“Immersion” coming 2019

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I love creating art around a theme or concept and for 2019 that theme is “Immersion”.

I’ve been inspired by how prominent water is used as a symbol in the bible from the sea of Galilee to the many miracles that center around it and I wanted to create a body of art that encompasses that wet and wild imagery.

So, throughout 2019 my media feeds will be flooded with many water based paintings which hopefully will culminate into “Immersion” a gallery exhibit that will immerse you the viewer into this wet, wonderful world.

For now, here is a look at some past and present and in progress pieces to immerse your senses in.

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🌊💙

Amanda

Hope in the Darkness

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“But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.”-Psalm 9:18

One of the things I aspire to do with my art as a Christian artist is to help spread the love and hope that I have found in Christ Jesus through my art. Sometimes that looks like me creating art that testify’s to what God has done or is doing in my life and sometimes that means I use my creative gifts to help others feel that same hope.

As I was finishing off the first batch of my new mixed media mini’s today, painting my edges black I was struck by how bold and vibrant they stood out against the dark edging. As I left them to dry I just had this feeling that the Holy Spirit was calling me to use these small paintings for a big purpose to shine light into darkness. The more I thought on it the clearer it seemed to get in my mind and heart. God has a funny way of lining things up when we’re attentive to his voice and I knew just where to use these paintings that would make a difference Hope Mission.

hopem

Hope Mission is a not-for-profit Christian social care agency caring for the impoverished and homeless men, women and children in Alberta. Basic and emergency care is provided to over 800 people daily as well as counsel and referral services for men, women, and youth. Each day Hope Mission provides over 1000 meals, and shelter for over 500 people.  Specialized care and treatment is offered for men and women through faith-based addiction treatment programs. Hope Mission also facilitates an after school recreation and hot meal program for children. In all, our desire is to provide compassionate care and offer hope to hurting, hungry and homeless people in Edmonton.

This series is now being called “Hope in the Darkness” because no matter how jagged or textured our past, no matter how dark our life, God can ALWAYS bring Hope out of it but it starts with us using what God has given us to help bring hope to others. Each painting in this series is as unique as the person it will go to help. For every piece sold I will donate 25% of the sales back to Hope Missions to help support them in the wonderful work they are doing in our community!

I hope you’ll help me in my effort to bring Hope through art.

Amanda

 

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You can purchase or commission a piece in this series by leaving me a message here to see the available pieces or by messaging me on my Facebook page AmandaMilkeArtist. Each mixed media piece costs $40 is one of a kind and measures 4″ x 4″ x 1.5″ and is done on canvas. Perfect for a small space, shelf or desk or buy several to arrange in sets of 3, 5 or 9 tiled cube patterns.

I’ll also be adding a new page to my website with this series in the next few days.

Mixed media minis

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I started a new series this week I’m calling my mixed media minis.

I wanted to create something with big color and texture to fit a small space and I came up with these little beauties.

These are great to add to a shelf ledge or to your office desk to add a pop of color.

Take a look at the progress so far. Most of them are still wet when I photographed them but I couldn’t wait haha still more layers to go but which is your favorite so far?

-Amanda

Art just got sweeter

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I had the pleasure of setting up 22 pieces of artwork at Fifendekel on 12028-149st in Edmonton this morning.

Now you can grab lunch, a slice of their famous pie, a coffee and sit down and check out the art for sale.

It’s a great way to relax and get some Christmas shopping done!

They are open Monday to Friday!

What a sweet way to spend an afternoon!

New Life and New ART

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I’ve been thinking about my 2019 exhibit(s) and the theme I keep having come to mind is a series of mixed media paintings based on scriptures that incorporates florals, botanicals and natural elements. There’s so many verses in the Bible that talk about life and growth using plant based analogies that I think it would make for a rich and vibrant series. I have a ton of ideas for paintings and art objects which I will share with you over the next few months. Til then, I’ll leave you with this work in progress flower that will soon be added to my Tree of Life painting.

floral

Tree of life- work in progress

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I started this piece this summer at my Blue Pomegranate exhibit to show visitors to the gallery what one of my pieces looks like stripped down, bare bones. This is still a work in progress.

I’m gradually getting back to painting after battling a major artist block due in part by me questioning my purpose. How can I use this gift of craftsmanship to further God’s kingdom.

Art is a tough gift because it’s almost been eradicated from the church so there are no solid church based mentors to come alongside you and help you work out the path to walk and the regular pastors/church leaders seem to discredit it as having no real benefit to the body of the church seeing it as just superficial pretty pictures.

My goal is to prove them wrong. If I am created by a creative God to create then there has to be a purpose and daily I am striving to find it. Revelation talks of the tree of life that believers will be able to eat from and have eternal life and how the leaves are for the healing of the nations.

I love this image of the tree and its healing properties. It makes me question, what if just putting beauty, truth and goodness back out into this world right now in the form of faith based art is a way to refresh and remind the worlds souls that there is more than what is seen right now and there is hope for a future and maybe it stirs up something inside you that sets you off searching out how YOU can experience it. Isn’t that something worthwhile, you can read 100 books on how to have a better life or maybe one day a painting will inspire you to read the one book that will change your life forever?

I have to try for your soul and mine.

God is great! And this is my gift and I want to share my journey with you. So maybe one day we can both eat from the real tree of life.

❤🖌

Amanda

Between the Rock and a niche place

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I have this problem. It all started by being a follower of God.  Don’t get me wrong, God is not the issue here, being a Christian and an Artist however apparently is. You see if I was JUST a Christian or JUST an Artist there’d be less of an issue but because I am both, I’m an outcast. An outcast from the world’s standards because I’m  considered a “niche” artist, “that’s great art and all but I can’t hang that in my office because of the religious connotations” and an outcast in the church because despite the statement that we are all created in the image of God they seem to take issue with us that lean more toward the creative scope of God’s personality that aren’t on the praise team. Since I worship, witness and praise my God using a paint brush they don’t know what to do with me. I don’t fit into their nicely labelled how can we use you box because they have thrown out the one we did fit into.

I grew up in a little Baptist church on the east coast, every Sunday morning sunlight shone through beautiful stain glass windows that members had commissioned to beautify the church, to illustrate stories and characters from the Bible. It had gorgeous carved wooden doors, beautiful pews, vibrant choir robes, there was color and texture and beauty all around and it was all made by people blessed with the gift of craftsmanship. I understand that times change and we’re living in a “modern” world that doesn’t cling to the traditional things anymore but how have we lost the value and beauty of  Art?

Art and the Church have always been a dynamic duo. We worship a creative God for crying out loud, we should be witnessing to his awesomeness using ALL the gifts that come from him. Art and the Church date way back before the Renaissance, God commissions art and artwork in Exodus for his temple and the purpose it served was not practical like today’s gray or taupe walled Big box Factory churches it was for Beauty, to fill people’s senses. We worship a Creative God so why aren’t we using our creations to worship him? It doesn’t make sense!

Instead believers and non believers are coming to churches that have no color and no beauty just practicality with neon lights, a projector and a catchy praise song. Do we truly believe that God is coming back or are we just holding a really long  memorial service? If we say we are ALIVE in Christ then why don’t we look it? The church should be bright and colorful and a feast for the senses because God made us and the world like that. It should be full of joy and celebration and it should show how the holy spirit is working in us and for those of us with the gift of craftsmanship that is our Art. If you want a modern church then have modern Christian Art that speaks about a Creative God who is alive and well and working in us. Words are not Enough!