Ink and Fairydust

Premiering June 23rd - 26th,

2011in St. Paul, MN!

Check out

www.theshadowofthebear.blogspot.com

for more info about the release!

Want to be an artist? The first and most important thing you need to do is expose yourself constantly to various types of art. Go to museums. Read graphic novels. Check out art books from the library.

I get a lot of compliments from people on my digital coloring abilities. My secret? I read a lot of comic books and web comics and I don't just absorb the stories, I also spend a lot of time studying the techniques. How is that shadow created? What is the correct highlight shade for an Asian skin tone? How do different lighting schemes change the color tones?

This is true for my other favorite art form as well – clothing design. I've been known to take my sketchpad to fabric stores just to jot down my favorite elements of clothing pieces. Or save old clothing catalogs because I want to replicate some of the pieces.

Art is more than just something to do for a living. Or even an expression of inner self. Art is important to the Christian life because it is a form of subcreation, which is our human desire to emulate God's powers of creation. We're children, following in our father's footsteps. We can't create worlds out of nothing, but we can portray his world, or add our own twists to it to create our 'own' worlds.

In fact, for many Christian artists, their work is actually an act of worship. There is actually a church where a painter creates a new work during the worship part of the service as a part of making worship more than just singing. My younger sister has told me she wishes we had that in our church, as the creation of visual art is one of the most relevant, accessible forms of worship for her. She actually has a notebook that she takes to church every week and turns the content of the sermon into an abstract and symbolic picture. It's pretty cool to look at.

Even for those who don't create their own art, viewing the works of the masters can be an intensely spiritual activity that can draw them close to God. I'll never forget an art gallery I toured at the Billy Graham museum in Chicago. Some of those pieces spoke to me in a very deep and profound way, challenging me to take the next step in my relationship with Christ.

Art is important. Our hope is that in these pages you might come to appreciate it more, learn some new skills, and, as always, be entertained.

-Elizabeth HausladenEditor

www.elenatintil.blogspot.com

“Okay, we have time for one final question,” said Ms. Famous Author. “Ah yes, you in the back.” Sally lowered her arm. “You've told us all about how we can become better writers. But what about the times when we can't write at all? When we're not inspired? How do you deal with Writer's Block?” “Ah, excellent question,” Ms. Famous Author said with a smile. “The first step to dealing with Writer's Block is to realize that there is no such thing. Writing is hard work, and it's natural to not feel inspired all the time. However, professional writers don't have the luxury to indulge in lengthy writer's block. Like any other job you've got to push through and keep working, even when the going gets hard.”

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