Abstract: I have taught art for 30 years and have often had teachers share with me how difficult it can be to apply spiritual applications to art. In this workshop I will demonstrate specific devotions teachers can use to teach the process of creating and how it illustrates the character of God as defined in the scriptures. For example: In observing the Hebrew and Greek text, we use the principles of hermeneutics. We will discover that the same principles can be used in the process of drawing and painting as students journey through the discovery of their subjects. In facial drawing, we will discover how God uses numbers in scripture to illustrate how we are made in His image. We will also show how using the same process outlined in Genesis chapter 1 can be used by students to create drawings with incredible success and connect with our God through the creative process.
Gail Smith has been passionate about drawing and painting since her childhood. In high school, she had the unique opportunity to study at the San Antonio Art Institute under the guidance of master artist Carl Rice Embrey.
Smith minored in art in college and later obtained her Interior Design License, practicing with Architectural Design Associates in San Antonio However, when the early 90s recession hit Texas, her firm downsized, and she began teaching art at San Antonio Christian High School.
Over the past 30 years, Smith has taught high school architecture, drawing, painting, and sculpture, discovering a love for teaching and the study of the word of God. She moved to Dallas to be closer to her grandchildren who attended Covenant. Smith’s favorite media are encaustic and oil on canvas, and she has focused on portrait commissions. She has studied under notable artists such as Bob Stuth Wade, Virginia Vaughan, Michael O’keefe, and Bonny Leibowitz.
