You probably know that God loves it when we use the gifts and talents He gave us. As Christians, we are taught to glorify God with our works. But did you know that He can also use our abilities to prophecy to His children? At the start of my watercolor journey, I didn’t always know that I would be able to partner with God in this way, but I’m learning to listen for His word as I continue my watercolor practice.
I started painting with watercolors and hand-lettering a few years ago and I've seen the encouraging power of a hand-made, personalized piece of art. Through celebratory cards and thank you notes; through a carefully lettered name card; through special, customized illustrations; I've been blessed to be able to encourage my friends and family by creating personal pieces that speak to their true nature and the people God has created them to be.
Encouragement and edification of our Christian brothers and sisters is part of our duty to the body of Christ. Paul states in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, "encourage one another and build up each other" in order to help keep each other alert to living a life with Christ and to continue seeking Him each day. I have learned that by creating "encouragement art," I can partner with God to uplift and inspire others to continue to follow after Him or perhaps, seek Him in new areas of life.
How does "encouragement art" work? It starts with taking the time to consider the recipient. It might be someone's birthday or it might be a time of difficulty, but whatever the reason, the Lord puts people on our hearts to speak to their unique situation from a heavenly, kingdom perspective. Taking into consideration the occasion, I start a conversation with God about what would bless the recipient - what would speak to them - what would show them that they are special and loved. This part usually takes even longer than the actual creation of the piece, but it's the most important! When we take the time to wait on God and ask Him to show us how He loves one of His children, we can create art that truly impacts others. Just as our words can carry life, so can our artistic outputs, so we are therefore tasked with presenting images that are as "life-giving water" to our brothers and sisters [Prov. 18:4].
Next, I usually do a few small sketches or practice studies to plan the piece. It is during this time that I have the freedom to play and experiment with different ways to capture the vision that God is giving me for the "encouragement art." Some of these aspects to consider include:
● The subject, and what these images represent to the recipient
● Colors, and their Biblical meanings
○ ie. Purple represents royalty and green can imply new life and growth
● Visual perspective, and how that can convey a kingdom perspective to the viewer
● Textures, which can convey tone and emotions, as well as add interest to a piece
● If there are any words to be included, how will they speak to the person and build them up
○ They could be a favorite scripture reference or a word of knowledge for the recipient.
After planning, I dive into the final piece and complete it with as much excellence as possible, while also trying to avoid worrying about perfection. Hand-made art with traditional materials like watercolor is sometimes going to produce unexpected results and that's OK. When you partner with God in your art, the result is no longer a reflection on your skills, but a reflection of God's heart for the recipient.
Sometimes, the Lord will give you inspiration for a piece that speaks directly to you. A recent illustration of mine titled, “There’s a Table,” was inspired by a song that was stuck in my head at the time, “Surrounded” by Upper Room. It references Psalm 23:5, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." This was significant to me because it was an invitation to sit at Jesus' table and eat with Him. It was a reminder of the sacrifice of His life and it was also a call to continue to partner with Him, converse with Him, and rely on Him in total surrender.
And now, one last note. As someone who started watercolor as a hobby in adulthood, it took time for me to feel comfortable showing others my work. Though artistic ability is a gifting from God, any technique requires practice, practice, and more practice. We need to train our muscles to create the strokes we intend and we need to train our eye to see our subjects clearly and produce the work we envision. But I encourage you to share your work as soon as you are ready. You never know how it could impact someone.
- Meredith Leggett
