Artful Prayer

I prepare backgrounds randomly in my altered book journals when I have the time and inclination and art materials readily accessible. Then, as events in life unfold I look for one of the previously prepared backgrounds and exposed words which appropriate for the reflection. I was attending a seminar in Arlington, TX when the deadly tornado ripped through Oklahoma on May 20, 2013. We paused for intentional prayer for the victims, the families, first responders, and the search and rescue process. My mind and heart remained distracted from the colloquy lectures with thoughts and prayers for Oklahoma. Instead of taking notes of the speaker presenting about the significance of language in the Minor Prophets (final 12 chapters in the Old Testament), I created an artful prayer for Oklahoma.

 I used stacked journaling (writing on writing) for my prayers which took the shape of a funnel cloud. I made three passes of a doodle edge (continuous line around the parameter of the page) to signify the flatted houses, hospital, businesses, and schools. The exposed words ["I was a child, but it was adulthood I wanted"] correlated with the death and loss of the Oklahoma twister. The background had been made from white gesso topped with acrylic glaze and a background stamp with orange ink.

I used pencils and markers and chose browns, rusts, and orange because they remind me of the earth tones in this state.