The coordinator, Jackie Boos, unfolded the vision of what this place called Artisan Forge Studios, would become. I thought the vision was compelling. And so after some thought and prayer, I signed on as a renter at the beginning of 2016.
It’s amazing that just a little over two years ago, I moved my art business from my home into this diesel truck service center-turned high scale art gallery.
It didn’t take long for the building to transform into one of Eau Claire’s best places to go to see local fine art. With it, I met a lot of fantastic artists, built some great relationships, sold artwork, and even started teaching classes.
I had no idea that I would be able to teach until I came to Artisan Forge Studios. Other artists–sculptors and welders–were teaching, and someone asked if I would teach a class.
“I’ll give it a try,” I said.
I had such a good time, I decided to do more.
Artisan Forge changed a lot in two years–starting with just a handful of artists and growing to include more than 40 of the area’s best talent. My art business grew as well. I gained more clients, built relationships with local artists and collectors, and art students. I had the chance to share my art–and my faith as a Christian–with hundreds since I’ve been there, in person, and in some public speaking engagements.
And even though I’ve enjoyed being at “the Forge,” I decided to bid farewell.
Why?
It started with this…
Toward the end of last year, my wife and I were discussing our goal of moving out of the city and buying a home in the country (in the Eau Claire area.) She has always been a country girl. I’m more of a city slicker. But after many years of being in town, I long for the open vistas of nature, and I especially want my children to enjoy that as well.
And it would be a perfect place to set up a studio.
We were pre-approved for a home purchase, but we still have some debts to pay off. So, to trim some expenses, the idea of cutting out studio rent seemed like a plausible idea. I still have a spare room in my home that’s not being used. So, it would be possible to move back in.
But to leave the Forge was nearly unthinkable. How could I leave the place when things were going so well?
“Why don’t you just pray about it?” my wife suggested.
Seemed like a good idea. It never hurts to pray.
I had just as many reasons to stay than I did to go. Maybe even more reasons to stay, depending on how you spin the “pros and cons” plate. But I figured, “Let’s see what God has to say about it.”
When I pray for God’s direction, I almost always have a Bible in front of me. He speaks to me out of that book. It’s amazing. The Bible itself says…
“Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.” (Psalm 119:133)
At the middle of November, after going to church, I asked God, “Do you want me to leave Artisan Forge?”
I opened up my Bible and started reading. Immediately, this passage jumped out at me. In fact, I think it was the first page I opened to.
“Leave, leave, go out from there!…” (Isaiah 52:11)
Hmm. Interesting. Could it be, Lord, that you want me to actually leave?
I thought about it, but I wasn’t sure. I prayed again a few more times, and I saw glimpses of verses that seemed to say the same thing: “Go.” But I still wanted more assurance. This was a big decision.
“I believe God will make it clear to you if you seek Him diligently,” my mother-in-law (the one who encouraged me to do art full time) advised me.
Made my choice. Stamped it.
Finally, it was the end of November. I needed to find out for sure if it was God’s will for me to leave Artisan Forge Studios, so I could give them adequate notice, and maybe be out by the end of the year.
I had to make a decision. I dropped to my knees in the studio, and opened up my Bible. And quickly, my eyes landed on Romans 15:23…
“But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you.”
It wasn’t just the verse itself that spoke to me, but thefeelingI got when I read it. I felt peace. It was like God was saying to me, “You’ve served here faithfully. Now your time here is done.”
OK, Lord. I don’t want you to have to hit me over the head with this. I’m making my decision. I’m leaving. I’ll give them notice today.
That was two months ago. Christmas brought in a lot of commissions, so I figured I’d wait until the hoopla was over to really begin taking down my studio and setting up again in my home. During the packing up process, I have to say I second-guessed my decision more than just a few times.
Man, this is crazy. I’m going backwards. I left my house to come here as an artist. And now I’m going back?
But then I thought: Going back to the place you came from can also be forward progress too.
Didn’t the Israelites go back to the Promised Land after being in Egypt for 400 years? Didn’t the Jews go back to their homeland after being in Babylon for 70 years? And didn’t Jesus return back home after being on earth for 33 years?
I made my decision. I’m not looking back. I’m walking by faith and not by sight.To me, it’s more important to follow God’s leading than to have it all figured out.
And so, I am saying “farewell to Artisan Forge.” I’m leaving on good terms and plan on keeping in touch with the wonderful people there, but right now the future is wide open to many possibilities.
Wherever God leads me.
I’ll walk by faith.
I can’t see what lies ahead of me.
That’s okay. I can use my imagination.
Be blessed and I’ll be in touch,
Share Your Thoughts!
If you have any comments or questions about what I wrote, please leave me your feedback below! I will personally get back to you. Can you help me spread the word? Please share this post with your family and friends by using the social media links on the side or below. Thank you!
Here is a new painting in progress–a 16 x 20 acrylic on canvas. This will be a book cover for a compilation of Charles Spurgeon’s devotionals for children, called “Come Ye Children.” Based off this photo I took of my two children when we were hiking in northern Wisconsin.
Reference Photo
In Progress Painting
I start off very faint, just blocking in the colors with glazes. I mix about 90% clear acrylic medium to about 10% paint and just block in the composition, suggesting where the future colors will go. Here is my palette…
Normally, I use burnt sienna, but to challenge myself and also to enhance the color harmony within the painting, I omitted it.
Video Demonstration
The first layers consisted of raw sienna, yellow ochre, phthalo blue and indian yellow for the background, and then for the posts: raw umber dark, ultramarine blue and napthol crimson. I blocked in the blue jeans with phthalo blue, and my daughter’s pants with napthol crimson.
I’ll be posting more on this and show you the process of how the painting develops.
Have a blessed day,
Share Your Thoughts!
