the direction of their fathers as they made music at the house of the Lord. Their responsibilities included the playing of cymbals, harps, and lyres at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman reported directly to the king. They and their families were all trained in making music before the Lord, and each of them—288 in all—was an accomplished musician. The musicians were appointed to their term of service by means of sacred lots, without regard to whether they were young or old, teacher or student.

God wants our talents to increase. Many people who research how the brain processes things say that it takes about 1,000 hours of practice to become an expert at something, whether it is basketball, guitar, or cooking. If you practice at something for an hour every single day, including Christmas and your birthday, it will take almost three years to get 1,000 hours in. It takes 5,000 hours of practice to become a genius at a skill (that’s about 13 years of practicing for an hour each and every day, more if you skip holidays). Even Mozart himself had an overbearing father who made him practice as a small child, and could have easily gotten in 5,000 hours when he was young.

Some people will cite Stephanie Meyer, who supposedly awoke from a vivid dream in June, 2003, had drafted the book Twilight by August of that year, and had a six-figure book deal by 2005. That seems extremely serendipitous until you realize that she also earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 1995 and has been writing since she was twelve.

As it turns out, overnight success stories rarely are actually overnight. It takes practice, it takes determination, it takes instruction, it takes learning, it takes perseverance through mental blocks, and it takes a lot of time.

Matthew 25:14-30

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

“The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

“After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’

“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!

“The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’

“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

“Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’

“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

“Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Did you catch how long the master had been gone in this parable? Jesus said he had been gone “a long time.” Talents don’t materialize overnight. That should be a comfort for those who feel like they have to work hard at getting the chords right on every single worship song every single week, and it should also be an admonition for those who don’t want to put in the time to develop their talents.

Check out the story of David and Araunah:

2 Samuel 24:20-25

When Araunah saw the king and his men coming toward him, he came and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. “Why have you come, my lord the king?” Araunah asked.

David replied, “I have come to buy your threshing floor and to build an altar to the Lord there, so that he will stop the plague.”

“Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing boards and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar. I will give it all to you, Your Majesty, and may the Lord your God accept your sacrifice.”

But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silverfor the threshing floor and the oxen.

David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the Lord answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

“But, I’m just a volunteer…”

If you are calling yourself a Christian artist, you are using the name of Christ to define your art, whether or not it is appropriate for using in a church service. If you are using the name of Christ to define your art, shouldn’t you give God your excellence? Take a night class in music theory from your local community college. Hire a tutor or instructor to teach you for a half hour each week. Go to the local library and check out books that teach you more about your art. Developing your talent means increasing your talent, and that glorifies God. If you are creating your art for God, then do it for God with excellence, because He deserves excellence.

Finally, a warning from Malachi 1:12-14:

“But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the Lord’s table. You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord.

“Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!”

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Questions

1. What are some free or inexpensive things you can do to increase your talent?

2. How would you counsel an artist who says, “I don’t want to study this. I think it will just cheapen my work. I want my work to be authentic, and I want God to be glorified by my weakness. What good is it if I develop this as a strength through my own learning?”

3. Is it easier to be creatively inspired as a beginner who hasn’t been boxed in with limits yet, or as a well-trained artist who has the skill necessary to execute the inspirations that come?

4. If you are skilled in an art, how have you helped other Christians you know develop their talents? What more could you do to help other Christian artists have a more excellent sacrifice to give God?

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #1 click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #2 click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #3 click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #4 click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #5, click here .

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #6, click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #7, click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #8, click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #9, click here.

To Read Fine Arts Bible Study #10, click here.

Master Class: Vocal Warmups (or, What To Do in the Car and Before Rehearsal)

2009-09-03T15:19:00.000-07:00

Musicians tune their instruments and warm up their fingers, dancers stretch their bodies. How do vocalists warm up? The sad truth is that many don’t. They should, of course, because vocal cords and mouth muscles are like any instrument in that they need warming up. Also, unlike musicians, vocalists play an instrument that is not only physically attached to their bodies, it is also extremely useful and probably necessary for their regular daily tasks and employment. While most people don’t literally sing for their suppers, they do need to talk, and therefore, it’s important that they don’t stress their vocal cords while singing.

Here are some simple things you can do to warm up and protect your vocal cords.

1) Hydrate!

Keeping your throat hydrated is perhaps the single most important way to protect your voice. Dry throats not only sound bad, they can cause damage to the vocal cords when you try to sing without the proper lubrication. The best way to manage this is to keep a bottle of water handy at all times. Drink from it regularly throughout the day, not just when you are planning to do some singing. Stay away from milk and sugary carbonated drinks because they will cause more problems than you would have with a dry throat. Milk and sugar syrup coat the throat and keep the air column from vibrating properly.

2) Silly phrases and tongue twisters

Nothing limbers up one’s voice like practicing something difficult. Not so difficult that you strain your vocal cords, obviously, but it’s good to run through some words and phrases that make you think about how you articulate sounds. When you start off, go slowly and really over-enunciate (it’s okay to sound like a bad actor) so that you can get your throat and facial muscles working. Think of it as a workout from the neck up. Try to speak every syllable clearly; if you trip over one, go over it again and again until it flows easily. As you progress, increase your speed until you can no longer enunciate correctly. Here are some phrases you can use for practice:

Red letter, yellow letter
Good blood, bad blood
Eleven benevolent elephants
She sells seashells by the seashore
Teaching ghosts to sing
The big, black-backed bumblebee
A critical cricket critic
Really rural
The tip of the tongue, the lips, the teeth
Unique New York
Hemorrhoidal removal

And for a really good workout, try this long tongue-twister:

What a to-do to die today at a minute or two to two,
a thing distinctly hard to say but harder still to do.
for they'll beat a tattoo at a quarter to two:
a rat-ta tat-tat ta tat-tat ta to-to.
and the dragon will come when he hears the drum
at a minute or two to two today, at a minute or two to two

3) Massage

Yeah, sure, some nice shiatsu would probably do everyone a world of good. But we’re not talking about the full-body type of massage here. We mean simply massaging the cheeks, jaw and sides of the neck to help relax those muscles. Tension is the killer of many things, and singing is one of them. If your cheek muscles are so tight that you can’t open wide enough to articulate certain sounds, or if your neck is too stiff to move the way you would like, it’s going to throw off your ability to sing well.

First, relax your jaw as much as you can, and gently rub your cheeks with both hands. Use a circular motion to cover the full cheek area. If you would like, you can make some vowel sounds as you do this massage to see how the different positioning of your jaw and cheeks changes the sound.

Work your way up your jawline to the point in front of your ear canals. This is where a lot of tension headaches begin, right at the joint where the jaw attaches to the skull. After a minute or so, work your way down your jawline to the area under your chin. These are some of the muscles that close your jaw. Hold your head back a little and massage the frontal area of your neck, from your chin down to your thyroid cartilage (“Adam’s apple” for guys).

Next, place your hands at the sides of your neck, directly below your ears. These muscles don’t really affect the jaw or throat, but they do help to relax your neck and remove more tension. Be sure not to apply too much pressure anywhere; this is not the deep-tissue type of massage.

4) Diaphragm, not shoulders

Breath control is one of the most difficult but important skills for the singer to master. Most of us tend to breathe shallowly, using only a portion of our lungs to move air in and out. This is fine for everyday breathing, but it greatly reduces the volume and quality of sound when we try to sing.

Here’s how to check for proper breathing. Look at yourself in a mirror, stand up straight and watch as you take some deep breaths. Do your shoulders move up and down? If so, you are drawing air into the upper portion of your lungs but neglecting the lower part. Does your abdomen move in and out when you breathe deeply? That indicates just the opposite: you’re using the lower part of your lungs more than the upper part. The ideal situation is for your chest area to rise and fall as you breathe, right in the middle of these two extremes. To do this you must use the diaphragm muscle that lies directly under your lungs. It enables you to maximize airflow through your lungs, and therefore through your vocal cords. You can experiment with using different sets of muscles until you come up with the ideal way of breathing. Simply watch the way your body moves as you try these different methods of breath control. When you have good chest movement with minimal shoulder and abdominal movement, you’ve arrived.

5) Head position

This is another severely neglected point of control when singing. Have you ever seen one of those First Aid videos where they show someone tilting back an unconscious person’s head to open the airway? Why is it, then, that we see so many people trying to sing into a microphone with their chin practically touching their chest? Holding your head straight forward, or even tilted upward, as you sing will increase the size of your airway and permit more air to flow through without overexerting your vocal cords.

Some singers, most notably Lemmy Kilmister (seen below) of the British metal band Motorhead, have their mikes elevated high enough that they have to tilt their heads back to sing. Lemmy began doing this specifically to compensate for some vocal deficiencies, but it can be a good practice for many singers. Try to experiment with the position of your head and microphone as you sing to see what gives you the best airflow.

Look here for our prior Master Classes:

Photographing Water

Writing Good Poetry, July 2009

The Five C's of Songwriting, June 2009

Experimenting with Abstract Landscapes, May 2009

Preparing for Excellence, April 2009

It Builds Character, March 2009

Labanotation, February 2009

Singability, January 2009

Avoiding Cliches, December 2008

Happenings for September 2009

2009-09-03T14:37:00.001-07:00

Sept. 5: A Song in My Heart - Two shows only!

At Lifehouse Theater in Redlands, “A Song in My Heart” presents in humorous verse the amazing true stories behind some of the greatest worship hymns of all time. A man discovers he is going blind. Another loses his family and fortune. A young couple face death at the hands of terrorists. Each incident has led to the writing of great hymns sung to this day. Enjoy the stories behind these classics and leave with a song in your heart! Show starts at 7:30 PM on Saturday, Sept. 5 and 2:15 PM on Sunday, Sept. 6. For more info, call (909) 335-3037 or visit http://www.lifehousetheater.com.

Sept. 6: GraceFest in Antelope Valley

On Sept. 6, GraceFest arrives in the Antelope Valley with Point of Grace, Superchick, 33 Miles and more. Show runs from 2-9 PM at the Palmdale Amphitheater, 2723 Rancho Vista Blvd., Palmdale. Tickets are $5-25. For more information, call (661) 265-6069.

Lewis Library: Emphasis Art

Free art classes for children 5 years and older every Tuesday, 3:30-4:30 at the Lewis Library, 8437 Sierra Ave in Fontana. The classes are held in the toddler room. For information call (909) 356-7184. Hosted by Fontana Art Depot.

September 8- Underwater watercolors
September 15- My drawing has texture
Sept 29- Artistic freedom
Sept 22- Make that abstract

Sept. 11: Revolution

At 7:00 PM on Sept. 11, Roots Church of San Bernardino presents Revolution, a night of prayer and worship designed to uplift the community. Led by Pastor Evan Doyle, Roots Church is located at 1379 East Highland Ave. in San Bernardino, west of Del Rosa Avenue. For more information, contact info@rootschurchsb.com or visit http://www.lovepurposepower.blogspot.com.

Sept. 11-12: Women of Faith

“A Grand New Day” Women of Faith Conference with special guests Allison Allen, Sandi Patty, Sheila Walsh, Patsy Clairmont, Steven Curtis Chapman and more. Held at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Tickets are $79-109. Visit http://www.womenoffaith.com or call 1-888-49-FAITH.

Sept. 11-20: Noah at Lifehouse

Beginning on Sept. 11, Lifehouse Theater in Redlands presents a fun, zany but ultimately reverent and inspirational new take on the familiar biblical story of Noah. A smash hit when it was first performed at Lifehouse, critics and audiences alike praised the contemporary music, comedy and symbolic staging of this timeless account of the flood story. 2:15 PM matinees and 7:30 PM evening performances through Sept. 20. For more info, call (909) 335-3037 or visit http://www.lifehousetheater.com.

Sept. 11-20: Taming of the Shrew

Combining Shakespeare and the classic 50s in a production of Taming of the Shrew, we present this classic play in a style reminiscent of Sid Caesar and Your Show of Shows. In a time not too long ago, before political correctness was a term, penniless Petruchio sets out to tame the untameable Shrew, for a price. The Shrew, Katharina, must be married before her beautiful younger sister. What follows is Shakespeare's most violent and entertaining love story. Come hear Shakespeare's words, and actually understand and enjoy them! Buy tickets at www.inlandtheatreworks.org. Productions will take place at Sturges Center for the Performing Arts, 780 North E Street San Bernardino, CA 92410. Tickets are $10-25.

Sept. 12: Bryan Duncan

Hacienda Christian Life Campus presents ‘The Gathering,’ featuring Brian Duncan. 2-9 PM at the Lamb’s Fellowship, 21901 Railroad Canyon Rd., Lake Elsinore. Tickets are $20. Call (951) 679-4667 for more info.

Sept. 13: The Rave in Chino

The monthly Rave features Broken Veil (above), DJ Steve, Cafe, prizes, and more. 6-8:30 PM at New Hope Christian Fellowship, 13333 Ramona Ave. in Chino. Call (909) 702-3736 or visit http://www.myspace.com/chinorave .

Sept. 15: KJ-52 in Indio

Lighthouse Ministries presents KJ-52 in concert at Fountain of Living Water, 82-025 Bliss Avenue, Indio. Doors open at 6:30; show starts at 7:00. Purchase tickets through http://www.itickets.com/events/232031.html or call (760) 347-0054 for more information.

Sept. 15: Auditions for “Unto Us”

On Sept. 15 from 6 to 9 PM, Lifehouse Theater in Redlands will be holding auditions for the cast of their Nativity drama, “Unto Us”. The show features more than thirty speaking roles and many extras. For more info about audition requirements, call (909) 335-3037 or visit http://www.lifehousetheater.com.

Sept. 19: Fall Hallelujah Jubilee at Six Flags

Come join the Fall Hallelujah Jubilee with Newsboys, the Afters and Project 86. Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia. Show is free with park admission. For more info, call (661) 255-4500 or visit http://www.sixflags.com .

Sept. 20: Casting Crowns

Casting Crowns’ “Until the Whole World Hears Tour” comes to the Bren Center at UCI Irvine. 7:00 PM. Call (800) 840-0457 or visit http://www.celebrationconcerts.com .

Sept 20: Family Art Day at the Claremont Museum of Art

Simply Sculpture- Come try your hand at sculpture. The museum will provide the materials, you provide the vision. 12-3 PM, tickets are free. The museum is located at 536 West First Street Claremont, CA.

Sept 22: Korean Classical Music and Dance

Join the fun as you experience the Korean culture. See traditional dance favorites including: Flower Crown dance, Fan dance, Hourglass Drum dance, and the Drum dance. Admission is free. 6:00 PM at the Steelworker's Auditorium at the Lewis Library, 8437 Sierra Ave in Fontana. For more information, call (909) 428-8818.

Sept. 25-26: Temecula GospelFest

Starting at 7:00 PM on Friday and going until 10:00 PM on Saturday, this series of three Gospel concerts at the Old Town Temecula Theater, located at 42051 Main Street in Temecula, should prove to be fun for everyone. The cost is $22 per concert, or $55 for all three concerts and a catered dinner. For tickets or more information, call 1-866-OLDTOWN or visit www.temeculatheater.org.

Friday Night - Spirit of the Valley- 7:00 PM
Contemporary Christian Night, powerful praise and worship music. Featuring two-time Grammy nominee Sarah Kelly, Immersed, Gospel recording artist Vince Brown, and many other powerful local and regional worship ministers.

Saturday Matinee - 2 pm Choir Sound Off and Arts Showcase. Choirs from all over SoCal go head to head competing for a chance to be featured on Gospel recording artist Vince Brown's new album. The featured choir is the award-winning Shield of Faith Pomona. This concert also features Maura Gale, dance and drama. A fun show, great for the whole family!

Saturday Sept 26 -7 PM - Gospel Gala - a victorious declaration of good news, featuring Jerone Lee (Lifetime Achievement Award winner for Impact of Music in Ministry), the Mighty Women of Gospel, Pro2call, Lillian Crawford, Immersed, Vince Brown and the Temecula Mass Choir - a finale of powerful praise.

Sept 26-Oct 10: If you Give a Mouse a Cookie

This hilarious adaptation brings this favorite book to life as an innocent boy's offering of a cookie to a small mouse goes from mishap to calamity to catastrophe! Whoever thought that one little cookie could lead to so much chaos? Presented by the MainStreet Theater Company at the Lewis Family Playhouse, 12505 Cultural Center Dr. Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Tickets are $13.50-16.50. For tickets or information, call 909-477-2752.

The Cafe for September

2009-09-03T14:06:00.001-07:00

Here are some links to get the ideas swirling in your brain. Perhaps one of these will give you a great idea for a dance or a painting...or maybe it will just be a diversion with a few interesting links.

September birthstone: sapphire

Did you know that, chemically, sapphires and rubies are exactly the same? They are forms of a stone called corundum. A ruby is a corundum that is colored some shade of red, but not too pink. All other corundums, no matter what their color, are sapphires. Blue corundums are considered to be the prettiest sapphires, and are therefore the most popular and expensive shade. If a corundum is pinkish-orange in color, it’s called a padparadscha, from the Sanskrit words for the color of a lotus flower.

You may have seen star sapphires, like the one above right, that look like they have a glowing white star in the middle of them. This is an effect called asterism, and it is caused by another mineral in the stone. The crystals of that mineral, rutile, are long, thin and arranged parallel to each other inside the stone. When light passes through the cut stone, it’s refracted into the shape of a star. So while star sapphires are considered impure because of the rutile inclusions, they are very beautiful and prized in their own right.

And hey, one more factoid for your artists: rutile is one of the most common sources of the white pigment used in titanium white paint!

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September flower: aster

September is full of stars! Besides the star sapphires we mentioned above, the flower for the month of September is the aster. The name, of course, comes from the Latin word for star because of the flower head’s shape. There are about six hundred different types of asters found all over the world. In ancient times, people believed that burning the leaves of asters would drive away snakes. It was once customary to lay asters on the graves of soldiers to acknowledge that their memories would endure over time.

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There are plenty of people out there who bang on things all the time to see what kind of noise they make. To my wife’s chagrin, I’m one of them. But I don’t know of too many people who have gone this far:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/169573/geeky_tunes_music_from_a_tree.html

And then there’s violinist and composer Jon Rose, who makes music with the fence along the U.S./Mexico border:

http://www.jonroseweb.com/f_projects_mexico-usa.html

Mr. Rose has made a whole career recently out of musical fences. Below he performs a duet with Hollis Taylor on a wire fence.

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Satirist Mike Hadley (above), from Minneapolis, makes some great videos about the goofier aspects of the Christian culture. We especially like this one (“Tomlin, Tomlin, Brewster, Crowder, Hillsong, Brewster, Brewster, Tomlin… Tomlin!”): http://vimeo.com/4902926

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DeAnna Putnam, belly dancer and Master of Divinity (wow, there’s a combination!), has written an extremely interesting article about the history of dance in the Bible. She looks at what the different Hebrew and Greek terms used in the Biblical texts actually tell us about the context and style of dance in the times of Moses, David and Jesus: http://www.gildedserpent.com/articles20/biblebellydance.htm

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Steve Carroll is a local musician from Forest Falls who appeared at our Christian Songwriters’ Showcase in July 2009. Here’s a video clip of Steve performing his song “Fall” at the Monrovia Coffee Company:

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One of the better bands on Southern California's Christian rock scene in the late 1980s was The Reign. Fronted by Harold Bloemendaal, the band played a good number of concerts around the Southland and released one excellent album, “Back from Euphoria”, before calling it quits in 1989. This past August, the band decided to reunite for a one-off concert celebrating the album’s 20th anniversary. That stupendous concert was filmed and recorded for an upcoming CD/DVD release, due this fall. We don’t have any footage of that show yet, but here’s the band playing “Cold Desert Wind” at the Redlands Bowl back in the day (Rock of Love, 1989; thanks to John Smeby):

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And, to close out with a giggle, here’s some creativity applied to safety gear:

http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/06/02/12-unusual-and-creative-helmets/

Songwriters' Showcase keeps evolving

2009-09-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

Above: Jeremiah Johns, one of our featured Showcase artists for September 2009

We have had two successful Christian Songwriters' Showcases at the new venue, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Redlands. In August we were entertained and blessed by the music of Justin Reid, our first returning artist, and Chris Ryan, an excellent young musician who played at this year's Cornerstone Festival and has been making good waves around the state. (He comes by it honestly; his mother is Dawn Wisner-Johnson, former singer of Crumbacher and Almost Ugly.)

The Showcase will now be held on the third Saturday of each month, from 4:30 to 6:30 PM. The September 19th lineup includes:

Jeremiah Johns from Lancaster, a quickly rising artist who recently opened for The Reign's 20-year reunion concert in Fullerton (yes, Jeremiah was on the roster for August, but his car broke down en route...);

local poet Jim Cox, a resident of Reche Canyon who has been writing and performing poetry and short stories for more than four decades. Cox will present some of his poetic works with musical accompaniment;

and more artists to be announced!

For more information about the Showcase, including how to line up a slot for an upcoming event, contact us at epistrophy@aol.com. See you on September 19th!!

Book Club: It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God

2009-09-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

Our Artists’ Work B.e.n.c.h. Book Club selection for the third and fourth quarters of 2009 is a profoundly inspirational collection of essays entitled It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God. We are spreading the book out over the last half of 2009 because it is a sizeable book with a lot to think about and discuss.

Edited by Ned Bustard and published by Square Halo Books, this marvelous collection discusses subjects like conveying the concepts of good and evil in art, developing a sense of community, beauty, substance, mission, truth and many other issues of importance to the Christian artist. The contributors include:

Ned Bustard, founder of the graphic arts company World’s End Images, author of children’s educational books, and artistic director for Square Halo Books;

Charlie Peacock, award-winning musician, composer, author and producer;

Sandra Bowden, founder of Christians In the Visual Arts, whose vivid artworks were featured in a recent Work B.e.n.c.h. issue;

Makato Fujimura, cross-cultural painter and founder of the International Arts Movement;

Roger Feldman, large-scale multimedia artist;

Edward Knippers, painter renowned for his compassionate but stunning depictions of the human form;

and several other artists across many disciplines. Here’s what the publisher has to say about It Was Good:

“The Christian looks at the world through the eyes of one who has a restored relationship with the Creator, and receives a new vision affecting every area of life—including the creative process. So what does it mean to be a creative individual who is a follower of the creative God? It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God seeks to answer that question through a series of essays which offer theoretical and practical insights into artmaking from a Christian perspective. The Christian worldview is foundational to the approach a believer in Christ takes to making art and artmaking inevitably raises difficult questions. This book offers aid in developing some of the internal tools needed to work through those questions, and so to glorify and enjoy God while trying to speak with a clear and relevant voice to a fallen world.”

