An Austrian nobleman was expected to follow the family line in politics. But an encounter with God through a gallery painting changed the direction of his life. Depicted before him was Jesus Christ crowned with thorns. Below were the words, “This I have done for you. What have you done for Me?” Profoundly moved, the youth responded, “I will do more.” The young man was Count Zinzendorf. He gave his life for the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom. Establishing a safe haven u

Teaching July 21: Topic: Art and Spiritual Formation Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, Charlotte, NC: August 22: Integrative Seminar: The Beauty of Holiness Topic: Faith of an Artist Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Charlotte, NC: September 11-12: Bearing the Image: The Hope and Calling for Creatives The City Church, Charleston, SC Location: St. Andrews Mt. Pleasant Campus 440 Whilden Street Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464 Beginning Friday at 6 pm Upcoming Shows November 10 - 1

I value truth in materials in 3-D art making. But sometimes engineering and budget concerns make compromise the reasonable thing. In the proposal drawings for Gordon-Conwell Art Commission, a gothic arch would act as a visual unifier organizing multiples within. Lending its rich conceptual freight, it would serve as a link between the church past and the present. After a search for a ready-made arch, I came to the conclusion that in order to not compromise on quality and

I value truth in materials in 3-D art making. But in this project, engineering concerns, public safety and budgeting nuanced the considerations. In the proposal drawings for Gordon-Conwell Art Commission, a Gothic arch would act as a visual unifier organizing multiples within. Lending its rich conceptual freight, it would serve as a link between the church past and present. After a search for a ready-made arch, I came to the conclusion that in order to not compromise on q

I'm pleased to announce an art project underway for Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary's new David Rogers Hall of Missions. This mixed media piece occupies a 12' x 24' space welcoming guests into the new missions wing. As an alumna of Gordon-Conwell, this project is personally important to me. My first introduction to the seminary came through the Perspectives course after being called to missionary service in 1999. GCTS graduate, Dr. Bill Jones, was a teacher. Dr. Jones

In fashion in the Charleston arts scene (a fashion which I hope disappears) is to answer the question, "How much would you charge..." with "You can't afford me". What's so ironic is that you hear it most from artists who have to think hard about which bill they'll have to float to afford a night out with friends. Let me tell you about one such scenario. I accompanied a fellow artist to the studio of a woodworker. My acquaintance's beach boho style made her appear younger t

There is a little girl in my life who I love profoundly. She is actively developing her sense of creativity in words and in art. In particular, she has a keen facility for color and shape. I want to nurture that. As we read stories, we not only focus on the words, but take time to examine the illustrations to cultivate an appreciation of the artist's work. At the local library's creative kid's morning, we were given a gopher puppet to color. She went straight for the or

An Austrian nobleman was expected to follow the family career in government leadership. Visiting an art gallery, he was utterly arrested by a painting. Stopping to take it in, the man beheld Jesus Christ crowned with thorns. Below were painted the words, “This I have done for you. What have you done for Me?” The man answered, “I will do more…” The young man was Count Zinzendorf who surrendered his life for the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom. Zinzendorf used his wealth t

I'm working on some new pieces and wanted to post the first of a new antique mirror art theme. This work is called "Dreaming of An Unclouded Day" after the song. The dappled, patina'd silver is reminiscent of clouds with beautiful sky blue breaching through. This piece is about 36" x 35". The photo was taken in a courtyard and you can see me taking the photo as wel as the plants in the reflective surface. I feel as if I'm hitting my stride in silvering effects and hope to h

I have struggled with what it means to let the Kingdom of God reign over my art. God has been so gracious, so fulfilling, and so satisfying. Yet when it comes to art making, why the temptation to hold-back? Peter Kreeft rightly points out, We're all insane. Perhaps I fear that I’ll have to do those sentimental paintings of Sunday School, or produce the tchotchkes in the Christian stores. Perhaps I draw comparisons between working with God and many a well-intentioned collabo

I've been in some meetings about an exciting new potential project in the South Charlotte area. It's too new to announce. I'm working on a series of drawings for board approval for a large work in a public space in a place that is dear to me. Pray for inspiration! More details to come. #events

Often I find myself mourning the fact that I didn’t keep a female cardinal feather found on a walk. There it was on an old quiet South Carolina road under the shade of low hanging oak trees and Spanish moss. The color complexity was too great for my eyes to comprehend. How could such a small space contain so many shades of pink to carmine, invading orange and dancing with grays at the same time? My walking partner commented on my silence. All I could express was that I wa

The client is coming Monday morning to sample the prototype. Therefore, we're casting on Friday just for the sake of making the whole process more stressful. Who needs margin for error? Freeing one cast from the shell reveals a backplate that is absolutely perfect! Remove the sprews and vents with an angle grinder, a little pneumatic sanding action, wire wheel, and buffer, and this piece is ready for plating. A photo of the good piece is shown below alongside of the cerami

Metals wear beautifully over time. Considering that most of the elements on the periodic table are metals, they readily engage in a wonderful interplay when placed with other elements. Much of my time in graduate school was spent working on ways to age metals, burying them in the dirt or salts and acids. Metals are quite responsive and any experimentation can bring exciting and unexpected results. My initial motivation was to make objects that look like artifacts. Out of th

Casting metals is a lot of work but with rewarding result. You foundry buffs know that clean up is a large part of the work, especially if you are going for precision geometrics. But master craft, James, let me in on a way to use the lathe for clean up that yeilded a quick, consistent finish. Allow me to give a word of appropriate warning. The lathe can be one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment in the shop. Use with adequate training and healthy fear. In general, I

It's fascinating that most elements on the periodic table are metals. Their qualities are diverse. Exploring the myriad ways to use metals in art gives one the privilege of playing with the very building blocks of the universe. I had been looking for reflectivity in paint as a way to engage light as a medium in my 2 dimensional work. Having been inspired by the art of the middle ages at the National Museum and the Louvre, I went on a search to make use of metals in my own w

I wanted to review and recommend the Twin Tip for Smith's Little Torch. Bottom line: I love it! The Smith Little Torch is just terrific because of the flame and heat precision it allows in soldering copper and brass. It works great for most of my projects though I'm using a rather pricey solder with the highest melting point I can find for structural strength. But at times you need to break out the silver solder when a joint is weight bearing and and must retain structural

"Your work has such a POWERFUL sense of THE FATHER." These were Alex Radin's words, his first reaction to seeing my work in person. With a smile on his face, this memory warms me inside. I’ve been drawing my dad’s hands since I was a little girl. He was always so strong and when he was near, our home felt safe. His hands and feet became my normal for what hands and feet should be like artistically. In college, he was patient enough to allow me to make some plaster casts as

I have to say that working with Artist on Fire will never leave me the same. The initiators, Alex and Sara Radin, are some of the most remarkable people I have ever met. Humility and the arts are not two things that often go together, and Charleston is in no need of another young artist dude who doesn’t know that he doesn’t know. Not to mention, it’s difficult coming into a new group of artists; I’m not up for the shameless display where everyone peacocks around trying to