DOMA Blog

The Promise of Abraham

2009-05-25T12:30:00.001-07:00

The promise of Abraham was that his descendants would outnumber the stars. We couldn't find the stars that we were looking for so we decided to improvise. We cut out over 200 stars by hand out of small gold dinner plates:

The DOMA team spread the stars out throughout the stage and surrounding area to create an subtle atmosphere of the promise:

We also set out prints of some pretty amazing celestial photography:

Genesis - Hieroglyphics

2009-05-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

This week the creative team created faux hieroglyphics in a graffiti stencil style to create an atmosphere for Abraham's small stint in Egypt. Here's a look at the results:

In the Gospel We Stand

2009-04-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

This creative element was for the Living Stones services this Easter. The message was, 'In the Gospel We Stand'. We decided to plant flowers and plants into shoes to represent the life that the Gospel brings coming from where we stand, our shoes. Here are some pictures:

Easter Rocks!

2009-04-22T12:25:00.000-07:00

For our Easter services this year we decided to 'go big' and really to try to 'spell it out' (the gospel) for the city. Well, we just went literally. About 300 large sized rocks were collected and moved to the side of a hill on the churches facing Robb Drive. (A fairly popular street, one of the handful of exits along I-80) and painted red at first and then rearranged and repainted Saturday evening.

From Wednesday to Good Friday the hill read, "HE DIED FOR YOU" Here are some photos:

Then we rearranged the rocks and repainted them white on Saturday evening before Easter Sunday to read, 'HE IS RISEN' Here are some photos:

After all of our Sunday services we gathered up all the rocks and built an Ebeneezer at the foot of the hill. A pile of rocks to represent what God has done for us as a church and as a people. Here are some photos of the altar:

Featured DOMA Artist - Gina Peraldo

2009-04-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

Gina Peraldo is one of the dedicated DOMA artists that helps with projects each week. She is currently attending the University of Nevada, Reno pursuing an arts degree. Here is an artist statement from her:

Making art has been a challenge for me. I had quit my pursuit of the arts for several years believing it to be frivolous, but He’s opened my eyes to see that it can speak to people on a different level and that it is relevant. It can be very exposing to create, but it’s a gift. He was and is the ultimate Creator. He is my inspiration and the reason I have moved forward in this area of my life.

I enjoy most forms of art and have more recently taken up working with video. I’m hoping to do more collaborative work with musicians and dancers upon graduation and am excited to see how He’ll incorporate the arts into this next phase of life!

Gina has created some incredible works over the years, here are a few examples:

These three pieces are part of a series I’m currently working on which are based off a published photograph of me dressed as Sleeping Beauty in “Fairytale News” a newspaper project that I was involved with as a child. I have used the printed photograph of me dressed as Sleeping Beauty, the bride of my Charming Prince (and real life fourth grade crush!), and expounded upon it to explore ideas of death and life; being covered and revealed.

Crown, Spring 2009

Covered: The Two, Spring 200

Beauty, Spring 2009

This next portrait addresses our worth in Christ. I chose to depict this reality through a self portrait filled with symbolism that relates to scripture and symbolism which I relate to on a more personal level.

Of Great Price, Summer 2008

Rain Room - Series of Photos

This piece was done as a collaboration with another digital media student, Fall 2008. We found our inspiration in the works of Olafur Eliasson, James Turrell, and Hans Arp. My personal inspiration was in using water to “wash”. Water brings growth and newness.

The piece, which could be seen through a small window in the door, brought the outside in. We played with light through the use of a strobe and left our requirement to incorporate sound to the spattering of rain on our board. We had a pump running throughout the day which kept the flow of water coming down from two inconspicuous shower heads.

STORY - The Living Stones Retreat

2009-04-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

Living Stones just recently returned from an amazing weekend of fellowship and worship. DOMA created some interactive art pieces for the event as well as some creative stage panels.

