Advent Journey

#1 “Greetings favored one! The Lord is with you.”

Painted by Gayle Temple

What would Mary have thought if an angel appeared before her? Would she be scared, happy, wary? She is looking to God to tell her what to do. What would she be doing on an ordinary day? Mary’s clothes are the colors typically associated with her, not necessarily what she would normally wear. The angel brings up the question of how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. I chose a small figure to make the angel less intimidating to Mary. The setting is what might be seen in a small town 2000 years ago with a donkey and mud brick buildings. The road goes into the future.

Gayle Temple has been painting and crafting as long as she can remember. She loves the flow of paint onto the paper and the surprises that can sometimes happen. She grew up in Oakland, California and moved to Colorado, where she received a B.S. in Housing and Design from Colorado State University. She started out as an art major but decided she did not want to be a starving artist and switched to architecture. She worked for the City and County of Denver for 20 years in the Building Department. She retired and started a new career volunteering! She is currently a juried member of the New Braunfels Art League and Seguin Art League. She is also a member of the Guadalupe Master Naturalists, Sierra Club, RSVP, Bracken Bat Cave, and St. John’s Knitting Group. She also serves as an usher at St. John’s.

#2 “But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.”

Painted by the Rev. Kelly Conkling

I have always seen Mary as a strong-willed young woman, in tune with herself and with God’s presence in her life. In this painting, I have tried to show this and to capture that moment between the angel’s initial greeting and the very next words which immediately follow, “Do not be afraid…” At this point Mary knows nothing more than that God is calling her. She has not been told or asked anything. No verbal response or decision is required from her other than openness to a new reality and possibilities. It is that quiet moment of awe and wonder when one suddenly becomes aware of God’s presence with them, mixed with the uncertainty of what God might be asking.

Mary’s expression is one of perplexity, but also perhaps a little bit fearful of what is to come; a combination of wonder and hesitation. The lack of a detailed background emphasizes that her mind and heart are fully focused on this spiritual calling. The texture gives a small glimpse of what is flowing underneath, the energy of the moment represented by the gold. The dove within the gold is both reassuring and beckoning.

Kelly S. Conkling is a retired Episcopal priest, artist, author, and retreat director. She is passionate about teaching others of the deep connection between art, creativity, spirituality and the Divine. She and her husband, Allan, live in Helotes, Texas with their weenie dog and crazy cat.

#3 “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.”

 Painted by Grace Symmons

A new, big, untouched canvas! Exciting. Nerve-wracking. Full of potential. As I reflected on the verse for this painting, and pondered how I would depict it on my canvas, I felt a sense of self-doubt. “What if it doesn’t turn out how I imagined it? What if I’ve totally misunderstood the meaning? Do I need to make a plan? Sketch it out somewhere else?” Then I re-read the passage and the first four words brought comfort: “do not be afraid.” With so much uncertainty, pain and unrest around us each day we must find comfort in the true Hope and Peace and Love of Christ. So, I just started painting. I had a rough image in my mind of what it would look like but really I just let my mind get lost in the story of the Nativity and let the paints and brush play. Do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid… easier said than done but the product of our trust and obedience is often better than we could have imagined.

Grace Symmons lives in San Antonio with her husband and is the Director of Communications at St. John’s. She enjoys creating, especially through painting, hand lettering and graphic design.  

#4 “How can this be?”

Painted by Carrie Mann

Carrie Mann is an artist who was raised in La Vernia, Texas where her passion for art began as a little girl. In 2006, she graduated with an art degree from Texas A&M Corpus Christi, where she received professional training in drawing, oil painting, acrylic painting, and ceramics.   After college, she began her career as a middle school art teacher for 12 years and also worked as a commissioned artist in her free time.  Her commissioned work mainly includes acrylic canvas paintings and acrylic murals.  Her main influences are Georgia O’Keeffe and Vincent Van Gogh.  She is drawn to recreating nature’s beauty and architecture with smooth texture and adores using rich colors and organic shapes.  She’s been residing in New Braunfels, Texas for the past 10 years and is married with two children.

For this current painting, “How can this be?”, Mann created a scene where the Virgin Mary is sitting in bewilderment  after being visited by the angel Gabriel with news that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ, the son of God.  The emphasis in the painting comes from the intense bright rays of light shining down onto Mary from a white dove in the top left corner, symbolizing the warmth and strength of the Holy Spirit encompassing Mary in her state of doubt. Mann included items of common life such as clay pots and woven mats in the background and decided to add contrast by painting an ornate golden frame around the scene symbolizing her unforgettable spiritual visit to the great Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. Mann also painted a hint of her Polish heritage into this painting by imitating a Polish pottery pattern in white on the top portion of the canvas. Lastly, Mann dedicated this spiritual piece of art to her two late grandmothers, Isabell Kotzur and Julia Kolodziej. Their names are seen carved into the wooden bench that Mary sits upon.

