Title: the SENSE-Itive man

Size: 5' 9"

Medium: Foam Blank Surfboard

Shape: Fish

Materials: Acrylic Paint with Friskit Stencils 

"Sensitivity", deep feeler", and "emotional" are words and attributes that are not held in high esteem for the typical western American male.  They are at war with our cultural messages of strength, dominance, and performance. This piece was inspired to bride the gap between who I think I should be and who God wants me to be. Or better put, who He has created me to be…from the beginning. In 2011, I am learning to embrace my namesake calling. David. A deep feeler, sensitive, scrapper warrior bandit.  A man of emotion...for the Kingdom of God. 

One of the key elements we journey through near the end of the year as apprentices of Jesus in NieuCommunities is creating a heART project.  We reflect on the learnings of 2011, posturing ourselves with the understanding that God doesn’t waste any of our experiences.  

 How has your view changed of God or God’s Kingdom? How has it changed in your understanding of community? What have you gained? What have you lost? These are some of the questions we wrestle with as we create an experiential piece of beauty to encompass the last 365.

Collectively, we are discovering a different definition of “artist” and “art”.  As we experiment and risk being “artists” we are actually participating in the unearthing of the Ultimate Artist’s irresistible, creative, explosive craftsmanship within all of us. We drew. Painted. Sculpted. Planted. Filmed. Tagged. Weaved.  As we listened to each artist present their piece we received doses of heavenly inspiration through the diversity of mediums. This process is moving us toward dreaming of vibrant expressions of beauty within ourselves, for our neighborhood, and for the King.

God is still speaking in 2012 and the avenues in which we desire to respond are vast. This year may we risk. May our art reflect our heARTs. And may we encounter fresh ways of experiencing the divine because of it.