Large sheets of plywood were plastered with sheets of books, including a Bible and some classical biblical artworks. Here's a few photos of those pieces:

Also, we used plywood sheets for the interactive pieces as well. Each panel was taped off and painted into small story board type layouts. Here's some photos of the process:

Finally, words were applied to encourage story telling using phrases like, 'In the Beginning' 'Suddenly...' and 'God said to me...' Here are some photos of the panels:

Genesis - The Tower of Babel

2009-04-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

For this creative piece we chose five DOMA artists to each create a letter of the word 'BABEL'. The purpose was to reflect the story of the tower of Babel in which each of the letters was in its own unique 'language' or art style. The results were just as amazing:

Here are some close ups and individual shots of the letters:

In the South Venue at the Robb Campus we also incorporated a steel framed 'tower' to go along with the theme. Here are some shots of that:

Featured DOMA Artist - Rachel Armstrong

2009-03-10T10:33:00.000-07:00

Rachel Armstrong is one of the dedicated DOMA artists that helps with projects each week. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Nevada, Reno. She is currently showing her Midway Exhibition at the Front Door Gallery inside Church Fine Arts at the University. Photos from the show won't be posted until after the dates of the show in order to encourage you all to go and see it in person.

The title of the show is "Journey of Joy" and will be displayed from March 9th - March 12th

The opening reception is Thursday March 12th from 6:00pm - 9:00pm

The Cardboard Rose

2009-03-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10) For this project we decided to create something beautiful out of something not beautiful and essentially useless, something tossed out like trash to reflect the transformation that God does in us. We decided to make a rose out of cardboard.

Here are some photos used for inspiration:

We took used cardboard boxes, cut them into long strips, soaked the pieces in water, and wrapped them tightly around each other, building it up until we got a rose. Here are some photos from the process:

Here are some photos of how it was displayed:

Genesis - Origin of Conflict

2009-03-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

"Conflict, murder, religion vs. faith in the gospel, the city, Jesus was killed by his brothers, Jesus builds a new city of righteousness, Jesus is the offspring to come"

We decided it would be a cool idea to build a small city from cardboard boxes along the front of the stage and out in the hall. Keeping them as short as posible to not block sidescreens, musicians, etc. The boxes along the outside edges would have red paint dripped on them to represent murder and conflict but also God's redeeming blood. The boxes in the center would have white paint dripped on them to represent purification. Windows and doors will be cut from each of the boxes, we're thinking a light shining from the center boxes, maybe a portrayal of heaven or redemption.

Here are some of the pictures we used for inspiration including a digital sketch of the idea:

Here are some photos of the process and construction:

Here is the final result, there were different setups at each venue:

Finally, we got to have a little fun with the project afterward. First, stacking them as high as we could and then piling them up and jumping into them like a pile of leaves:

Who wants to exercise a little creativity?

2009-03-04T12:51:00.001-08:00

I have a creative exercise for you guys that is purely for the purpose of getting your creative juices flowing. I’d like to see what you’d come up with if you were told to redesign, revamp, or recontextualize the Grace or Living Stones logos. You can email me or post your creations as a comment on this blog entry.

Genesis - Curse and Blessing

2009-02-17T10:05:00.001-08:00

This weeks message was on curse and blessing and their implementation in the story of the garden. The DOMA team put their heads together to come up with ideas of how to visually represent the theme through a creative piece. We took the idea of a covering, as Adam and Eve made coverings for themselves out of fig leaves to cover their nakedness. We wanted to portray how a covering could represent both a curse and a blessing as it did in the Genesis story. We decided that a veil was the perfect portrayal of both a blessing and a curse. Here were some photos for inspiration.

