Where Worlds Collide: Painting

Written and Media by Tyler Wright.

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Welcome to the Papyrus’ second installment of Where Worlds Collide, where we take a closer look at where GC students passions and their faith interact in their daily lives. This week, we’ll take a look at some of Rebecca Munshaw‘s paintings and how they influence her relationship with God and vice versa.

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Source: Rebecca Munshaw Facebook

Becca is a junior here at GC, double-majoring in art and pastoral ministry. She has served as a Resident Chaplain, a Vespers speaker, and teammate on the GC women’s soccer team. Her artwork is deeply creative while also serving a very pastoral purpose, guiding viewers to interpret the work through the lens of their own spirituality and discover the truths of God’s presence in their lives.

The first time I saw a painting from Becca, I was in awe at how the depth of color and texture affected me and spoke to me. Her paintings are abstract beyond a doubt, yet concrete in the way that they affect each viewer definitely and uniquely. This is Becca’s goal from the outset, as she puts it, saying “the images are ones that affect a person’s state of being by merely looking at them, and this sort of thing could only happen through a greater influence.”

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Source: Bryson Buehrer

Becca’s statements about her painting exude an openness and humility, describing her actions as “pushing colors around” with a “prayerful and meditative attitude.” One of Becca’s paintings, titled Wandering, is painted with the imagination of wandering not filled with fear, but an anticipation of what is to come. She interprets this painting as a statement that “all one must do is put one foot in front of the other, trusting that God is with them, even when they cannot see where they are going.”

Also concerning the abstract approach to her work, Becca says “I enjoy creating the pictures that I have because all of them are up for interpretation. I have found that in deciding not to choose a recognizable object to represent; it leaves room for discovering numerous meaningful observations for those who are reading them. These paintings are created to allow you to reflect on your wandering and in the end find a deep sense of peace.” For her, painting is a direct embodiment of her journey with God and she hopes that others will find similar meaning in their own interpretations of her work.

Perhaps Becca’s strongest characteristic as an artist, as a creative being, is that she realizes the source of her creative potential. In every statement given, she acknowledges that the only reason she can do what she does and the only way that her art will truly impact other people is through the will and power of the Lord. Becca says this about continuing on as an artist: “I hope that in each painting that I give, I am able to give a person a glimpse of the love and peace that God has to offer us.”

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Source: Bryson Buehrer

1 COMMENT

  1. Rebecca, I’m real proud of you. You radiate God’s love through your smile and through your art. I’m glad that you are my granddaughter. I love you so much. Your Grandma

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