Catalyst Conference, ATL – Let it die so it can rise
I got asked to participate in the Catalyst Conference this fall in Atlanta, GA.
Catalyst is a church leader training conference that brings together a lot of big speakers, bands, spectacles, and just an all around good time. It draws about 13000 church leaders from all over North America. I painted at the Atlanta conference last year, and Catalyst Dallas in June, and guessing that I didn’t suck at those they asked me back again this fall.
I would like to say that the live painting involvement is a very tiny thing that goes on during the event… even almost never seen. Myself and fellow artist Blaine Watson were on the floor just left of the band stage. They had us paint during a few worship music sets and our paintings were placed outside one morning for people to see as they entered. Here’s a few paintings I made in about 15 minute increments:
To be honest, I’m not sure why they have us do what we do where most of it is not seen by the attenders at all, but my guess is that they want this involved somehow cause they believe it’s important… they’re just not quite sure how it fits production wise in a large venue where speakers/bands/spectacle makes the most sense. I’m just not sure if live painting is in the culture where most of the producers of this event come from.
But I’m glad I get asked to do it. I’ve come to love the Catalyst family… and the people I get to work with are all all-stars. I’m thankful for the chance to get to participate and I had a great time.
So the theme of Catalyst this year was BE PRESENT.
One of the things they wanted us artists to do was to be outside Friday as people were coming in (all 13000) and to be creating in an area. There was no real direction in that decision… just for us to be out there doing it when people come in. The event starts fairly early so I wanted to do something devotional in nature. And cause the theme is Be Present, I had the thought that you can’t be present unless you’re being honest. So I decided to make some pieces about honesty.
Christian conferences are a strange beast. On one hand, they exist to uplift the common Christ follower to go deeper into their discipleship by Jesus… alot of which the nature of that road is lowly and looks like a servant. On the other hand, people come to events drawn by their favorite speakers or bands, unintentionally creating a religious celebrity culture. What I find intriguing is the dualism between wanting to be a simple obedient disciple and also wanting to rise the ranks of church celebritism. I think this is kind of the elephant in the room. No one really talks about it… but it’s there. It comes up in me, if I’m honest, and I hate that it’s there.
So…. if I had to be honest, this is the stuff I need to confess. So i decided to do a morning confessional piece. On thursday I made 4 large signs about the things I find that come up in my soul when I’m at events like this. I posted all these signs around me as I worked on a central painting about putting these desires to death…. Let It Die… so something better can be resurrected.
A great friend of mine who lives in Atlanta, Jonathan Rich, actually wrote a song inspired by this art piece. Here’s a video of it:
Living Water Gala – $65k raised!!!!
On September 30th, I got the pleasure to be a part of the Living Water International Gala.
I was asked to host their first time ever simulcast, that had over 1000 people from around the world tuning in. I also co-hosted a bit with Liz Jordan in the main hall at the Hilton Hotel of the Americas…. as well as created a painting during the event.
It was a great pleasure to work with Robbie Seay Band, The Autumn Film, and Bill Hybels who was the keynote during the event.
The painting I made was up for silent auction the next day at LWI’s open house. Upon arriving I found out that 3 bidders were up to $20,000 and they asked if I would be willing to create a few more paintings so that they all could get one. Of course I said I would! So I committed to making 2 more large ones and one more small one for a total of $65,ooo raised!…. by painting!!!
It’s just awesome to know that I can do something helpful for clean water… even as a painter.
Jesus, Bombs, and Ice Cream
(painting in the background while Shane and Ben lead us through the program)
So last weekend I headed to Philly and met up with my friend Shane Claiborne for an event called “Jesus, Bombs, and Ice Cream.” The event came about because of an unlikely friendship between Shane and Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. Apparently Ben read Shane’s book Jesus For President and loved it. They eventually became friends and although Shane is a Christian and Ben is an atheist, they found out that they agreed on a great many of things – one especially being they both considered the national budget to be a moral document.
They also both agreed that we can have a different future than the one we are writing for ourselves. Shane explains a better imagination in this story….
“I was in Baghdad in March 2003, where I lived as a Christian and as a peacemaker during the “shock-and-awe” bombing. I spent time with families, volunteered in hospitals and learned to sing “Amazing Grace” in Arabic.There is one image of the time in Baghdad that will never leave me. As the bombs fell from the sky and smoke filled the air, one of the doctors in the hospital held a little girl whose body was riddled with missile fragments. He threw his hands in the air and said, “This violence is for a world that has lost its imagination.” Then he looked square into my eyes, with tears pouring from his, and said, “Has your country lost its imagination?”
me, Shane, and Paul Smith, our production manager
The night involved Shane and Ben and a host of others sharing their experiences about war, suffering, pain, loss, forgiveness…. it was really a night to talk about where we are at….. and then imagine a better future with more peaceful solutions and a better way of spending our nations money.
here’s a video of Ben talking about the nations budget in terms he understands…. oreos.
