And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. Exodus 31:3-5
Till this day I do not know why I fell in love with fine art. It is not inherited as no member of my family has an affinity for it. I mean, sure my little brother draws stick people, but when it comes to studio art, it is not their forte. From an early age I have been fascinated with fine art. Every single opportunity that presented itself was used to develop my art skills. Whether it was participating in arts and crafts or staying after school for art lessons, I was always there.
I remember when I first picked up a sketching pencil and created a piece that I later came to loathe the more I looked at it. Looking back now, perhaps it was not that awful, but I kept comparing my work to others and putting myself down. It came to a point where I did not want to even think of the word art. I wanted to give up, admit defeat and stick with the familiar as it proved extremely challenging. However, I had to keep reminding myself that I could not be a professional in one day. So, each year, I kept practicing with the aim of gaining as many skills as possible whilst taking as many lessons as I could. I thirsted for more artistic knowledge, and that thirst became the catalyst to better myself and my craft.
Consumed by my passionate decision, all I could think about was art. Being creative was the first thing I thought about when I woke up and the last thing I thought about when I went to bed. It became my daily routine until finally, I began to see improvement in my work. It slowly and gradually began to develop into something I could appreciate. I noticed my approach to art changed, and I began to enjoy the hours spent working on a piece and witnessing the beautiful outcome of hard work.
I vividly remember the day my breakthrough moment finally arrived. I was working on an acrylic painting influenced by one of my favorite artists, Vincent Van Gogh. At the beginning it did not look like anything, but as I kept working on it, it began to take shape. I was completely lost in my work and had not realized other students including my art teacher had gathered around me. It was when they all started clapping, I figured out what was going on. The overwhelming sense of achievement and joy motivated me to delve deeper into the colorful world of art. On my journey I learned that while art may be a talent, it is through dedicated practice that it transforms into a refined craft.
I have been practicing fine art for over ten years and it has helped to establish some of the foundations of my character. For instance, I see the world differently which has influenced how I express myself. It has made me value our differences as humans and cherish our imperfections which we so desperately want to cover. My specialty is portraiture so studying faces has enabled me to see firsthand the importance of individuality. Without individuality, everyone would unfortunately be the same and how boring that would be. What others may view as ‘unattractive;’ I see it as unique. I have drawn numerous “pretty” subjects, but what I enjoy drawing are those people who are not conventionally ‘pretty’, the faces that have character, the faces that make you value the individuality that we as a human race have been given.
I must admit I am an art devotee. I love its principles as it helps to transform nothing into something. Art has allowed me to view situations in multiple angles and not think uniformly thus enhancing detailed observation, reflective thinking, and balanced judgement. My love for art is eternal and I hope to be surrounded by it for the rest of my life.
Prayers
1. The creative anointing, overshadow my life in Jesus name.
2. The hand of God, lift me up and take me to the mountain top in Jesus name.
3. The influence of darkness over my God given gifts and talents, I cut you off with the blood of Jesus, in Jesus name.
4. That which the Lord has given to me, will glorify God and not the devil in Jesus name.
5. Lord Jesus, lay your hand upon me and bless me in Jesus name.
