Visio Divina for women: Thursday, May 13

This week we are happy to present another piece by super talented Encaustic Artist Alicia Nathai – Achong of St Benedicts RC of La Romaine.

In July 2020 Alicia traded in her 20-year banking career for the proverbial artist brush. Always crafty as a child because her parents always engaged them in the arts, it was no surprise that she tried her hands at everything crafty, from floral arrangements to cake decorating to cooking you name it Alicia tried it. But in 2020 due to life, circumstance, and health issues, Alicia took a leap of faith and became a full-time Encaustic artist.

Encaustic art is an ancient form of art that was practiced by the Egyptians many thousands of years ago. Encaustic art uses beeswax, tree sap, and dried pigments to create paint. Alicia then applies the paint to the panel and uses a blow torch to create her pieces. The love relationship between Alicia and Encaustic art started when her older son was only in standard four, and she began helping him with his art projects. While researching one night, she came across Encaustic art and became intrigued. “It fascinated me, so I reached out to a Beekeeper from Trincity to get some beeswax, just to practice and that was it! I became hooked”.

“When I did the first piece I knew it was something that I was meant to do.” With the full support of her family, Alicia was able to transform her home garage to an art gallery in which her work is presently displayed. Alicia Nathai – Achong’s work can be now found on display at ANA Art Gallery at 8 Hillcrest Drive, Battoo Lands, and Marabella.

This piece is entitled: Journey

Join us now as we journey through a Visio Divina experience with this piece. . If you are not familiar with Visio Divina, you may know, Lectio Divina is a method of praying with scripture, started by the late great Fr. Michel De Verteuil. Visio Divina (Latin for “divine seeing”) is a method for praying with images.

Through Visio Divina we invite you to see beyond first and second impressions, and even beyond your initial ideas, judgments, or understandings. Our hope is to create a connection to the divine through art in Trinidad and Tobago.

So here is how we are going to do it.

1. Set aside 20 minutes in the day for the guided prayer experience

2. As you begin to prayer take a few minutes to open your heart and mind to God.

3. When you are ready, slowly look and notice the image, taking your time to let feelings and thoughts come to you as you take in forms, figures, colors, lines, textures, and

shapes. What does it look like, or remind you of? What are your initial thoughts? What feelings are evoked?

4. Now, return to the image with an open heart and mind again. You may now experience new thoughts, meanings, and feelings. Start, exploring new meanings and feelings that come to you associated with the image. Be aware of any assumptions or expectations that you bring to the image. Regardless of your response to the image — delight, disgust, indifference, and confusion — contemplate prayerfully the reason for your response and what these responses might mean for and about you.

5. As you go deeper in this prayer, open yourself to what the image might reveal to you. What does the Spirit want to say, evoke, make known, or express to you in quiet meditation? What are your feelings, thoughts, desires, and meanings evoked by the image, and how they are directly connected to your life?

6. Now, take the time to respond to God. Jot down in a journal the insights you want to remember, actions you are invited to take, the wisdom you hope to embody, or any feelings or thoughts you wish to express. Bring your prayer to a close-by resting in God’s grace and love.

Please email us at forwomen@catholictt.org on the impact this activity may have had on your day, and be sure to share the artist’s image on your social media feeds.

Source info: https://www.patheos.com/resources/additional-resources/2009/07/praying-with-art-visio-divina