Please note that we will be working with the 2007 expanded edition of the book, not the earlier, smaller edition. The updated edition doubles the number of essays and should be considered an essential resource for any Christian artist.

Gaudi's Folly: La Sagrada Familia and the Face of Barcelona

2009-09-02T17:24:00.000-07:00

Above: Antoni Gaudi, the architect that helped give Barcelona its distinctive skyline.

Many elements have come together to make Barcelona, Spain, one of the most utterly unique cities in the world. Part of its uniqueness comes from the Catalonian culture, with its own dialect and an almost nationalistic spirit. Part stems from his ancient history as a Roman outpost founded by Hannibal’s father, absorbed into the Kingdom of Aragon and dominated by hostile forces many times over the centuries. The city is one of Europe’s industrial and financial powerhouses. But, perhaps more than anything, Barcelona is notable for the innovative, often downright bizarre creations of one lone architect. One could say that no single structure summarizes the character of Barcelona more than the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família: the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family.

Above: La Sagrada Familia, under construction for 127 years and counting.

Antoni Gaudi, the creator of La Sagrada Familia, was born in a village of southern Catalonia on June 25, 1852. His family had a long history of coppersmithing on both sides, so it was logical that Gaudi would take up some sort of artistic pursuit. As a child he frequently battled bouts of rheumatic fever, remedied by sitting outside and breathing in fresh air while admiring God’s natural creations. Young Antoni’s appreciation for nature and its forms colored his artistic sensibilities, right up through his development as an architect. In 1873 he enrolled at Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura, where his instructors did not know quite what to make of his creations. Reluctantly they issued him the formal title of Architect in 1877, although one of his professors quipped, “Who knows if we have given this diploma to a nut or to a genius. Time will tell.”

Gaudi’s first professional jobs were fairly simple: some lampposts for a pavilion here, a showcase for a glovemaker there. Then, in 1883, he received a commission to design a home for Manuel Vicens, a local industrialist who operated brick and tile factories. It was a grand opportunity for Gaudi to strut his stuff, and he achieved more than expected. The Casa Vicens is an enormous structure of four stories and 12,500 square feet, made of rough stone and bricks with staggering checkerboards of tilework. Gables and towers, topped with Moorish domes and arches, jut out from the building at odd heights and angles. It was a strange but auspicious debut for the young architect, getting people’s attention without going too far overboard (yet).

Above: Casa Vicens, Gaudi’s first major architectural achievement.

Gaudi found his key patron in Count Eusebi Guell, another industrialist who saw a lot of potential in the young man (although he once told Gaudi, “I don’t like your architecture, I respect it.”) Guell contracted the architect to build some stables and an entry pavilion at the businessman’s palatial compound. Inspired, Guell began to envision something along the lines of what would today be a contemporary gated community. In this case, however, the concept was more of a utopian community for the rich. Unfortunately, Gaudi’s work was not as popular among Barcelona’s wealthy as either man would have liked. Little was done for the project, aside from two houses and a crypt. The two men continued to work together, with Gaudi building the strange Palau Guell as a new residence for the eccentric businessman. The palace was freakish even by today’s standards, surmounted by bright, twisting, bulbous chimneys and wavy rooflines.

Above: the roof of the Palau Guell, with Gaudi’s multicolored spires, rough pebbled towers, and extensive brickwork.

Similar in spirit is Casa Batllo, a home built in 1877 that Gaudi and Josep Maria Jujol remodeled and redesigned from 1905 to 1907. The new façade, inspired by the story of St. George and the Dragon, carries images of the tale including a turret and cross that represent the sword plunged into the dragon. The roofline of the building undulates like a dragon’s spine, and the façade is covered in broken mosaic tiles ranging from green to orange. There are very few straight lines visible on the entire surface of the building, the windows are mostly framed in warped ovals, and the very stonework is sculpted into splashes, drips and tapers.

Above: the façade of Casa Batllo.

In 1882 Gaudi’s religious convictions began to weigh heavily upon his heart. He felt led to build a new monument to God’s glory, one that would be completely unique in the world but reflect the creativity of the Creator. Gaudi began designing La Sagrada Familia as an enormous cathedral with eighteen towers: one each for Mary, Jesus, the twelve apostles, and the four Evangelists of the church. The design includes myriad features out of Christian symbolism, with sheaves of wheat and bunches of grapes to indicate the Eucharist, inscribed words from the liturgy, the traditional symbols of the Gospel writers, and primitive-looking scenes of the Nativity and Passion of Christ. He even put much thought and prayer into the height of the towers; the one representing Jesus will, with its finishing cross on top, measure one meter less than the nearby hill Montjuic because Gaudi did not want his creation to surpass God’s in height.

Above: the eastern façade of La Sagrada Familia, representing the Nativity.

The whole structure of La Sagrada Familia somewhat resembles a melting wax model. Sections of stone seem to ooze like mud from the towers and walls of the cathedral. The spavined arches of the entryway are held up by columns like thighbones and angled as if they will collapse any moment, though they are structurally very sound. The towers, tapered like elegant candles, are perforated with long columns of small windows, and the still-glassless rose windows give an eerie, lacelike effect. It is simply one of the most remarkable architectural achievements in history. Once considered Gaudi’s folly, the church defines the skyline of Barcelona, and much of the Catalonian character.

Since Gaudi’s death in 1926, additional designers have had their say in furthering the work on the church. Josip Maria Subirachs’ design for the Passion Façade reflects some elements of Cubism, a style that departed from Gaudi’s Art Nouveau emphasis and stands out distinctly. As time goes on, La Sagrada Familia continues to develop as a unique landmark of religious architecture and Catalonian creativity. Though work isn’t expected to be completed until 2026, the centennial of Gaudi’s death, part of La Sagrada Familia is expected to be opened for church services by September 2010.

Above: Subirachs’ Cubist-inspired design for the Passion Façade.

Above: A graphic artist’s fanciful interpretation of what the Sagrada Familia might be like when it is finally completed, sometime around 2026.

Artist Profile: Hugo Distler

2009-09-02T14:33:00.001-07:00

A quiz: This Germanic composer, who died at the young age of 34 of mysterious and dubious causes, was a musical prodigy who showed early genius. His innovative compositions are enjoyed worldwide.

Who could this be? If you thought of Mozart, give yourself some credit for knowing music history. But it’s not Mozart, although this particular composer’s life does parallel Mozart’s in some ways (Mozart, by the way, died when he was 36, not 34).

No, the man from the first paragraph was a 20th-century composer named Hugo Distler. He is considered to be one of the century’s greatest liturgical composers, yet he is not very well known today. Distler’s great promise as a musical figure ended in tragedy as the Nazi menace grew.

Distler was born in Nuremberg on June 24, 1908. Like many German children he was brought up on a rich diet of music and the arts, learning the piano at an early age. He was a teenager in the Weimar Republic era, when the full history of German culture was the predominant subject of public education. As Distler studied piano, organ and composition at the Leipzig Conservatory, the Nazis were just beginning to mass and spread out from Bavaria, corrupting the nationalist vision of the Weimar government into a racist toxin.

As German’s finest scientific and artistic minds, from Hindemith to Einstein, were driven out of the country, Distler was young and unknown enough to fly under the Nazi radar. He was placed in charge of the chamber music department at Lubeck Conservatory, an ideal position to explore his new ideas of religious music. He also served as organist in the Church of St. Jacobi in Lubeck, trying out some new material in that venue. In 1933 he married Waltraut Thienhaus and, naively, joined the Nazi Party as many younger Germans who were hopeful for positive change had done.

Above: Distler’s organ piece “Christe, Du Lamm Gottes” (“Christ, You Are the Lamb of God”), performed by Ronald Ijmker at Oude St. Helenachurch in Aalten, Holland.

Distler had a unique vision to change the face of liturgical music in the 20th century, using some modern techniques while retaining the austerity and humility of traditional choral forms. In the spirit of the Biblical “new song”, he sought to develop a modern style for church music that would be accessible to those who did not appreciate the older hymns and monophony. His concepts were best realized in his most popular choral piece, “Singet dem Herrn ein Neues Lied” (Let the People Sing a New Song). As heard in the recent performance below, Distler magnificently balanced spiritual peacefulness with a modern ear.

Above: Distler’s “Singet dem Herrn ein Neues Lied” (Let the People Sing a New Song), performed in April 2009 by the Grand View University Choir, Des Moines, Iowa.

Distler often set new words to existing folk songs and Reformation tunes, making a bright new creation out of conventional materials. He used simple pentatonic scales in polyphonic structures (melody and one or more harmonies moving together) and colored his tunes with melismas, sliding streams of vocal inflections similar to those used by contemporary R&B singers like Mariah Carey. His first wide acknowledgment as a promising composer came at the 1935 Musiktage in Kassel, where some of his works were debuted to strong acclaim.

Above: Distler’s “Totentanz” (Dance of Death), performed in 1992 by the Kammerchor Munsterland.

As happened with many German visionaries, Distler and his art were soon labeled as “degenerate” by the Nazi Party. The Brown Shirts not only sought to eliminate the voice of the church in Germany, but also to suppress any and all forms of art that departed from the respected, traditional styles of the Fatherland. As a contemporary liturgical composer, Distler thus became a target on both counts. He was not only oppressed personally, but suffered as his friends and family members were either killed, deported or forced into the Nazi military ranks. Desperate to avoid his own conscription into the army, recognizing the true evils of Nazism as they were, Distler committed suicide on November 1, 1942, by blowing out the pilot light of his gas oven and suffocating himself.

Today Distler is known for a collection of twenty-one existing works, including some multi-part choral pieces, organ partitas, piano duos and an adventurous string quartet. His music, and the story of his life, have continued to endure and inspire the German people and the world. In 1992 he finally received some overdue recognition from the German government, when a 100-pfennig postage stamp was issued in Distler’s honor. His works continue to be performed and recorded around the globe, though not always in his beloved churches.

Here are links to our prior artist profiles:

Debora Iyall
David Carranza, Jr.
Albrecht Durer
Rev. Howard Finster
Sam Maloof
Thomas Blackshear
Dr. He Qi
Sandra Bowden
Laura Kramer (Psalm 23 Jewelry)
Chris Schlarb

John Newton
Vincent van Gogh

Artist Profile: Debora Iyall

2009-09-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

Above: Debora Iyall. Photo by Billy Douglas.

One of the ubiquitous radio hits of the early 1980s was spawned by a most unlikely band. Romeo Void was a phenomenally strange punk outfit fronted by a chunky, fierce-looking young woman who half-sang, half-snarled their songs. In 1981 they hit the charts with “Never Say Never”, a violent, suggestive anthem of the punk-era sexual revolution. A few years later they followed up with “A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)”, a response to Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” that leaves the listener wondering whether the girl has an abortion or keeps the baby when she “takes care of business”.

Fast forward to 2009, when elegant-looking Debora Iyall is busily working in her art studio in Citrus Heights, California. Married to sound engineer Patrick Haight, Iyall still carries a bit of that punk flair but, by and large, isn’t the type of lady you’d have expected to howl about sex with old men. She has become one of the most respected visual artists and art instructors in the state today, and has a firm connection with the Inland Empire.

In 1954, Debora Kay Iyallwahawa was born of Cowlitz Native American heritage in Soap Lake, Washington. She was brought up in Fresno and attended the San Francisco Art Institute in the 1970s. Iyallwahawa experimented with poetry, sound, performance and visual arts, sometimes incorporating Native American references into her works. Her friends at the school included musicians Peter Woods, Jay Derrah and Frank Zincavage, who talked the young artist into forming a band with them. She trimmed her surname down to Iyall (pronounced like “Hi, y’all”) and became the frontwoman of Romeo Void. Inspired by then-huge British bands like Joy Division and Gang of Four, the band added saxophonist Benjamin Bossi to bring a free-jazz flavor to their infectious, hammering music.

Romeo Void recorded their first album, It’s a Condition, for the local 415 Records label, home to other Bay Area punkers like Translator, Wire Train and Red Rockers. The record was packed with powerful songs about the denial of emotion, using sex as escape, and the hardships of modern life. On “White Sweater” Iyall muses about the clothes her sister wore when she committed suicide, while “Myself to Myself” (video below) speaks of withdrawing from society.

Cars frontman Ric Ocasek got wind of the album while on tour and invited the band to his studio in Boston. Under his producer’s hand Romeo Void recorded the EP Never Say Never, which was released on Columbia Records and gave them their first major national exposure. On tour the band’s brand of spectacle, with their oddball saxophone and portly, ferocious frontwoman, earned them a sizeable audience. There was, quite simply, nothing else like them on the market.

Romeo Void continued to record and tour into the mid-1980s. Benefactor, their 1982 album, kept up the punk mode of the first releases, but in 1984 they went in a more accessible direction with Instincts. Bossi’s saxophone was less harsh and Iyall’s singing became more melodic as well. Her anger was tempered by resignation and perhaps even a sense of hope. Despite reaching the Top 40 with “A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)”, the band suffered internal tensions and broke up in 1985.

Debora Iyall recorded her only solo album, Strange Language, the following year for Columbia. It didn’t fare well in the marketplace, due more to changing public tastes than to the vivid performances. She took a step back from the music business and returned to the visual arts, becoming an acclaimed painter, printmaker and instructor. For more than a decade Iyall taught art at the Palm Desert satellite campus of Cal State San Bernardino and at the 29 Palms Creative Center and Gallery, holding regular exhibits of her own works and those of her students. She came back in touch with her Native American heritage at this point, working those references into her prints while embracing the beauty of the Desert Southwest. At times she presented workshops as an artist-in-residence in San Bernardino, creating pieces like the one shown below, “San B Nights”. Of this piece Iyall says, “I wanted to show a narrative work done in a monochromatic color scheme, that may be considered ‘tight’ and is appropriate for high school. I wanted to present an evocative four-directions composition with radiant lines around a portrait. Beyond my intentions it reflects an essence of my reality.”

Above: Debora Iyall, “San B Nights”, acrylic.

Iyall’s specialties include monotypes, a process that produces a single print from a flat painted or inked plate, and relief prints, in which the raised surfaces of a carved or incised block are inked or painted to produce a print. She has created a number of strikingly beautiful monotypes in the subtle palettes of the Southwest Desert, as well as many monochrome and two-tone relief prints.

Above: Debora Iyall, "Sky/Mountain", monotype, 2005, 29 Palms Creative Center

From 2006 to 2008, Iyall worked as an art instructor for the Navajo Nation in Arizona, teaching young Native American students to express their heritage, spirituality and life experiences through visual and performing arts. In 2009 she and Haight moved to Citrus Heights when he obtained a teaching position in audio engineering at Pinnacle College. Iyall is presently continuing to create artworks, teaching as a private instructor, and seeking a more regular teaching position in the area.

Iyall has continued to make music as well. In 1999 she formed Knife in Water, a duo with guitarist Peter Dunne. In 2004 Romeo Void got back together for an acclaimed episode of VH1’s series “Bands Reunited”. In 2006, while completing her master’s degree in art at Portland’s Lewis and Clark College, Iyall began collaborating with local musicians in Nvr Say Nvr, revisiting Romeo Void’s music and other original and cover material. September 2009 marks her tour as a solo artist alongside Wire Train and Translator, two reunited bands from the old days of 415 Records. She continues to be a dynamic, multi-faceted, always engaging creative artist.

Above: relief print, inspired by a Native American full moon gathering at Corn Springs Wash in the Chuckwalla Mountains of Riverside County, northeast of the Salton Sea.

Here are links to our prior artist profiles:

Hugo Distler
David Carranza, Jr.
Albrecht Durer
Rev. Howard Finster
Sam Maloof
Thomas Blackshear
Dr. He Qi
Sandra Bowden
Laura Kramer (Psalm 23 Jewelry)
Chris Schlarb

John Newton
Vincent van Gogh

Poetry Corner: Morning

2009-09-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

MORNING

Darkness-
Once dressed in regal, velvety robes
and a sneering haughty manner
trudges along
in an ill-fitting gray garment
glancing at the faint glow
on the distant horizon.

The soft crimson aura of first light
declares his defeat and dethronement.

He rolls small beady eyes in exasperation
the urge to rule still aches
like a phantom limb.

Dawn arrives, attired in delicate pink
Lifts her arms
and offers up a thankful song.

It’s the morning of the third day.

Jim Cox is a poet and short-story writer from Colton, California.

Here are some of the other poems we have posted in prior issues:

To see August's poem, click here
To see July's Poem, click here.
To see June's Poem, click here.
To see May's Poem, click here.
To see April's Poem, click here.
To see March's Poem, click here.
To see February's poem, click here.
To see January's poem, click here.
To see the poem for December, 2008, click here.
To read a poem by Steve Turner, click here.

August 2009 Artists Work B.e.n.c.h.

2009-08-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the e-magazine/blog for Artists' Work B.e.n.c.h., the Inland Empire's Christian fine arts organization! We hope you will find this to be a useful, enjoyable and worthwhile resource.

We have created a survey that we would like you to participate in when you have a couple of moments. We want to get a feel for how our members are already using their artistic talents in the community, and what obstacles are still out there for Christian artists. We appreciate your assistance, as we hope to use this as a tool to improve Artists' Work B.e.n.c.h. and develop more ideas for events, networking, education and other matters. The survey is at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=WPDz57k2KEwNQPFt14t4Gw_3d_3d

Here are the newest items in the Artists' Work B.e.n.c.h. blog. Just click on the titles to go to the articles:

The Cafe for August 2009

Poetry Corner: Children's Party

Christian Songwriters' Showcase Has a New Home and a New Date

Third Quarter Bookclub Selection - It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God

Fine Arts Bible Study 10

August Happenings: Artistic Events around the Inland Empire

Artist Profile: Albrecht Durer

Local Artist Profile: David Carranza, Jr.

Master Class: Photographing Water

The Inspiration of Native American Dance

So, brew a cup of coffee, herbal tea, or whatever you like, and stay a while. This page will be updated monthly with new articles and interviews. Enjoy!You are part of a growing group.

What is Artists' Work B.e.n.c.h? This is a place for Christian artists in the Inland Empire of Southern California to mix, network, relax, share, and learn. What types of Christian artists?

1. Visual arts (sculpture, painting, glass blowing, etc.)
2. Dance (performing, choreography, etc. )
3. Music (playing, writing, learning, singing, etc.)
4. Creative writing (poetry, stories, etc.)
5. Drama/theater (acting, playwriting, directing, etc.)
6. ??????

Artists Work B.e.n.c.h. is for Christian artists: simply, people who are Christians and who are also artists. Some Christian artists make art exclusively for Christians, but many use their talents in secular ways as well (writing screenplays for television, jingles, playing in a philharmonic orchestra, acting in a community theater, displaying their paintings in a gallery, etc.) All are welcome here.

Christians follow the Creator of the Universe, and therefore should be the most creative people in the world. The church has historically been the patron of great artists. Hildegard, the writer of the very first opera, was a nun. Michelangelo, Donatello, Edward Hicks, and many others made art for church and used church subjects.

But, today, Christian art is not considered "forward" or "interesting" in many circles. This reputation is well-deserved in most cases. Christian art has become a punchline. In our own little way we hope to change some of that perception.

What does Artist's Work B.e.n.c.h. stand for?
B=BUILD new Christian artists, ministries, avenues.
E=ENCOURAGE Christian artists to use their talents.
N=NETWORK with Christian artists, churches.
C=COORDINATE opportunities for Christian artists to use/exhibit their talents.
H=HELP Christian artists and help churches utilize artists.

Poetry Corner: Children's Party

2009-08-17T14:56:00.001-07:00

Just because the Dog Days of Summer find us in a silly mood...

May I join you in the doghouse, Rover?
I wish to retire till the party's over.
Since three o'clock I've done my best
To entertain each tiny guest. My conscience now I've left behind me,
And if they want me, let them find me.
I blew their bubbles, I sailed their boats,
I kept them from each other's throats. I told them tales of magic lands,
I took them out to wash their hands.
I sorted their rubbers and tied their laces,
I wiped their noses and dried their faces. Of similarities there's lots
Twixt tiny tots and Hottentots.
I've earned repose to heal the ravages
Of these angelic-looking savages. Oh, progeny playing by itself
Is a lonely little elf,
But progeny in roistering batches
Would drive St. francis from here to Natchez. Shunned are the games a parent proposes,
They prefer to squirt each other with hoses,
Their playmates are their natural foemen
And they like to poke each other's abdomen. Their joy needs another's woes to cushion it,
Say a puddle, and someone littler to push in it.
They observe with glee the ballistic results
Of ice cream with spoons for catapults, And inform the assembly with tears and glares
That everyone's presents are better than theirs.
Oh, little women and little men,
Someday I hope to love you again, But not till after the party's over,
So give me the key to the doghouse, Rover.

by Ogden Nash

To read the master class on writing poetry, click here.

Below are previous poems we have published on this site.
To see July's Poem, click here.
To see June's Poem, click here.
To see May's Poem, click here.
To see April's Poem, click here.
To see March's Poem, click here.
To see February's poem, click here.
To see January's poem, click here.
To see the poem for December, 2008, click here.
To read a poem by Steve Turner, click here.

Book Club: It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God

2009-08-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

Our Artists’ Work B.e.n.c.h. Book Club selection for the third quarter of 2009 is a profoundly inspirational collection of essays entitled It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God.

Edited by Ned Bustard and published by Square Halo Books, this marvelous collection discusses subjects like conveying the concepts of good and evil in art, developing a sense of community, beauty, substance, mission, truth and many other issues of importance to the Christian artist. The contributors include:

Ned Bustard, founder of the graphic arts company World’s End Images, author of children’s educational books, and artistic director for Square Halo Books;

Charlie Peacock, award-winning musician, composer, author and producer;

Sandra Bowden, founder of Christians In the Visual Arts, whose vivid artworks were featured in a recent Work B.e.n.c.h. issue;

Makato Fujimura, cross-cultural painter and founder of the International Arts Movement;

Roger Feldman, large-scale multimedia artist;

Edward Knippers, painter renowned for his compassionate but stunning depictions of the human form;

and several other artists across many disciplines. Here’s what the publisher has to say about It Was Good:

“The Christian looks at the world through the eyes of one who has a restored relationship with the Creator, and receives a new vision affecting every area of life—including the creative process. So what does it mean to be a creative individual who is a follower of the creative God? It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God seeks to answer that question through a series of essays which offer theoretical and practical insights into artmaking from a Christian perspective. The Christian worldview is foundational to the approach a believer in Christ takes to making art and artmaking inevitably raises difficult questions. This book offers aid in developing some of the internal tools needed to work through those questions, and so to glorify and enjoy God while trying to speak with a clear and relevant voice to a fallen world.”

