The Heart Behind the Art
Scan this QR code with your smart phone to go directly to the Infused Arts website. Requires a QR reader app to do this.
Simpler Days This booklet is created as a companion piece to the exhibit at Living Word Community Church
2530 Cape Horn Road Red Lion, PA 17313 717.755. 0089 www.lwccyork.com
PAGE 10
Acrylic paintings & pen and ink drawings by artist Michael Merica
The Gallery @ Common Grounds Living Word Community Church SeptemberPAGE | October 2014
T r a n s f o r m i ng A r ts Each of us is created in the image of God, the Master Creator and Artist. Therefore, we too, have the ability to create beauty that brings Glory to Him and redeems the brokenness of our world. That is the real purpose of art.
Create Space | for creativity, for God, for community
for
Artists | Creatives Meets weekly on Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 pm of every-other-month (Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, Nov) Common Grounds Rooms C, D, E, F Join us for an exciting Fall Kickoff in September!
Often, our “inner critic” speaks loudly in our mind. We ignore the creative longing buried deep in our heart—the desire to paint, write, sculpt, draw, whatever creative interest He’s given us. When we ignore this longing, we rob ourselves of an opportunity to develop a God-given facet that’s vital to who we are. Art is an expression of the human heart. Creating can be a form of heartfelt prayer and worship, a time where you encounter the Creator Himself and transformation occurs in the heart of the artist. Not only does God speak to our hearts through our own creative endeavors, He uses what we create to speak to others who encounter and interact with it. It’s amazing, beautiful, and mysterious.
Infused Arts Patio Potluck Thursday, 9/4 This potluck is for all creatives, writers and artists! September theme is Wild Abstracts on 9/11 & 9/18 Based on artist Jackson Pollock’s style. Fee: $12 Sept Open [Art] Studio on Thursday, 9/25, $5 Bring your desire to grow in God and creativity in an inspiring community. All artistic levels are welcome & encouraged to join us!
deAnn Roe deAnn Roe Infused Arts Director Living Word Community Church droe@lwccyork.com 717.755.0089 x126
I n f u s e d A r ts L e n d i n g Li b r a r y There are many books on creativity and writing available to borrow from the Infused Arts Lending Library. Contact deAnn to check one out.
deAnn Roe | Infused Arts Director | droe@lwccyork.com www.infused-arts.com | 717-755-0089 x126 PAGE 2
www.infused-arts.com
Literally. PAGE 9
Infused Arts Ministry The Write Space Our new writing community kicks off Thursdays in October! 10/2—You Have a Voice! 10/9—Your Writing Space 10/16—What is God Stirring in You? 10/23—What are Your Goals? How Can You Reach Them? 10/30—Barriers and Obstacles to Your Writing We meet in the large conference room right off from the kitchen, beginning right at 6:30pm. Bring your notebook and favorite writing utensil and a desire to connect with others who enjoy the writing life.
cre∙a∙tive [KrE-’ A-tiv], Adjective 1: marked by the ability or power to create: given to creating <the creative impulse> 2: having the quality of something created rather than imitated. As a child, in which ways were you creative? Do you consider yourself creative now, as an adult? What creative longings are buried under the “must-do’s” of your life?
PAGE 8
About this Exhibit Each of us can dig into the caverns of our memory and recall the days gone by, memories of simpler times, slower days, and looser schedules. For most of us, simpler times may be memories of childhood—those days when we had only a few channels on the television which got boring after a short time, so we headed outside to explore our world on foot or on two wheels. However, for some, maybe simpler times are just a few years ago, when the economy was stable and fear of losing a job was not on the radar. Or maybe simpler times are the days before the beeps and rings that now bellow from our “time saving” technological devices, or hearing electronic voices from GPS units built in to our cars directing our next turn or notifying us when we are off course. Even in our busy culture today, simpler times could simply mean solitude, moments filled with the sounds of nature; birds chirping, water bubbling over rounded rocks in a nearby creek, or the breeze whistling through pine trees—creating music that no human can duplicate. We can find simpler times by escaping the daily grind and reacquainting ourselves with that which soothes our souls and brings us closer to God, simply being aware of His presence, watching, listening and responding to His voice, maybe even through our creativity. And that can happen in the busiest of times, if we are intentional. We hope the art in this exhibit evokes in you a sense of simpler times of days gone by or days to come. Be in joy! deAnn Roe | Infused Arts Director | droe@lwccyork.com www.infused-arts.com | 717-755-0089 x126 PAGE 3
Artwork by Michael Merica
Artwork by Michael Merica
and
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Artwork by Michael Merica
About Michael Merica I was born in 1951 in York. I mention this because I think that growing up in the 50’s and early 60’s in this area of Pennsylvania plays a very large part in my style and subject matter in my art. In my mind, they were simple times and a good time to be kid. I have memories of the milkman making his rounds early in the morning, leaving glass bottles of milk in the milk box by the front door. I know I was only about five years old, but I remember my dad buying lunchmeat (ham, bologna, etc.) from a man who came around once a week in a truck. I think my fondest memories are of warm summer days, leaving the house in the morning to play, going home long enough to eat lunch, going back outside and not returning home until suppertime. I have many good memories of impromptu baseball games in someone’s backyard, catching “lightning bugs” in a jar, erector sets, Lincoln Logs, drive-in movies—the list could go on and on. The point I’m trying to make is that there definitely seemed to be more social interaction in comparison to today's technological age. When I have a longing for those simpler times, my art allows me to go back to those days…
Michael Merica Should you be interested in purchasing any of Michael’s artwork, please contact his brother, Gary at gmerica@comcast.net or 717-578-3892
PAGE 6
PAGE 5
Artwork by Michael Merica
About Michael Merica I was born in 1951 in York. I mention this because I think that growing up in the 50’s and early 60’s in this area of Pennsylvania plays a very large part in my style and subject matter in my art. In my mind, they were simple times and a good time to be kid. I have memories of the milkman making his rounds early in the morning, leaving glass bottles of milk in the milk box by the front door. I know I was only about five years old, but I remember my dad buying lunchmeat (ham, bologna, etc.) from a man who came around once a week in a truck. I think my fondest memories are of warm summer days, leaving the house in the morning to play, going home long enough to eat lunch, going back outside and not returning home until suppertime. I have many good memories of impromptu baseball games in someone’s backyard, catching “lightning bugs” in a jar, erector sets, Lincoln Logs, drive-in movies—the list could go on and on. The point I’m trying to make is that there definitely seemed to be more social interaction in comparison to today's technological age. When I have a longing for those simpler times, my art allows me to go back to those days…
Michael Merica Should you be interested in purchasing any of Michael’s artwork, please contact his brother, Gary at gmerica@comcast.net or 717-578-3892
PAGE 6
PAGE 5
Artwork by Michael Merica
Artwork by Michael Merica
and
PAGE 4
PAGE 7
Infused Arts Ministry The Write Space Our new writing community kicks off Thursdays in October! 10/2—You Have a Voice! 10/9—Your Writing Space 10/16—What is God Stirring in You? 10/23—What are Your Goals? How Can You Reach Them? 10/30—Barriers and Obstacles to Your Writing We meet in the large conference room right off from the kitchen, beginning right at 6:30pm. Bring your notebook and favorite writing utensil and a desire to connect with others who enjoy the writing life.
