Increasingly more often in the news, reports pop up about music programs slashed, or art classes cut. With the current financial climate, budgets are tight, and when push comes to shove, funding for the arts is the first to be “reallocated”. It is not that the research proves that art programs are detrimental to a child’s development, in reality it is soundly proven otherwise. Rather, it is more often that the drive to have students ...
This is a compilation of pieces Scott Erickson created for his church in Texas for an Easter celebration. They are designed as tattoos for the intent of having people in the congregation that are interested having them done. It is an interesting piece of work that seems very fitting for the church context. Check out his inspiration.
There are two roles played by the designer: the communicator and the artist. First is the artist. The first basis I want to lay out is that we are created in the Image of God. This is a weighty statement and I do not take it lightly. This means first of all that we share in the character of God as reflections; we do not share fully in His power but we do show a lesser ...
This image is my CREATE portion on a recent article I published here at OJCCC. To visually represent the emphasis music has on religious experience, I used Derek Webb’s “Spirit Vs. the Kick Drum” song to create a new icon for the American Church. Icons are prevelant in Eastern Orthodox culture and the circle around Jesus’ head is a reference to His diety. I used an image of a kick drum to visually convey the confusion ...
“True originality, claims T.S. Eliot, comes from someone who has steeped themselves in the tradition of their art” (Art & Soul 159). Before you can be great in any given discipline, you must understand how the medium itself has developed. As I began in the field of graphic design, I began to see production pieces that I admired greatly. Throughout my career in design, I have begun to realize just how important understanding the history ...
What Marshall McLuhan has to do with Jesus Christ II Corinthians 4:7-10 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our ...
I sat down yesterday and watched this incredible film which documented several artists as they created installment pieces in Sao Paulo Brazil. It was fascinating to see there creativity flow trough each others work. The film confirmed something that I’ve thought for a while now and that is the idea of convergence. With technology and style changing so rapidly and this continual push toward an all digital world, you see artists blending all forms of art into one. The ...
News Corp. owns over 27 television stations and over 150 newspapers. Time Warner has over 100 subsidiaries including CNN, Time Magazine, and The CW. In a democratic society, the most powerful tool is the media. The media shapes our beliefs, changes our perspectives, and informs us on which choices to make at the ballot box. It can shape public opinion, create heroes, villains, and change elections. The media decides which voices are heard – or silenced, which issues ...
Creative Matters is a call to arms for all of us who endeavor to create beautiful, transcendent and transformational experiences in and around the Church. It’s a field guide of sorts…written by Creatives for Creatives… for those who work in the trenches of the “Create-On-Demand” challenges that every weekend brings. It’s a fresh perspective on the process, people, and purpose surrounding Creativity. It’s an invitation to live and work in a way that is both ...
"Graphic design is a lot like languages. It’s an identity; beautiful and enigmatic. Graphic design varies from culture to culture, influenced by a country’s culture, history and way of life. Just like art and music, graphic design aesthetics differ from culture to culture. There may be common elements found in a culture’s graphic design, not found in other cultures and vice versa."
The recent explosion of visual media in the typical Protestant American church service has caused an uninformed bandwagon jump, and left others behind, wondering if they should try to catch up. The Apostle Paul never used Powerpoint or ProPresenter, and surely Peter did not have the Adobe Creative Suite on his MacbookPro. However, changing times and the current American context calls for a biblical use of visual media. WHY USE VISUAL MEDIA 1 Corinthians 9:19 says, “Though ...
II Corinthians 3:3- “And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” God intended for the Gospel to be communicated directly from person to person, that is, through relationship. The thread which is woven throughout the story of God’s redemption of His once perfect creation is relationship—is love. God ...
My communications medium of choice is graphic design. I like to organize elements in a visually appealing and easy to understand manner. This is part of how I express my deep passion for clear and honest communication. (My other areas of expression are more personal and do not necessarily pertain to my career goals.) I eagerly desire to be a good communicator who uses her talents to glorify God, the giver of all good gifts. The ...