August Cafe

2009-08-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some links to get the ideas swirling in your brain. Perhaps one of these will give you a great idea for a dance or a painting...or maybe it will just be a diversion with a few interesting links.

August birthstone- peridot

August Flower- Gladiolas

August 1- National Mustard Day
Did you know that the Napa Valley Mustard Festival sponsors an annual art contest? They give monetary prizes and also display artwork and photography for sale. Unfortunately for many Work B.e.n.c.h. members, artists have to live in Northern California. Still, it’s a good collection of marketable art that is made by contemporary artists. To view the 2009 and past winners, or to find out more about entering, click here: http://www.mustardfestival.org/art.html

And, before leaving the subject of mustard, here is a local company that makes some really good mustard. You can order it over the internet. They’re out of Grand Terrace, and they do free local delivery (within reason). http://www.wildbillscountrymustard.com/about_us.htm

August 2 International Forgiveness Day
Forgiveness is an integral part of the Gospel message. One Buddhist I know who killed a man during the Vietnam War was quite intrigued by Jesus’ claims to wash away sin. For some other takes on Forgiveness, click here: http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_forgiveness.html At this site, you will find quotes and quips on forgiveness, including this Emily Dickenson poem:

All but Death, can be Adjusted—
Dynasties repaired—
Systems—settled in their Sockets—
Citadels—dissolved—

Wastes of Lives—resown with Colors
By Succeeding Springs—
Death—unto itself—Exception—
Is exempt from Change—

August 3- National Watermelon Day
What does a watermelon have to do with art? Check out this website with many intricate and amazingly difficult carvings. Click here http://www.americade.info/melons1.htm

August 5 Work Like a Dog Day
Maybe work like a dog day seems like it’s every day. Today, why don’t you find out about actual dogs who work. Did you know that Perris has an organization called Canine Support Teams, where they train and match service dogs to people who have disabilities other than blindness? Click here to see their website: http://www.caninesupportteams.org/

August 7- National Lighthouse Day
Want to see a lighthouse up close? Pigeon Point Lighthouse, which is just north of Santa Cruz, has a hostel connected to it. You can stay in a dorm room for $23, or reserve a private room for you and your family for around $100. Click here for information http://norcalhostels.org/pigeon/rates/

August 9 Book Lover's Day
Tom Bendtsen, a Canadian artist, has made some pretty amazing large-scale sculptures out of books. Check it out at:
http://www.tombendtsen.com/Arguments/index.html

August 10 National S'mores Day
Check out this link for creative ways to get that s’mores taste, such as a s’mores sundae, or s’mores fudge. http://celebrations.com/lifeoftheparty/?p=993

August 11 Presidential Joke Day
On August 11, 1984, just before his regular Saturday radio address, President Ronald Reagan was doing a voice test with the microphone. He thought the microphone and the feed was not live. He joked into the microphone: "My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I just signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever. The bombing begins in five minutes." To his surprise, he was speaking to a live feed!

August 13 Left Hander's Day
Below is a video of Romanian Luthier Gliga’s mastery of making left handed violins, cellos, and other stringed instruments. If you are interested in finding out how to purchase one of these beautiful instruments, which start at only $538 click here http://www.violinslover.com/lefthandedviolins4_4.php

August- 14/15 V-J Day –
On August 14, Hirohito, Emperor of Japan during World War II surrendered. News spread throughout the United States and the world. Today, the date passes mostly without significance, except the occasional reference at the end of the nightly news, but it’s significance lives on in history. You probably know someone, a grandfather perhaps, who fought in World War II. Why don’t you call this person up and talk to him/her about the war experience. For more information on VJ Day and World War II in general, click here http://www.history.com/content/vjday/vj-day-photos

August 17 National Thriftshop Day
Who can resist listening to a song with lyrics like this:
Everyday when I go to school people say I look like a fool
They don’t like the way I dress
Hey! I don’t wear pants made by Guess.
Plaid pants aren’t too funny, I bought these with yesterday’s lunch money.
They only cost $1.92.

I don’t care, I’ll be back there tomorrow, I won’t drown in your sorrow.
Maybe I’ll have enough for two, maybe I’ll buy a pair for you!
Go ahead and laugh, I won’t get mad. This shirt used to be your dad’s.

The ska-punk band Voodoo Glow Skulls out of Riverside, CA recorded this song. Listen to it here: http://www.rhapsody.com/voodoo-glow-skulls/firme/thrift-shop-junkie/lyrics.html

August 18 Bad Poetry Day
Here’s your chance to get back at your high school English teacher. Relish bad poetry and recite it until your heart’s content! Put a short bad poem in your kids’ lunch boxes so they can read it at school and horrify their teachers. Send an e-mail to all of your friends with a bad poem in it. Go to a restaurant and tip a waiter an extra amount to have him read a bad poem to your significant other. If you can’t write bad poetry of your own, click here and borrow one of these: http://homepages.wmich.edu/~cooneys/poems/bad/index.html

To read last month’s master class about how to write better poetry, click here (not today, though, because today is Bad Poetry Day). http://artistsworkbench.blogspot.com/2009/07/writing-good-poetry-tools-of-adult-poet.html

August 20- Qi Xi- Chinese Valentine's Day.

This day is arranged by the Lunar calendar, so it falls on a different day in the summer each year. Click here to learn about traditions, stories, and ideas for how to celebrate this day. http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/137956.htm Below is how to write, "I Love You" in Mandarine (Chinese).

August 23- Ride the Wind Day

How do you ride the wind? Take a motorcycle ride, fly in an airplane or glider, fly a kite, ride in a sailboat, drive a convertible with the top down, or just take a walk in the cooler evening breeze. Celebrate the waning days of summer by just enjoying the weather. For artistic inspiration, you will find 30 works of art that pertain to the sky, wind, or air. Click here: http://webecoist.com/2008/12/21/air-sky-wind-art/

August 24- Vesuvius Day

On August 24 in the year 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed two Roman cities: Pompeii and Herculaneum. Click here for an excellent website that shows some of the excavation and finds, as well as the history these two cities. http://www.fieldmuseum.org/pompeii/introduction.asp

August 30- Toasted Marshmallow Day

The following video is a Dave Tremko claymation of a bear wood carving toasting a marshmallow. Confused? Just watch the video. It's short. Then, you try to describe it.

August Happenings

2009-08-02T16:56:00.000-07:00

Christian Concert

August 2 - The Rave

The Rave, with a live band, DJ Steve, Cafe', prizes, and more. 6-8:30pm at New Hope Christian Fellowship, 13333 Ramona Ave., Chino. Contact(909) 702-3736, or myspace.com/chinorave for more information.

Photography Exhibit

Now through August 29- Sight Unseen: International Photography by blind artists.

at: UCR/California Museum of Photography. General admission $3- seniors, students and children are free. Muesum open Tuesdays-Saturdays, 12:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M, located at . 3824 Main st. Riverside, CA 92501

Sight Unseen presents work by twelve of the most accomplished blind photographers in the world. It is the first major museum exhibition on a subject full of paradox and revelation. This poetic and inherently conceptual work proposes a surprising central thesis—unhindered by the constraints of outward sight, blind photographers possess the clearest vision on the planet.

This installation has been in Time Magazine (click here), on NPR (click here), and reviewed in the L.A. Times (click here).

Fashion Show featuring student works

August 6- Down4Earth Recycled Fashion Show

Rubidoux youth summer fashion workshop exhibition. All one-of-a-kind pieces are made from recycled elements. Proceeds from all sales go to benefit the programs at the Youth Opportunity Center in Riverside. This project is hosted by Small Wonder in partnership with California Family Life Centers. It involves youth, ages 14 to 21, employed to design and fabricate unique fashion. Tickets are free as part of August Downtown Artswalk. Begins at 7:00 P.M. at Riverside Community Arts Association, 3870 Lemon Street Riverside, CA 92501.

Jazz Concert

August 7- Diana Krall

At Agua Caliente, 32-250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage. Some music is intended to paint a romantic scene – a candlelit dinner, a walk along a moonlit beach. Quiet Nights – Diana Krall’s twelfth album – ain’t about that. Using Brazil as a musical point of reference, the award-winning pianist and singer is not suggesting a night out; she means to stay in. Tickets $45-$100. Call 760-202-2111 for more information. Buy tickets here: http://www.startickets.com/event.php?event=838

Family Art Day

August 7- Family Day at the Art Depot in Fontana featuring Joshua Valencia.

Join the Art Depot Gallery for fun entertainment, artist demonstrations, art activities and more in the quarterly Family Art Day. Admission: Free. 6-9 P.M. at Art Depot 16822 Spring Street Fontana, CA 92235.

Cartooning Workshop

August 7- Cartooning Workshop at the Museum of History and Art in Riverside.

Join artist Darlene Douthit as she leads a cartooning workshop inspired by the Peanuts characters and Snoopy. Along with learning cartooning techniques, Ms. Douthit will share how Charles Schulz was the first professional she met at the age of eighteen and how he inspired her and offered career advice as a young artist. Workshop begins at 4:00 P.M. at 225 South Euclid Avenue Ontario, CA 91762.

August 8-Southern/Country Gospel Concert

featuring Tradesmen, June Wade & Tomes Brothers. 6pm, Trinity Full Gospel, 235 N Lena Rd., San Bernardino, free. Call (760) 949-4670 for more info.

Jam Session

August 12- Hot Night, Sweet Jam in Joshua Tree

The Hot Night, Sweet Jam event is a multi-faceted fully produced open jam session for musicians. Open to any musician who would like to get on-stage and play with other musicians. Bar – Snacks, wine and beverages available for purchase located in the theatre foyer. Event tickets presale are $5 or $10 at the door. Call 760-684-9093 for more information or to purchase tickets. Time 7-11 P.M. High Dessert Playhouse and Cultural Arts Center, 61231 29 Palms Hwy. Joshua Tree, CA 92252.

Theater

August 15-September 20- Lifehouse Theater presents Little House on the Prairie

Tickets $10-$16. For more information and to purchase tickets in advance, click here: http://www.lifehousetheater.com/ or call (909) 335-3037

Follow the adventures of a young pioneer family and a wagon load of friends from Walnut Grove. Ma and Pa Ingalls, Laura, Mary and Carrie, the lovable Mr. Edwards, bratty Nelly Olsen and all the familiar favorites from the beloved series by Laura Ingalls Wilder share the challenges and rewards of life on the Prairie. 1135 N Church St, Redlands.

AUG 14-16 Harvest Crusade with Greg Laurie

Performances by Third Day, Chris Tomlin, Skillet, Relient K and more. Fri-Sat. 7pm & Sun. 6pm, Angel Stadium, Anaheim, free. For more information call 1-800-CRUSADE, or click here.

Christian Concert

August 15- Christian Songwriters’ Showcase

Come out and hear Daniel Medina, Justin Reid, Jeremiah Johns, and Chris Ryan share their music in a casual setting. Free. 4:30-6:30 at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at 528 Orange Street in Redlands (in the Vons/Trader Joes shopping center). Along with coffee and goodies from the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, there is a frozen yogurt shop and several other eateries within close walking distance.

Theater

August 15-23- Disney’s Aladdin presented by Christian Arts and Theater in Corona.

Disney’s Aladdin will hit the stage with all your favorite characters from the lovely Jasmine and the evil Jafar, comical Iago and Abu and, of course, Aladdin and the Genie. Naturally, all the wonderful Disney music will be included too, like “Never Had a Friend like Me” and “A Whole New World”. CAT’s youth shows are always wildly successful “sell outs” and it is expected that Aladdin will be no different. This is a great show to introduce your children to live theater: all the colorful costumes, amazing dancing and familiar music will captivate them! Presald tickets $11-$13, at the door $13-15. Call 951-279-2258.

Christian Concert

August 21- Leeland in concert

7pm, Rancho Community Church, 31300 Rancho Community Way, Temecula, $15-20. Sponsored by Thessalonika Family Services. Call (951) 302-7609 for more information.

Christian Concert

August 22- G.M.D. Summer Celebration Concert 2009

Featuring Little Willie G, Dennis Massawe & more. 5:30-9pm, Temecula Community Recreation Center, 30785 Rancho Vista Rd., Temecula. Tickets are $5. Call (951) 252-7885 for more information.

Christian Dancing

August 29- Riverside Dance Party (includes lessons).

For ages 19 to 91. 7:30-11:30pm. Cowtown, 15950 Van Buren Blvd. $15 prepaid, $20 at door. Call (714) 210-3337, or go to ChristianSinglesFunEvents.com for more information.

Jazz

August 29-30-16th annual Idyllwild Jazz in the Pines

10 A.M. to 6 P.M. Two incredible days of great jazz, wonderful food and art in the beautiful San Jacinto Mountains on the campus of the Idyllwild Arts Academy. Produced by the Associates of Idyllwild Arts Foundation to raise scholarship funds for Idyllwild Arts Academy and the Summer Program and to promote the American Art Form – Jazz. Tickets- $20-$235. Call 951-313-3361 for more information. Location: Idyllwild Arts Campus, 52500 Temecula Drive Idyllwild, CA 92549.

Artist Profile: Albrecht Durer

2009-08-02T16:36:00.000-07:00

In a world of celebrity pastors, it’s easy for people who aren’t called to be pastors to feel either marginalized or off-the-hook, depending on how much they desire to serve God. Feelings like, “I don’t make the rules around here, I’m just the drummer for the worship team,” have been heard too often in the halls of the church. Many pastors who think they are being forward or modern will allow an artist or a dancer to create something for a service, but only if it’s short and doesn’t cut into the sermon time.

Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) lived during the height of the Northern Renaissance, and he saw art as necessary for the church and important in helping people worship and understand the teachings of the Bible. He was born into a family with a talented goldsmith father, an immigrant to Germany from Hungary, who was happy to see his young son interested in the arts. Out of eighteen children born to his mother and father, only three survived to adulthood. Durer’s godfather was a printer who owned twenty-four printing presses and published the Nuremburg Chronicle, which contained 1,809 woodcut illustrations. Growing up with such influences on his life, young Albrecht was destined to become an artist, and it is no wonder that some of his most famous works are woodcuts.

As a young man, Durer worked in his father’s goldsmith shop and was apprenticed at fifteen years old to Michael Wohlgemut, a painter who was sought after for book cover design. Wohlgemut taught Durer how to do masterful woodcuts, and the apprentice’s skill at the art is apparent; even now, 500 years later, good impressions can still be made from Durer’s original woodcuts. He used a burin, a steel cutting tool for engraving, to make his woodcuts.

Durer married Agnes Frey in 1494 in an arranged marriage that seemed like a business deal between their respective fathers. Shortly after his marriage, Durer traveled to Venice to learn from Italian Renaissance artists. He studied proportion and perspective, topics that would become some of his life’s passion in art.

But, they weren’t his only passions in life. In 1495, he returned to Nuremburg and worked on a series of large prints called “The Apocalypse.” It became a series of fifteen woodcuts in which Durer illustrated the events described in the book of Revelation (a few are shown below).

It seemed that much of Europe was stricken with “End of the World fever,” since the year 1500 was fast approaching. Every report of a flood, earthquake, or even a military leader was met with dread that the Antichrist might be within the world’s midst. However, many of the citizens were still illiterate and, with the Catholic masses spoken in Latin, a language unintelligible to the run-of-the-mill European, Durer wanted to create works that taught the world what the Bible actually said about the subject of the Apocalypse. His blocks were made of hardwood and large; they took up a full-sized piece of paper when printed. On the reverse side, Durer had the pertinent Bible verses printed. Europeans were so ready to “hear” Durer’s message that this project brought him widespread fame.

He followed the Apocalypse with a series on the life of Mary and another on the Passion of Christ. Both of these series were meant to be used by Bible teachers and clergy as they taught the public about the Bible.

Not all of his works were sacred in nature. He painted many pictures and made woodblocks of nature scenes. His woodcut of a rhinoceros, though not very true-to-life as it was based upon someone else’s report, was still being used in publications two centuries after Durer created it. He also made a number of portraits, which tended to bring in the bulk of an artist’s income as wealthy patrons wanted good artists to memorialize them.

In 1508, a wealthy merchant commissioned Durer to paint a new triptych altarpiece for a church in Frankfurt. The piece was later destroyed by fire, but copies exist that were made by art students in the 1600’s before the fire. A copy of the reproduction is below. Notice the circle (added by me) on the left panel of the triptych.

Now, look at Durer’s famous Praying Hands of an Apostle (below), a study he made for this particular altarpiece.

These hands have been reproduced in sculptures, tattoos, religious medallions, and today are one of the most recognized Christian symbols, next to the cross. While the actual painting on the altarpiece was destroyed and we only know it through students’ copies, the commonly seen sketches of the praying hands are Durer originals.

Durer was on friendly terms with some of the most powerful people in Germany, such as Frederick the Wise and Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, who commissioned Durer to paint a portrait. The emperor eventually gave Durer an annual pension so that he could continue to create great art. Durer’s posthumous portrait of Maximilian I is below. The inscription at the top is in Latin, and a translation reads, “"The most powerful, the greatest, and most invincible Emperor Maximilian, who surpassed all the kings and princes of his time in justice, wisdom, magnanimity, [and] generosity, but especially in martial glory and strength of courage. He was born in the year of human salvation 1459, on the day of March 9. He lived 59 years and 9 months, 25 days. He died, however, in the year 1519, in the month of January, on the 12th day. Whom God the Best and Greatest may wish to restore to the number of the living.”

In addition to these religious images and portraits, Durer sometimes worked on art with social themes, such as his woodcut Allegory of Justice, and he printed world maps and star charts which were based on Ptolemy’s catalog. Some of the symbols on his maps below are inaccurate because the knowledge of the globe was evolving. Remember that Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, so Durer and Columbus were contemporaries. Durer was also fascinated with mathematics and both studied and taught it. He once wrote, “And since geometry is the right foundation of all painting, I have decided to teach its rudiments and principles to all youngsters eager for art.” His abilities in math have been celebrated, and scientists actually named a crater on the planet Mercury after Durer.

Still, it was the Bible that gave Durer his inspiration for many of his pieces. Below is a study of hands resting on a Bible, a well-loved book of Durer’s. Martin Luther was another contemporary of Durer, and their geographic proximity made it easy for Frederick the Wise to send Durer one of Luther’s books in 1520. There is no evidence the two ever met, but Durer once said that he would like to meet Luther and engrave a portrait “as a lasting memorial of the man who has helped me out of great anxiety.” Later, when Durer heard of Martin Luther’s kidnapping, he wrote a prayer that said, “… if we have lost this man, who has written more clearly than any that has lived for 140 years, and to whom Thou hast given such a spirit of the Gospel, we pray Thee, O Heavenly Father, that Thou wouldst again give Thy Holy Spirit to another . . . O God, if Luther is dead, who will henceforth deliver the Holy Gospel to us with such clearness?” Durer did not know when he wrote this prayer that Luther was completely safe and had been kidnapped by his supporters to protect him from papal forces.

Hand Study with Bible

Adam and Eve

Samson killing the lion

Durer knew his gift was from God and was for God’s people. He used his art not only to help people understand Biblical stories, but to convey the emotion behind the stories. He knew where he stood within the Body of Christ. He understood what Paul was talking about in 1 Corinthians 14:26, “What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.”

In fact, Durer was fascinated with bodies and even wrote four books on the subject of human body proportions, which weren’t published until after his death. He got his data from measuring scores of people from one point on the body to another (elbow to wrist, for example) and averaging the measurements. He made detailed grids of the human body, including both the proportions of men and women, as well as fat people and lanky people.

Albrecht Durer seemed to understand physically and spiritually the important things about a body. He knew his place in the Body of Christ and was able to use his tremendous gifts to build up the Body.

1 Corinthians 12:14-26 (The Message)

I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn't just a single part blown up into something huge. It's all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, "I'm not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don't belong to this body," would that make it so? If Ear said, "I'm not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don't deserve a place on the head," would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.
19-24But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn't be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, "Get lost; I don't need you"? Or, Head telling Foot, "You're fired; your job has been phased out"? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the "lower" the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. When it's a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn't you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair?
25-26The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.

(Note: for the detail-oriented of you out there, we know that there should be an umlaut over the “u” in Durer’s surname. We have omitted the umlaut for the simple reason that, despite amazing advances in internet technology, not every computer can properly translate every character in every font. We did not want people wondering who in the world “D&,nbsp^rer” was just because their browser couldn’t handle the umlaut.)

Here are links to our prior artist profiles:

Rev. Howard Finster
Sam Maloof
Thomas Blackshear
Dr. He Qi
Sandra Bowden
Laura Kramer (Psalm 23 Jewelry)
Chris Schlarb

John Newton
Vincent van Gogh

Christian Songwriters' Showcase (moving to 3rd Saturday)

2009-08-02T16:05:00.001-07:00

Above: Jeremiah Johns, one of our featured Showcase artists for August 2009

Our July Christian Songwriters' Showcase was the second held at the new venue, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Redlands. We were entertained by two performers with remarkably different styles and backgrounds: the beautiful, Latin-tinged, Catholic-inspired songs of Daniel Sanchez, from St. John Bosco Mission in Highland, and the soulful, rock-flavored music of Cameron Ruffin, worship guitarist for The Rock Church and World Outreach in San Bernardino. It was great to hear the music that God has inspired in people from two different backgrounds, coming together to worship and honor the Lord!

Beginning on August 15th, the Showcase will now be held on the third Saturday of each month, from 4:30 to 6:30 PM. The August lineup includes:

Justin Reid, our first "repeat" artist, who will present a whole new crop of songs for our enjoyment;

Daniel Medina, Jr., a Work B.e.n.c.h. member making his first appearance at the Showcase;

Jeremiah Johns from Lancaster, a quickly rising artist who recently opened for The Reign's 20-year reunion concert in Fullerton;

and Chris Ryan of Grand Terrace, who played the massive Cornerstone Festival in June 2009 and is riding a wave of popularity for his new album "Colors".

For more information about the Showcase, including how to line up a slot for an upcoming event, contact us at epistrophy@aol.com. See you on August 15th!!

