Keith’s art exhibition gets underway in local theatre
31 Oct 2006
"I've not always been an artist; in fact at school I was once asked to leave one art group", says Church Army evangelist Keith Elliott, who is currently exhibiting a collection of his artwork at the
Queen's Theatre in Barnstaple.
Keith who is the vicar of a multi denominational church in Barnstaple North Devon will be showcasing his work until the 11th November 2006. The exhibition is an opportunity for art lovers to discover the abstract work of this relevant artist who has been painting for most of his life and has never been to art school. He says his creativity and love for colours and shapes fuels his passion. He explains, "For me art is a bit like faith, I start with a blank canvas and I take that first tentative step, journeying to discover the images, textures and emotions, there are always choices. Often the hard part is having the courage to stop and know that it it's finished.
"Colour, texture and movement working together in a variety of mediums have increasingly fascinated me. In my art I seek to explore and communicate human emotions in a range of images. No image in itself is Christian or non-Christian. The question is, 'what do you see?' I believe that art is something that should not only be seen but must evoke a response from deep within. I do have a message to communicate with the viewer but my task is to use form, colour and shape. The viewer may interpret the image quite differently but that is valid as long as the interpretation has meaning for them."
As a minister Keith's life is full of church stuff; the church has no official church centre and meets wherever they can grab. Art is one expression of his spirituality. He says, "We all need to be part of the church with no walls, to be out in the market place, being who we are. For so long being a Christian has been becoming a member of an inward looking group. Each of us has gifts and skills that God gave us to use. I think St Paul might have put it like this - to some I'm an artist, to others I build model railways, to others I'm a mum and to others I'm a poet, but I will do all of this so that I might find the missing. Jesus said 'go into all the world'."
The exhibition runs until Saturday November 11th and is open daily from 10am to 3pm. Entry is free. To view some of Keith's work please visit: www.keithart.co.uk
