IN MEMORY: WRIGHT
Going to be posting random works here that I've neglected to post over the past several years, along with my original descriptions of the works for facebook. If you would like work please contact me at artisservant@gmail.com. Here is my original post that went with this very special memorial piece:
I wanted to add this photo to this album in memory of this brave little warrior who went home to God last week. Wright Lanier is someone I never had the honor to meet, but stories of his short life and the way he lived it amaze and humble me. He has a truly amazing family who mourn and celebrate him. Here is my original post with this drawing: There are a couple drawings that were commissioned as gifts that I completed a while ago but was waiting for them to be received before posting. This is one of those drawings and I'm very very proud of this one. This is a drawing of a much beloved boy, Wright Lanier, with his daddy. The drawing was commissioned by my dear friend Pam Teachey as a homecoming gift for Wright and his family. Wright has been being treated in Cincinnati for quite a long time now and has been unable to return to his home in NC. As I understand it, his mother stayed with him there while his father was home in NC with his brother, but they made frequent trips to and from Cincinnati as well.
Yesterday, this family, which has been through so much, was able to return home. Wright received a hero's welcome and was escorted by police and fire trucks to his home, as crowds of people from his home town lined the highway with banners and smiles to welcome him. I felt this drawing very deeply. As a father myself, I know what it is like to have that sweet feeling of your son resting his head against your shoulder. In fact, I have some photos of Evan sitting in my lap while I was working on this image, and I couldn't help but pray for this family. I can't imagine what their journey has been like. I hope that this image has brought them some comfort, and will continue to pray for Wright and the Laniers.
Many thanks to Pam Teachey for this commission!
WELCOME!
I appreciate your time and your interest in my work. If you are interested in knowing more about me and my philosophy of art, please feel free to scroll to the bottom of this page. I would rather spare those who have no interest in such things from having to read about me before looking at my work. God bless you :)
The Vocation of the Artist
I firmly believe that art is meant to serve others, especially in lifting the hearts of people, through "ephiphanies of beauty," (John Paul II's letter to artists) to the contemplation and the glory of God. The artist participates in a unique way in the inspiration of the Creator of all things, and knows something of His joy in the act of creation, for "the act of creation is an act of love."(The Agony and the Ecstacy) This act is essentially bound up with the mystery of the Incarnation of Jesus, in which what had been invisible was made visible in His person, His life and work, and finally in His death and resurrection. The artist is exhorted by the very perception of his gift to its service. Art is not merely, nor should it ever be, a vehicle for selfish ends or cheap shock and awe, but it must seek to give joy to the lives of others. The artist is then in the end merely a servant of truth, beauty, and goodness, and his work must serve to convey these to a wider audience. "Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 15-16)I believe that the artist finds in the lives of Jesus, and of His foster father Joseph, essential role models, especially in their hidden life at Nazareth. Though very little is handed down to us in the Gospels or in tradition illuminating this period in Jesus' life, I believe that this hidden, simple, carpenter's life of "working quietly" (2 Thessalonians 3:11) can be a model for all artists, in which delight is daily sought in the manifestation of beauty in wood, paint, charcoal, dance, the stage, and music. This is a life of humility, where the artist freely accepts that this world, including his own work, "will pass away," (Matt. 24:35) but what it points to never will. Obedience to inspiration, especially as it is inspired by God's Word (itself the revelatory self-expression of God) is the artist's highest calling. This new site is dedicated to this higher calling of the artist, to this challenge.
You will find included in this site examples of my own work, as well as links to other sites which
celebrate the arts, and especially challenge the artist to reach the fullness of his own abilities
in the service of something greater than him or his work. I hope that you will enjoy this site, and
take full advantage of its links, especially the Letter to Artists of our Holy Father (of beloved memory) John Paul II. Thank you for your comments and your consideration of this website.
David Myers
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