Local Profile: David Carranza, Jr.

2009-08-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

Artists’ Work B.e.n.c.h. likes to support not only established artists with years of credentials, but up-and-comers who show great promise to become significant figures in the Inland Empire arts scene. One of those is David Carranza, Jr., of San Bernardino Community Church. Over the past few years David has begun to establish himself as a visual artist through competitions, commissions and hard work.

Above: featured artist David Carranza, Jr. (center), surrounded by schoolkids in Fiji

Born in Los Angeles in February 1990, David Carranza, Jr., is the second of five children born to Dave and Maise Carranza. His parents have been the youth pastors at San Bernardino Community Church (SBCC) for about five years and served in Colton prior to that post. David Jr. graduated from San Gorgonio High School in 2008 and is presently studying art at Cal State San Bernardino.

“Since I was a toddler, art has always fascinated me,” says Carranza, “probably starting with cartoons and comic books. I guess you can say I have always appreciated art and the artist.” His parents both came to the Lord out of gang culture, so David and his siblings came up in the knowledge of Jesus, which has inspired David his whole life. “I always thank God first for giving me the inspiration and the motivation to do what I do. I honestly can’t do anything without the guy upstairs – thank you, Jesus! – and God is the number one artist. Da best!”

Above: David Carranza's 1 Life, 1 Chance.

Besides his faith, Carranza’s family background has had a great impact on his art. “My father is Chicano and my mother is Polynesian/Samoan. I love my two cultures because art plays a big role in them both. Samoan and Mexican/Aztec history are full of art and creative talent. Mexican culture has dropped some traditions due to colonization a long time ago, but Polynesian/Samoan culture is still going strong today. Samoan tattoo designs and artwork are still being passed on, and it inspires me every time I see it.”

Above: one of Carranza’s designs based upon Samoan tattoo art.

Aside from visual art, one way in which Carranza expresses his heritage is through participation in SBCC’s youth dance team. Choreographed by his mother, Maise, the dance team blends elements of popular dance, hip-hop, Island culture and other streams to glorify God through bodily movement. Carranza has accompanied the team in their travels around Southern California, in missions outreach to Europe, Mexico, and as far as Fiji. Discovering those disparate cultures has also colored his perception of art and his mission.

“Honestly,” he continues, “I believe everything that I come in contact with affects the way I look at art, especially the people and places I surround myself with. The dance team, church, family, culture, being a PK (pastor’s kid): it all has an effect on me and my ideas on art, whether it be big or small. Portions of my life are revealed in my artwork… it’s like that saying, “if you want to know what’s in your heart, listen to your mouth.” It’s kind of the same thing for me with art. I switched it around: “if you want to know what’s in my heart, look at my art.”

“Oh, and being a PK is totally fun! I don’t know how it feels not to be a PK, so I can’t tell the difference. My parents keep me in check and I’m totally okay with it because I want to make it to heaven someday! They keep me in line, and my parents aren’t the average pastors. It affects my art in a great way.”

Above: influenced by tattoo art, this image by David Carranza, Jr., depicts Jesus standing out as a dynamic force in the midst of pagan symbols like the yin-yang and pentagram. The culture war plays a big role in Carranza’s art.

Carranza draws from so many sources of inspiration, it’s hard to pin his art down to a particular category. “I don’t know what I would describe my art as. God has given me this talent, so I might describe it as obedience. I’m using my talent for His glory, not mine. And I didn’t bury my talent like the guy in the parable… I’m being obedient and using the gifts God has given me. I believe… we should use our talents and gifts to honor His name, and to reach the people that don’t know Him personally.”

His preferred mediums so far are acrylics and oil paints. “I’m still learning to use other media so I don’t really have a favorite right now, but I prefer painting. I don’t have a specific artist I like... I have a few, like Rembrandt, Chuck Close, Frida Kahlo, God... I don’t really know. I would have to say God gives me the talent and the desire to make art, therefore God and His creation give me inspiration!”

Above: Carranza's award-winning painting, Sacrifice.

For a young man of nineteen, Carranza’s talents have already paid off in many ways. “I have won scholarships to any Assemblies of God college, but I didn’t accept any because none of the colleges or universities had an art major. I won the scholarships through AG’s National Fine Arts competition. My painting (“Sacrifice”) placed in the top five out of about two hundred artists, and I was super excited when I found out the results! It took place in Summer 2007 in Indianapolis, Indiana. I also won “best of show” at the San Bernardino School District’s annual art show, showcased in the Inland Center Mall. I won one hundred bucks with the same painting I used in the AG Fine Arts competition. I also received a scholarship of $500 from Bank of America for my accomplishments in visual art in high school, and there are many other awards, certificates and honorable mentions that I received for just making art in school.”

Above: Carranza’s image of San Gorgonio High School’s mascot, the Spartan. This was donated to the school library. Carranza worked the school’s name and initials into the tilework on the piece several times.

“I consider any piece of art I complete to be an achievement, such as the mural I painted at the Choices Pregnancy Center in downtown San Bernardino. I did it free of charge and it was for a good cause. The mural speaks against abortion. I really believe God wanted me to do it. It really stretched my abilities because it was challenging. I learned how to treat the paint if I wanted the mural to come out a certain way.”

Above: the mural painted by David Carranza, Jr., at Choices Pregnancy Center.

Artistic growth is as important to Carranza as spiritual growth, and the two are closely intertwined in his life. “Every art piece I do strengthens and grows my artistic abilities. I always try to pray before I do an art piece. I pray for strength and God’s help…. I want my artwork to glorify God. I want my artwork to “glow”; I want people to see a light in it, even if there isn’t a cross in it.” He encourages other artists to keep a similar pace. “Practice, practice, and pray and ask God if being an artist is what He wants you to do. And if the answer is yes, practice drawing, painting, sculpting, and whatever you do, do it unto God. Make art your lifestyle but keep God first, and stay humble… No matter what people tell you or what awards you win, stay humble because “God giveth and God taketh away.”

Above: Carranza has recently been experimenting with digital art, as seen in this color-manipulated photo of the SBCC dance team and the abstracted eye.

Master Class: Photographing Water

2009-08-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

One of the most potentially pleasing, yet most misunderstood and mishandled, subjects for the average photographer is water. For every beautiful, artistic image of a shoreline, a cresting fish, or a rushing stream, the average photographer will probably churn out dozens of images that ignore the attractive attributes of water in favor of other elements. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with that if those elements are family members, celebrities, wildlife or other subjects that take precedence over the water in a scene. But water can be one of the most aesthetically rewarding subjects in photography, and with a little practice and understanding, you can improve the way you address water in your camera work.

Because of its mercurial nature, successfully photographing water takes patience and planning above all else. When you first arrive at the water scene you want to photograph, take at least ten minutes to wander around the area, exploring to find the best and worst situations before even taking the camera out of its case. Ask yourself these questions:

-What visual features define this area?
-What draws me to this scene?
-What do I want to communicate by photographing this?

One of the best rules of water photography, and one of the most easily overlooked, is this: for the greatest visual appeal, try composing your photographs so that the camera is at any height other than eye level. Anyone can visualize a scene photographed at their own height; the element of surprise comes when the camera is held well above water level, or right down close to the shoreline.

An even more important rule is to come prepared with a way to clean your camera lens, because droplets of water may land on the lens and distort your images. Even more heinously, salt water at the seaside can badly corrode cameras and lenses, so extra measures need to be taken to protect your equipment at saltwater sources. This could include anything from changing your film and lenses inside a changing bag to buying a protective, transparent case for your camera. It’s up to you, depending on what you want to pursue.

Here are a few ideas for getting better photographs of different water settings.

1. Rushing water: creeks, streams, and waterfalls

To achieve a silky, milky, or misty appearance of rushing water, use a long shutter speed and, of course, use a tripod to keep the camera still for the longer exposure. Without a tripod, it’s very easy to move the camera during a long exposure and ruin a good shot. A shutter cable release will also help keep the camera still. Use the smallest aperture setting you can use for the situation (for cameras with f stops, the higher the number, the smaller the aperture). Try for f8 at the very least; f11, f16, and f20 may be even better.

Watch out for the effect of wind on leaves and branches if you are using a long exposure. These, too, can blur and detract from the quality of the image. If it’s a bright day, the longer shutter speed might not work as well, so use a neutral density filter. This is a grey-tinted filter that reduces the intensity of light and color along all wavelengths, making it easier for the photographer to adjust aperture size and exposure time. In the case of rushing water, a neutral density filter will block out the brightness of reflected light so that the smooth rush of the water is clearly shown.

For film photography instead of digital, try choosing a low ISO (film speed rated by the International Standardization Organization) if your camera allows it. The ISO rating indicates how quickly and clearly the film will capture an image; the lower the ISO, the more light the camera will need to capture the image. ISO 100 film has great color and almost no graininess but can easily result in blurred or dark images unless a wide aperture and good light source are used. It is best used for indoor photography with a good flash. ISO 800, on the other hand, is better suited for outdoor activities, but the images will be grainier so some detail is lost. Try an ISO of 100, 50, or even as low as 25 if your camera is equipped to handle that. You might also play around with the white balance settings. Most digital cameras categorize white balance in modes such as daylight, incandescent, cloudy, shade, etc. (those little symbols on the thumb-wheel of the camera). Experiment with them to see how they affect the quality of your images. One plus of digital cameras, of course, is the ability to instantly preview a shot as soon as you’ve taken it. This will make it easier to try these different settings in real time.

Consider framing the river or stream vertically, with a “portrait” composition rather than horizontally. Why? Running water is usually long and narrow, and the vertical angle will highlight that detail better. If you are using a tripod – and you should – think about putting the tripod in the water if it’s not rushing too quickly. Dig the legs into the sandy or muddy bottom, and secure it with rocks. Keep your hand on the camera strap in case the tripod gets knocked over. Shooting from a position in the water will often give you a more interesting composition than a shoreline shot. Be careful, though, because wet rocks and mossy creek bottoms can be slippery.

Place the horizon line high up in the composition so the water is more prominent in the photo. Remember that the shot isn’t just about the stream or river, it’s about how the rocks and logs in the landscape affect the flow of the water. All of these can be elements of interest in a well-composed photograph.

Above all, remember that all rushing water is not created equal. For instance, the water may cascade down a series of steps in the landscape, or it may be a fan shape that seems to spread horizontally from a smaller stream. If it’s a waterfall, does it descend into a punchbowl type of shape in the rock? Take the time to really think about the area you are photographing and how to best capture its essence. Try these techniques out at some of the beautiful spots around the Inland Empire, perhaps Forest Falls or Lytle Creek.

2. Large bodies of water and reflections

Large bodies of water – oceans, lakes, wide rivers – can deliver stunningly dramatic images if handled properly. Besides the sheer majesty of the water’s span, sometimes these images are augmented by interesting reflections that add brightness or perhaps a “mirror” effect. You have probably seen this type of effect walking along the shore of Lake Arrowhead or the boardwalk at Big Bear, when it looks like the village has been turned upside down in the water.

Shoot in early morning or twilight hours for the best “light on the mirror” look. The light level at these times is ideal for proper brightness and color, not to mention that the water’s surface is often the calmest at these hours. Shoot without a flash whenever possible so that the most natural-looking image is obtained, and choose a reasonably tight shutter speed so the subject is not blurred.

Note that if the water takes up a large portion of the picture frame, the reflection may cause your camera’s light meter to underexpose the picture, resulting in a dark photo. Compensate for this with the shutter and light settings on your camera. Wildlife, plants, trees, and people near the water in the shot will probably be shadowy and undefined. In this case, overexpose the picture by one stop or more, and turn off your camera’s light meter so you can force the camera to compensate. Your autofocus might also get confused when photographing large swaths of water, as there are too many potential levels and distances for it to try and focus upon. Try to turn off autofocus as well, and trust your own senses in forming the image.

The eye is key in this type of photography. Wait for an interesting reflection, look for an interesting angle, move up and down the shore and take note of the most promising spots and positions. Consider the line that the shore makes in the photo and think about how the eye will follow that line. What is interesting in the composition that the shoreline will lead the eye to?

Consider the “rule of thirds” when photographing large bodies of water, or capturing images where water takes up most of the frame. This is a simple guideline for arranging points of interest in your photos. As you look through your viewfinder, imagine that the image you see is divided by an invisible grid into three rows across and three columns down. The result would be an image divided into nine squares (think of the intro of “The Brady Bunch”). The main points of interest in your photo should, if possible, be lined up so that they fall along those lines, or especially at the intersections of the lines. This will help break the habit of always centering your subjects in the viewfinder, and will result in more interesting pictures.

In the photo below, you can see that the approaching small wave falls neatly along the top horizontal line of the grid of thirds. The smaller ripples lie in the lower third of the image. Also, the bird is alongside the right vertical line of the grid, and very close to one of the intersecting points. For some reason, psychologically, the human brain interprets images that are laid out in this manner as more aesthetically appealing than others. A related concept is the Golden Mean, which breaks the image into sections that are proportioned 2/3 to 1/3. For more information about these visualization tools, you can do an internet search for “Golden Mean photography” and “Rule of Thirds photography”.

Photograph areas that you are familiar with or that you can return to in different types of weather and different times of the day. If the light isn’t right the first time you visit a spot, or if the weather isn’t cooperating, come back at a different time and see how much the situation has changed. Many of the most classic, timeless photographs have come from this kind of patience and waiting for the most opportune time.

Try to put something identifiable in the foreground of the picture: a tree, a duck, a clump of grass, a boat, a tree branch. Otherwise, the large swath of water might be disorienting to the viewer and the scale will be difficult to perceive. The larger the image, the more this distortion is amplified. It’s easy to get caught up in wave patterns or the interesting ripples of the water, but without something identifiable to anchor the shot, the result will be less than stellar. Give the viewer a good reference point by which to judge the whole content of the image.

3. Water wildlife

Wildlife photography is always a big gamble because of the skittishness and speed of the animals. This is amplified tenfold when dealing with water animals; fish are quick to dive or dart out of sight, ducks can choose to fly off on a moment’s notice, or dip down into the water and show their backsides to the camera. Again, patience is key, along with slow, smooth, quiet motions. Try to be as unobtrusive as possible if you want to shoot photos of wildlife. Remember that you are trespassing on their territory and they are not very likely to sit idly by while you shoot a couple of rolls at different heights, angles and apertures. Practice makes perfect, and weak shots will always outnumber the good ones.

Try to get down to the water level, such as in a canoe or low on the beach or shore. This will give better perspectives and angles than the usual head-high shots that tower over the water and creatures. Be careful of getting your camera wet, but don’t be so intimidated that you compromise on the shot.

To shoot fish under the surface of the water, a polarizing filter will remove some or all of the reflection on the water’s surface. If your camera is of the point-and-shoot variety and you can’t attach a filter onto it, you can simply carefully hold the filter up over the lens (be sure your fingers aren’t in the picture). Polarizing filters are relatively inexpensive and are one of the most essential tools of the water photographer. The two images below show how the polarizer can eliminate a lot of surface glare. Note the bright glare at the left of the unpolarized top image, and see how much it is reduced by the polarizer used in the bottom image.

The polarizer will have the greatest effect on the scene when your camera’s line of sight is at a 90 degree angle (perpendicular) to the sun. However, to see rocks and wildlife under the water, try for smaller angles, such as 35 degrees. Not only does this permit a better quality of light, but it is less obvious to the fish and wildlife that you are trying to do something. That uppity trout at Lake Skinner is more likely to notice a shiny, boxy object held up in the air than one that is very close to the water’s horizon.

Experiment with these ideas for water photography, and most of all, have fun! You will be happily surprised at the creative, perhaps fascinating images you come up with.

Look here for our prior Master Classes:

Writing Good Poetry, July 2009

The Five C's of Songwriting, June 2009

Experimenting with Abstract Landscapes, May 2009

Preparing for Excellence, April 2009

It Builds Character, March 2009

Labanotation, February 2009

Singability, January 2009

Avoiding Cliches, December 2008

Fine Arts Bible Study 10

2009-08-02T15:31:00.000-07:00

Ask 100 people what character traits come with the artistic temperament and you will likely hear things like spontaneous, creative, being able to see beauty when others don’t, and a number of other rather positive traits. You will also hear words like melancholy, moody, dark, and overly emotional.

Artists have a reputation of wearing their emotions on their sleeves. Artists can embrace emotions that other people are uncomfortable with. When I was in college, sometimes, between trips to the Laundromat, all I would have to wear would be a black t-shirt and black pants. When that would happen, I would tell my friends, “Today I am wearing my poetry clothes.” All black, gloomy, emotional. Artists have such a reputation.

But, in many churches, victorious living is preached, telling Christians to be strong and courageous no matter what, to the detriment of all other emotions. One Sunday school song even tells our little ones, “I'm inside, outside, upside, downside happy all the time/Since Jesus Christ came in, and freed my life from sin/I'm inside, outside, upside, downside happy all the time.” Really? Is there anybody who is actually happy all the time? Is there any room in the church for someone who is going through upsetting circumstances?

Is it wrong to be sad? Is it wrong to be moody? Is it wrong to be discouraged? In many instances, when a person is upset, he or she is encouraged to pray and “give it to God.” After the prayer, he or she is then expected to pretend that there is nothing wrong, and any more griping and bellyaching is considered a lack of faith. But, what does the Bible say about sadness?

Matthew 5:4 (NLT)
God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

Romans 12:15 (NIV)
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn

Ecclesiastes 7:3
Sorrow is better than laughter,
for sadness has a refining influence on us.

John 11:35 (NLT)
Then Jesus wept.

So, it’s obvious that sadness is part of the human experience, and God understands that some circumstances will make us sad and melancholy. Even the Prophet Jeremiah cursed the day he was born in Jeremiah 20:14-15, and David wrote, “Darkness is my closest friend,” in Psalm 88:18.

Read this passage from 1 Kings 19:3-5 and 9-18:

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep…

And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."

So, how are Christians supposed to deal with people who are going through sad times?

1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Isaiah 35:4
Say to those with fearful hearts,
"Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you."

Proverbs 15:4
Kind words heal and help;
cutting words wound and maim.

Questions:

1. Have you heard of or experienced unhealthy attitudes from Christians toward moods and sadness? How could you respond to someone who expects Christians to always be happy?

2. What can you do to help someone else who is sad? What scriptures do you know that might bring comfort?

3. Why do we sometimes hear God in the earthquakes and fire, and other times hear God as a still, small voice? What does that say about what a “religious experience” is supposed to be like?

4. When Elijah felt alone, God told Him that there were at least 7,000 others who were also faithful to Him. How can this scripture help someone who feels alone going through a difficult circumstance?

5. Artists seem to be more in touch with their emotions than other people, but when is someone’s melancholy mood “over the top?” How can we know that we have crossed some line between normal sadness that comes with the human experience and clinical depression, or even attention-getting moodiness?

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #1 click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #2 click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #3 click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #4 click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #5, click here .

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #6, click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #7, click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #8, click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #9, click here.

Circle 'Round the Fire: The Inspiration of Native American Dance

2009-08-02T15:18:00.000-07:00

Have you gone camping lately? It’s funny how time moves differently when you’re camping. When it’s dark at camp, what do you do? If you’re like most people, you make a campfire, sit around and tell stories or jokes while making some sort of campfire treat (s’mores, anyone?), and then turn in early. Our biological clocks make it easier to sleep earlier when all the artificial lighting is absent. Maybe, if you’re camping with a group, some people have a skit or a dance to show off at the campfire. Possibly you have a favorite book that you read out loud to your family. These things you do while camping have a connection to how people spent their evenings for thousands of years. Isn’t it amazing how modern conveniences such as electric lights and television have changed the way humans interact and exist so quickly in recent history? For most of human history, people have gathered around the fire in the evenings to connect.

Some people have found these gatherings “prime time” to connect with their Creator as well. From Jacob wrestling with the Angel of the Lord all night, to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Bible is full of examples of people who used the precious nighttime to work things out with God. It wasn’t that long ago when families would read the Bible together, trying to focus their eyes on the words through the flickering fire or lantern light, before going to bed. At night the world used to stop and everyone, young and old, used to be included in some way in the evening’s final gathering.

I’m not suggesting that we go back to a world before 24-hour pharmacies (and any parent who has been awakened by a child at 2 a.m. with a hacking cough would probably agree with me). Part of the fun of camping is the idea that you are “roughing it” temporarily. If we all lived that way all the time, it would cease to be a fun vacation activity. But, with that said, there are things we can learn from the campfire and how it connects us to the world. Below is a video of an Operation Mobilization group in South Africa worshipping God around the campfire.

And below is another video of Christian youth in India worshipping God by singing and dancing around the campfire.

While this may be fun and interesting as an occasional experience for us, many cultures have worshipped around the fire for hundreds of years. Chief among these in our own backyard are the Native American cultures, who have danced, sung, drummed and worshiped around the campfire since time immemorial. Many of their songs and dances are not Christian and do not worship our God, but dance is dance, whether a Christian invented a particular step or set of moves or not. Of course, eliminating overtly sexual or lewd moves from the public repertoire is good (I don’t care what you do in the privacy of your bedroom, but cut it out in public). But eliminating a whole dance form because someone at one time used it to worship a pagan god would basically confine us to our chairs all day (and even that’s not safe, because some Native tribes in Alaska danced while sitting in chairs). Movement is movement, and God created our bodies to move. Learning some of the expressiveness from other cultures can enhance our own worship of the Living God if we choose to use it that way. Remember that David and Asaph not only set the Psalms to popular songs of their day, but even borrowed instruments and music from their enemies, the Philistines and Hittites. If we can truly adapt another culture's creations for God's glory, why not use them as a fresh, creative and inspiring form of Christian expression?

Some of the Native American dances, such as the Bear Dance of the Great Basin people (including Nevada and parts of California, Oregon, and Utah), served to ask for enough food for everyone in the community. Nations in the Great Basin include the Utes, Paiutes, and Shoshones. Below, the Paiutes and Shoshones in Bishop, CA perform a dance and sing.

The circle dances of Native Americans in the Great Basin led to one of the United State’s worst military debacles: The Massacre at Wounded Knee. Natives were under increased threat from Whites who encroached upon their lands. They looked for and hoped for deliverance. A shaman named Wovoka told his tribe and neighboring tribes that if they sang and danced, the white men would be expelled from the land. Native American nations from far and wide sent ambassadors to learn Wovoka’s dance, which was in the form of a circle dance. The Sioux learned the “Ghost Dance”, and one time when they gathered to dance, the army massacred them. Learn more about it in this video:

Pueblo Indians (Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of California and Utah) did the blue corn dance, where the dancers acted out planting and harvesting corn. The dances of the Pueblos tended to be about water and farming, two necessities of survival in their arid land.

