My creativity is a gift and a treasure, and I feel the power of the Holy Spirit alive in my work, beside me as I work, and responsible for the spontaneity with which I make art. Where else could it come from? The results always surprise me. It has to come not just from me, but from the Spirit, too.
I am intrigued by phrases and ideas derived from everyday life that spark the imagination, and with the help of the Spirit, emerge as images and abstractions. Some work is driven by concerns and a very real need to respond, other work is from funny things that happen and the little pleasures or frustrations that come into our lives every day. Some work is simply a colorful dance. It is my hope that my vestments and altarpieces will add to the beauty and texture of liturgies and services as visual prayer.
My wish is that my art will speak to others, perhaps in a different voice than the one I hear or use. That’s part of the joy of creating. I want others to feel free to enjoy my art in their own way.
Words and Images by Susan Tilt.
Seen above: Top — “Interview with a Pear Tree” (This piece is based on a poem of the same name by Genine Lentine); Middle and on front-page mastheads — “For Everything There is a Season – Spring into Summer” (detail); Bottom — “Elusive.”