The message of stars — so far away, or are they?
Stars draw us to the light in dark days, especially now. Exchanging letters, cards and words of hope means more than ever. I’d like to share some creative thoughts for the holidays as we bring in the new year.
The story of my holiday card began with a painted star in watercolor from years ago. Another year I added the word “wonder,” written with a brush. For a recent project, I reversed the original painting to fit the times, making the sky dark, illuminating light from stars.
Phawnda Moore with husband, Ron.
The conversation of stars and wonder became my theme. To begin, I explored other creative paths of stars. Soon I hung a visual star in blue and gold that I made with folded paper in my studio. I took it in — the shape, colors, lines and dimensions — while putting the design together. At some point, “light” became iridescent with an eternal glow.
Quickly, I wrote: “The stars seek to be Light and Love for the God of Creation.” I wanted to meditate on that thought and picked up a humble pencil to draw letters.
This form of calligraphy is essentially drawn by hand, erased and redrawn. Even a short verse takes a lot of time, trial and error. Making some of the letters tilt (left or right) or bounce (up and down) gives it rhythm and more of a human quality. We try to get it right, but it takes love, patience and persistence.
After the message was complete, I revisited the cover star, which invited more painting, this time in gold. For what we were all created to be, light and love. Yes. I signed it with “May wonder renew your heart and spirit this season.” Now the card was complete and ready to share. The final touch was to letter and design the envelope — with a star, of course, and an assortment of postage stamps showing the birth of Jesus.
Expressing God’s words is always uplifting for me. In the distractions of real life (and ugliness in news), our identity and purpose can seem smaller than it is. Remembering the door to light and love is always calling us is the better option.
“Remembering the door to light and love is always calling us is the better option.”
I saw examples of this in world news, when darkness and horror ended innocent lives. In response, everyday people confronted darkness with truth and action in concern for others.
Experiences that make us relate to our humanity and to our Creator also can happen in galleries with new creative experiences. You may have noticed that new immersive exhibitions invite viewers to connect with each other at deeper levels. Check your area’s art gallery schedule to see if one is nearby.
On our recent travels to the California coast, we took in exhibitions at the Carmel Cultural Center and Monterey Museum of Art. Both featured black-and-white photography of human experiences (some profound, sensitive) and the wonder of natural beauty, along with a spiritual connection. The combination of the natural earth, human condition and spiritual influence was powerful.
At the MMA, we stepped into creative wonder with Illuminado. It was introduced with this statement: “Created by artist Hanif Panni in collaboration with Domini Anne and inspired by a body of work by photographer Joe Ramos, Iluminado reimagines community photographs as shifting constellations of light, illuminating stories of place and belonging.
“Part of MMA’s Art Connecting Community initiative, Iluminado invites visitors to explore, create and contribute to a collective experience. Through art-making and shared storytelling, this evolving work celebrates the transformative power of light, creativity and community.”
As we move into the new year, there’s more earthly light. A Dec. 20 celebration of Winter Solstice at Stonehenge, UK, gathered thousands to celebrate tradition, history and ritual, beating drums in anticipation of more light in the days ahead. Wearing hats adorned with ivy and greenery (symbolic for life, renewal and protection), they danced in freedom and hope in response to the Creator’s light.
Following Jesus, the Light of the World, gives us clarity from false religious direction.
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,” says Psalm 119:105.
Wishing everyone the power of love and light this year. Let’s seek to be like a star in the Universe for our Creator.
Phawnda Moore is a Northern California artist and award-winning author of Lettering from A to Z: 12 Styles & Awesome Projects for a Creative Life. In living a creative life, she shares spiritual insights from traveling, gardening and cooking. Find her on Facebook at Calligraphy & Design by Phawnda and Instagram at phawnda.moore