More locally, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians used gourd and palm seed rattles instead of drums. They sang for food and before a hunt. Below is tribal elder Pauline Murillo, a direct descendant of tribe founder Santos Manuel, singing a traditional song her mother taught her.

Cahuilla Indians have traditional bird songs, where the people move like migrating birds. Here is an example of Cahuilla bird songs.

Closer to San Diego, the Kumeyaay people believed their songs and dances instructed people in how to live moral lives in a spirit of brotherhood. Below is a video of a village elder teaching children how to dance around a campfire.

What can we, as Creative Christians, take from these examples of Native American song and dance? First, any artist who is serving the Creator should take pains to learn his or her craft well. Usually, when people speak of learning their craft, they are talking about taking classes in the Western European traditions of music, ballet, and so on. Those are important elements in learning, but they aren’t the only traditions that the well-rounded artist should be able to draw from. Second, for most of these dances, everyone is involved, from grandma to the newborn baby. The elders teach the younger generations, and dancing isn’t reserved only for those who are fit and educated. Your particular congregation might not be the type where ladies bring their tambourines to hit and shake during the service, but it wouldn’t hurt to train up some younger musicians, and even get some non-musicians involved in some of the worship team’s activities (how much skill does it really take to hit a wood block?) Third, many of these dances the Native Americans did were reserved for special days and special celebrations, but many were not. I’m sure that when the coolness of the night breeze came past the campfire after a hot summer day of work, many of these dances and songs were performed as an important element of daily life.

If your worship of God is reserved for the first half hour of every Sunday morning’s church service, it’s time to broaden your horizons and find ways to worship God daily, find ways to teach your family to worship God, and find ways to make it a natural outpouring of your existence, rather than a once-a-week ritual.

What are some other things we can learn from these Native American examples? Leave your ideas and comments below.

Welcome to Artists' Work B.e.n.c.h. for July, 2009

2009-07-03T22:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the e-magazine/blog for Artists' Work B.e.n.c.h., the Inland Empire's Christian fine arts organization! We hope you will find this to be a useful, enjoyable and worthwhile resource. Here are the newest items in the blog. Just click on the titles to go to the articles:

July Cafe

Poetry Corner: A Nation's Strength

Christian Songwriters' Showcase Has a New Home

Third Quarter Bookclub Selection

Fine Arts Bible Study 9

July Happenings: Artistic Events around the Inland Empire

Artist Profile: Rev. Howard Finster

Master Class: Writing Good Poetry

Songs About Unemployment

So, brew a cup of coffee, herbal tea, or whatever you like, and stay a while. This page will be updated monthly with new articles and interviews. Enjoy!You are part of a growing group.

What is Artists' Work B.e.n.c.h? This is a place for Christian artists in the Inland Empire of Southern California to mix, network, relax, share, and learn. What types of Christian artists?

1. Visual arts (sculpture, painting, glass blowing, etc.)
2. Dance (performing, choreography, etc. )
3. Music (playing, writing, learning, singing, etc.)
4. Creative writing (poetry, stories, etc.)
5. Drama/theater (acting, playwriting, directing, etc.)
6. ??????

Artists Work B.e.n.c.h. is for Christian artists: simply, people who are Christians and who are also artists. Some Christian artists make art exclusively for Christians, but many use their talents in secular ways as well (writing screenplays for television, jingles, playing in a philharmonic orchestra, acting in a community theater, displaying their paintings in a gallery, etc.) All are welcome here.

Christians follow the Creator of the Universe, and therefore should be the most creative people in the world. The church has historically been the patron of great artists. Hildegard, the writer of the very first opera, was a nun. Michelangelo, Donatello, Edward Hicks, and many others made art for church and used church subjects.

But, today, Christian art is not considered "forward" or "interesting" in many circles. This reputation is well-deserved in most cases. Christian art has become a punchline. In our own little way we hope to change some of that perception.

What does Artist's Work B.e.n.c.h. stand for?
B=BUILD new Christian artists, ministries, avenues.
E=ENCOURAGE Christian artists to use their talents.
N=NETWORK with Christian artists, churches.
C=COORDINATE opportunities for Christian artists to use/exhibit their talents.
H=HELP Christian artists and help churches utilize artists.

July Cafe

2009-07-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

The best way to have a good, creative idea is to have lots of ideas. Here are some ideas that might get your creative juices flowing and keep you from getting into an artistic rut.

July birthstone: Ruby
Flower: Larkspur

July- National Blueberry month- Click Here to find out how to make an easy blueberry print using corks. You can also use the same idea but a different color to make cherries, grapes, etc.

July 1- Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day

Are you ruing the days because the kids aren’t in school and are driving you crazy? Why not get them to flex their artistic muscles by making ice cream sculptures out of salt dough? Afterward, you can treat them to real ice cream as well. The picture above was taken from here.

July 4- Independence Day

The 4th is always a nice day of family picnics and fireworks, but the pictures usually leave me disappointed. For ideas about how to get better fireworks photographs, click here.

July 7- Chocolate Day

Shoes made of chocolate (yes, those red pumps are chocolate)? How about a city-scape? Click here to see an exihibit one gallery had with creations made of chocolate.

July 12- Different Colored Eyes Day

What is the color of your best friend's eyes? What about your relatives' eyes? Take this day to look into the eyes of others. It also brings to mind a condition called heterochromia, where one person has two different colored eyes. Some famous people with this condition are David Bowie, Jane Seymour, and Christopher Walken.

July 13- Barbershop Quartet Appreciation Day

July 14- Bastille Day

Did you pay attention in high school history class? The United States celebrates July 4, but France celebrates Bastille Day. Here is a website with history, recipes, and celebration ideas to make this a special day.

July 17- Yellow Pig Day

This is a holiday invented by university mathmaticians. They chose July 17 because it is a special number. Did you know that the average person breathes 17 times per minute and it takes 17 muscles to smile? The White House has 17 bathrooms, and there are 17 species of penguins. Why is this day called Yellow Pig day? Because yellow pigs have 17 eyelashes, of course! Enough of a reason to celebrate this day? Well, click here to find a lot more information including lyrics to special Yellow Pig Day carols.

July 20- Moon Day

This day commemorates the first landing and walk on the moon by humans on July 20, 1969. Click here to see an interesting Smithsonian web course about this historic event.

July 24- Amelia Earhart Day

July 25- Culinarians' Day

This is a holiday for everyone who likes to cook. If you are a musician who likes to cook, why not combine your two talents today and make this guitar sandwich? Click here for directions. If you poke around on that website, you will find a lot of interesting snacks and fun things to do with food.

July 27- Take Your Pants for a Walk Day

Despite the imaginative title, this is not a day to put a leash on your wardrobe. It's a day to get out and enjoy a stroll. Click here for information on hiking trails in the Inland Empire.

July 30- Mutt Day
Three things to do on this day:

1. Love your dog. Here is a link to a book called The Mutt Styling Guide.
2. Read a Mutt and Jeff cartoon here
3. Learn about Duchamp's Fountain and consider what makes art art (he signed his Fountain installation "R. Mutt"). Click here for a discussion on this topic.

Poetry Corner- A Nation's Strength

2009-07-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

July is the month we celebrate "America's Birthday." We decided to include a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson called "A Nation's Strength." While Emerson's spirituality is questionable in many cases, this poem does ring true and makes one think.

A Nation's Strength
by Ralph Waldo Emerson

What makes a nation's pillars high
And it's foundations strong?
What makes it mighty to defy
The foes that round it throng?

It is not gold. Its kingdoms grand
Go down in battle shock;
Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,
Not on abiding rock.

Is it the sword? Ask the red dust
Of empires passed away;
The blood has turned their stones to rust,
Their glory to decay.

And is it pride? Ah, that bright crown
Has seemed to nations sweet;
But God has struck its luster down
In ashes at his feet.

Not gold but only men can make
A people great and strong;
Men who for truth and honor's sake
Stand fast and suffer long.

Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly...
They build a nation's pillars deep
And lift them to the sky.

painting above by Thomas Hart Benton

To read the master class on writing poetry, click here.

Below are previous poems we have published on this site.
To see June's Poem, click here.
To see May's Poem, click here.
To see April's Poem, click here.
To see March's Poem, click here.
To see February's poem, click here.
To see January's poem, click here.
To see the poem for December, 2008, click here.
To read a poem by Steve Turner, click here.

Christian Songwriters' Showcase has a new home

2009-07-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

We had a big surprise at the May 2009 Christian Songwriters’ Showcase: we showed up and found GFE Coffee closed up tight! It seems that the economy has forced them to cut back on their hours so they weren’t open late enough for us to hold the Showcase there. Many thanks to Pastor Dave Robson of Highland Hills Church for opening his doors to us on a few minutes’ notice!

Our June Showcase was the first at a brand-new location: The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, in the Vons/Trader Joe’s Center on Orange Street in Redlands. We appreciate Lance and his crew granting us a new space for our monthly get-together. We enjoyed some excellent performances by Eric Kennedy, of the Huntington Beach band Paravell, and Forest Falls-based singer/songwriter Steve Carroll. Here's a recent YouTube post of Steve Carroll performing his song "Folks Like Us":

Be sure to join us at 4:30 PM on on July 25th at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, when we will present another bevy of up-and-coming local Christian songwriters. For more information or to book a performance slot, contact us at epistrophy@aol.com.

Book Club: It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God

2009-07-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

We hope that everyone who participated has enjoyed, and been enlightened by, the first selections in the Artists’ Work B.e.n.c.h. Book Club. Our selection for the third quarter of 2009 is a profoundly inspirational collection of essays entitled It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God.

Edited by Ned Bustard and published by Square Halo Books, this marvelous collection discusses subjects like conveying the concepts of good and evil in art, developing a sense of community, beauty, substance, mission, truth and many other issues of importance to the Christian artist. The contributors include:

Ned Bustard, founder of the graphic arts company World’s End Images, author of children’s educational books, and artistic director for Square Halo Books;

Charlie Peacock, award-winning musician, composer, author and producer;

Sandra Bowden, founder of Christians In the Visual Arts, whose vivid artworks were featured in a recent Work B.e.n.c.h. issue;

Makato Fujimura, cross-cultural painter and founder of the International Arts Movement;

Roger Feldman, large-scale multimedia artist;

Edward Knippers, painter renowned for his compassionate but stunning depictions of the human form;

and several other artists across many disciplines. Here’s what the publisher has to say about It Was Good:

“The Christian looks at the world through the eyes of one who has a restored relationship with the Creator, and receives a new vision affecting every area of life—including the creative process. So what does it mean to be a creative individual who is a follower of the creative God? It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God seeks to answer that question through a series of essays which offer theoretical and practical insights into artmaking from a Christian perspective. The Christian worldview is foundational to the approach a believer in Christ takes to making art and artmaking inevitably raises difficult questions. This book offers aid in developing some of the internal tools needed to work through those questions, and so to glorify and enjoy God while trying to speak with a clear and relevant voice to a fallen world.”

Fine Arts Bible Study 9

2009-07-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

Scenario 1: You have been a musician for quite some time, and you’ve formed a few bands over the years. The one you are in now is quite good and you have heard nothing but praise about your songs and music. One day, while shopping for new strings in Guitar Center, you see a sweet instrument and decide to ask to play it. It’s way out of your price range, but you try it out anyway. As you are playing, a man taps you on your shoulder and introduces himself as an employee of a record label. He thinks you are a good player and wants to know if you are in a band. As you converse with this person, you explain that you are, and you just happen to have a copy of your band’s demo CD in the car, which you retrieve and give to him. He promises to listen to it and gives you his business card with both his office and personal cell phone numbers on it.

Scenario 2: You have acted in various plays since middle school. Now that you’re out of school, you mostly act in an average of one show a year in community theater. Since you have to hold down a job, you figure that theater is a fun hobby, a nice outlet. Still, when a friend gives you information about an open casting call for a major commercial, you decide to give it a try. On the day of the audition, as expected, there are hundreds of people vying for two open roles in the commercial. You don’t expect much, but if you do end up getting the part, the extra money will be nice. So, you give it your all and you actually get called back for a second audition. At the callback, you see the producer and some other bigwigs for the commercial, but you also notice that a famous director is sitting with them taking notes. You do a great job and hope you nail it. After the audition is over, you chat with another person who says that the famous director was sitting in on the auditions to find new talent for an upcoming movie. Well, this little audition your friend talked you into might turn out to be your big break after all.

Scenario 3: People have always said you have artistic talent, and two years ago you even had your own gallery show. Your work is somewhat controversial because you paint pictures depicting your experiences as an immigrant in the United States. You sell a piece here and there and you make some money off of your art, but you realize that earning a decent income from your artwork alone is probably a pipe dream. That is why you almost faint the day you get a call from a person identifying herself as Oprah’s producer. She tells you that Oprah is very impressed with your work and even owns one of your paintings. She wants you to appear as an expert on an upcoming show about immigration, and she wants you to bring some of your art that might be used during the show.

What do these three scenarios have in common? The person might be on the verge of a big break.

In the Bible, a big break of a different kind happened, but the reaction to it was quite different than the way you or I might react.

Read Acts 16:16-40:

16-18 One day, on our way to the place of prayer, a slave girl ran into us. She was a psychic and, with her fortunetelling, made a lot of money for the people who owned her. She started following Paul around, calling everyone's attention to us by yelling out, "These men are working for the Most High God. They're laying out the road of salvation for you!" She did this for a number of days until Paul, finally fed up with her, turned and commanded the spirit that possessed her, "Out! In the name of Jesus Christ, get out of her!" And it was gone, just like that.
19-22 When her owners saw that their lucrative little business was suddenly bankrupt, they went after Paul and Silas, roughed them up and dragged them into the market square. Then the police arrested them and pulled them into a court with the accusation, "These men are disturbing the peace—dangerous Jewish agitators subverting our Roman law and order." By this time the crowd had turned into a restless mob out for blood.
22-24 The judges went along with the mob, had Paul and Silas's clothes ripped off and ordered a public beating. After beating them black-and-blue, they threw them into jail, telling the jailkeeper to put them under heavy guard so there would be no chance of escape. He did just that—threw them into the maximum security cell in the jail and clamped leg irons on them.
25-26 Along about midnight, Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God. The other prisoners couldn't believe their ears. Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose.
27-28 Startled from sleep, the jailer saw all the doors swinging loose on their hinges. Assuming that all the prisoners had escaped, he pulled out his sword and was about to do himself in, figuring he was as good as dead anyway, when Paul stopped him: "Don't do that! We're all still here! Nobody's run away!"
29-31 The jailer got a torch and ran inside. Badly shaken, he collapsed in front of Paul and Silas. He led them out of the jail and asked, "Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved, to really live?" They said, "Put your entire trust in the Master Jesus. Then you'll live as you were meant to live—and everyone in your house included!"
32-34 They went on to spell out in detail the story of the Master—the entire family got in on this part. They never did get to bed that night. The jailer made them feel at home, dressed their wounds, and then—he couldn't wait till morning!—was baptized, he and everyone in his family. There in his home, he had food set out for a festive meal. It was a night to remember: He and his entire family had put their trust in God; everyone in the house was in on the celebration.
35-36 At daybreak, the court judges sent officers with the instructions, "Release these men." The jailer gave Paul the message, "The judges sent word that you're free to go on your way. Congratulations! Go in peace!"
37 But Paul wouldn't budge. He told the officers, "They beat us up in public and threw us in jail, Roman citizens in good standing! And now they want to get us out of the way on the sly without anyone knowing? Nothing doing! If they want us out of here, let them come themselves and lead us out in broad daylight."
38-40 When the officers reported this, the judges panicked. They had no idea that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. They hurried over and apologized, personally escorted them from the jail, and then asked them if they wouldn't please leave the city. Walking out of the jail, Paul and Silas went straight to Lydia's house, saw their friends again, encouraged them in the faith, and only then went on their way.

Question 1- Paul and Silas were beaten up and thrown in prison. They sang to God through the night, and an earthquake happened that opened the prison doors and loosened the chains of the prisoners. Maybe this was their opportunity, their big break! Why did they choose to stay in the prison?

Question 2- What was the result of the decision they made to stay put? How would that result have been different if Paul and Silas had run away from the prison when the earthquake set them free?

Question 3- What are some ways a Christian can discern if a momentous occasion, such as opening of the prison doors, a chance meeting in a music store, a callback for an audition, or even a call from Oprah, is actually God opening doors?

Question 4- Verse 37 says that Paul wanted to be led in broad daylight. What are some factors that might make you hesitant to take advantage of an opportunity that comes your way?

Question 5- Do you think that Paul and Silas thought of the beating and jailing as a misfortune or an opportunity? How can willingly changing your opinion of a bad situation affect the way you perceive the path through the situation?

Note: It’s important to realize that the three scenarios described above might be from God’s orchestration, or they might not. There is no way to tell simply from the paragraphs because there is too little information provided. But, in your case, you are an expert on your own life and circumstances. Sometimes the best approach to open prison doors is to run, and sometimes the best approach is the stay. Notice that in order for the prison guard to be saved, God had to open the prison doors. If those doors hadn’t been opened, things would have continued as the status quo for that particular guard. So, the earthquake didn’t open the doors and loosen the chains for Paul’s and Silas’ benefit, but for the guard’s benefit. Preparation for the artist includes training and practice, and preparation for the Christian includes reading the Bible regularly, spending time in prayer, giving, and fellowship with other believers. Preparation for a Christian artist of any mode or genre should include both because we deal in both the artistic realm and the spiritual realm, and we have to consider possible opportunities from all points of view.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #1 click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #2 click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #3 click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #4 click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study #5, click here .

To read Fine Arts Bible Study 6, click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study 7, click here.

To read Fine Arts Bible Study 8, click here.

Inland Empire Happenings for July 2009

2009-07-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

For a listing of happenings for August, 2009, click here.

Now Through August 2nd - "Zorro"

Lifehouse Theater, at 1135 N. Church St. in Redlands, presents their original production of "Zorro". Tickets are $5-$19. Call (909)335-3037 for tickets and more information. Note: a special performance of “Zorro” with sign language interpretation will be presented on July 11 at 7:30 PM.

Sunday, July 12th - "The Rave" in Chino

The Rave presents Phinehas in concert, with DJ Steve, The Cafe, prizes, and more. 6-8:30pm, New Hope Christian Fellowship, 13333 Ramona Ave., Chino. Call (909) 702-3736 or visit http://www.myspace.com/chinorave.

Thursday, July 16th - Christian rap tour

“Don’t Waste Your Life Tour” with Lecrae (above), Trip Lee, Tedashii, Sho Baraka & FLAME. 7pm, Victory Outreach Church, 990 W. Mill St., San Bernardino. Tickets are $15-18 Call (909) 884-1921 or visit http://www.reachrecords.com/dwyl

Thursday, Jul 23rd – Robin Hood auditions

LifeHouse Theater announces auditions for their upcoming production of “Robin Hood” on Thursday, July 23rd. Show dates are Oct. 3rd through Nov. 8th. Auditions are held from 6 – 9 PM on a first come-first served basis. Auditions are held at LifeHouse Theater, 1125 N. Church St. in Redlands. Parking is available behind the theater. Auditioners should be at least 10 years of age and have a recent photo of themselves and a theatrical resume to leave with the audition panel. Polaroid photos can be taken for you at the auditions for a $2 fee. Please come to the audition prepared to sing 16 bars of the song of your choice, making sure to bring sheet music in the correct key. Roles are open for both men and women, all season long. Men are especially encouraged to audition.

Friday, July 24th - Jars of Clay

Jars of Clay with special guest Phil Wickham. 7:30pm, The Packinghouse, 27165 San Bernardino Ave., Redlands. Tickets are $15-40. Call (949) 250-0444 or visit transparentproductions.com.

Saturday, July 25th - FishFest

Fishfest 2009, with Mercy Me, Jars of Clay, Matthew West, Needtobreathe, Phil Wickham, Hawk Nelson, Red and more. Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Irvine, CA. Visit transparentproductions.com or fish959.com.

Tuesday, July 28th - Hawk Nelson

Hawk Nelson, in concert at High Desert Church, 14545 Hook Blvd., Victorville. Visit transparentproductions.com for more info.

Artist Profile: Rev. Howard Finster

2009-07-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

Alternative rock icons R.E.M. Alabama CCM folkie Pierce Pettis. New Wave giants Talking Heads. Orange County soul-rockers Adam Again.

Artistically and spiritually, there’s not a lot to link these artists together. The one factor they have in common, aside from profession and nationality? They are among the musicians who came to the late Rev. Howard Finster of Summerville, Georgia, for album artwork and inspiration.

Born in December 1916 and ascended to Heaven in October 2001, Howard Finster was one of the most unique American artists of the 20th century. A central figure in the movement called “outsider art”, representing self-taught artists with few or no connections to the bigger artistic world. A fiery backwoods Baptist preacher and visionary, deeply spiritual in his life and his artistic conception, Finster first burst into the national public eye through his unlikely connections to the world of college rock.

He was born in Valley Head, Alabama, one of fourteen kids, and claimed to have had his first vision at age three, when he saw his late sister emerge from the sky in a white gown and tell him he would be a visionary. His education ended in the sixth grade, when he went to work to help support the family. In 1930 Finster received the Holy Spirit at a Baptist revival, and three years later he became a passionate preacher of the Gospel. He pastured at churches in Rock Bridge and Fort Payne, Alabama, and took up art in the 1940s as an avocation. When he wasn’t pastoring, he worked as a bicycle repairman.

In about 1948 he bought a plot of land in Trion, Georgia, near the northeast border of Alabama, and began to build what he termed a “garden park museum”. Finster’s outlandish vision for the property included a duck pond, a pigeon roost, a museum of every historical invention he could get his hands on, and models of various homes and churches. While he never achieved the full measure of his initial vision, Finster built and added elements to the property until he completely ran out of space.

Above: a well-worn sign at the site of Finster’s original Paradise Garden in Trion, Ga.

