I enjoy collecting quotes on art and living. Be inspired today:

“If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint.” ~ Edward Hopper

“Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint you can on it.” ~ Danny Kaye

“Out of suffering comes creativity. You cannot spell painting without pain.” ~ John Lithgow

“Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.” Pablo Picasso

“Nobody is bored when he is trying to make something that is beautiful, or to discover something that is true.” ~ William Inge

“An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision.” ~ James McNeill Whistler

“The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.” ~ Michelangelo

“What is art but a way of seeing?” ~ Thomas Berger

Melody Green, wife of the late Keith Green, makes a valid point. Read this excerpt and see what you think:

“The Church as a whole has kept a very tight, if often unspoken reign on its artists. We’ve drawn narrow and creatively limiting lines, hoping to keep our artists from compromising the truth. Because of this, many artists feel that to be accepted as true believers, all they paint, write, sing, produce, etc., must have an overt Christian message. Movies need an altar call, songs and books must talk about God, and artwork needs a scripture somewhere. But God does not call every artist to minister so directly.”
~ Melody Green, Direct Contact: Seasoning the Media Arts

Entire article is posted here.

How has God called *you* to minister?

The January issue is up! So much good stuff: practical, informative, inspiring, and FUN: Carnival of Christian Writers

Thanks to my friend who forwarded this interesting article:
The Plight of the Christian Artist.

In this piece we peek inside the heart of Vincent Van Gogh and learn why so many artists in the church today are, indeed, frustrated. Be sure to read the entire article. Here’s an excerpt:

“As tragic as contemporary Christianity’s effort to cultivate artistic talent is, there is an additional tragedy with long-term implications. To be blunt, the Church has sold its artistic soul for a shallow brew of overly spiritualized sentimentality.”

“Where the Church used to compose concertos, she now throws together ditties with three chords. Great art has been relegated to musty museums and replaced by commercialized “Jesus junk.” And literature exploring the great mysteries of man’s relationship to creation and Creator has been supplanted by trivial testimonies about how you can follow Jesus and become a millionaire at the same time.”
~ Denny Gunderson, The Plight of the Christian Artist

AEM Artist Forums are local gatherings of artists and creative professionals in Los Angeles, California. These forums include lectures and discussions on the practical application of a Christian worldview to art, music and all forms of film & media. Through these monthly gatherings AEM serves the local Los Angeles/Hollywood community by encouraging, praying and discussing relevant issues artists face in their creative process, their professional careers and their spiritual life.

“These meetings are open to those who are able to travel to Los Angeles and who take their art and their walk with their Creator seriously.”

Resource:
Artist Forums

A new source has come my way. Check it out for yourself:
Arts & Entertainment Ministries

“Arts & Entertainment Ministries (AEM) equips and educates artists, creative professionals, churches and educators to embrace the gospel and become agents of redemption for the arts, the culture and the world.”

AEM is sought after by professors, teachers and pastors to deliver lectures and provide resources that equip them for training Christians to embrace their faith as they begin to engage the culture around them. Christ did not die for us to retreat from culture, nor to sit on the sidelines as we condemn it, but to be a redemptive force within culture (John 3:17) as we become living metaphors of salt and light (Matt 5:13-16).