August 2023 Art Update - Work Injury
August 2023 Art Update
I had a demonic dream the other night.
In it, the demon said to me out of the mouth of a friend “your legs are going to be broken”. I eventually woke up praying to God for deliverance from this enemy and my heart was put at ease. He rescued me. But later, I was reflecting with a friend about this frightening encounter. She pointed out to me that in our women’s group the evening prior, we were discussing the image of the Good Shepherd who drapes a sheep over His shoulders. In order to hold a sheep like that, their legs would have to be broken. In our rock bottom moments, God allows our “legs to be broken” in order to redeem us and draw us close to Him. My friend nailed it: this demon was twisting these words to convince me that God would injure me, that He isn’t to be trusted.
The interesting thing is that all month I’ve been struggling with physical pain - specifically in the ulnar side of my wrist. I was playing volleyball when I tweaked it and it hasn’t fully gone back to normal. Because of the great amount of work this month (thank you, Jesus!) from live wedding paintings, murals, and commissions to moving out of my apartment and starting classes at the high school I teach at, I haven’t had much time to rest. And I believe in Jesus’ supernatural healing. So in the midst of this pain, as I’m prayed over by a friend or a priest and I’m not healed, the enemy knocks, tempting me with a seed of doubt in God’s love for me.
But as a child of God, I must not even give him a foothold.
I asked the Lord where He was in a moment of painting in pain. He showed me His own hands - pierced through by the nails - guiding my own. It is tempting to believe the lie that God wants me to suffer as some sort of purification or penance. But this, I think, is a twist of the truth of God’s power and love within suffering.
A line from a poem by St. Teresa of Avila comes to mind:
“Christ has no body but yours
No hands, no feet on earth but yours…
Yours are the hands, with which He blesses the world”
Christ’s hands have holes in them, poured out in love for the world and for me. And my hands are cramped and weak, pouring out love for the world and Him through paint. He cares for my pain deeply as a father cares for their injured child. And yet He knows a greater good will come from this time of pain.
This pain, in fact, turns my painting into worship. No matter how rushed or frantic, He accepts it all and does something with it. We are just called to give it all to Him, our weaknesses and our strengths. And He magnifies them with His love. I think the evidence of this is the smiling faces of my clients that you see below!
So no, I will not take the bait of the demons who want my soul and to frighten me with the possibility of physical pain. I will cleave to the One who shows me how to bear my wounds patiently, borne in love until He does heal me completely - body and soul.
Art Updates
Hannah and Alexander had a beautiful wedding in Kansas City! With their backgrounds in ballet, this pose was a perfect representation of their personalities and the enchanting day!
The bride told me later that one of their guests had seen so many live wedding paintings, but this one was her favorite! It doesn’t get better than that!
I had back to back live wedding paintings this month! The Smithhisler’s chose an ambitious 4’x6’ painting with Christ in the center! Christ will surely be the center of their marriage for the rest of their lives!
I had many little future artists watching me and asking me questions all evening. It was a delightful day!
Right before the hottest week in Kansas, I knocked out this special mural for my mom and dad! True to her character, my mom wanted the mural to be full of meaning so that when she looked at it, it would make her smile❤️
She handed me a ballpoint pen sketch detailing all of the “hidden gems” that would represent us. Shovel and fence for my dad, sun symbol for me, the logo of a ministry called Life Giving Wounds, chipmunks for their dogs, spiderweb for my older brother and his son, bee hive for my sister in law, a butterfly for my younger brother, and a bike for my other sister in law.
I was featured in VoyageKC’s Inspiring Stories series! Check out the article here!
This bicentennial collage for St. Mary’s church is underway and coming together!
So many people came out to Ascension’s Farmer’s Market! It was a joy to meet many of you and sell lots of prints! And always a special thanks to my loyal parental crew!
Mark your calendars! September 29th, 5:00-9:00pm is the Final Fridays opening reception for the 30 Years of Teaching & Making exhibition at the Cider Gallery in Lawrence, KS. (Running until October 23rd)
I’m delighted to be a part of my old KU illustration professor Barry Fitzgerald’s exhibition celebrating his 30 years of teaching! The exhibit will include work from a selection of his many students - including me!
I have grown so much as an artist since graduating in 2019 that I decided to redo an illustration from my senior project (which you can see here!). I remember being so uncomfortable with color at the time that I opted for using only blue and yellow. But now, I have the confidence to push that range and create a more effective illustration.
Send in your photos!
If you’ve purchased a print from me, I would LOVE to see where you hung it. Please consider sending me a photo of you enjoying your art!
It’s helpful for marketing, too! ;)
Thank You!!
God is truly blessing me with work right now, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to continue the good work of creating beauty. I’m so grateful to you all for continuing to buy prints, spread my name, and send me kind words.
God Bless You!
-Mattie
