About the Artist
a sinner saved by Grace
lover of God ~ minister ~ worshiper ~ artist ~ speaker ~ writer ~ photographer
lover of God ~ minister ~ worshiper ~ artist ~ speaker ~ writer ~ photographer
How long have you been an artist?
I believe I have been an artist all my life, but did not start painting deliberately until 1991, not long after I was saved. Something inside of me wanted to create art, even as a child, my favorite place of the toy section was the creative part. I would spend hours doing detailed paint by numbers, and loved arranging my crayons into rainbow order.
So one night, armed with only 6 tubes of paint, I painted my first canvas. When I showed it to my family, they didn't believe I had actually painted it--that was all the encouragement I needed!! Not long after I started painting with pastels, I would take my art to work with me to show the resident artist at my workplace. Co-workers would see my artwork and commission me to do portraits for them. As a single mom, the extra money came in handy, it seemed the Lord was having others pay me as I was learning to paint, and He would bring commissions to me at just the right time.
I started dreaming of teaching children art, so I got a job as a teaching assistant for a local town art center. I loved it, but did not like feeling the spirit of witchcraft that permeated the atmosphere. I dreamed of a place where God would be worshiped with the arts, and the Holy Spirit could rest. Eventually I became a teacher and started my own art school. I designed a comprehensive fine art curriculum for home schooled students and began working out of my car trunk, teaching art classes in local churches. www.rainbowskiesandbutterflies.com
So one night, armed with only 6 tubes of paint, I painted my first canvas. When I showed it to my family, they didn't believe I had actually painted it--that was all the encouragement I needed!! Not long after I started painting with pastels, I would take my art to work with me to show the resident artist at my workplace. Co-workers would see my artwork and commission me to do portraits for them. As a single mom, the extra money came in handy, it seemed the Lord was having others pay me as I was learning to paint, and He would bring commissions to me at just the right time.
I started dreaming of teaching children art, so I got a job as a teaching assistant for a local town art center. I loved it, but did not like feeling the spirit of witchcraft that permeated the atmosphere. I dreamed of a place where God would be worshiped with the arts, and the Holy Spirit could rest. Eventually I became a teacher and started my own art school. I designed a comprehensive fine art curriculum for home schooled students and began working out of my car trunk, teaching art classes in local churches. www.rainbowskiesandbutterflies.com
I feel that there is nothing
more truly artistic than to love people.
~Vincent Van Gogh
How did you come to know Jesus?
Caught up in a cycle of drugs, alcohol, unhealthy, co-dependent, abusive relationships, and completely broken by life, I became pregnant, and it wasn't the first time. Twenty-five and unmarried, I humbly asked God to “save” me. I just said very plainly to Him, “I don’t understand what it means to be saved, or who Jesus is, but, if you ARE God, surely You can show Yourself to me.” Then, I changed my journal entries that day from “Dear Diary” to “Dear God."
He was faithful to answer my prayer and 4 years later, my son and I were baptized in water; I was also filled with the Holy Spirit 3 years after that. It was in those times of writing that God began talking to me. One word, or sentence at a time, I would just write what I heard. When I would go back and re-read it, I knew it was not my own imagination, but His voice I was hearing.
My life changed so radically, and I was so happy to finally have the love I had been looking for all my life. I had to go through so much healing from my past, and it was in those times of deep ministry that I began to see Jesus. Now the Lord uses me to help others get free, and have eyes to see.
My favorite story in the bible, is the one about the sinful woman that went into the room filled with the religious leaders, anointed Jesus with the costly perfume, and washed His feet with her tears. It was me!!! I, like her, I have been forgiven much, and so I love Him much...and I am His Princess Bride.
He was faithful to answer my prayer and 4 years later, my son and I were baptized in water; I was also filled with the Holy Spirit 3 years after that. It was in those times of writing that God began talking to me. One word, or sentence at a time, I would just write what I heard. When I would go back and re-read it, I knew it was not my own imagination, but His voice I was hearing.
My life changed so radically, and I was so happy to finally have the love I had been looking for all my life. I had to go through so much healing from my past, and it was in those times of deep ministry that I began to see Jesus. Now the Lord uses me to help others get free, and have eyes to see.
My favorite story in the bible, is the one about the sinful woman that went into the room filled with the religious leaders, anointed Jesus with the costly perfume, and washed His feet with her tears. It was me!!! I, like her, I have been forgiven much, and so I love Him much...and I am His Princess Bride.