The idea is that a veil is worn in both times of sadness and joy, to cover grief and to cover purity. When a loved one passes away, it is tradition for the widow (reference to sin and death) to wear a black veil to cover her face. When a bride (reference to the church as the bride of Christ) is to be wed, it is tradition for her to wear a white veil to cover her face. We had a photographer from DOMA take pictures of faces of people in the fellowship. We took the images cropped them to be just the eyes (the most powerful and emotional part of the face) and printed them out about 1'x3' each and had them mounted on foam core. We bought veil fabric in both black and white and cut strips for each. We displayed the images on stage during the services on music stands and draped the fabric over the eyes as a veil. Here are some images from the services:

We also were lucky enough to have a DOMA artist provide a live snake to display on stage during the services to represent the serpent from the Genesis story. Here are some images of that:

Genesis - Sin and Redemption - The Garden

2009-02-10T11:04:00.000-08:00

The story of the fall and original sin is centered around a piece of fruit from a tree in the center of the garden. After the fall, sin entered the world and death followed. The ideas for this piece stem from that phenomenon; dying fruit, vegetables, flowers, etc. Here are some photos and a video that inspired the work:

Boxes and boxes of fruit, vegetables, and flowers were donated from the local Whole Foods Market. They were taken and used to line the stage of each service, to create a garden like atmosphere. From a distance, most of the fruit looked good, but upon closer inspection the produce was damaged, cut, wilting, bruised, and dying. We also had a photographer take pictures of an apple with a bite out of it, in a woman's hand. They were printed on large photo paper and included in the installation. Here are some photos from the services:

Genesis - Origin of Marriage - Color Mixing

2009-02-03T12:35:00.001-08:00

This weeks message was highlighting marriage within the creation story. The creative team put together ideas of representing the concept of marriage through the unity of colors. Using the traditional colors for boys and girls, blue and pink (pink from an artists perspective is essentially a shade of red). We all know that when red and blue are mixed that you get purple and that was the idea of color unity. These were some images we pulled for inspiration:

In order to accomplish this idea, we cast a vision for male artists to put together works using blues and female artists putting together works using just reds. Also, having male and female artists working together on collaborative works that use both red and blue or even a purple. We then lined the stage with blue on the left and red on the right with a mix of purple coming together in the middle. Here are some photos from the services:

Genesis - Origin of Humanity

2009-02-03T11:20:00.000-08:00

This week in the Genesis series the message was on the Origin of Humanity. Talking about man and his position and role in the creation story. The creative team decided it would be cool to create a sand sculpture of Adam as a play on his creation from the ground. Creating an actual sand sculpture might have been easier but would have been very fragile and therefore not a good idea for transportation and display. These are our images of inspiration and one is a digital sketch of the actual idea.

We put our heads together and decided to use some of the materials we were somewhat comfortable with in order to pull it off. We used Styrofoam sheets, plaster, glue, spraypaint, and actual beach sand. Here are some photos of the process:

Once the basic shape of the body was formed, we used sprayfoam insulation to give him hair, spray paint to color it, plastered him into a single pose, constructed a box of 2x4s and plywood, coated him in spray adhesive and applied actual sand.

He was finally ready for display and placed on stage for the entirety of the services. It served as a great visual for the message and a tool for better understanding humanity from a new perspective. Here are some photos form the services:

Genesis - Origin of Creation - Light Drawing

2009-02-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

This was the first part of our long series through the Book of Genesis - This week the message focused on God and his creation. The artists of DOMA decided to represent creation through light - more specifically, long exposure light drawings. It might seem like a new idea, but it's been around almost as long as photography. Recently it had been brought back into the mainstream with commercials like Sprint's new campaign. (see video) But, perhaps Picasso was the first to bring it into the mainstream when he was photographed for TIME magazine. (Featured Below)

From a conceptual point of view, drawing with light is not too far off from the sort of way God chose to bring existence into being by simply speaking it. Along those same lines, light drawing is a continuous movement that can only be seen once captured by the camera's lens. A memory of line, a creation of light. Here are the artists both in waiting and action:

It was the first time we had ever done anything like this, both for a creative element in the church as well as the artists themselves. We spent the first night practicing in freezing temperatures in a 100-yard tunnel north of downtown. The process is simple, a camera is placed on a tripod (very important) in a dark place and the exposure time (amount of time the lens is open to allow light in) is set anywhere from 15-30 seconds. (a longer setting can be used but is not ideal because of the amount of light that is exposed) Flashlights or colored LED keychains are then used to draw imaginary shapes or words in the air.

