![]() Let me begin at the beginning. Back in November I received a random email from Noyes Art Designs in Denver, CO. They had found my website and were interested in sharing a piece called "Broken and Praising" with one of their clients in western Nebraska. I gave them the ok to share the work and kind of forgot about it. Then in January I ran across the email as I was cleaning out my inbox and wondered, "hmm wonder what ever happened with that," and pushed it to the back of my mind. So, I focused my energy on the Illuminating Lighthouse Light bulb project and told God how I was looking forward to the summer off. I had to laugh then when the next day I saw I had another email from Noyes Art Designs, this time from a Nancy Noyes and she asked me to call her. I did so immediately and she proceeded to tell me that her client liked the "Broken and Praising" mosaic piece and that she would like to commission me to create two pieces of art for a hospital called Great Plains Health in North Platte to be opening in August of this year. She wanted me to create a piece for the Labor and Delivery wing and one for the Pediatric wing. I could hardly contain my excitement on the phone as she shared the commission details. After I got off the phone my mind kept racing with this opportunity and then she called me again apologizing for some miscommunication on details. It was in that moment God realigned my thinking about the project. He asked me, "What is this going to be about?" "Is this going to be about the money or Me using you for My glory?" I realized I had gotten consumed (in a very short time) with the prospect of making some good money creating art. I was instantly realigned and hit my knees to pray over this project and let God do His thing. I was a bit nervous as I had a short timeline to create sketches to submit for the project. I seemed to bang my head against a wall for the first few days of that week struggling to come up with ideas in the style of the other piece and working off a few ideas Nancy had given me. I couldn't get anywhere no matter how hard I prayed and how hard I tried. Then later that week, God brought to me images of the motions of my own kids make as they play. This lead to the first piece called "On Parade." So now I had left the piece for Labor and Delivery. Over the years, and especially this year, as my youngest is a kindergarten people continually mention to me how fast time goes. I realize this is so true especially as my baby is no longer a toddler. It made me think of how much I love my own kids, how much they grow and so quickly and all the reminders I've been given to cherish those moments. This inspired the second piece called "In a Blink." I hope the piece will remind new moms to be present in each moment and cherish them even during the first year. The piece has a ribbon that will have the words, love, cherish, and grow on it with five vignettes of relational interaction that occur during the first year for a child and parent. So the sketch work was complete and now to propose color schemes. Another hard one. I prayed over this and lived in the process of wrestling with this decision much into the final week. I emailed Nancy to tell her I was about finished but would have to get all the information to her the start of the next week as I was struggling with color. Her response to me was so encouraging and exciting and it helped ease the fear of not having a clue what colors I'd submit at that point. I cleared my day that Monday to work out the colors by creating samples of paints and combinations of them. This not only gave me the route I finally decided to go but also some other options for the decision makers at the hospital. So I submitted everything that day and waited. It was exciting when a little over a month later, Nancy contacted me and said they loved it and we'd proceed. Then the process of prepping an invoice and waiting for the go ahead to begin. And I waited and wondered, and waited and somewhere along the way, God revealed that I wasn't able to start just yet because He needed me to complete an exhibit I was working on for church and to have some rest BEFORE this project was to begin. Just Friday I received an email from Nancy saying it was time to start and the deadline for the project would be mid-July. After a few days of rest after some huge projects I had just completed it was time to begin. I fretted off an on all weekend trying to rest but antsy to start -- how was this project going to get done in this short time? How with some trips and other things with friends and family going on? SO THAT BRINGS US TO TODAY: This morning I laid it all before God. "I can't do this, not without You," I told Him. He reminded me of all the times in my life He has done remarkably miraculous things in the face of little time and my inability. I was, right where He wanted me. I am choosing to live right here, where I am not able but He is able. SO today I began work on the patterns for the sculptures and in just 5-6 hours I had them completed and ready to begin. I am super excited to really get to work on this project for the next few months. I covet prayers in the process; and look forward to meeting Nancy in person and the people at Great Plains Health in North Platte. So amazing that this all started with Noyes Art Designs finding my website and taking a chance on me. So blessed to have this opportunity.
1 Comment
|
AuthorAnn has worked as a professional artist since 2006. She currently works on her own studio artwork as well as large, commercial works and with other artists in any way she can. Archives
May 2022
Categories |