What I loved about the whole night is that Shane and Ben, although they brought something together that won’t necessarily change the world, they planted in everyone attending (and participating) the idea that things can be different…. that there is a better way to do things. And isn’t a vision for the future something that changes the way we live? When we believe that we can work towards something and that it can be reality, doesn’t that change the way we interact with the world now? It’s up to the people who are making the big decisions to to make those changes… but you know what, they are just people right? They can change their minds, have a view of a different future, and act on those principles (God, we hope so!). It inspired me to think of the things I want to be an advocate for and imagine ways of bringing people along on that journey and implanting a different idea of the future…. a better imagination for our world.
Here’s some more pics….
second painting of the night… turning our “swords into plowshares”…. where we eventually turn our weapons into farming equipment…. making things that take life into things that give life.
first painting of the night. there are real names of american service men who have died in Afghanistan in the background. The bomb is a characiture of weapons actually being dropped in the Iraq and Afghan wars. The painting eludes to the idea of what we do to others effects us as well.
The first painting was given away, and Hope (on left) won it.
Ben and Shane being interviewed by Sarah from CNN. Here's the write up she did......
Practice session with the whole crew.
Shane and Ben reading through their scripts.
Limited Edition Swords Into Plowshares Prints
So I made 30 limited edition prints of my painting “Swords Into Plowshares”. They are prints varnished to wood with individual unique tags on them, and each print has a commemorative write up on the back. Each one is numbered as well. I have a few extra and if you are interested in buying one….
$20 click here!
Click here to purchase a print – $20
Thanks so much to Shane and Ben for inviting me along. Hope we get to work together soon!
Feedback artwork for sale
Okay everyone.
The paintings I made for Derek Webb’s Feedback Project are for sale.
First, I made a commemorative piece that has all the paintings from the project with the text of the Lord’s Prayer below it. This print is available through Society6.com.
Secondly, you can buy one of the original paintings or a print of one of the paintings from Society6. The link to buying a painting or a print appears below the painting.
our father in heaven
hallowed is your name
your kingdom come
your will be done on earth as in heaven
give us this day our daily bread
forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors
lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever
amen
thanks everyone. let me know if you have questions: artvoxlive@gmail.com
(*All paintings will be wrapped and shipped by me. the shipping cost is included during paypal checkout)
Conference Season….
Spent the last couple months painting and speaking at different conferences around the nation.Here are some highlights….
CATALYST | DALLAS
Fun to be a part of the whole event. Got to see a lot of old friends… and made some new ones.
Anders and Lecrae
Chris Seay hosted Catalyst. Josh Shephard was at the event with Smilebooth… always a good time.
Me, Propaganda, Anders, Bobby, DJ Promote
Imago Dei, Portland | Artist Retreat Speaker
Maybe one of the best things I did this summer was hang out with 70 artists from Imago Dei church in Portland, OR. I got to be their speaker for the weekend and it was a great privilege to hang, encourage, and become their friend and fan during the couple days in the beautiful Northwest.
I also got to see my friend Stan Patyrak who has started a Living Water Intl. office up in Portland.
Warm Beach Camp, Washington | Speaker
Got to speak for 5 days at the youth church camp i grew up going to.
My friend and former high school dean, Tony Karlik, was the evening speaker. One evening I got to paint with his talk… which personally was awesome and amazing.
NYC2011 | Kentucky
Nazarene Youth Conference. Only there for a couple days but had a great time.
Old friends Starfield and new friend Reggie Dabbs.
YOUTH2011 – Purdue/Sacramento
National Youth Convention for the Methodist Church – broken over two separate weeks with one at Purdue U’s campus in Indiana and the second in downtown Sacramento. Had the best time and worked with great friends.
Got to work with Kristian Stanfill and his band again and had a blast.
friend Fred Lynch
um… it was bound to happen sometime. this picture cracks me up endlessly….
friend Jared Hall is a fan of this one. He’s actually planning on stealing it in this picture.
Zach Hunter, Gracie Schram, Pastor Matoe, and me…
This woman won one of my paintings in a silent auction. She was stoked….
UPCOMING…….
Sept 10 | Jesus, Bombs, & Ice Cream | Philadelphia
Write up: ”Jesus, Bombs, and Ice Cream” is a 90-minute variety show. Activist and best-selling author Shane Claiborne is joining forces with Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. The show will be on the eve of the 10th anniversary of September 11. It will be a multi-media presentation [i will be painting at this] raising questions of violence and militarism, and sharing stories of reconciliation and grace. A variety of testimonials together with visual art, music, and good fun will provoke the audience to imagine a world with fewer bombs and more ice cream.
BUY TICKETS
STORE….
My friend Frodo is modeling a shirt of one of my original designs that you can purchase on Society6.com.
