Patterns of Prayer and Painting

This is where the ideas begin to form for me... quiet mornings in my home studio, surrounded by the familiar rhythm of paint, brushes, and books. Usually, I take what I’ve been studying in scripture and let those words shape the concept I want to explore on canvas.

I’ve found that nothing has formed my faith or shaped who I’ve become quite like my dedicated time in the Word. When I’m painting, I’m meditating on whatever I’ve been reading... turning those phrases over and over in my mind, letting them find their way into color and form.

“There is no knowledge of self, apart from the knowledge of God.”
— Jen Wilkin

Lately, I’ve been contemplating PRAYER... the spiritual discipline of making time for it... being still and present before God. I’ve noticed how my prayers are often repetitive. I find myself praying the same words over and over in different seasons of my life.

That repetition has made me think about patterns... how my prayers become word patterns I speak to God... a rhythm I return to again and again. It’s such a familiar idea to me. Even as a little girl, I loved going to the fabric store with my granny... standing in the aisles and looking at all the beautiful patterns in the fabric.

Of course my mind would fixate on this idea of patterns in prayer... how prayerful meditation is, in a sense, a way of creating order out of the chaotic thoughts swirling in my head. I’ve been journaling about these ideas for over a year now... letting them slowly take shape. Perhaps one day soon they’ll come to fruition in a new series of work.

“Prayer is the space between heaven & earth.”
— M. Wiederkehr

For now, I’m grateful for the chance to sit with these thoughts... to notice the patterns... and to keep seeking that quiet space where creativity and faith meet.