After we were frozen to the core, we decided to call it a night. We then returned the next night, more bundled up and with somewhat of a hold on the process to create elements and words with our flashlights.

Now that we had countless hours of light play documented in photos, we printed a few dozen of our favorites and hung them with clothespins on twine in the foyer, sort of like a darkroom development line.

Here are a few more photos for you to enjoy:

The Jonah Fishbowl

2009-02-02T11:46:00.000-08:00

This project was for a short series we did on the Book of Jonah. On each end of the stage was a fish bowl on representing Reno and the other Nineveh. Each had a goldfish, Reno with stones and Nineveh with sand (and cloudy water). Each also had a backdrop of a skyline of their actual landscape.

Here is a photoshop mock-up of the project:

Here is a photo of the $0.25 goldfish at the store, we bought 20 and 19 survived and all were given away after the services.

The Birds of the Air and The Lilies of the Field

2009-02-02T11:20:00.000-08:00

These pieces were created for a series within the book of Luke that deals with worry.

This piece was created for a part of the passage dealing with the birds. It shows them not sowing or reaping or storing up in barns and yet our Father in heaven feeds them.

Here are some photos:

The second element to this series was created to go with the image of the lilies of the field. We placed a vase of lilies and some candles in the foyer outside the sanctuary with the words "do not worry" and other elements from the passage.

Here are some photos:

Three Part Canvas

2009-02-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

This piece was created to go along with a message on Luke 8. It was a three part canvas painted on plywood. The imagery in the piece goes along with the images in the passage, much more subtly. There are seeds being scattered, birds of the air eating them up, a lamp on a stand, a mother and her son, etc.

Here is a preliminary sketch:

Each piece represents a different part of the trinity. The bottom represents the Father in it's antiquity and wisdom and bold lines. The middle represents the Holy Spirit ith it's free flowing lines and bright colors. Finally, the top represents the Son with it's physical characteristics and vivid imagery.

Here is a photo of the final piece:

Resurrected

2009-02-02T10:57:00.000-08:00

For this project we created an image to go along with a message on the resurrection. A box was constructed of plywood and 2x4s to hold sand as the base. Lights and 'blood' stained linens were placed on top of the sand.

Here are some photos:

NOW Baptism

2009-02-02T10:50:00.000-08:00

For this project we took our baptismal and decorated it and prepared it for this giving project. The church is in the process of building a larger facility as part of the NOW project. People were given an opportunity to give and put their gifts into the baptismal as a symbolic act.

Here are some photos:

Luke Doves

2009-02-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

The beginning of our Luke series started off with this project that featured hundreds of folded doves, hanging from the ceiling in the hall and some scattered on the stage in the sanctuary. A large doves was painted and cut out of plywood and hung center stage. The idea was the dove representing the holy spirit and how it descended on Jesus during his baptism.

Here are some photos:

Light Box

2009-02-02T10:42:00.001-08:00

For this series we used a light box and displayed it in the foyer outside the sanctuary. Each week the images would change according to that week's message.

Here are some images:

Jesus Sheet

2009-02-02T10:33:00.000-08:00

This project was done to go with a message of Jesus' return and carrying your own cross. The overall idea was seeing Jesus in a new way.

A large frame was constructed out of 2x4's and a white bed sheet was stretched across it and stapled to the sides, like a large mock canvas.

The images were sketched on the back with chalk and then during the performance were painted from the back as the paint bled through the sheet and appeared on the canvas before the audience. For the first two images, the canvas was on it's side, after a while the rest of the canvas was filled in and then turned 90 degrees to reveal the face of Jesus.

3-4 artists painted from behind as the sermon was being preached.

Here are some preliminary images:

Here is a short time-lapse video from YouTube:

Hypocrisy

2009-02-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

This project was created to go together with a message on hypocrisy.

