On June 15-17, 2012 at the Creative Church Conference in Indianapolis, IN myself and 5 other creatives were given a thorough education on arts in the church. One area in which I was trained was called Platform Prophetic Art. Cathy Feeman was our teacher. I will be relaying to you as much as I possibly can about what we learned and how to use it. I have taken from her notes and modified it for the sake of space. The information here is rather condensed and I hope that you get what it is about based on these notes.
What is prophetic art?
A message from God's heart; declarations of encouragement hope and love through the creation of beautiful or significant things. Art is the language used to communicate and release. We are representing God, not ourselves and our giftings. Knowing Jesus personally and knowing the voice of the Holy Spirit is necessary before you begin. To know that an image is prophetic and reflects God's heart it must be uplifting and encouraging. It must echo the words of the Bible and be consistent with it. Not everyone is ready and in the right place to do this.
What is the purpose of platform art?
Platform art refers to art done in front of a congregation during any number of service types. This is not a personal response to worship, rather a demonstration of what God is doing for the benefit of His people. You could say that it is a form of intercession. This practice entails listening to God's voice and then releasing the message from God. The visual art is merely the means. Though it has to communicate clearly, being a professional artist is not necessary. The job of the artist is to continually have your attention on what God is doing; what the Holy Spirit is releasing each time and how He wants to communicate it.
How does platform prophetic art work?
Platform prophetic art is not a consistent style, technique, or ability. It is not something that follows a formula, per se. It is about your connection with God and what He is doing. You always have to be open and prepared to respond to what God is doing. We will not always be able to capture the message in the assigned time.
Cathy laid out 8 steps central to being open to connecting with God and what imagery He wants us to communicate:
1. Give yourself breathing room to listen to God. The posture in which you enter this practice is important. Do your best to eliminate distractions.
2. Make worship the focal point. An areas of concern that you have on your heart you should give to God to make way for His word. Relax and enjoy the process!
3. Look for God in the insignificant things.
4. Create because God made you to create. It is pleasing to Him, so you should enjoy it as well. This is not performance art and your concept and process should not be compared to other artists. Keep in mind that the pleasure you derive from this is because you are collaborating with God. Be open and responsive to God as you go through the process of creating.
5. Think of what communicates best the subject you are portraying. Keep in touch with what you are hearing, seeing, and feeling as you progress. Think about what the art communicates with concern to colors, lines, and shapes. At this point do not try to decipher the meaning of the piece, that will come later.
6. Keep the essence of the image you saw in simplified terms. You can write highlights in note form to remind you. Keep in mind the important parts and clarify the colors if necessary.
7. In a worship setting you may find that the impression is vague at best. You will be entering into the art as a collaborator with the Holy Spirit. This is the exciting part! Especially, as the process becomes more responsive.
8. Last, let interpretation be a slow process. You can leave it on display in the church for a little while as the church permits. See what the Holy Spirit is saying. Ask God if the art is personal or for someone else.
What tools and materials are best?
Acrylics, canvas or board, and most any dry materials work well. Clean up is easy and they don't have an odor. As you clarify what God is saying ahead of time, you may find it necessary to bring your own reference- photos, magazine clippings, and other sketches. If you are the primary creator you can store and carry things in a pack with a wheeled suitcase. The size of the canvas should be big enough for the congregation to see what you are working on.
There are other topics I did not cover concerning this ministry. In the future it will be necessary to cover them, but for now you get a general idea about what Platform Prophetic Art is all about and how to go about it. If you want to see some of her prophetic art or contact her about it, Cathy's website is CathyFeemanArt.com. God Bless!
What is prophetic art?
A message from God's heart; declarations of encouragement hope and love through the creation of beautiful or significant things. Art is the language used to communicate and release. We are representing God, not ourselves and our giftings. Knowing Jesus personally and knowing the voice of the Holy Spirit is necessary before you begin. To know that an image is prophetic and reflects God's heart it must be uplifting and encouraging. It must echo the words of the Bible and be consistent with it. Not everyone is ready and in the right place to do this.
What is the purpose of platform art?
Platform art refers to art done in front of a congregation during any number of service types. This is not a personal response to worship, rather a demonstration of what God is doing for the benefit of His people. You could say that it is a form of intercession. This practice entails listening to God's voice and then releasing the message from God. The visual art is merely the means. Though it has to communicate clearly, being a professional artist is not necessary. The job of the artist is to continually have your attention on what God is doing; what the Holy Spirit is releasing each time and how He wants to communicate it.
How does platform prophetic art work?
Platform prophetic art is not a consistent style, technique, or ability. It is not something that follows a formula, per se. It is about your connection with God and what He is doing. You always have to be open and prepared to respond to what God is doing. We will not always be able to capture the message in the assigned time.
Cathy laid out 8 steps central to being open to connecting with God and what imagery He wants us to communicate:
1. Give yourself breathing room to listen to God. The posture in which you enter this practice is important. Do your best to eliminate distractions.
2. Make worship the focal point. An areas of concern that you have on your heart you should give to God to make way for His word. Relax and enjoy the process!
3. Look for God in the insignificant things.
4. Create because God made you to create. It is pleasing to Him, so you should enjoy it as well. This is not performance art and your concept and process should not be compared to other artists. Keep in mind that the pleasure you derive from this is because you are collaborating with God. Be open and responsive to God as you go through the process of creating.
5. Think of what communicates best the subject you are portraying. Keep in touch with what you are hearing, seeing, and feeling as you progress. Think about what the art communicates with concern to colors, lines, and shapes. At this point do not try to decipher the meaning of the piece, that will come later.
6. Keep the essence of the image you saw in simplified terms. You can write highlights in note form to remind you. Keep in mind the important parts and clarify the colors if necessary.
7. In a worship setting you may find that the impression is vague at best. You will be entering into the art as a collaborator with the Holy Spirit. This is the exciting part! Especially, as the process becomes more responsive.
8. Last, let interpretation be a slow process. You can leave it on display in the church for a little while as the church permits. See what the Holy Spirit is saying. Ask God if the art is personal or for someone else.
What tools and materials are best?
Acrylics, canvas or board, and most any dry materials work well. Clean up is easy and they don't have an odor. As you clarify what God is saying ahead of time, you may find it necessary to bring your own reference- photos, magazine clippings, and other sketches. If you are the primary creator you can store and carry things in a pack with a wheeled suitcase. The size of the canvas should be big enough for the congregation to see what you are working on.
There are other topics I did not cover concerning this ministry. In the future it will be necessary to cover them, but for now you get a general idea about what Platform Prophetic Art is all about and how to go about it. If you want to see some of her prophetic art or contact her about it, Cathy's website is CathyFeemanArt.com. God Bless!