PAINTER- Flo Knox

Hi this is breathing welcome to the Salvation Army's words of life. I this is Chris Benjamin, the producer of the show and director for the Salvation Army's downcast when our second week of a new series called crafted and throughout the series were interviewing different artists and craftspeople of all types of mediums not only learning about their passion, but also learning how they use their art as an act of worship and an active rest and this week we are speaking with a painter and calligrapher all around creative person. Her name is Flo Knox to set a blessed hope you enjoy this conversation slowly knocks welcome to the words of life.

Thank you for joining us.

We are in the series, crafted, and we are interviewing different artists of all types of mediums and and just finding out learning about their passion. Learning about how they use their art and worship and just hopefully it's contagious to to give someone else who's maybe like were talking before the courage due to you know really dive into something they're passionate about.

So first I know you like me.

We work for the Salvation Army at the territorial headquarters here in Atlanta.

What you do for the Salvation Army signed the executive Minister of assistant for their business and lustration and I work with Lieut. Col. Jim Siler and really love and make my work here before that I was working at the national headquarters as the national disaster director not to tell you I did not miss all the people I work with that I really enjoy what I'm doing so listeners can hear depending on where in the world you listen from your accent doesn't sound like it's from Atlanta Georgia is only from Northern Ireland was born little time calling your in-kind design and have lived here. I actually met the Salvation Army in London, England and down shortly after I became a soldier I am went over came over to the United States to work at camp and loft camp. I really did. I came back the following year and I met my husband didn't stand a chance to work hard about heat made for 37 years is wonderful so you we found you as far as being an artist as a water colorist as a calligraphy artist just give us a go a little bit of a snapshot is what what is your craft how to have you come to know what I have. Like many people have done a lot of different arts and crafts I love just about anything to do with arts and crafts.

But over the years it has narrowed dynamite.

I've also done a lot of sewing and quilting and those kinds of things on the same kind genre. I just love art and down IE's ardent student just recently started to do the modern calligraphy. I did the old-fashioned kind a calligraphy when I started to see the modern family liked it a lot and I've ended up combining my modern calligraphy with my watercolor interests.

I really love doing watercolor and water coloring is very forgiving and very was really kind of fun is with YouTube and all the different artists on YouTube. You can easily learn more techniques about water coloring than I ever could. Before we try to do by yourself, forget it. You never gonna to know do well in the when you see what other people do in and they show you how to do it in all the different tips and tricks about what kind of paint. What kind of precious to use those all really matter and they really help.

And when you follow the directions that you get from the you tubers actually paint something that you recognize people recognize, which is really nice for you and show this to anybody just to just go crazy doing joy side and you also gotta stop perfectionist you don't like that site is as good creative person. I mean just rush the piece of creating obviously you're always drawn to any craft that that gives you what specifically about how to jubilant watercolors.

What what what was there someone there piece that you saw watercolors. What I liked about them. Is there forgiving and transparent. So if you make a mistake you can kinda go over and I think the fact that I could paint something and you could recognize what it really was well who would want to do that. I absolutely swear the questions were asking all of our artists that were having on the series is how they use their craft. The process of making their art to invite the Lord into their space and be a worshipful experience in what what is your especially her morning routine.

How do you use your art as part of your devotions as part of your morning prayer started to do the last year is to write Scripture and I like this before where people write Scripture and become more popular to actually Journal in your in Scripture and I guess I've seen a lot of that and I really enjoyed looking at it and then recently the once department came up with a Scripture writing plan which is awesome it is.

It gives you a Scripture day to write and so as I was doing the modern calligraphy and as he was doing the water coloring started to combine from you like a journal journaling as I started to do that in the morning and then I started using fine pans and fine pants are so fond of brightness because they really slowly dying to slowly dying and Frank Scripture at the same time listening to Christian music at same time, takes you into a different place. Really you. You are still your being still knowing that he is God, the right Scripture is next for he himself is our peace was made. The two groups one and is destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility by setting aside/the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to recruit create in himself one new humanity to thus making peace. I have heard of people actually writing the entire Bible.

Could you imagine doing that. Just writing some writing the book of Psalms writing the Proverbs.

Could you imagine what that would be like that is something I aspire to. At some point will start small and work away. Can you think of any big things are big moments that the Lord is talking while you're in the creative space revelation. I think probably the one revelation is just to stop and take time and to breeze and to really listen to what he's got to say in that particular Scripture verse and the ones that you are led to plead.

Beyond that, because one thing leads to another, just in general.

It put you in a really good place to spend time with God. How you hope your art, your craft impacts the world. I will be very happy if impacts my little world my little community. I think it's a lot to ask to change the world. So just I think taking the time to paint some somebody Eckhart or a birthday card thank you card or do a bookmark for someone to know that you took the time to do that makes and what makes me happy. If something makes make like it's my friends make me think the ring again. You couldn't buy me something that would be worth more than somebody came to me something so our writing something so I will be happy if impacts the people that are around me, but I also think it's valid to say that sometimes God gives you a gift just for you.

Yeah me as a musician, I mean just sitting in a room by myself and playing guitar and getting lost. Yes, that's I haven't had record no one else can hear what's going on except me in the Lord and that's it. And sometimes that gift can just be between you and him and there's nothing wrong with, and that's exactly what happens to me in the morning.

It's just on my own, enjoying just enjoying a peaceful time that you usually don't get the rest the day really cool that you get that from you guitar anybody control anybody content and as I mentioned earlier, it's knowing some of the tips and tricks that painters have and that watercolors have for the first half. Everybody can draw and everybody can paint. In fact, they will be surprised they don't do as well as they think they should. The act of creating in the act of drawing or sketching or painting can be so meaningful to you and II would just anybody is thinking about it jump in full. Just just jump right in and try it because I think that everybody can do.

They just don't know that they can do what they've never been brought up to think that they can do it and is pretty sad that they're missing. Just a wonderful thing if if they don't try and there is something to all of the arts. There's aside to if you find that you really have a passion for and you and you want to get quote better at it because there's certainly a reward that comes with that. There's work that goes into it there studying when you two things that you know your learning skills. Whatever it is. Whatever your art may be that it takes some work. It's not always just any candy and that's fine. But if you're like I'm not that great of a drawer while put some time into a exactly. I was surprised hi Lodge work was in practicing for modern calligraphy. But you have to put the work in and I used to do that in the mornings every morning I would do another piece of modern calligraphy and what I find. Amanda was actually became a good writer writes me can read my writing for me. I want to influence other people to learn something you some kind of our aircraft that they didn't know they could do and for me, watercolor is one of the easiest things to learn every chance I get I put together let us settle watercolors paintbrush sample papers somebody that is never either hasn't tried for their artistic try acrylics or oils say track float.

Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for sharing your art if you let us, of course, you will share some pictures on Comcast Facebook and Instagram, and if you are following us and on YouTube as well you will ever see in some of her art is the longest conversation but thank you so thank you and bless you to think the Salvation Army's mission doing the most good means helping people with material and spiritual needs become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army visit Salvation Army USA.org to offer your support and love to hear from you. Email us radio USS.Salvation Army.org or call 1-800-229-9965 writers PO Box 29972, Atlanta, GA 30359 tell us how we can help share prayer request or share your testimony. Would love to use your story here. You can also subscribe to our show on iTunes. Your favorite podcast store and surely give us a rating search for the Salvation Army's words of life follows on social media for the latest episodes extended in abuse and if you don't have a church home. We invite you to visit your local Salvation Army worship center will be glad to see you next time for the summer some armies of life