Luke 11:46 - And he said, "Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

An action figure was purchased and painted and given a large ball of 'burdens' with ropes and chains. He was attached to a base and given a small plaque with the verse.

Here are some images:

Glow in the Dark

2009-02-02T10:07:00.000-08:00

For the 2007 Christmas Services at Grace Church this project was created. It shows the story of Jesus and the journey up to his birth and ends with a surprise.

Here is a concept sketch:

Preparation:
Two pieces of 3' x 6' plywood were primed with white enamel and then the face of Jesus was painted on to the boards with Glow in the Dark paint. The paint is essentially invisible, so the image had to be painted in the dark, under UV light. Stencils were cut from black card stock paper of Mary and Joseph, the three wise men, shepherds in a field, and the manger scene. Hooks were attached to the back of the boards so that they could hang from the framework under the projection screen on stage. The boards were covered in thick black fabric during the service to keep them from collecting a charge from the lights.

Here is a mock-up of what the boards would have looked like on their sides:

Performance:

The 'light' areas of Jesus' face acted as areas of sky and the dark areas as ground, essentially creating a landscape for the story. There are four large areas of 'light' on the face which the stencils were placed one by one and a high powered flashlight to activate the area around them. Telling the story of the Nativity. After the story was finished, the boards were flipped right side up one at a time and then blasted with a spotlight for one final charge and also as a surprise to the audience, the boards are solid white. Then the spotlight turns off and a UV light is activated to illuminate the face of Jesus.

Here is a YouTube video of the performance:

Core Values

2009-02-02T10:03:00.000-08:00

We painted a number of large canvases to represent our core values. Each week they are displayed on the walls of the sanctuary to remind us of what we're about.

Here are the values:

Community

Mission

Truth

Worship

Chalk Feet

2009-02-02T09:54:00.000-08:00

Luke 7:37-39

The story of the woman who sat at the feet of Jesus and wept. She poured both her perfume and her tears onto his feet and wiped them with her hair.

This project was done on the walkway leading to the doors of the church. It was done entirely in chalk and remained for weeks as a reminder.

Here are some preliminary sketches:

Here are some photos of the final result:

Adam vs Jesus

2009-02-02T09:45:00.001-08:00

For this project, we cut and painted two basic shapes of men out of plywood.

We then covered each cutout with images corresponding to each. For Adam, a heart of stone and images of death and destruction. For Jesus, a heart of flesh and pictures of life and joy.

2009 Teaching Topics

2008-12-14T20:01:00.000-08:00

Well, I think I figured out what the rough plan is for sermon topics for 2009. It looks like Pastor Dan will be leading the Grace Community through an in-depth series on the book of Ephesians. This should be really good. On the Living Stones side, 2009 will see the beginning of an extended trip through the book of Genesis. If you've been around in the past for the chapter-by-chapter studies in Colossians or Revelation, you know we're in for a great series.

I think there's plenty for all you creative geniuses to sink your teeth into with these two books. My suggestion is that in the coming weeks you take some time to read through and study these books. If you have any brilliant ways to communicate any of the truths contained in these books, please email me. I'd love to share them with the creative staff.

Here are some questions you might consider:

What is the author trying to communicate in a broad sense?
What focused points are the author trying to communicate?
What words or phrases particularly stand out?
Are there any words or phrases that don't make sense to you?
What contextual difficulties stand in the way of understanding these passages?
How can we re-contextualize the passage to communicate it to a modern audience?
If you were directing a movie about this passage, who would you cast in the lead role?
Do any of these verses bring to mind another scripture passage, or a story, illustration, movie scene, television commercial, song, or poem?
Try to imagine that you are reading these verses for the very first time. How does that change your impression of them?

I think the type of process I'm describing would be beneficial to you personally on a spiritual level. Even if it doesn't lead to a creative breakthrough, asking these types of questions can help you become a more thorough student of scripture. And that is never a bad thing.

