Not all painting is prayer. I wouldn’t consider the paintings my students copy and try to reproduce from photographs as prayer. These paintings are the vehicles for learning the mechanics of painting.....the proper use of brushes and knowing which brush to use; the learning about and how to mix colors; the learning of perspective, proportion and composition. In my classes I try to teach the ‘how’ of painting but most importantly, I try to teach them how to "see" and to illustrate their seeing with paint.
As with anything else, once the mechanics are learned, the way is paved for creativity. It’s within this creative aspect painting becomes prayer. Some might call it simply "inspiration" and that’s a part, but it’s more than that.
Recently, one of my students sat down to paint, turned to me and said, "I don’t know what to paint."
I smiled. "Why not start by putting colors you like on the canvas and see where it takes you?" Purposely then, I walked away but continued to watch as she became ever more engrossed in her painting. Only once did I ask, "Do you know what you’re painting?"
"I think it’s a forest fire," she responded as if seeing it for the first time. I nodded my head, offered a mechanical suggestion, and moved on.
I knew she was experiencing the contemplativeness of painting.....that time when she was so in touch with her own spirit she could express it in paint....the one time she wasn’t fearful of the canvas or the paint...the one time she just decided to dive in and see what happened....the one time she experienced the freedom of expression.
The finished product isn’t necessarily just a work of art, but a work of prayer.
When that happens.... Painting is prayer. It is the result of a direct communion with God.
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