The Adventure Begins

Prayer vessel - carved gourd with clay handle and metal leaf.

What a difference a couple of weeks make. Before I took a hiatus from blogging (I hope you enjoy the gallery I created during that time), I wrote a piece about my lack of a place to create. A few days after posting that blog entry, I received a phone message asking if I would be interested in looking at some rental properties for a painting studio.

Why yes, thank you.

Friday found me in a new studio, working on a small piece I call a prayer vessel. I pour prayer into the process as I work and I will keep it in the studio when it is finished. I may possibly put written prayers in it and then at the end of the year see how those prayers were answered. I started this art piece years ago; but, like so many things, I put it aside. As I was moving materials to this new space, I uncovered the project and thought it would be a good way to “get my feet wet” again.

While it wasn't intentional, I started using the studio as Yom Kippur begins. Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. One of the central features of the Friday evening Yom Kippur service is known as the “Yizkor” memorial prayer in which we pray for those who have passed away. My friend Jan passed away exactly a year ago. I was remembering her as I opened my new studio.

One of the things I did to officially kick off this venture was to ask praying friends to stop by throughout the day to consecrate this space. I'm calling it the Donna Kemper Worship Studio – a place to experience God through creativity. I've already experienced His presence as people came to pray and speak blessings over me and over the space.

I've prepared this place and now it's God's responsibility to show up and fill it. I'm looking forward to the partnership. Let the adventure begin!

New studio - ready to go.