So, engage with God's word!

"Heart of the Artist", part III: Chapter Two

2008-12-14T10:32:00.000-08:00

Humility is a concept that I have always found fascinating. Like many, I have often admired it from afar. Very rarely have I had what I would call a true taste of it. But sometimes I catch fleeting glimpses.

Pride – or a desire to be exalted by others – isn’t always the primary enemy of humility for me. In my life, humility has more often been warded off by a simple preoccupation with self. Self-concern. Self-centeredness. Sure, I get overly concerned with others’ opinions of me. But more often I’m just overly concerned that I get what I want.

So what is humility? In Noland’s quote of C.S. Lewis on page 59, humility is equated with “self-forgetfulness”. Where does self-awareness fit in relation to humility? Is humility a lack of self-awareness? Or is it simply a proper view of self?

Is it that I find the truest and best Jeff when I take my eyes off Jeff and focus instead on Christ? If this is the case, then taking eyes off self (or fighting self-absorption) doesn’t equal “self-forgetfulness”, but rather a true and appropriate self-awareness. Truly this is a topic of great subtlety and nuance, but I find it reassuring that Moses’ prayer in Psalm 90:17 (and on pg. 70) – “Lord, give permanence to the works of my hands” – is counted an appropriate and faithful expression of self which is self-aware, yet fully humble.

Changing gears:
I thought Noland’s discussion on volunteering versus being called of God (pp. 70-74) was very insightful and keen. In my experience, some people just get this and some just don’t. I don’t know how to effectively turn a volunteer into someone called by God. Just a guess, though: Maybe it’s because I’m not God! So any level of exhortation or challenges to “step up” that I may issue only make somebody called by Jeff. The harvest is plenty, but the workers are few.

Lord, call your servants to the work of the harvest!

Right Brain Left Brain

2008-12-11T16:49:00.000-08:00

Typing w/ a fractured elbow is really fun.

Just read a great article by Mark Batterson entitled Right Brain Preaching. It's not just about preaching, but about the creative communication of the Gospel in general.

Here's a tease...

I think the greatest threat to the future of the Church is a failure of our
God-given imaginations.

Enjoy.

Artown 2009?

2008-12-11T16:43:00.000-08:00

This article got me to thinking...

What if Grace Church was somehow a presence next summer amongst all the Artown festivities in our community? What if the community saw us as a beacon of creativity?

Any ideas?

Butterfly Happy

2008-12-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

We are wrapping up the Ecclessia series and we just tie up the creative side of it by posting some more of the creative elements used over the last couple weeks.

For week 4, we constructed a mobile of an alien butterfly galaxy- I mean, of the elements that make up Ecclessia:

The center unit is the church, and the outside forms represent Mission, Gospel, Leadership, Sacraments (baptism and communion), Preaching, and Relationship (including church discipline). These 6 elements are essential to the definition of the church; any element missing and one risks intergalactic imbalance of the universe, at least for the butterflies anyway...

The entire mobile was placed in the hands of Christ who presents the church as his bride for he is at the head. The hands were sculpted separately by Cassandra Star.

The final week of Ecclessia we used a video made by Gina Peraldo:

(to be posted soon)

"Heart of the Artist", part II: Chapter One

2008-11-25T05:37:00.000-08:00

Just a couple thoughts on Chapter One of Noland's Heart of the Artist...

On page 39, he says,

Any growth that we experience in character will be an asset in everything we do.

Do you believe that? Do you believe, for instance, that growth in honesty will not only help you relationally, but creatively? Do you think that growth in discipline will help you not only vocationally, but artistically? Can an increase in kindness make you a better
designer? Can growth in tact make you a better videographer? Can more courage make you a beter writer?

I actually believe the answer to all these questions is "yes". The reason it is called integrity is that it has to do with everything in your life being integrated. What lack of integrity (or integration) in your character is holding you back?

One more question. The first "Personal Action Step" on page 49 asks you to choose a personal ministry verse. Do you have one?