If you have any comments or questions about what I wrote, please leave me your feedback below! I will personally get back to you. Can you help me spread the word? Please share this post with your family and friends by using the social media links on the side or below. Thank you!
Acknowledging your suffering is the first step to being healed of the pain. It’s amazing, though, how often we want to skip this step. That’s what I’m going to talk about in today’s post…
Again, I plan on making this a full-length printed book with illustrations, and I want to share it here with you first.
“Faith to Rise” 16 x 20, acrylic on canvas by Matt Philleo
In the previous post, we discussed“What is the Purpose of Suffering?”Today, I’m going to talk about why it is so important to acknowledge your suffering, and how that can pave the way for you to “stop the bleeding” and experience a true sense of peace and joy. I’m not talking about a cliche phrase on a greeting card. I’m talking about somethingrealand something deep.
Somethinglasting.Even if this kind of peace and joy dissipates, you’ll have a well that you can always run to and refill.
I invite you to become a part of my Reader’s Review Group and I’ll let you know whenever I have a new section on the book written. Also, you will receive a discount on the actual book when it’s published. Click here and Join today!
Light Arises in the Darkness
How to Go Through Suffering and Experience Incredible Joy
Copyright 2017 by Matt Philleo. All rights reserved.
(To help you navigate through the book. I’ll be including links below to various posts…)
“”The disappointment has come – not because God desires to hurt you or make you miserable or to demoralize you or ruin your life or keep you from ever knowing happiness. He wants you to be perfect and complete in every aspect, lacking nothing. It’s not the easy times that make you more like Jesus, but the hard times.”- Kay Arthur
“How are you doing, brother?”
“Great. God bless you, good to see you!”
For churchgoers this is often the usual Sunday morning dialogue. Around the water cooler at work, the dialogue is similar, minus the religious expressions. However, at church, it’s actually worse, because we know we are supposed to be joyful, and so we become masters at faking it.
We erect a wall of solidarity around us when inside we are falling apart. Somehow, we are afraid of being vulnerable with others. We think nobody wants to hear our “sob story,” so instead we pretend things aren’t that bad. Or if we are struggling with a secret sin, a hidden addiction, we don’t want others to know how much we’re struggling. We don’t want ourselves to know how much we’re struggling!
So, on goes the mask, and the charade continues.
Now I am not saying that we should complain and gripe about every little thing. You and I both know people like that. They’re no fun to be around. But when we are going through real suffering, we should be able to open up to those who know us the best and should judge us the least.
The inner dialogue is where it all starts. It’s like this: things in your life start to unravel. Like a loose thread hanging off your clothes, you pull on it, thinking you can handle it. It’s no big deal. It grows longer. You’ve made it worse. But in your haste you try harder, and soon you tear a hole in your clothes, when all you needed to do was stop, recognize there’s a problem, and get the right tool (in this case, a scissors) and accurately cut it off.
Burying your head in the sand, pretending the suffering isn’t there or, on the hand, believing it’s something you can handle, only makes things worse.
When you’re going through suffering, meditate in it, don’t medicate it.
A friend of mine, an old classmate from high school, who has went through intense trials in her life–dealing with miscarriages and severe illness in her family–says this:
“I have nothing. The world says that you have strength in you, to pull out that strength, there is a hero in us. It is not true. That just causes depression, because we can’t muster up this strength that doesn’t exist. We have nothing inside of us that will fill the emptiness or have the power to change us. Not until we ask Jesus in.
“That’s why so many are hurting and feel like they fail. Even people with money and power, and ones that have met great goals and exceeded others’ expectations, have ended their life. The only strength we have is in HIM. And when we remain In HIM and he IN US we can do anything. There is nothing that is impossible. So it becomes a place where I lay myself down and say Lord, fill me up!”
Well said.
In recognizing the suffering for what it is, there is also the ability to discover the root cause of the suffering. It may be sinful behavior in us. It may be an external problem that we can find the wisdom to deal with by seeking God.
But again, we have to recognize we have a problem. Any honest doctor wouldn’t think of writing a prescription without first making an accurate diagnosis. Likewise, the patient wouldn’t think of running to to the hospital unless she realized her health was in jeopardy. Ignoring the symptoms of her disorder could prove fatal.
What if a doctor prescribed a blood-thinning medication to a hemophiliac, who was complaining of chest pains, but really was just suffering from heartburn?
In this case, neither the patient nor the doctor ignored the symptoms, but they failed to accurately diagnose them and to take into account the real source of discomfort. If this person had a severe cut, the incorrect prescription could cause him his life. Many today are going through severe trials and are trying to find relief in a myriad of places–psychoanalytical counseling sessions, drugs, substance abuse, self-improvement seminars, etc. They are not getting to the root of the problem.
When you’re going through suffering, meditate in it, don’t medicate it.
Don’t try to dull the pain by focusing on other things that are more pleasant, filling your life with busyness, or going to other sources to find relief. The pain has a purpose. If you didn’t have a toothache, you wouldn’t go to the dentist. You could dull the paint down with some morphine, but you would end up losing your tooth.
So, the pain is meant to take you somewhere.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading! In the next post, we’ll continue in this chapter and discuss the idea of “Where will you go?” when you acknowledge your suffering and you’re looking for a cure.
Be blessed and I’ll be in touch,
Share Your Thoughts!
If you have any comments or questions about what I wrote, please leave me your feedback below at the very bottom of the page! I will personally get back to you.
Can you help me spread the word? Please share this post with your family and friends by using the social media links on the side or at the bottom of this page. Thank you!
I invite you to become a part of my Reader’s Review Group and I’ll let you know whenever I have a new section on the book written. Also, you will receive a discount on the actual book when it’s published. Join today!
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