#5 “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Painted by Clarke Wendel

I’ve been dabbling in art since I was in high school when I bought my first camera in anticipation for a summer in England. I took a photography class in college, but that has been the extent of any formal training. I taught myself photoshop, and had a photography business for several years. I’ve done a lot of watercolors, and a few murals.

As for this project I chose the Annunciation.  This is when Mary is told by the angel that she would bear a child who will be holy, and that her cousin would have a child as well. I don’t know what an angel looks like so I went kind of abstract. I wanted to express great power with bright colors. At the same time I wanted to show calmness, so I chose the warm colors of the red, orange, and yellow. Mary I copied from a painting I found online. I just liked the way she was posed. Hope you like it.

#6 “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”

Painted by Gray Hardaway

While working on this I pondered what it means to say “YES” to God; it is not always as simple as answering a request… it was easy to say “yes” to painting this. The ultimate “yes,” and the one that proves the toughest for me, is accepting God’s plan for my life; especially through my most difficult moments. When I am filled with fear and worry, my greatest comfort comes through prayerful meditation and saying “yes” to God’s plan, even when things are not going how I would like.

Sometimes I see myself as the flaws in this painting; the parts of the canvas I didn’t cover with paint… the crooked lines… the dust stuck in the resin… Other times I feel like I am the silver and gold. The difference is reflective of when I am fearful versus when I am saying “yes” and reminded that I am a small but beautiful part of God’s great painting.

There are few things I enjoy more than painting. It is an opportunity to create, to think, to reflect, to express and to grow. I am glad I was able to say YES to this request as it served my spirit well.

This painting is mixed media on canvas; acrylic, oil, resin and just a sprinkle of glitter.

#7 “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior…”

Painted by the 2020 St. John’s Youth Group, led by Emma Kypuros

Mary’s relative Elizabeth, who is “filled with the Holy Spirit, immediately recognized her as blessed,” shows that when we are fed spiritually, we can recognize it in others.

The youth group conceptualized what it looks like when we are watered by the Holy Spirit, by the Word of God.  If we are the flowers—in their colorful, different, slightly imperfect ways—then the Word of God is the water, that helps us grow, together and as individuals in our spiritual journey.

When pondering the question: who helps us see what God sees, we realized that it is our family and friends, those that know us but also know the Love of God, who often see the Holy Spirit in us.

Here at St. John’s, the youth group is so lucky and at a special advantage of getting to be shaped and formed within a community that loves them so much and loves God. The community at St. John’s is just as much a part of our spiritual growth as students.

#8 “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.”            

Painted by Margaret Mitchell

I am 85 years old, the widow of an Episcopal priest. I was born and raised in Texas, daughter of a German immigrant and a third generation Texan mother.  (My great, great grandfather- mother’s side – is buried in Gonzales, Texas. I was baptized in a Lutheran church in Germany in 1938 during a family trip to my father’s home. I found my church home in an Episcopal church at age 10.) As long as I can remember I was able to draw and color well, but I didn’t practice painting until I enrolled in a watercolor class in San Antonio, about 1994.  I like watercolor. I have next to zero experience with acrylic paints. I have never before done a canvas this size in any medium.  I reluctantly agreed to do a painting. The experience was a super challenge. All in all it was very rewarding to stretch myself and consider “public” display of my efforts. Most of my art has been for my pleasure alone. I was challenged, and I had to focus on the “eye of the beholder.” I was blessed by the experience.

#9 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’”

Painted by Grace Symmons

I’ve always dreamed and wondered about what heaven will be like. Colors we have never seen? All the saints who have gone before us? Can you imagine the thrill, perhaps confusion, at the sight of the heavenly host praising and singing “Glory to God…” I would be stopped in my tracks! Awe inspired! I think of other times I’ve been awe-inspired—usually in nature, marveling at God’s ultimate creativity. Have you noticed the bright colors in a flower garden? The stars scattered across a dark night sky? I, as a creative, am always so inspired by God’s creativity.

#10 “But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.”

Painted by Beth Adam

“So they (the shepherds) went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.”  Luke 2:16-19

A long-time favorite quote of mine: “Lucky the woman who knows the pangs of birth, for she has held a star.” I thought of this when studying the scripture from Luke. Young Mary holds this child, this miraculous wonder, while the excited chaos around her spoke of the world’s Messiah. Looking down at his sweet face, she must have pondered how awesome it was that God chose her as worthy to be the mother of our Lord and Savior. And yet pondered what pain will come with that awesome role as mother to the Lord and Savior. She is holding a “Star” who must be shared with the whole world.

Beth Adam and her husband Ben live in neighboring Boerne and are members of St. Helena’s Episcopal Church.