In 1961 Finster moved to Pennville, now Summerville, and began constructing a four-acre Plant Farm Museum inspired by God’s natural creations. Reminiscent of L.A.’s Watts Towers in its use of debris, from broken glass and mirrors to wires and stone, even concrete reliefs, the Plant Farm Museum included constructs like the Machine Gun Nest, Bicycle Tower, Bible House and a five-story-tall Folk Art Chapel. The entire property was eventually riddled with Bible-verse signs, structures, cars, sculptures, and his signature paintings: no visual perspective and every square millimeter of surface covered with his distinctive, self-taught art. Among the frequent subjects were Elvis Presley, angels, George Washington, and Coke bottles, for which his passion resembled Andy Warhol’s for shoes and Campbell’s Soup cans. A poem posted at the compound, later redubbed Paradise Garden, simply states Finster’s recycled-art aesthetic:

I took the pieces you threw away
and put them together by night and day,
washed by rain and dried by sun
a million pieces all in one.

Above: Howard Finster’s Trumpeting Angel”. Note that the multicolored robe is completely covered in text.

While his Christian faith was always evident in much of Finster’s art, it was not until 1976 that his art evolved into a deeper method of ministry. Guided by a vision of a face on his fingertip, he began creating his unique form of sacred art almost exclusively. Finster painted primitive images of angels, people and buildings, captioning them with Biblical quotes or sermon snippets. Besides flat, rectangular works, he would often paint three-dimensional sculptures assembled from cut wood. As before, he completely covered the surface of his pieces with paint and text.

R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe first came across Finster’s work on a visit to a museum. In 1984 Stipe asked the artist to collaborate with him on cover art for the band’s album Reckoning (I.R.S. Records). The cover, shown above, bears much of Finster’s cartoonishness, but no scriptural references, which was highly unusual by the mid-80s. A snake in tones of blue, green and purple (with the song titles at intervals) weaves over a black-and-white background of buildings, faces and other doodles. While it was not really representative of Finster’s usual work, the artist got a lot of publicity as Stipe and his bandmates touted Finster’s art in multiple interviews. The band filmed their video for “Radio Free Europe” at Paradise Garden, and Finster himself briefly appeared in the video for “Shiny Happy People”. Finster appeared on The Tonight Show in 1984, regaling Johnny Carson with his folky humor, backwoods tales and banjo music:

The following year, 1985, Finster was contacted by David Byrne of Talking Heads for a similar commission. Byrne had started the band while a student at Rhode Island School of Design in the 1970s and had long been interested in American folk art. In Finster he saw the ideal American visionary artist, combining a nationalist spirit with religious fervor and bold use of color. The cover that Finster created for Talking Heads’ Little Creatures (Sire Records, 1985, below) was a surrealist wonderland featuring portraits of each band member amidst smiling clouds and black mountains, towers, churches, and Biblical notions like “A new world is coming down from on high.” In the center of it all was a portrait of David Byrne, clad in tighty-whities and black shoes, holding the globe upon his back like Atlas. The art seemed well-suited to oddball, almost otherworldly songs like “And She Was”, “Perfect World” and “Road to Nowhere”. Rolling Stone Magazine named it the top album cover of the year.

1987 saw the emergence of Adam Again, an Orange County band fronted by singer, songwriter and keyboardist Gene Eugene. The band’s music fused the soul of Marvin Gaye, the funk of George Clinton, and the spiritual outlook of O.C.’s bright new Christian music scene. Their debut album, In a New World of Time (Brainstorm), boasted a cover by Howard Finster (below) that was somewhat reminiscent of the Little Creatures cover. The smiling clouds, black mountains and voluminous text were still dominant, and the faces of the band members were placed on the central mountain amidst a blue and green sea of scanty trees. It didn’t quite match the electronic funk of the band’s music, but it certainly connected Adam Again with the wider community of secular musicians. And, once again, it brought Finster further into the public eye, this time to a more specifically Christian audience.

Not long before his death, Finster completed the cover for State of Grace (Compass Records, 2001, below) by Pierce Pettis. It depicts a colorful village scene with the caption, “A land where peace is forever in his promised land. No one shall be evil. There in the last days, whoesoever call (sic) upon the name shall be saved in the name of Jesus.” The bucolic imagery, more brightly colored than any of Finster’s past album covers, reflected the folky comfort of Pettis’ God-glorifying songs.

In one of his early visions, God told Howard Finster to paint five thousand pictures in order to spread the Gospel through his art. Numbering every one of his works, Finster reached that goal by Christmas of 1985. By the time of his death from congestive heart failure, Finster was estimated to have made 46,000 individual artworks. Beginning with his first public exhibition in 1976, Finster presented his art to the world through innumerable TV features and museum shows. Among the highlights were four pieces crafted for the Library of Congress, participation in the Venice Bienniale, painting an eight-foot Coke bottle for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, and the inclusion of portions of Paradise Garden in Atlanta’s High Museum of Art collections. Finster was honored in a number of songs, including R.E.M.’s “Maps and Legends” and Vigilantes of Love’s “The Glory and the Dream”.

Above: Howard Finster’s Baby Elvis (1988) – unknown whether it was inspired by The 77s’ song “Mary and the Baby Elvis”

Howard Finster online: http://www.finster.com

Paradise Gardens website: http://finsters.ipower.com/index.html

To view past profiles on Artists Work B.e.n.c.h, click below:
Sam Maloof
Thomas Blackshear
Dr. He Qi
Sandra Bowden
Laura Kramer (Psalm 23 Jewelry)
Chris Schlarb

John Newton
Vincent van Gogh

Writing Good Poetry--The Tools of the Adult Poet

2009-07-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

When a baby is given a crayon and the baby produces a few red scribbles, the parents applaud and put the “artwork” on the refrigerator. But, when that baby turns four years old, a few scribbles on paper are no longer considered “good,” and does not gain the child a coveted spot on the fridge. By then, the child is expected to attempt to color within the lines and use several different colors in realistic places (blue for the sky, but not for a person’s face, for instance). When that same child turns six, that child is expected to be able to create his or her own art from scratch. He or she may try to draw a family, and the house is basically a square with a triangle roof on top. Dad has one arm that’s way too long, and mom’s head is too small for her body. The family is mostly made up of stick figures, but it’s creative, interesting, and age-appropriate, so the parents put it on the fridge. But when the child turns fifteen, producing art of that same quality would not gain the child any praise because it would seem babyish and immature for a fifteen-year-old.

In the same way, poetry that is produced when a child is eight might be called “good” for an eight-year-old, but it is not good for a fifteen-year-old. Poetry produced by a teenager might be good for a teen, but if an adult produces that same poem, it is not necessarily considered “good.” Yet, for most people, their high school English teachers are the last people who ever instructed them on how to write poetry. So they are stuck with tools that worked when they were sixteen, but seem outdated now that they are adults.

If you are stuck in this limbo, here are some tools that should help you to write better poetry.

1. Pay attention to sounds

Poetry is meant to be read out loud, and poets are fascinated with the sounds of words and how those sounds fit together to form thoughts and ideas. One way to open your ears to the sounds of words is to obtain a blank manila file folder and use it as your portable word repository. Every time you hear or read a word that you think sounds interesting, write it on your file folder. If you want, you can make categories (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. or A words, B words, C words, etc.) but you don’t have to. The words don’t have to relate to each other, and you certainly wouldn’t use all the words together in the same poem. The point is that you start to consider how words sound together.

Some of my favorite words, based on the ways they sound, are:

Mailbox
Shampoo
Recompense
Lily
Blue, Blew
Understand
Garlic
Swim
Arithmetic

This is just a short list, but you can get the idea. Keep the folder in your car, take it with you to the office, keep it by your computer, take it to the grocery store, and so on. You will be able to start finding words that just sound good to you. Since it’s a file folder, others will just assume it’s something you’re working on, and you won’t seem weird.

Later, when you are stumped while writing a poem, get that word list out and go over the words that sound good to you. Most likely you will be able to find something that will fit in your poem. Even if none of your favorite words are right for that particular poem, reading over words that you enjoy hearing will trigger pleasure centers in your brain, and it will help you to continue working on your project with a positive outlook.

In addition to paying attention to the words you like, you will want to construct and adjust your poetic lines around sound. In a poem, sound and meaning are equal partners.

Are you writing a poem about water? You would probably want to include a lot of “Sh” sounds in your poem, because running water sounds like an "Sh" sound.

So, a line that says:

The Living Waters engulf me and make me scream with joy!

Might sound better if the author revised it to include more “Sh” sounds like this:

Ambushed by the inrush of Living Waters
I shout with joy gushing from my soul!

When a sound is repeated within a small proximity, like the “-sh” sounds above, it is called alliteration.

One useful link to help find words that contain combinations of letters is http://www.morewords.com/. Realize, though, that English has many possible letter combinations for some sounds. For instance, the /f/ sound in fluff is also in enough and philosophy, even they aren’t spelled the same. Since poetry is about sound, using these words in close proximity would get the right effect because they have similar sounds, even though they don't look the same.

2. Pay attention to the rhythm.

In Spanish, the vast majority of words have an accent on the penultimate syllable. But in English, the accented syllable can be anywhere in the word.

Dictionary= DIC-tion-ary not dic-TION-ary or dic-tion-ARY
Computer= com-PUT-er not COM-put-er or com-put-ER
Music=MU-sic not mu-SIC
Attack= at-TACK not AT-tack

When you write lines of poetry, pay attention to where you put your accented syllables. See if you can create a simple rhythm such as TUM-tum-tum-TUM-tum-tum-TUM-tum-tum.

So, a line of poetry that says:

Jesus is my Living Savior who brought me out of hell.

Might be improved if you try to consider the rhythm of the accented syllables:

Jesus is living and active; He carried me out of my misery.

When you read the second line, you get the TUM-tum-tum-TUM-tum-tum rhythm.

JEsus is LIVing and ACTive; he CARried me OUT of my MISery.

Using a good thesaurus will help any poet to find words that have similar meanings but different stressed syllables. Microsoft Word has a built-in thesaurus under the Tools pull-down menu (go to Language when you pull down the menu). There are many other thesauri online that are more extensive, as well as hard copies available at most bookstores and libraries.

There are other rhythms you can use, such as TUM-tum-TUM-tum-TUM-tum or even a more complicated tum TUM-tum-tum-tum-TUM-tum-TUM-tum-tum-tum-TUM-tum-TUM which mixes two different rhythm patterns into one. You can get creative as you practice. Realize, though, that the rhythm you choose will affect the complexity and length of words you have available that can fit into that rhythm.

3. Can you sing your poem?

Not all poems make good lyrics to songs, and not all song lyrics are good poetry. Getting beyond that fact, before you declare a poem “Done,” go into the shower, close the bathroom door, and try to sing it or rap it. This will help you to judge the length of the lines and make adjustments in the meter of the poem.

Look at the following draft of a poem:

I eat Your Word for breakfast, lunch, and dinner,
I love to hear from You, my Lord.
I am listening. Speak to me.
Let me know your will for my life.

The first line has 11 syllables, compared to the next lines which are each 8 syllables. If you were to try to rap it or sing it, you would have to rush that first line then them tempo would be off. Perhaps an improved draft of the poem would be:

I eat Your Word at every meal,
I love to hear from You, my Lord.
I am listening. Speak to me.
Let me know Your will for my life.

Every poet writes first drafts with some lines that are long and clunky. Good poets go back and revise their work so that the lines fit into a pattern more easily. That’s not to say that every line needs to have exactly the same amount of syllables. Some good poems establish patterns such as 8 syllables, 10 syllables, 7 syllables, 8 syllables in each four line stanza. So, the next stanza will have the same 8-10-7-8 pattern, and the next will as well.

One trick to help write a poem with good meter is to start with a song you know and write lines of poetry about a different subject that match the lyric lines of the song.

This may seem childish, but many famous poets use this approach. There's no telling what went through Emily Dickenson's head as she wrote her extensive chache of poems, but every single one of them can be sung to the tune The Yellow Rose of Texas. The song predates her by a few years, but whether or not she knew the song is debatable. Nonetheless, she used the same pattern to create a plethora of poems on many different subjects.

For the sake of example, you probably know Lord, I Lift Your Name on High. But, I want to write a poem about my children, so I will change that first part to:

I know my children are bright,
They like to write and do their math.
Their vocabulary’s high,
Why don’t they like to take a bath?

I wrote that poem by using the lyric lines to Lord, I Lift Your Name on High, and you can sing it to the first four lines of the song. When you pay attention to the syllable lengths of each line, it is called meter.

Of course, that little poem above is humorous, but it’s not polished because I haven’t gone through and played with/fixed the rhythm or the sounds. It takes a lot of time, plenty of drafts and revisions, and lots of false starts to write good poetry. It’s not easy when you consider everything that goes into a poem, but these are things that mark great poetry and set the good apart from the bad, or the adult apart from the childish. As you read poems by other people, consider whether or not they paid attention to sound, rhythm, and meter. Studying other people's poetry will help you to become a better poet. Read one poem every day and think about how the poet used or didn't use these tools. For this month's poetry corner, click here. You can also find links at the bottom of the poetry corner to previous poems we have published here. Then, as you write your own poems use these techniques as tools to help you create better quality poetry.

Look here for our prior Master Classes:

The Five C's of Songwriting

Experimenting with Abstract Landscapes, May 2009

Preparing for Excellence, April 2009

It Builds Character, March 2009

Labanotation, February 2009

Singability, January 2009

Avoiding Cliches, December 2008

Songs About Unemployment

2009-07-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

With worries about the economy all around, and people taking pay cuts, losing jobs, and losing their homes, most people have either been effected by money troubles themselves or they have a close friend who has. Christians are not immune from money troubles, and Christians seem to be losing their jobs at the same rate as others. Perhaps you can create art that reflects the troubled economic times of today. Here are some musical inspirations to get your creative juices flowing.

Bruce Springsteen- The Ghost of Tom Joad

With a truly down-and-out situation of financial disaster and subsequent homelessness, this haunting song contains the lyrics, “Welcome to the new world order/ Families sleepin' in their cars in the southwest/No home no job no peace no rest.”

The La’s- Doledrum

This song isn’t necessarily about unemployment, but, as the title suggests, it’s about finding a way out of the doledrums. “I'll just get on my coat and shout/ Get on the boat get out of Doledrum.” The catchy tune is sure to help people who are depressed about money.

Sufjian Stevens- Flint (For the Unemployed and Underpaid)

His name is pronounced to rhyme with “You-see-Ron,” he’s a Christian, and he’s very popular with the indie and college audiences. This song pairs a beautiful melody with a very serious subject. “Since the first of June/Lost my job/And lost my room/I pretend to try/Even if I tried alone.”

The Jam- Smithers Jones

This song about a person going to work on Monday morning as if everything is normal, and getting fired when he gets to the office, is upbeat and mod. “Come in Smithers old boy/take a seat, take the weight off your feet/I’ve some news to tell you/there’s no longer a position for you/sorry Smithers Jones.”

Billy Joel- Allentown

As explained in both English and Russian at the beginning of this clip, this song is about American youth who were promised the American dream if they worked hard, but the dream has never materialized for them. “Well we're waiting here in Allentown/For the Pennsylvania we never found/For the promises our teachers gave/If we worked hard/If we behaved/So the graduations hang on the wall/But they never really helped us at all/No they never taught us what was real…”

Bing Crosby (Yip Harburg, Jay Gorney)- Brother, Can you Spare a Dime?

This song about lost dreams and poverty is a classic for financial difficulties. “They used to tell me I was building a dream/With peace and glory ahead/Why should I be standing in line/Just waiting for bread?”

Sawyer Brown- Café Down on the Corner

This song about a farmer turned restaurant employee because, as the song says, “They say crime don't pay/But neither does farmin' these days/And the coffee is cold/And he's fifty years old/And he's got to learn to live some other way.” This country song describes the other lost souls in that café, “soldiers without wars…dealers without deals.”

Styx- Blue Collar Man

The song starts off with, “Give me a job, give me security/Give me a chance to survive/I'm just a poor soul in the unemployment line/My god, i'm hardly alive.” That’s the essence of the song.

Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush- Don’t Give Up

This beautiful and interesting song really describes the despair of someone who has lost hope in life. Gabriel nails the voice of the helpless and hopeless. Bush answers, “Don’t give up/’cause you have friends/Dont give up/You’re not beaten yet/Dont give up/I know you can make it good.”

John Rich- Shuttin’ Detroit Down

“While the boss man takes his bonus paid jets on out of town/DC's bailing out them bankers as the farmers auction ground/Yeah while they're living up on Wall Street in that New York City town/Here in the real world they're shuttin' Detroit down” Kind-of says it all.

Welcome to the June 2009 edition of Artist's Work B.e.n.c.h.!

2009-06-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the e-magazine/blog for Artists' Work B.e.n.c.h., the Inland Empire's Christian fine arts organization! We hope you will find this to be a useful, enjoyable and worthwhile resource. Here are the newest items in the blog. Just click on the titles to go to the articles:

Local Profile: Remembering Woodworking Legend Sam Maloof (1916-2009)

Artist Profile: Thomas Blackshear

Fine Arts Bible Study #8

Poetry Corner: "O Sweet Irrational Worship" by Thomas Merton

A Brief History of Dance (3,500 years in under 4,000 words)

Master Class: The Five C's of Songwriting for Corporate Worship

Happenings: Artistic Events Around the Inland Empire

Book Club: The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp (born and raised in the I.E.)

The Cafe for June

Christian Songwriters' Showcase (big changes coming!)

So, brew a cup of coffee, herbal tea, or whatever you like, and stay a while. This page will be updated monthly with new articles and interviews. Enjoy!You are part of a growing group.

What is Artists' Work B.e.n.c.h? This is a place for Christian artists in the Inland Empire of Southern California to mix, network, relax, share, and learn. What types of Christian artists?

1. Visual arts (sculpture, painting, glass blowing, etc.)
2. Dance (performing, choreography, etc. )
3. Music (playing, writing, learning, singing, etc.)
4. Creative writing (poetry, stories, etc.)
5. Drama/theater (acting, playwriting, directing, etc.)
6. ??????

Artists Work B.e.n.c.h. is for Christian artists: simply, people who are Christians and who are also artists. Some Christian artists make art exclusively for Christians, but many use their talents in secular ways as well (writing screenplays for television, jingles, playing in a philharmonic orchestra, acting in a community theater, displaying their paintings in a gallery, etc.) All are welcome here.

Christians follow the Creator of the Universe, and therefore should be the most creative people in the world. The church has historically been the patron of great artists. Hildegard, the writer of the very first opera, was a nun. Michelangelo, Donatello, Edward Hicks, and many others made art for church and used church subjects.

But, today, Christian art is not considered "forward" or "interesting" in many circles. This reputation is well-deserved in most cases. Christian art has become a punchline. In our own little way we hope to change some of that perception.

What does Artist's Work B.e.n.c.h. stand for?
B=BUILD new Christian artists, ministries, avenues.
E=ENCOURAGE Christian artists to use their talents.
N=NETWORK with Christian artists, churches.
C=COORDINATE opportunities for Christian artists to use/exhibit their talents.
H=HELP Christian artists and help churches utilize artists.

This group is for people who fit one or more of these categories:1.) Just starting out2.)Being used mightily for God3.)Frustrated4.)Seasoned professional5.)Curious6.) Talented amateur7.)Wanting to learn/improve8.)Not sure if God can use your talent9.)Good enough to teach others10.)Wondering if your talent (flower arranging, calligraphy, photography, etc.) even qualifies as art.

Christian artists--unite! Let's be creative, interesting, and forward thinking enough to lead the artistic world, while still making quality pieces that reflect our worldview.

Free Hit Counters

Happenings: Artistic Events Around the Inland Empire

2009-06-01T19:08:00.000-07:00

For August, 2009 Happenings, click here.

Looking for some fun stuff to do this month? You've found the right place! Check out our schedule of music and arts events around the Inland Empire for June 2009.

June 4 - Auditions - Redlands

Lifehouse Theater, at 1135 N. Church St. in Redlands, is holding auditions for an upcoming production of "Little House on the Prairie", based upon the beloved stories by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The show is scheduled to run from August 15 through September 20, 2009. Contact (909) 335-3037 for more information.

June 5-Sept. 25 - Praising in the Park - Yucaipa

Every Friday evening at 6:30 PM, from June 5th through September 25th, Bear Witness Ministries of Yucaipa presents a series of worship concerts at the Yucaipa Community Park Amphitheater, 34900 Oak Glen Rd. in Yucaipa. Each week the worship band from a different local church comes to the park to perform and share in Bear Witness' ministries. For more information, click here.

June 6 - Gospel Concert - Temecula

Southwest Christian Church presents a night of uplifting contemporary gospel music with the Vintage Gospel Lads and the Gospel Truth Quartet. The show begins at 6:30 PM and is free of charge. Southwest Christian Church is at 28030 Del Rio Road, Temecula, CA 92590. E-mail
church@southwestchristianchurch.us for more information.

June 7 - "The Rave" - Chino

At 6:30 PM, Long Beach rockers Envera and DJ Steve headline "The Rave" at New Hope Christian Fellowship, 13333 Ramona Ave. in Chino. More info: (909) 702-3736 or http://www.myspace.com/chinorave .

Through June 14 - Peter Pan - Redlands

Lifehouse Theater, at 1135 N. Church St. in Redlands, presents their original musical "Peter Pan", the timeless story of the boy who never grew up. Tickets are $5 to $19 per person. Contact (909) 335-3037 for more information.

June 19-20 - The Art of BBQ - Riverside

Interested in the fine art of grilling? (Yes, ladies, the men DO think it's an art form!) Magnolia Ave. Baptist Church at 8351 Magnolia Ave., Riverside hosts the 6th Annual Burnt Offerings Invitation BBQ Competition, coordinated by the Christian Men's Barbeque Association. Call (714) 319-1782 for more information.

June 26 - Xtreme Tour Event 2009 - Murrieta

From 5:00 to 11:00 PM, Mulligan Family Fun Center hosts the Extreme Tour Event with Christian bands performing all night long! Tickets are $15.99 per person and include unlimited use of most game and entertainment areas, plus two slices of delicious pizza. Mulligan is at 24950 Madison Avenue, Murrieta. Call (951) 696-9696 or e-mail info1@mulliganmurrieta.com .

June 27 - Christian Poets - Riverside

Christian poets Candace Q. Butler (above, a.k.a. "Breeze") and Lily will read their works from 12:30-2:30 pm at the Riverside Public Library, 3581 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside. 951-826-5201 for more information.

June 27 - Southern Gospel Concert - Highland

Immanuel Baptist Church presents The Booth Brothers on “The Blind Man Tour” at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $16.00 per person and can be purchased via itickets.com. Immanuel is at 28355 E. Baseline in Highland. Call (800) 965-9324.

