Brittney Switala

As I pull out the light teal paint, a plum, and heavy medium, my mind drifts into the same familiar mental box. It’s a box of unresolved philosophical conversations—conversations that need space. A busy mind. A bit of stewing. The release comes through brush and palette knife... How are faithful Christians—we who share the same creeds—so divided on justice in public life?

When I work from a hymn, I often slow down and let the words shape the work before I ever pick up a brush. "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates..." Deuteronomy 11:18-20 I didn’t set out to make hymn-inspired art....

He didn't jump out of a plane or ride a bull at a bar, but I believe in a deeper way in his final years he was living like he was dying.