I don't know that I have one specific verse. But I am reminded often of Philippians 2:3-4.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

I look forward to the day that I can truly exemplify these words.

HELVETICA

2008-11-15T11:13:00.000-08:00

Thanks to good old Netflix, I watched a great little documentary last night. Helvetica is about – you guessed it – the ubiquitous typeface. How could a documentary about a font not be great?

Call it “corporate”, or “boring” if you must, but Helvetica is everywhere. (It’s also described in the film with any of the following adjectives: democratic, socialist, inscrutable, brilliant, legible, limited, unlimited. Oh yeah, and let’s not forget that according to one interviewee in the film, Helvetica is responsible for both the Vietnam and Iraq wars!)

The documentary is packed with literally hundreds of cut shots of Helvetica in action. I bet you didn’t realize how many logos and storefronts use the font. But probably more interesting is the film’s investigation of its status as the apex of “modern” fonts. If you don’t quite understand the difference between modern and post-modern, this film will make you think you understand. (Perhaps this might be helpful if you’re not sure why Grace Church has two “expressions”.)

But then you will inevitably ask the question, “What is post-modern?” Is the proliferation of more expressive, more curvy, more avant garde typefaces the post-modern reaction to Helvetica? But what about all the designers who now flock back to Helvetica in reaction to these expressive post-modern fonts? Does that make them post-post-modern? Or is there room within post-modernism to react against oneself? Can Helvetica be both modern and post-modern?

If you are a designer - or even just a student of culture - I would recommend a viewing of Helvetica.

New Series; New Creative Theme

2008-11-07T14:28:00.000-08:00

Our new series entitled "Ecclesia" explores how the church operates, how it is structured, what it functions as, and its relationship with heaven and earth. Because we are basically laying out the "blueprints" for the global and local church we decided that blueprints/schematics were a perfect creative motif to flow through the mediums, and design concepts for the next few weeks. Below are some of the examples of blueprint art from the creative team.

The words in the blueprints below were done with stencils and spray paint, and the butterflies drawn with colored pencils.

The following blueprints are by Layton Diament with pen and ink:

“Heart of the Artist”, part I: Preface and Introduction

2008-11-04T15:53:00.000-08:00

Here it is… the first installment of our “online book club”. I want to share a few thoughts on the opening of Rory Noland’s The Heart of the Artist, and see if any of you had some thoughts to share.

The first thing that jumped out to me was the quote from Irving Stone’s biography of Van Gogh, Lust for Life…

But then, no artist is normal; if he were he wouldn’t be an artist. Normal men don’t create works of art. They eat, sleep, hold down routine jobs, and die. You are hypersensitive to life and nature; that’s why you are able to interpret it for the rest of us…

So insightful. Along those same lines, this quote of Noland from page 17…

Artists look at things differently than nonartists do. We notice detail; we appreciate nuance and beauty.

And this from page 18…

The world doesn’t need more thick-skinned people. It needs more people who are sensitive and tender.

I hope you appreciated these nuggets of encouragement as I did; and not just as proof texts which justify you thinking more highly of yourself than you ought because of your artistic nature, but instead as humble validations of your God-given identity.

As further validation, I hope you appreciated Noland’s citations on pages 20-21 of artists in the Bible. Did you know that Bezalel (mentioned on page 21, and of course in Exodus 35:31-32) is the first person in all of Scripture described as having the Holy Spirit?

…He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs…

Wow. Could I be so bold as to pray that God would fill us in the same way?

Notice the context of that passage. Bezalel was called to use all of this skill and intelligence for Kingdom purposes. Noland is right in saying (on page 23) that, “[s]erving God in the local church is a high and noble calling.”

What do you think?