June 27 - Christian Songwriters' Showcase - Highland??

Each month Artists' Work B.e.n.c.h. hosts the Christian Songwriters' Showcase, featuring four artists (like Big Bear's Cliff Sliger, above) performing their original works for an intimate audience. Due to some schedule changes, we are no longer holding the event at GFE Coffee in Highland. We are still seeking a new venue for the June showcase, which will feature Paravell, Daniel Sanchez and two other artists TBA. Keep checking back here for an update on the new location, or e-mail us before the event!

June 27-August 2 - "Zorro" - Redlands

Lifehouse Theater, at 1135 N. Church St. in Redlands, presents "Zorro", the exciting tale of the mysterious Mexican crusader for justice. Tickets are $5 to $19 per person. Contact (909) 335-3037 for more information.

The Cafe for June

2009-06-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas, so here are some ideas that you might be able to use for your art and creative process.

June birthstone: Pearl, flower: Rose
To learn how to make a rose out of money, click here.

June is Great Outdoors Month. If you spend time in the Great Outdoors this month, learn a little more about the feathered friends you see. Click here.

June is zoo and aquarium month. Wolf cubs (pictured above) were born in May at Moonridge Zoo in Big Bear. To find out more about Moonridge Zoo, click here.

The second week in June is National Clay Week. Click here to go to the American Museum of Ceramic Art website. The museum is right in our own backyard in Pomona.

June 1- Donut Day. Learn how to make calorie-free donuts. Click here.

June 2nd Radio was patented in 1896. For an interesting timeline on radio history, click here.

June 3rd is the anniversary of the First U.S. Spacewalk by astronaut Ed White in 1965. For a look at the Smithsonian's Air and Space collections, click here.

June 4th- Aesop's Birthday. Read some of the stories you remember, and learn about others of Aesop's fables that you have never read. Click here for a nice online collection of Aesop's Fables.

June 5th Richard Scarry's birthday. He was an author of children's books, born in 1919. Click here to see some of the books he wrote and drew.

June 6th · First Drive-in Movie Theater Opens in New Jersey in 1933. For an interesting look at drive in theaters of the past, click here. ·

June 8th- Frank Lloyd Wright's birthday. Born in 1867, he is America's most well-known and celebrated architect. Celebrate his birthday by going to the Anderton Court Shops on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, a building Wright designed (pictured above). Click here for more information about Wright.

June 12th Anne Frank's birthday, born in 1929 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The secret annex that she and her family hid in is now a museum. Click here to see that museum. Consider celebrating this by starting a journal of your own. A facsimile of Ann Frank's journal is pictured above. Below, see a collection of pictures and an actress reading Ann Frank's words.

June 14th Caldecott Medal first awarded in 1937. To learn which books over the years have won this award, and to learn more about the award, click here. ·

June 14-Flag Day. Proudly display your stars and stripes. Click here for more information on the holiday.

June 16th- National Fudge Day (as if you need to wait for a special day for this treat). Below is a video about the oldest sweet shop in England. I don't know if they actually sell fudge, but it's an interesting video nonetheless.

June 18th-International Picnic Day. To celebrate this day, why not have a picnic? If you want to make it extra special, click here .

June 19th- Juneteenth

On this date in 1865, Major General Gordon Granger in Galveston, TX read a special order from President Lincoln that informed Texans that the slaves were free. Surprisingly, this was two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed (January 1, 1863). In this day of instant news coverage, it seems strange that there was a time when news traveled this slowly. Some historians surmise that several people in Texas did know about the Emancipation Proclamation, but they simply did not tell the slaves about it. Whatever the case, June 19th became the celebration called "Juneteenth." Click here for recipes and ideas to celebrate. The photograph above was from a Juneteenth celebration in the year 1900.

June 20th Bald Eagle Day. Click here for information on eagles.

June 21st is both Father's Day and the first day of summer. Click here for a great website that has gift ideas for dads, along with crafts the kids can make.

June 23rd Johannes Gutenberg's birthday. He was born in 1400, and he is credited by many as the European inventor of the moveable type printing press. Out of the 180 Bibles he is known to have printed, only 48 in the world today. Eleven of those 48 are in the U.S.A., and one is at the Huntington Library in San Marino near Pasadena (that one is pictured above). Click here for information on visiting the Huntington Library and botanical gardens. If you have never been, it's a beautiful estate with famous artworks, rare books, and a huge and beautiful garden walk.

June 25th Eric Carle's birthday, author of several children's books. To learn more about him, click here.

June 25th-LEON Day. LEON is NOEL spelled backwards. It means six months until Christmas. If you are planning to make some Christmas gifts this year, it might be time to start thinking about buying supplies so you won't be caught in mid-December with a million hours of work left to finish your gifts.

Day June 30th Superman's Birthday. Below are two videos with different Superman themes. The top one is the theme song from the 1940's, and the one below it, while not visually stimulating, is the John Williams theme from the Superman movies.

Book Club: The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp

2009-06-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

Our book club selection for the second quarter of 2009 is The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp, the nationally renowned choreographer who grew up in San Bernardino. Here are the discussion questions for those who have read this book.

Chapter 1- On page 9, Tharp writes, "No one can give you your subject matter, your creative content; if they could, it would be their creation and not yours. But there's a process that generates creativity--and you can learn it. And you can make it habitual." What are some creative habits you learned about that you could use? Do you have any creative habits that you already use?

Chapter 2-On page 20, Tharp writes, "This...is what rituals of preparation give us: they arm us with confidence and self-relaince." How do you prepare to create your art? Do you have any rituals you use? Do you agree or disagree that rituals are important?

Chapter 3-Which do you think characterizes you better: zoe or bios? What are some of the things that shape your creative DNA?

Chapter 4- On page 64, Tharp writes, "Metaphor is the lifeblood of all art, if it is not art itself. Metaphor is our vocabulary for connecting what we're experiencing now with what we have experienced before." How can understanding your memory and thinking about the past and how it relates to the present help you be more creative? Finish this sentence: Something I am doing right now that is related to my past is ___________.

Chapter 5- How do you organize for your projects? Do you use a system like Tharp's box, or do you have any system at all? Do you think technology aids or hinders your organizational process for preparing for a project?

Chapter 6-on page 99, Tharp writes, "When you're in scratching mode, the tiniest microcell of an idea will get you going." What activities can you do to scratch? What projects do you have on hold that maybe need some scratching? Where can you scratch to revive those projects? How do you know when to scratch deeper and when to admit failure and give up on a particular project?

Chapter 7-On page 122 Tharp says, "It's tempting to try to rein in the unruliness of the creative process, especially at the start." On page 124, she writes, "Another trap is the belief that everything has to be perfect before you can take the next step." How can perfectionism kill a project? Describe something you made in which you went through the creative process to produce it. How did the project begin? How did you know you were ready to move on to the next step? How did you get over roadblocks in the creative process?

Chapter 8-How does a piece's spine help it? Can you think of a piece you have heard, watched, saw, or experienced lately that seemed to not have a spine?

Chapter 9-What is your skill set that you bring to your art? What have you done lately to improve your skill?

Chapter 10-What is the difference between a rut and a groove? How can you get out of a creative rut? What things have you tried that did not work well for you? How do you recognize a groove? How can you stay in a groove?

Chapter 11-On page 217, Tharp writes, "We lose sight of the fact that we weren't searching for a formula when we first did something great; we were in unexplored territory, following our instincts and passions wherever they might lead us. It's only when we look back that we see a path, and it's only there because we blazed it." How can losing your fear of failure help you in the creative process? What times have you reined in an interesting idea to make it more palatable to a person/group, and ended up with mediocre products?

Chapter 12- On what skills are you trying to achieve mastery? What can you do to keep running, pushing forward? Have you ever felt like you had developed a skill so well that you finally "arrived" as a "master?" What did it take to get to that point?

Christian Songwriters' Showcase

2009-06-01T14:41:00.001-07:00

We had some big surprises at the May 30th Christian Songwriters' Showcase, none bigger than an abrupt change of venue!

Because of economic considerations, GFE Coffee in Highland has cut back their hours to close at 2:00 PM. While we understand such budget cuts, we weren't actually notified of the change, which made for some confusion when we showed up at 3:30 in the afternoon. Thanks to some frantic phone calling and the kindness of Pastor Dave Robson at Highland Hills Church, we were able to move everything down a couple of blocks to the United Methodist Church on the corner of Baseline and Church Street. Undying gratitude to Pastor Robson for his assistance, and to the folks at GFE for opening their doors to us for the past several months.

Above: Ann Lynn (top); Cliff Sliger (bottom)

We also owe a huge debt to Phil Vecchio of pop.vox.music, a fellowship of Christian artists who network and support each other's efforts. Thanks to Phil we were able to line up three pop.vox acts for the May showcase: husband-and-wife duo Ann Lynn of Big Bear; spirited rocker Cliff Sliger, also of Big Bear; and the cheerful insanity of Jeff Mayfield, the leader of Son of Heatwave. Also on the roster but not a pop.vox artist was Marc DeCock, a powerful performer and writer who hails from Costa Mesa.

We are still seeking a venue for the June 27th showcase, and we welcome any suggestions you might have for venues in the San Bernardino/Highland/Redlands area. So far the bill includes Daniel Sanchez from St. John Bosco Church, and the band Paravell (also a pop.vox.music artist!) More to come!

Below: Jeff Mayfield (top); Marc DeCock and band (bottom)

Artist Profile: Thomas Blackshear

2009-06-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

Thomas Blackshear II grew up knowing what he wanted to do. He confesses, “I always tell everybody that when I was about 5 or 6 years old, I wanted to be an artist and an ice cream man,” Thomas says with a smile. “When the ice cream truck would come by, I saw that man inside got all those dimes and I thought that would be great!”

Above: Thomas Blackshear at age 4

At a young age, he created drawings by tracing pictures from books as many times as it took for him to learn to draw the same pictures without tracing. He recalls, “I think my parents realized I could draw when I brought home a drawing of a cow that looked like a cow!”

Although Thomas was born in Waco, Texas, his dad was an air force pilot, so he moved often during his childhood, living in New York, New Orleans, and Atlanta.

But it was the book Stuart Little that really made Thomas into an artist when he read it as a seventh grader. In the book, the mouse Stuart uses his own creativity to make useful items as he searches for true happiness. “I could relate to Stuart in his tiny world,” Thomas says. “I made him shoes and clothes. He had skates and a little rug by his matchbox bed. I made everything just like it was in the book. The only thing I didn’t have was Stuart himself.”

Through his parents’ divorce during his formative years, Thomas found a deep faith in God’s provision and God’s plan.

“I decided to be an illustrator when I was in high school,” Thomas says. “To me, commercial artists knew how to paint. Plus, I had a fantastic high school art teacher, Curtis Patterson, whom I met when I was a junior. He was the first art teacher I developed a close relationship with. He took an interest in my work and gave me assignments that opened up my mind. It was Curtis’s encouragement that really helped me in becoming an artist. We’re still buddies to this day.”

Another experience helped form Thomas’ self-image. “Right up through my junior year of high school I was always considered the artist of the school,” Thomas remembers. “It had always been that way for me.” Then, students began talking about another artist in the school. “I kept hearing about this guy for a long time before I ever met him, then I finally saw this guy with a painting. I knew after just one glance that he was one of the best artists I’d seen in my life. I learned so much from meeting him. It was really a blessing. I was shocked,” he admits. “He was so good I couldn’t touch him and there was nothing I could do. Up to that point, I always had to be the best. When I met him I realized there would always be somebody better. I realized the best you can do is to just be the best you can be.”
Thomas and that younger artist in his school became friends. “I had to respect him just because of the talent he had and I learned a lot from him.” Still, talent alone, without determination, won’t make a person succeed. After high school Thomas would return home and visit his friend. “I started developing and learning as an artist when I was in art school, and I would come back home and show him my progress,” Thomas recalls. “I would ask him what he had been working on and he’d say, ‘Thomas, I don’t do that anymore,’ and it made me so sad.”

After high school, Blackshear went to the Institute of Art and the Academy of Art, both in Chicago. There, he refined his skills and eventually got a job as an illustrator for Hallmark Cards.

“One of my goals at Hallmark was to work with Mark English. I was thrilled when I was able to get into his class.” English and Blackshear were a good mix and soon English took Thomas on as his apprentice. When asked why he was so bent on working with Mark English, Thomas points out that English has “won more awards than anyone in the business with the exception of Norman Rockwell.” Even as a young adult, Thomas Blackshear II knew the importance of surrounding himself with examples of excellence.

With his career taking off, Thomas tried to reconnect with an old friend from his college days. Ami Smith was a budding writer and close friend at one time, but after college, they lost contact.

“I went to the Academy to see if anyone had a number for Ami Smith,” he recalls. “I was surprised to find that the Academy office had it! The thing is, it really shouldn’t have happened,” Thomas says. Ami had just moved back to Wisconsin and she couldn’t imagine how anyone could have had her number. “That’s why I felt it was a divine appointment,” Thomas says. “God brought us together.”

Ami had been going through a lot of struggles in her life, and during that visit to Wisconsin, Thomas was able to pray with Ami and help her understand how much God loved her.

In 1982, Thomas decided to become a freelance illustrator. It was exciting, but it was also a trap. Becoming overwhelmed with work and deadlines caused Thomas to cut off ties to friends and family. He found that he was working so hard that he didn’t have them time to “create the art that was inside of me.” He describes further, “When you’re in the middle of something like this you don’t realize what is happening to you. I realize now that I was really dealing with depression. I began to lose confidence in myself as an artist, and that’s the only thing I had ever really been confident about!” While attending a friend’s wedding, many old buddies asked Thomas what he had been doing. “I told them I was just working, working, working. I realized I had lost the joy I once had in my art. That was a revelation.”

Thomas and Ami kept in touch, and fell in love. Thomas describes the first inklings that his feelings for her were more than friendship. His friends told him, “Just pray for her. If God turns her heart, you’ll know it’s meant to be. That’s why I know we were truly brought together by God.” They were soon married.

But Thomas’s artistic challenges continued. Feeling trapped by his workload and in the depths of despair, Thomas told Ami that all he had left was Jesus. As he heard himself say those words and realized what he was saying, he added, “and Jesus is all I need!” With that, the depression seemed to lift off like a dark cloud breaking apart in the sun.

By this time, although still quite young, Thomas Blackshear had created a phenomenal amount of work. He had made over 140 illustrations for Lucasfilm, Universal Studios, Anheuser-Busch, 7-Up, Paramount, Smirnoff Vodka, Coca-Cola, Milton Bradley, Disney, and National Geographic. Thomas credits his success to God. “I couldn’t do it without him,” he says. “So many things that have come my way during my career are blessings from God.”

Jerry Pinkney, one of the few well-known black illustrators, gave Thomas a call. “(He) called to tell me that he was working on a series of stamps for the U.S. Postal Service,” Thomas recalls.

“He was looking for someone to finish the job because he wasn’t able to. That was a blessing from God. I didn’t ask to do the stamps, I was just given the job. “

Thomas got many other jobs, but then the Hamilton Collection commissioned Thomas to do a series of four collector plates. This commission was important because it would give Thomas more financial freedom, which would lead to more creative freedom as well.

Thomas remembers well when the Hamilton Collection first called and asked if he could design a plate for The Wizard of Oz. He had been flooded with work from other clients and was up late almost every night. He had promised his wife Ami that he would not take any new commissions until he finished some commitments he had already made. Thomas told Ami about the Hamilton Collection calling, and told her, ““I don’t think I can take it.” But she surprised him by saying, “Take it, Thomas! This is what we prayed about!”

Looking back, Thomas says, ““The thing that I keep seeing is that everything that has happened in my life that was successful was given to me by God. He led me to it through an open door. All my success and talent is from God. He gave it to me.”
Now Thomas has a prolific career as a collectible artist. He creates projects such as Christmas tree ornaments, plates, figurines, and limited edition prints.
Still, Thomas Blackshear II had a vision beyond the incredible success he had already attained.

“I always knew I wanted to create Ebony Visions,” he says. “As an artist who happens to be black, I had distinct ideas about what I’d like to see in the line.” The elegant, compelling figures he created for the collection are a blend of both Art Nouveau and African culture, which Thomas calls “Afro-Nouveau.”

Interestingly, the line was not created exclusively for an African American audience. As Thomas says, “The collection reflects not only my visions as a black man and the unique visions of black people, it represents visions we all share, regardless of the color of our skin. Emotions like hope, love, tenderness, faith, and serenity know no boundaries.”

An attitude of praise and gratitude permeates Thomas’s life and work. “Everything I’ve accomplished is only because of what God has done for me,” he says. “All I’ve done is taken the talent He’s given me and worked at it.”

On February 18, 1998, Thomas and Ami got a new “commission.” After several miscarriages, Elisha Thomas Blackshear was born. Ami described her feeling about being a new mother. “Every day I’m in awe of his fragile beauty…his bright, trusting eyes that look up at me, his dancing smile when I kiss his little feet, the perfect curve of his soft, tiny fingers…” As a talented writer, artist and designer herself, Ami has found her focus shifting since Elisha was born. She writes in her journal every day and creates memory albums recording Elisha’s precious childhood days. “I like to write poems, thoughts, and record all the sweet things that happen from day to day.”

“I can see now how God had a plan for things to happen at certain times over the course of my lifetime,” Thomas says. “It was God who gave me my talent, who has blessed my life with love and joy, and opened up all the doors. All I had to do was just walk through.”

Thomas Blackshear Online: http://www.blackshearonline.com/

To view past profiles on Artists Work B.e.n.c.h, click below:

Dr. He Qi
Sandra Bowden
Laura Kramer (Psalm 23 Jewelry)
Chris Schlarb

John Newton
Vincent van Gogh

Local Profile: Remembering Sam Maloof (1916-2009)

2009-06-01T14:23:00.001-07:00

On May 21, 2009, a local artisan who was declared a “living treasure of California” by the state legislature, passed away at the age of 93. Sam Maloof of Rancho Cucamonga was a truly legendary woodworker, one of the greatest artisans of his field. His furniture, from his signature rocking chairs up to larger pieces, commanded great respect and hefty prices. Maloof’s works found their way into not only into the homes and offices of celebrities and CEOs, but the Smithsonian, the White House, and even the Vatican. His homestead is now a museum in Alta Loma and the home of the Sam and Alfrieda Maloof Foundation. Jay Rodriguez, the Foundation’s former president, said, “In my mind, he was really the most famous woodworker in the entire world.” Local newspaper publisher Bob Balzer echoed the sentiment: "He was one of the most creative people I've ever met. Not only was he an outstanding craftsman, but a phenomenal artist and sculptor."

Samuel Solomon Maloof was born in Lebanon on January 24, 1916. When he was a child his parents immigrated to the United States, settling in the farm town of Chino, California. While still in high school, he won a poster contest and landed a job as a commercial artist in Claremont, working with industrial designers in the area. He taught himself the art of woodworking along the way, despite not having any friends or contacts who practiced it.

Following World War II, Maloof decided to turn his self-taught love of woodworking into a career. His connections with industrial designers opened doors for sales to people like famed designer Henry Dreyfuss. Maloof undertook U.S. State Department tours to locales around the world, where he not only studied local design but made more sales connections. His imagination was perhaps his greatest tool. Rodriguez said, “He would get an inspiration for a piece that he would see in his head and he would freehand cut out the piece and put it together to make it fulfill what he dreamed about in his head.”

Over time Maloof developed a singular artistic sense, and his works became acknowledged as genuine art pieces representative of a new American style. While his most famous pieces were his rocking chairs, he also designed dining chairs and tables, coffee tables, cradles, and even staircases. Maloof became a true celebrity in the art world, selling to presidents, movie stars, corporate figures and the occasional blue-collar worker who saved up for a genuine Maloof.

Above: one of Maloof’s rocking chairs in the museum housed at his former home.

In the 1950s Maloof and his family moved to Alta Loma, where he remained for the rest of his life. He became a highly visible figure in the community around Rancho Cucamonga, beloved by city officials and residents alike. When their 8,500-foot home had to be relocated to allow for expansion of the 210 Freeway, Maloof began designing a new home. Their prior house is now a museum which houses hundreds of pieces of memorabilia and furniture. His pieces can also be found in the permanent collections of other national museums, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Boston Museum of Art. A recent exhibition at Cal State San Bernardino’s Fullerton Art Museum presented eighty of his works and raised money for the university’s scholarship funds.

The Sam and Alfrieda Maloof Foundation was begun in 1994 to preserve Maloof’s art and encourage the arts and crafts movement in the Inland Empire and elsewhere. Alfrieda Maloof died in 1998, and in 2001 Maloof married Beverly Wingate, who had designed the landscape and gardens at the property.

Above: an exhibit of Maloof furniture at the Oceanside Museum of Art

Despite his fame and success, Maloof remained humble, friendly and encouraging. He would regularly invite art students to his home in Alta Loma to discuss their art as well as his own. In an interview a few years ago with the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Maloof said, “I've made a good living, and I've been very fortunate that people like what I do. When I make something, I still hope people like it. I'm happy I'm able to share what little I know.”

Below: Actress Rene Russo visits Sam Maloof:

Rancho Cucamonga Travel Video about Maloof and the museum at his home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UAxwFdQC_w (sorry, we couldn’t embed this one, but it’s very interesting)

To view past profiles on Artists Work B.e.n.c.h, click below:

Dr. He Qi
Sandra Bowden
Laura Kramer (Psalm 23 Jewelry)
Chris Schlarb

John Newton
Vincent van Gogh

Poetry Corner- O Sweet Irrational Worship

2009-06-01T14:19:00.001-07:00

O Sweet Irrational Worship

by Thomas Merton

Wind and a bobwhite

And the afternoon sun.

By ceasing to question the sun

I have become light,

Bird and wind.

My leaves sing.

I am earth, earth

All these lighted things

Grow from my heart.

A tall, spare pine

Stands like the initial of my first

Name when I had one.

When I had a spirit,

When I was on fire

When this valley was

Made out of fresh air

You spoke my name

In naming Your silence:

O sweet, irrational worship!

I am earth, earth

My heart's love

Bursts with hay and flowers.

I am a lake of blue air

In which my own appointed place

Field and valley

Stand reflected.

I am earth, earth

Out of my grass heart

Rises the bobwhite.

Out of my nameless weeds

His foolish worship.

To see May's Poem, click here.
To see April's Poem, click here.
To see March's Poem, click here.
To see February's poem, click here.
To see January's poem, click here.
To see the poem for December, 2008, click here.
To read a poem by Steve Turner, click here.

