For me, creating art is an act of prayer. It is as if I am chatting with my Creator and Creator responds with art. Art is then a reflection of my relationship with Creator. My first experience with this was when I was writing my book. I used art as a means of exploring my understanding of “soul.”
CATHY RAYMOND
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For me, creating art is an act of prayer. It is as if I am chatting with my Creator and Creator responds with art. Art is then a reflection of my relationship with Creator. My first experience with this was when I was writing my book. I used art as a means of exploring my understanding of “soul.” My process was to create the art, observe what the medium did and then journal about my observations and feelings. Today, I journal in a very large sketchbook as I sit at my drafting table. This spiritual practice is an on-going conversation that is rich in life and love.
“Raising the Cross” is my first experience with sacred art. It is my largest piece of art and its creation is quite a story! This work was done with so much love and joy by so many contributors. It is a true representation of a work of faith.
1. Righteous Heart
The stand that I am in life is Righteous Heart. Righteous Heart is my place in the world. When you look into the depths of my soul, Righteous Heart is what you see. This work was created with simple tempera paint on poster board. Nothing fancy. Just an expression of a powerfully righteous heart.
2. Freedom
The soul requires freedom. I started with a puddle of multi-colored, water-based house paint spread in a line across the middle of an untreated canvas. Flicking a stick through the paint and then letting gravity do its work created the "jelly fish-like" image. The result was that the paint did not care what it touched or if it stayed within the boundaries of the canvas. Colors blended together and created their own magic. Paint came alive in the freedom.
3. Heart
The soul is felt, not thought. Using ink, brush and shuen (rice paper), I closed my eyes, breathed in through my heart the word "soul," and then just let the bush express the energy of the word. Note both the depth and the lightness.
4. Surprise
The soul thrives on surprise. I used watercolor on wet paper. This gave me little control over what the paint did. As I brushed the paint onto the paper it blended in ways I hadn't planned, creating color I hadn't throughout about. It was a surprise!
5. Forgiveness
The soul is healed through forgiveness. The background is pigment and water on untreated canvas. It is overlaid with words printed with pen and ink - a medium difficult for me because of a tremor in my left and dominant hand. A forgiving medium was my only explanation for completing this intricate work.
6. Centered
The source of the soul's power comes from being centered. I propelled a plastic cup forcefully into the middle of a pool of multi-colored water-based house paint. It spattered, of course, but what I really noticed was that the center was still filled with a depth of color. Being centered is an extremely important quality of "soul."
7. Earth
I did a series of circular watercolor paintings. I was fascinated by the ever-moving color. It was alive! This one looked like the Earth to me. Reinforced by a recent trip to Yellowstone National Park, I find it very comforting to know that the Earth is alive.
8. Joy
I used ink, brush and shuen paper for this piece. For me, joy arises from my core: solid and grounded. As it births, it reaches skyward, exploding in bubbles.
9. Song Hat
This pencil sketch comes from my journal. It was created as I was sitting on a hillside, looking squarely at the Grand Tetons. It reflects the answer to a question: "Where did the joy go?" I recalled that the last time I'd felt joyful, was when I was leading singing to kids at camp. This was my song hat.
10. Sunset
This painting started with a line of house paint at the top of the canvas. I used a squeegee to pull the paint down. I grabbed a hunk of grass and laid it on the wet paint. In this painting, I struggled with when to "stop." When was it enough? At what point would "enough" step over into "too much?" As a perfectionist, I face this question all of the time.
Raising the Cross Lazy F Camp Ellensburg, Washington October 18, 2014
Lazy F Camp and Retreat Center is a ministry of the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. It offers opportunities year-around. This is the story of the Lazy F cross that is placed in the outdoor chapel. Conceived in May 2014 and installed October 18, 2014, this cross is an expression of the love of many for this sacred place. The cross was designed and crafted by artist Cathy Raymond from the Tumwater United Methodist Church, and engineered/built by John Gancel, First United Methodist Church of Olympia.
To make this cross weather the many seasons at Lazy F, much care was taken in creating a platform for the tiles. Many tiles are re-cycled. This is the back of the cross. Some ask why we would go to so much effort on the side no one sees. We do this to the glory of our Creator God. Katie Rau, the Lazy F Program Coordinator is laying tiles.
Tiling the back and sides took at least twenty-four women-hours to complete. Another thirty-two was required for grouting and sealing. And, that is just the back and sides! Cathy Raymond is laying tiles.
The grouting was the most tedious part of this project; yet, it made all the difference in the world. Grout makes this look like stone.
The front of the cross is designed to be more colorful and more free-form, with many loving hands placing their own mark on this cross. The design on the cross-beams is to be a sunflower.
October 12, 2014. Lazy F celebrates 60 years as a United Methodist camp. All who participated added tiles to the front of the cross. The tiles for the front of the cross are broken plates, mugs and pottery along with some colorful glass beads and ceramic squares. You can’t see her, but Claudia Guilford managed this tiling effort.
It was a happy zoo! Friends selecting just the right tiles for the heart or rainbow or flower they carefully crafted. Years from now, they will come to the cross at the Lazy F chapel and know that they are a part of this work of art that honors our Great Creator and our Loving Shepherd.
Still up at the chapel site, the tile-laying of the front of the cross is finished. Laying the tiles is only one piece of the process. Grouting comes next followed by sealing the grout. This grouting will be even more difficult than the sides and back.
It is October and it is cool and a bit rainy. In order for the adhesive to cure and the conditions for grouting to be at their best, we need a warm, dry place to finish this work. So, back to the maintenance shed goes the cross.
The cross is done and now on its final journey back to the chapel site for installation. It is October 18, 2014. Travis Britten is driving. Travis is the maintenance person, keeper of the keys, and challenge course coordinator at camp. He helped in many large and small ways.
It is a slow drive to the chapel. Accompanying this treasure is Lisa Gancel and others. The cross is laying on mattresses so that the tiles are not scratched. The cross is very heavy.
October 18, 2014. The cross is in position to be raised. Now, we just have to organize the humans! The cross will be lifted upright and guided through a hole in the deck to its pre-prepared footing where it will be bolted into place. The cross is free-standing – not attached to the railings or the deck.
Gravity fought hard. But, many hands and much determination wins out as we raise the cross. The men helping are from the Mt Rainier Christian Center in Enumclaw, Washington. They were on retreat at the camp (they called it “Man Camp”) and agreed to help.
Raising the cross brings a depth of feeling that is indescribable. Imagine God looking down on this effort and smiling.
John Gancel, the project engineer/builder is checking the footing. Is it level? Absolutely! Amazingly, it took under fifteen minutes to install once the cross was up at the chapel site. This is a true testimony to John’s work. It was perfectly level and needed no adjustment.
You can see the cross from a distance. It is majestic. It fits the space nicely. And now and again the sun catches on a colorful piece – a glimmer – a sparkle. Clearly, God is present in this place.
October 18, 2014 John Gancel, the Project Engineer/builder Cathy Raymond, the Artist
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