I am so glad you came up the stone steps to peek in through the stained glass windows. Here you will find more in-depth musings, essays and studies. You can also submit prayer requests here by replying with a comment or using the contact page. Indicate if they are "Private" if you rather your request not be posted in the form of a prayer. I can also keep names and situations anonymous and offer a general prayer for you that way if you prefer.
 
Creak open the door, experience the warm glow of candlelight and know this is a safe place that beckons you to unload your cares, feast on the Word and receive His blessing as well as His encouragement.
 
 
The Art of Romance or Romance of Art
My semi-inquiring mind wanted to know: What does romantic relationship have to do with a creative person's craft?
 
Art and romance have some things in common. Think about each at different times. Are they friends or foes or both?  Do you find yourself fighting to improve one, either or both?

And when we er-politely disagree...(o.k, argue) with our romancee...isn't that a bit like struggling with a project we can't seem to bring to life? We want to make it one thing, but it isn't cooperating so we either keep trying to make it just so, compromise or give up and walk away. Been there, done that in both settings. No pre-fab solution or easy way out. In a scene in the movie The Impressionists, by the BBC (excellent, by the way), the character of Cézanne is painting up on a high hill and gets so frustrated with his work that he throws the half-finished canvas high over a stone wall. All of us have gotten fed up during a discussion with a loved one. Have you ever stone-walled your loved one or your project? Is the romantic relationship, then, like a piece of art we are trying to develop and mold into our ideal? How many times have we walked away during an argument with them, exasperated or pouted in a corner when the "project" didn't go (or react) our way?
 
What do art and romance have in common that causes all this artistic and relational angst?
 

My guess would be...passion.
 

 
Why else would we fight for the right results? When we can't get what we see in our mind's eye as the perfect ending or feel in our hearts as what could be perfection...the passion can lead to frustration. Now if the relationship is going well, there is a light, fulfilling contentment much like completing the perfectly executed project. Perhaps, then, these two have more in common than we realize. They both take dedication, devotion, time, discipline and even ingenuity. They both share problem-solving, highs and lows as well as "dry" spells. Just the same, they also share the euphoria of a beautiful moment, like when I first gazed upon the perfect iridescence of the iconic tile and glass pieces by Louis Comfort Tiffany on display at The Met in New York. Since I had admired his work from afar my whole life, I could scarcely believe I was standing there in person, taking it in. 
 

 Stained Glass Panel by Louis Comfort Tiffany
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
 
 
Where are you in your love affair with your art?