Fine Arts Bible Study 8

2009-06-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

Above: “The Waiting” by Morteza Katouzian, 1982

O.K. So, you’ve got this great idea for your art. Maybe you’re trying to start a praise dance ministry at your church. Perhaps you found the perfect space in a strip mall and want to turn it into a gallery. Possibly you are writing more songs now or auditioning for plays now. You bought yourself some new brushes and you are poised and ready.

Now what?

You pray, of course. The next day, no change. So, you pray more. Still no change. Pray, watch, wait.

You cry from your heart, “OK, God, I get it! I hear you! I know this is what you are calling me to do. So, when are you going to make your move? What’s the next step?”

Read the following verses (all verses from the Message version):

Psalm 75:7
God rules: he brings this one down to his knees, pulls that one up on her feet.

1 Peter 5:6-7
So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.

Habakkuk 2:2-3
And then God answered: "Write this. Write what you see.Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run.This vision-message is a witness pointing to what's coming.It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie.If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time.

Isaiah 42:3
He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won't disregard the small and insignificant, but he'll steadily and firmly set things right.

James 4:7-10
So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet.

Psalm 46:8-10
Attention, all! See the marvels of God! He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, Bans war from pole to pole, breaks all the weapons across his knee. "Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything."

Romans 8:26-28
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

Isaiah 40: 27-31
Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying,"God has lost track of me. He doesn't care what happens to me"?Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening?God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine.He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out.He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts.For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall.But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles,They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind.

Questions:

1. Describe a time when you were frustrated because you had to wait. Why do you think patience is so difficult?

2. Sometimes God wants us to wait on Him, because His timing is perfect. But sometimes, the time is now, but God wants us to work for it by knocking on doors of opportunity and toiling, because there is spiritual value in the struggle. How would you know the difference between when to stop pushing and when to push harder?

3. Is “wait” an answered prayer? When was the last time you thanked and praised God because He said, “Wait?”

4. As artists, when the spark of creativity and productivity hits us, it becomes very difficult to pause and turn off our brains. We get an idea and run with it. It may not be any more difficult for an artist to be patient, but it sure feels like running head-first into a brick wall when we are told to wait in the midst of the flow of creativity. What, then, is the spiritual value in waiting?

5. There are a lot of verses with the theme and idea of waiting on God’s plan. How can you portray that theme or message in your art?

A Brief History of Dance (3,500 years in under 4,000 words)

2009-06-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

Although dancing has no-doubt been an important part of human experience from the beginning, the earliest dancers and choreographers have sketchy details. The first recorded dance in the Bible (occurring between 1500 and 1400 BC by many scholars’ estimations) is after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea to escape the pursuing Egyptian army. Moses sang a song to the Lord, as recorded in Exodus 15:1-19, and then in verses 20 and 21, it says, “Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them:

‘Sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider
he has hurled into the sea.’”

Other instances of dancing in the Bible include:

-The Israelites dancing around the golden calf (Exodus 32:19)
-Japthah’s daughter dancing upon his return from battle (Judges 11:34)
-The Benjamites choosing wives from the daughters of Shiloh while the women were dancing in a festival (Judges 21:20-23)
-The prophets of Baal dancing futilely before the altar of Baal before Elijah called down fire from God to roast his burnt offering. (1 Kings 18:26)
-References to a song and dance the Israelites did to celebrate David’s victories. (1 Samuel 18:6-7, 1 Samuel 21:11, 1 Samuel 29:5)
-David’s dance of thanksgiving upon the safe return of the Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 6:14 and 1 Chronicles 15:29)
-The request for the Shulammite to dance in the Song of Solomon (Song 6:13)
-Solomon’s statement that there is a time to dance (contrasted with mourning, which also has its time) in Ecclesiastes 3:4
-A prophesy about dancing at the restoration of captive Israel (Jeremiah 31:4, 13)
-Psalm 149:3 and Psalm 150:4 both talk about praising God with dancing.

So, there are many ancient instances of dancing in the Bible. Even still, many Western scholars consider the Ancient Greek master Euripides (480-406 B.C.) to be the first published choreographer when he incorporated dance into his plays. The last words of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, were penned around 460 B.C., so all the previous references to dance in the Bible obviously pre-date Euripides. Still, he is considered the first choreographer because his work was made for a stage performance, instead of spontaneous, and because some of his works survive (although the actual choreography does not survive). Other Ancient Greek playwrights, such as Aeschylus and Aristophanes, followed suit by choreographing dance parts into their plays as well.

Above: A sculpture of Euripides holding a mask that was a common part of Ancient Greek drama.

In the early Middle Ages, dance was discouraged by the church because moving the body was thought to bring on pride, one of the seven deadly sins. Some church leaders pointed out that Salome danced for the head of John the Baptist (Matthew 14:6, Mark 6:22,), and there are few New Testament mentions of dancing at all. (In addition to Salome mentioned above, only three other places mention dancing, and two are recounting the same incident: Matthew 11:16-17, Luke 7:31-32, and the dancing to celebrate the return of the prodigal son in Luke 15). Many church leaders took this silence on the subject of dance as a Biblical rejection, and they also cited the idea that dancing evokes eroticism, not modesty, and may even be condemned in 1 Corinthians 10:7, depending on how the word “revelry” is interpreted.

Still, even with the church’s disapproval, some Christians tolerated it and participated in it. The musical accompaniment at this time was probably some sort of percussion such as a drum or tambourine, and possibly a lute, depending on what social class was dancing. Eventually, even in the Middle Ages, the church accepted dance for religious purposes and even used dance in sermons. Today, there are some dance troupes that specialize in Medieval dances, but since there are no surviving dance manuals from the time, the dances they perform are extremely speculative and based on drawings and the rare journal. Some of the names of these dances are the ductia and carole, estampe, trotto, and saltarello.

A simple dance that you can try from this era follows:

Form a circle with all dancers facing inwards.

Dancers take four steps to the left, crossing legs, right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot (bring feet together). This should take four beats.

Dancers then take four steps to the right, crossing legs in the same manner, but opposite direction.

Dancers take two steps to the left (right foot, left foot bringing feet together). This should take 2 beats.

Dancers move towards center of the circle taking three steps: left, right, and left.

They should have their hands raised as they move toward the center. Each step should take 1 beat, so this movement should take 3 beats total. On the fourth beat, dancers should clap their raised hands three times.

Dancers then move backwards out of the center of the circle back into their places in the same manner: left, right, left, clap three times.

The dance is repeated again, but the speed increases. Dancers can also kick instead of clapping when moving in and out of the center.

In 1489, Italian Bergonzio di Botta hosted a dinner party to celebrate a wedding in Tortona. He presented a dance performance that many scholars consider the very first actual ballet performance. The individual dances matched the courses of the dinner. The dance was about the Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts. This ballet was received so well by those in attendance that many other people then hosted their own dinner parties and included ballet.

Above: The landscape near Tortona, Italy, photo taken in 2005. It was in this environment that the idea of dancing for a show or theatrical event got its start.

But, before ballet could become theatrical more than just a trendy thing to do at a party, there had to be a patron to champion it. Enter Catherine de Medici (1519-1589). Born into the richest non-royal family in Europe, she had a rather tragic childhood. She was orphaned when she was a baby, and her relative Pope Leo X moved her to Rome to live with another family. At six years old, she was brought back to Florence, her birth city, but when she was ten, her family was forced to flee. She ended up in a convent and got a good education there. At the tender age of fourteen, she was married off to Henri, the Duke of Orleans, the French king's second son. Despite the fact that the king openly had a mistress who rode buggies by his side while his wife Catherine walked behind, Catherine gave birth to ten children, seven of which survived to adulthood. Her husband eventually became the king of France, but then he was killed in a freak jousting accident. Catherine became the Queen Mother to the next three kings of France. She is perhaps best known for the St. Bartholomew Day's Massacre where over 50,000 Huguenots (French Protestants) were murdered.

Above: a portrait of Catherine de Medici.

Catherine de Medici may have been the Queen Mother in France, but she never forgot her Italian heritage. She held many dinner parties with dancing, in the same trendy way the Italians were doing it, and she required all of the children in her court to attend dance class. Her son, Henri, eventually became Henry III of France. He seemed to be her favorite child. He was brilliant, eccentric and erratic. When Henry's favorite duke got married, Catherine arranged "Ballet Comique de la Reine," costing more than a million ecue, to celebrate. This is considered by many to be the first ballet de cour because it had a central theme that told a story, and because the libretto and music were written down. The world was so impressed with this ballet that they tried to put on similar ballets. Even in Italy where it all started, the French style was all the rage. They replaced their Italian ballet masters with the French, and from then on the language of ballet was French.

Above: An engraving of what Catherine de Medici’s ballet might have looked like.

In 1570, Count Giovanni Bardi debuted an Elizabethan Masque to the aristocracy. This form of entertainment featured music, dance, and elaborate costumes. But even in England, the French ballet soon took over and the English courtesans wanted to be trained by French masters. Still, it wasn't until 1661 that Louis XIV officially recognized dance instruction by establishing the Academie Royal de Danse. Louis XIV, the "Sun King," had studied dance since the tender age of seven. People can agree with or disagree with his politics, but as an artist he was a famous and gifted dancer. People enjoyed grandiose festivals and productions, but the normal day-to-day entertainment for nobility was court dances such as the pavan, galliard, jig, and minuet. Still, with the riches he enjoyed as king of France, Louis XIV grew fat and could not dance well anymore. Not wishing to offend their king, his courtiers also retired from dancing. Louis XIV, wanting to be entertained by dancing, could not find any of his courtiers who would dance for him. So, he established the Acadamie Royal de Danse to train up dancers. From that point on, ballet became an entertainment to watch, and a wedge was driven between social dancing and theatrical dancing. Pierre Beauchamps, Louis XIV's dancing instructor, later codified the five foot positions in ballet.

Above: a portrait of Louis XIV, the “Sun King,” painted by Rigaud.

Jean-Baptiste Lully, a musician, composer, and dancer, took charge of the Academie in 1672. He danced with Louis XIV and Pierre Beauchamps, and he produced the first ballet with a female dancer in a girl's part. That first female dancer was Mlle. Lafontaine, and the ballet was Le Triomph de l'Amour (The Triumph of Love), which Louis XIV also danced in.

Jean Balon (also spelled Ballon) was a French dancer at this time who went through the Academie, and he became a member of the Paris Opera in 1691. He was appointed choreographer for the King and appeared so light on his feet that the dance term ballon, to this day, describes a dancer’s elevation and softness of his or her jump.

Jean Balon discovered a new talent named Marie Camargo, who turned heads in 1734 as she danced because she dared to raise her fashionably oppressive, modest skirts above her ankle for more freedom of movement. Camargo had a rival named Marie Salle, who, not to be outdone, created a dance called Pygmalion wearing only a tunic.

Above, top: Marie Camargo turned heads by daring to raise the hemlines of her skirts above her ankles so she could be less restricted as she danced. Above, bottom: Marie Salle poses with her tunic and robe.

At that same time period, in 1735, Englishman Henry Holt sailed to Charleston, South Carolina, and produced the first European-style ballet in the New World. European style dancing would be the only dances produced in the colonies and the new nation until 1828, when Thomas Dartmouth “Daddy” Rice appeared as Jim Crow in a song and dance set which began minstrel dancing in the States. The oldest ballet surviving with choreography intact in the present repertoire was produced in 1786. La Fille Mal Gardee (The Poorly Watched Girl) was choreographed by Jean Dauberval. He was schooled in the Paris Academie and he cast his wife, dancer Marie-Madeline Crespe (also known in history as Madame Theodore), in the role of Lise.

Although France was the flashpoint of ballet, it was now spreading all around Europe and across oceans. 300 years earlier, Catherine de Medici had come to France from Florence, and now, in the late eighteenth century, another famous Italian-French family emerged on the dancing scene, but this time in Florence, not France. Tommaso Maris Ippolito Vestris had seven children, three of whom contributed to ballet. Theresa Vestris studied in Naples and made her debut in Palermo. She went to the Paris Opera in 1746 and was in great demand as a solo dancer for twenty years. Angiolo Vestris danced in various Italian theaters and was a guest artist in many cities. Gaetano Vestris made his debut at the Paris Opera in 1748 and was appointed Premier Danseur in 1751. Reportedly conceited, he took Europe by storm. When he went to London, members of Parliament reportedly interrupted its sessions so members could attend all the performances at Covent Garden. Gaetano retired a national hero in England in 1782, but not before he fathered a son, Auguste, with his mistress Marie Allard. Auguste was considered by the nobility all over Europe to be the greatest dancer of his time. Sometimes referred to as Vestr’Allard, he made his debut in La Cinquantaine in 1772. He became the Premier Danseur in Paris in 1778 and retained that title for 35 years. Auguste danced in the first production of Noverre’s and Mozart’s Les Petits Reins. By all reports, he was short and knock-kneed, and yet quite conceited like his father. When he was 75 years old, he performed with his famous student Marie Taglioni.

Above: Auguste Vestris dancing.

This was the height of the Romantic period of dancing (1830-1850) when ballerinas made technical and artistic strides in the art form. Until this period, men dominated the stage, but after this time, women became the principal stars. Dancers Marie Taglioni and Fanny Cerrito, who trained in France, became superstars in Italy. Taglioni was the first recorded dancer to dance en pointe in the ballet La Sylphide in 1832. Fanny Cerrito was the prima ballerina at the famous La Scala for two years (1838-1840). In 1843, Taglioni and Cerrito danced on the same program in Milan, dividing the city between the rivalry of the two ballerinas. Later that same year, Queen Victoria in England requested Fanny Cerrito and another rival, Fanny Elssler, to perform for her. Cerrito toured all over Europe, including an unsuccessful jaunt in St. Petersburg. She married and divorced, and had a few affairs all around Europe, eventually giving birth to a daughter in 1853. Although Cerrito, no longer in her prime, gave her farewell performance in Lyceum, England in 1857, she managed to live until 1909, when she died at the ripe old age of 92. In 1842, Johansson Christian and Marie Taglioni traveled to Russia and stayed to become Russia’s greatest teachers at the time. Their groundwork would later emerge in the Ballets Russes, which officially began in 1909.

Above: Photographs of two rivals. A picture of Fanny Cerrito is on the left, and a picture of Marie Taglioni is on the right.

Around this time, by decree of His Majesty, any French female (young girl, unhappy wife, widow, a girl who wanted to get away from her parents, or a girl who was in service) could escape her fate by officially entering the rolls at the Academie as a music or dance student. It didn’t matter if she ever performed. If she entered the school, she was forever free. This brought a broad variety of personalities into the dance world.

In 1841, Giselle, choreographed by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, was performed for the first time. The title role was danced by a young up-and-comer named Carlotta Grisi. Growing up in a family that had been involved in opera, Grisi enrolled in the famous La Scala Academy at the tender age of seven. Multi-talented, she had a beautiful voice and was a wonderful dancer. She later became a favorite dancer at Her Majesty’s Theater in London. Her friend and occasional dancing partner, Marius Petipa, later revived Giselle and made choreography changes. The version of Giselle that is performed today is usually the Petipa version from the 1870’s.

Above: Carlotta Grisi and Jules Perrot

In Russia, the school started by Taglioni and Christian was producing some pretty good dancers. On February 12, 1881, a little girl named Anna Pavlova was born. At the age of ten she entered the Imperial Ballet Academy. She studied at that school for eleven years and graduated in 1902, joining the Maryinsky Theater as a second soloist. Maryinsky Theater was famous for dancing to many of Tchaikovsky’s pieces (or rather, Tchaikovsky wrote scores for many dances), including the first performance of Petipa’s The Nutcracker on December 18, 1892. Within one year, Pavlova was promoted to first soloist, and promoted to Prima Ballerina in 1906. Mikhail Fokine choreographed The Dying Swan for Pavlova, and it became her signature solo throughout her life. In 1909, Serge Diaghilev signed her for the first Paris performances of The Ballets Russes, and her famous name on the bill helped ensure success of the new company. Pavlova left the company because of Diaghilev’s preference for male dancers. Fokine choreographed The Firebird for her, but when Pavlova heard Igor Stravinsky’s music she pronounced it nonsense and refused to dance to it. She formed her own company and toured Europe and even toured America in 1913. In 1931 she contracted pneumonia. “Prepare my swan costume,” she requested from her death bed. The next night the company performed as usual, and when it came time for The Dying Swan, the curtain opened to an empty stage.

At this time, there was a rebellion of dancers who refused to be tied down to the traditional balletic moves and ideas. In 1881, the first cabaret opened in Paris, and in the 1890’s “Modern Dance” emerged. In 1900 Floradora opened at New York’s Casino Theater, which introduced the “Floradora sextet,” a predecessor of the chorus line. In 1905, Isadora Duncan established the first school of modern dance in Berlin. In 1907, Florenz Ziegfeld introduced his legendary musical extravaganzas.

Still, most scholars put the beginning of “modern ballet” square on the date of May 19, 1909, to coincide with the opening of Ballets Russes de Serge Diaghilev at the Theatre Chatalet in Paris. The opening show was Prince Igor. Moving away from full-length ballets characteristic of the Romantic era, he created new, shorter ballets, with Mikhail Fokine as his principle choreographer, and, briefly, Anna Pavlova as his star dancer. Fokine also choreographed his versions of Les Sylphides and Cleopatre that same year. The Ballets Russes employed the most forward-thinking dancers, choreographers, composers, and artists of the day. Pablo Picasso was the set designer for three of their shows, and Stravinsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Debussy, and Ravel are but a few of the many notable composers the company employed.

In 1911, stinging from Anna Pavlova’s departure from the company, Diaghilev named Vaslav Nijinsky as his principal dancer. Nijinsky entered the Imperial School in St. Petersburg at ten years old. He was short and stocky, and reportedly shy and reserved when offstage. He met Diaghilev at a party, and under the influence of Diaghilev’s strong personality, he became his lover and protégé. Diaghilev dictated Nijinsky’s every move, both on- and offstage, making sure Vaslav read the right books, went to the right concerts, and so on. Although Nijinsky danced with many great ballerinas through the years, he was most associated with Tamara Karsavina, with whom he danced in Le Spectre de la Rose in 1911. Nijinsky also danced with Isadora Duncan, who influenced him both as a dancer and choreographer. His ballets were controversial. 1913 was a busy year for Nijinsky. He choreographed L’Apres-midi d’un Faune (The Afternoon of a Faun) in which the choreography suggested a two-dimensional bas relief and the dancers were barefoot. Later that year, Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring) had the audience shouting obscenities, tearing out theater seats to throw, and, as the audience left the theater, created riots on the streets of Paris. Then, that same year, the Ballets Russes toured South America, but Diaghilev did not accompany them. Without the controlling Diaghilev around, Nijinsky fell in love with a Hungarian dancer in the company, Romola de Pulszky. They were married in Buenos Aires, but when Diaghilev learned about it, he fired both dancers. Still, during World War I, Nijinsky, a Russian citizen, was interred in Hungary and Diaghilev succeeded in getting him out of jail. Later, Diaghilev employed Nijinsky’s little sister, Bronislava Nijinska, as his principal choreographer. Vaslav Nijinsky began showing signs of dementia. He became afraid of other dancers, and he constantly hallucinated that a trap door on stage was left open for him to fall into. He spent many years in mental institutions and was cared for by his loving wife Romola until his death in 1950.

Above: Nijinsky playing the part of the faun in his piece "L’Apres-midi d’un Faune".
Below: a clip of Rudolph Nureyev dancing the same part to Nijinsky’s choreography. To understand the difficulty of dancing in this piece, try counting the beats in Debussy’s score. Also notice the flexed feet, very different than classical ballet.

In 1915, Ruth St. Denis and her husband, Ted Shawn, established the Denishawn Dance School. It was housed in a Spanish style mansion in the hills above Los Angeles. It became renowned as a school of modern dance, and both Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey studied there. In 1926, Martha Graham gave her first New York performance in which eighteen barefoot dancers danced evocatively on the stage. By this time, a new type of show was emerging called the Musical. It combined theater, dance, and music, but was more approachable than its predecessor opera. In 1927 Jerome Kern’s revolutionary musical Showboat opened on Broadway.

In 1933, the same year Sally Rand performed her fan dance at Chicago’s World’s Fair and the San Francisco Ballet debuted, the Ballets Russes (now titled The Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, directed by Rene Blum, who would later be murdered at Auschwitz), toured America for the umpteenth time. One of their up-and-coming choreographers was a young man named George Balanchine. Balanchine moved to the United States after this and started the School of American Ballet in Hartford, CT. Thirteen years later (1946), Balanchine would team up with Lincoln Kirstein and establish the New York City Ballet, which made its home at Lincoln Center beginning in 1964.

Above: Martha Graham’s "Night Journey" (the dancing starts at about 1:15). Contrast that with Balanchine’s "Diamonds", below, performed by the San Francisco Ballet in 2009.

A partnership between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein would create some of America’s best loved musicals. In 1943, they changed musical theater forever when they created Oklahoma! which combined entertainment with serious subjects. Agnes de Mille choreographed the musical, capturing the essence of American folk dance. De Mille also choreographed Aaron Copland's Rodeo and several other Americana pieces.

Above: Copland's "Rodeo", choreographed by Agnes de Mille. Notice how she captures American folk dance and rhythms. For further study, see if you can find a copy of "Appalachian Spring", also composed by Copland but choreographed by Martha Graham.

A good number of modern dance companies sprouted in America in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. Merce Cunningham, Alvin Ailey and Elliot Field, to name a few, debuted their dance companies at this time. But, although modern forms of dance were now more accepted by the public, ballet was still a strong and entertaining art form. In 1954, the Robert Joffrey Ballet debuted.

Also in the 1950s, there was a new backlash against the modern forms of dancing within the church. Many elders and pastors condemned dancing in their buildings, and tried to get their congregants to stop attending dances elsewhere. Several major denominations created bylaws that called dancing depraved. But, as this line of thought was gaining a foothold, other Christians were returning dance to their churches as a way of spiritual worship. This argument continues half a century later, with certain denominations still forbidding dancing altogether while other congregations include dance as part of their Sunday services. While the dance debate may never be resolved within church circles, the art form continues to grow, evolve, and spark imaginations around the world.

Below: The Shepherd’s Field Youth Dance Team from Martin TN performs this dance to the song "Holy Fire" by Johnathan Stockstill.