DOMA Launch Party... Launch Successful

2008-10-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everybody who came out this past Friday for the launch of DOMA! It was a great crowd, and I was very encouraged. Here's a short list of things that encouraged me:

The wide variety of people who came
The wide variety of gifts and passions represented
The lack of awkward chit-chat... Everybody seemed to really genuinely enjoy each others' company
The number of people hanging out afterwards, connecting and conversing
The enthusiasm and receptiveness of everybody to the call to serve Christ and his church

You guys are all awesome, and I am greatly looking forward to working with all of you! Please always feel free to call/email/post/etc. with any questions or comments.

Welcome to the DOMA Blog!

2008-10-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

Hello to anybody and everybody who happens to come across this blog. This will be a space for members of the DOMA (Department of Media Arts) network to share thoughts and stay up-to-date on the latest projects and happenings in the Grace and Living Stones Communities at Grace Church.

As posts are added to this blog, please feel free to respond and share your thoughts and comments!

I look forward to this blog being a fun and interesting medium of communication,
Jeff

The Doctrine of Sex Series Continues....

2008-10-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

These images were used this weekend in the DOCTRINE OF SEX SERIES to represent four different types of people dealing with sexual temptation.
Artwork by Seth Mach.

Surrendering life and struggles to Jesus

How far can I go without stepping off the edge?

Comfortably apathetic- Living life at a distance from the cross, although feeling sufficient to at least be keeping it within sight. These people often tell themselves "at least I am not doing such and such like so and so."

Pressing through the dark to following Jesus

"Married Sex is the Best Sex" sermon illustration

2008-10-09T17:19:00.000-07:00

First of all, can I just say that it is crazy that I just typed the words "Married Sex is the Best Sex" into the title of the LS Worship journal. God is truly breaking down the barriers and negative connotations that the word "sex" has in church culture...

Anyway, for the week on married sex we went through the book of Song of Solomon. Often the language used in this book to describe beauty can actually be seen as funny or even gross. For Example, "your hair is like a flock of goats"- err yeah... awkward! So we decided to use beautiful pictures of the written imagery in order to show just why the lovers would have used these metaphors to describe their love and adoration of each other.

We hung the pictures across the width of the sanctuary on gazebo light rope. The purpose was to allow the congregation to see the beauty of the imagery during the sermon to enhance the text as it was being read to them.

In the south venue we placed serveral photos on the tables around the room at which people sit so that they could pick them to take a closer look if so desired.

One Prayer T-shirts

2008-07-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

This last series was packed full of creative expression!

On the second week of the four-week series, we built a canvas made of 50 T-shirt 1x1 squares and on it painted the OnePrayer logo during the service. It was a lot of work, but ooooohhh so fun!

First, we cut out three sets of stencils on to black paper. We had a stencil of the church, the girl, the hands, the world (two separate stencils), the "N" and "E", and the "PRAYER."

Then, we built the canvas backdrop upon which the t-shirts would rest by arranging several plywood planks into a formation that fit 5x10 square feet. The t-shirts need only to stack on top of each other at a slight slant to remain in formation for the canvas.

The t-shirts themselves were wrapped in 1x1 squares of plywood. Each t-shirt was wrapped individually with a different section exposed to the outside, in order that some of the final products would have the dye on the back, front, shoulder, or side of the shirt when it was unwrapped.

During the service, the worship team played the song "Never Contained" by Anchordown -- as it corresponded with the message -- and a team of four artists began to paint the canvas. It took about five minutes to complete using 2 types of spray bottles and 3 colors of t-shirt dye.

After we finished removing the finished t-shirts from the canvas, we still had about 2 shirts left over so we decided to experiment and make up our own picture -- "no shirt should be left out!"

In the week to come, we took all the plywood out of the shirts and began to do -- what we thought to be -- small touch ups and the addition of the LS logo to each shirt. Let's just say that we got a little carried away and ended up adding new stencils to the parts of the shirts that didn't have the squares and adding detail to the parts that did. We created several different LS logos and distributed them to all sizes and in all different places, making each shirt completely different from any other.

The following two weeks, the shirts were sold in order to benefit the NOW project (the building project at GraceLS) at a $10 min. donation. We did well and sold almost half the first week! Thanks to everyone for your support!