cre∙a∙tive [KrE-’ A-tiv], Adjective 1: marked by the ability or power to create: given to creating <the creative impulse> 2: having the quality of something created rather than imitated. As a child, in which ways were you creative? Do you consider yourself creative now, as an adult? What creative longings are buried under the “must-do’s” of your life?
PAGE 8
About this Exhibit Each of us can dig into the caverns of our memory and recall the days gone by, memories of simpler times, slower days, and looser schedules. For most of us, simpler times may be memories of childhood—those days when we had only a few channels on the television which got boring after a short time, so we headed outside to explore our world on foot or on two wheels. However, for some, maybe simpler times are just a few years ago, when the economy was stable and fear of losing a job was not on the radar. Or maybe simpler times are the days before the beeps and rings that now bellow from our “time saving” technological devices, or hearing electronic voices from GPS units built in to our cars directing our next turn or notifying us when we are off course. Even in our busy culture today, simpler times could simply mean solitude, moments filled with the sounds of nature; birds chirping, water bubbling over rounded rocks in a nearby creek, or the breeze whistling through pine trees—creating music that no human can duplicate. We can find simpler times by escaping the daily grind and reacquainting ourselves with that which soothes our souls and brings us closer to God, simply being aware of His presence, watching, listening and responding to His voice, maybe even through our creativity. And that can happen in the busiest of times, if we are intentional. We hope the art in this exhibit evokes in you a sense of simpler times of days gone by or days to come. Be in joy! deAnn Roe | Infused Arts Director | droe@lwccyork.com www.infused-arts.com | 717-755-0089 x126 PAGE 3
T r a n s f o r m i ng A r ts Each of us is created in the image of God, the Master Creator and Artist. Therefore, we too, have the ability to create beauty that brings Glory to Him and redeems the brokenness of our world. That is the real purpose of art.
Create Space | for creativity, for God, for community
for
Artists | Creatives Meets weekly on Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 pm of every-other-month (Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, Nov) Common Grounds Rooms C, D, E, F Join us for an exciting Fall Kickoff in September!
Often, our “inner critic” speaks loudly in our mind. We ignore the creative longing buried deep in our heart—the desire to paint, write, sculpt, draw, whatever creative interest He’s given us. When we ignore this longing, we rob ourselves of an opportunity to develop a God-given facet that’s vital to who we are. Art is an expression of the human heart. Creating can be a form of heartfelt prayer and worship, a time where you encounter the Creator Himself and transformation occurs in the heart of the artist. Not only does God speak to our hearts through our own creative endeavors, He uses what we create to speak to others who encounter and interact with it. It’s amazing, beautiful, and mysterious.
Infused Arts Patio Potluck Thursday, 9/4 This potluck is for all creatives, writers and artists! September theme is Wild Abstracts on 9/11 & 9/18 Based on artist Jackson Pollock’s style. Fee: $12 Sept Open [Art] Studio on Thursday, 9/25, $5 Bring your desire to grow in God and creativity in an inspiring community. All artistic levels are welcome & encouraged to join us!
deAnn Roe deAnn Roe Infused Arts Director Living Word Community Church droe@lwccyork.com 717.755.0089 x126
I n f u s e d A r ts L e n d i n g Li b r a r y There are many books on creativity and writing available to borrow from the Infused Arts Lending Library. Contact deAnn to check one out.
deAnn Roe | Infused Arts Director | droe@lwccyork.com www.infused-arts.com | 717-755-0089 x126 PAGE 2
www.infused-arts.com
Literally. PAGE 9
The Heart Behind the Art
Scan this QR code with your smart phone to go directly to the Infused Arts website. Requires a QR reader app to do this.
Simpler Days This booklet is created as a companion piece to the exhibit at Living Word Community Church
2530 Cape Horn Road Red Lion, PA 17313 717.755. 0089 www.lwccyork.com
PAGE 10
Acrylic paintings & pen and ink drawings by artist Michael Merica
The Gallery @ Common Grounds Living Word Community Church SeptemberPAGE | October 2014