Artist...

In the realm of visual art, I am not an artist. I once drew a straight line I was proud of, but then someone pointed out that using a rule is "cheating".

I can cook food that tastes great, which is artistic. But the only time I hang spaghetti on the wall is when I am checking if its cooked or not. (For those of you who don't know this trick, cooked pasta sticks to the wall. )

I enjoy looking at art. I love the way its not just about presenting what is, but it is also about perspective. A person's expression of their "truth" is being revealed and even that vulnerability is a gift to the audience.

I was thinking, if I were an artist. What would I paint? I would paint the things that bring me life...humor and truth. I love to laugh and I love to see what is true revealed...not just a person's "truth" but what is TRUE in the sense that it is universal, unchanging and eternally true...spiritual truths, I guess. I'm not sure how these things (laughter, truth) fit together but it worked for a certain painter named Norman Rockwell.
He loved to paint humor...

And truth...

To me the above painting "Freedom to Worship" has obvious themes like diversity and unity in worship, but there is also a certain darkness/depth in the picture that suggests the struggle in finding the freedom to worship. He was telling us something of the truth he had found (I am assuming) about the joy and difficulty found in the search for freedom in worship.

I think I would paint like him. I would use humor to bring joy to people and I would try to express wisdom in some paintings tohsare the wisdom God grants me with others who choose to see it.
Painting a picture is only half the story, the interpretation of it is a whole different struggle...