I recently attended a "meet the artist" show featuring polymer clay artist Kathleen Dustin at a gallery in Albuquerque called The Wooden Cow. Kathleen has been working in polymer clay for twenty-five years, 
and you can see the lifetime of talent and the countless hours of dedication. I was awestruck by the beauty of her work. Because I do some work in polymer clay myself, I recognized the complexity in each piece, but at the same time I was floored by each piece's deceptive simplicity. It's no wonder she's world-renowned, that her limited-edition polymer clay purses and jewelry sell on Madison Avenue, and that she teaches workshops throughout the U.S. and Europe. She is the picture of the successful artist.
Yet, even Kathleen has questions about her role as an artist. After spending a day with friends in New York City and attending a fashion show during Fashion Week, they strolled Madison Avenue where she saw seven of her purses displayed in one of the shop windows. She says in one of her blog posts, "It seems trite to say it, but the whole Fashion Week experience was shallow. Is this what life is all about? To some people it is--paying attention to the latest must-haves. And actually I am quite ambivalent because this is the market I sell to." She goes on to say that though she feels uncomfortable about her work at times, she has a passion for what she's doing. She wonders if her conflicting feelings are a result of her Christian faith and Christian teachings about materialism.
But what is materialism, really?
If anyone would know, it would be King Solomon of "everything is vanity" fame. Solomon says, "As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them? The sleep of the laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep" (Ecclesiastes 5:11-12, NIV). Based on these words, it doesn't seem as if Solomon had much respect for indulgence in the arts. And yet Solomon later says, "Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him--for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work--this is a gift of God" (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19, NIV).
Solomon recognizes that in the grand scheme of God's plan, earthly possessions and pursuits matter little, yet God does recognize our need to enjoy them, and so He also enables us to have joy in our labor and in the labor of others. And as the ultimate Artist, that means He enables earthly artists to have joy in their labor as well.
The conflict between right and wrong where material things are concerned is in developing proper attitudes 
and perspectives. There are those among us who seek to be emotionally and spiritually filled by things, and we seek those things without any thought to God. In fact, we often replace God with the things we seek. For people of this mindset, acquiring art is at worst a casual eye feast or competition fueled by prestige and bragging rights, and at best a monetary investment to list in the assets column of our financial statements. No doubt many of the women who have bought Kathleen's purses and jewelry have been of these mindsets.
But don't you imagine that just as many women have longed to own Kathleen's work, or the work of any artist for that matter, because of their appreciation for the artist's vision and skill? They see the talent, the attention to detail, and the labor of love that went into each piece. It's at that point when making or acquiring art, no matter what style or genre it is, ceases to be purely materialistic. At that point art is a prelude to a relationship between the creator and the connoisseur because the art object allows an emotional connection to take place between the two. The artist often shares his or her vision while thinking of those who will see or buy the finished piece and recognize something of themselves or their perceptions of the world in the piece created. And the person who buys the piece of art, even if it's a purse or a pendant, recognizes a kinship with the artist, a sense that the artist understands.
That is relationship.
And when you think about it, isn't that what God is all about? The Artist creates so that we might appreciate His creation. The Artist creates so that we might connect and feel that He understands. The Artist is seeking relationship, and since we are works of art ourselves, created in His image, is it any wonder we seek the same emotional and spiritual connection through the ability to create and appreciate art ourselves?
Thankfully, God is providing me many more opportunities to experience the relationship between artist and those who appreciate my art. It is with a heavy heart that this will be my last column. My jewelry business is growing, not only in the sales arena, but also in teaching others to tap into their creative talents. I have enjoyed my time with TRW and will always treasure the Creator's Creatives.
I recently attended a "meet the artist" show featuring polymer clay artist Kathleen Dustin at a gallery in Albuquerque called The Wooden Cow. Kathleen has been working in polymer clay for twenty-five years,
and you can see the lifetime of talent and the countless hours of dedication. I was awestruck by the beauty of her work. Because I do some work in polymer clay myself, I recognized the complexity in each piece, but at the same time I was floored by each piece's deceptive simplicity. It's no wonder she's world-renowned, that her limited-edition polymer clay purses and jewelry sell on Madison Avenue, and that she teaches workshops throughout the U.S. and Europe. She is the picture of the successful artist.
Yet, even Kathleen has questions about her role as an artist. After spending a day with friends in New York City and attending a fashion show during Fashion Week, they strolled Madison Avenue where she saw seven of her purses displayed in one of the shop windows. She says in one of her blog posts, "It seems trite to say it, but the whole Fashion Week experience was shallow. Is this what life is all about? To some people it is--paying attention to the latest must-haves. And actually I am quite ambivalent because this is the market I sell to." She goes on to say that though she feels uncomfortable about her work at times, she has a passion for what she's doing. She wonders if her conflicting feelings are a result of her Christian faith and Christian teachings about materialism.
But what is materialism, really?
If anyone would know, it would be King Solomon of "everything is vanity" fame. Solomon says, "As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them? The sleep of the laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep" (Ecclesiastes 5:11-12, NIV). Based on these words, it doesn't seem as if Solomon had much respect for indulgence in the arts. And yet Solomon later says, "Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him--for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work--this is a gift of God" (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19, NIV).
Solomon recognizes that in the grand scheme of God's plan, earthly possessions and pursuits matter little, yet God does recognize our need to enjoy them, and so He also enables us to have joy in our labor and in the labor of others. And as the ultimate Artist, that means He enables earthly artists to have joy in their labor as well.
The conflict between right and wrong where material things are concerned is in developing proper attitudes
and perspectives. There are those among us who seek to be emotionally and spiritually filled by things, and we seek those things without any thought to God. In fact, we often replace God with the things we seek. For people of this mindset, acquiring art is at worst a casual eye feast or competition fueled by prestige and bragging rights, and at best a monetary investment to list in the assets column of our financial statements. No doubt many of the women who have bought Kathleen's purses and jewelry have been of these mindsets.
But don't you imagine that just as many women have longed to own Kathleen's work, or the work of any artist for that matter, because of their appreciation for the artist's vision and skill? They see the talent, the attention to detail, and the labor of love that went into each piece. It's at that point when making or acquiring art, no matter what style or genre it is, ceases to be purely materialistic. At that point art is a prelude to a relationship between the creator and the connoisseur because the art object allows an emotional connection to take place between the two. The artist often shares his or her vision while thinking of those who will see or buy the finished piece and recognize something of themselves or their perceptions of the world in the piece created. And the person who buys the piece of art, even if it's a purse or a pendant, recognizes a kinship with the artist, a sense that the artist understands.
That is relationship.
And when you think about it, isn't that what God is all about? The Artist creates so that we might appreciate His creation. The Artist creates so that we might connect and feel that He understands. The Artist is seeking relationship, and since we are works of art ourselves, created in His image, is it any wonder we seek the same emotional and spiritual connection through the ability to create and appreciate art ourselves?
Thankfully, God is providing me many more opportunities to experience the relationship between artist and those who appreciate my art. It is with a heavy heart that this will be my last column. My jewelry business is growing, not only in the sales arena, but also in teaching others to tap into their creative talents. I have enjoyed my time with TRW and will always treasure the Creator's Creatives.