God and Art Series: Artist incorporates love of God into work

This week we are visiting with Lucinde of Brakel, Gelderland, Netherlands. Lucinde, a graphic designer, owns lucilight on Etsy.

YBAL: Tell us a little about yourself and your artwork. When did you start developing your artistic-self?

Lucinde: As a child I always loved to draw and write; that's where it all started. In high school I developed my skills a bit farther and I followed special art classes. After that I stopped a lot of creative work for a few years. I was busy studying and had a lot of other stuff to do. But in the last year of college I missed my creative outlet so I started to do some creative work again. I'm a graphic designer and love to take photos, so I started with photo cards with a biblical message. But I still wanted to do more creative work with my hands so I began making handmade cards again; making jewelry - and my own beads with polymer clay; T-shirts and more illustrative prints. I'm still developing that skill!

YBAL: Have you received any awards or other achievements? Where can people find your work?

lucilight

Lucinde: I haven't received any rewards for my work. When I was in high school I once won the second prize for designing the cover from the "European School Agenda" but that's all.

I'm thinking about starting a blog. I would like to do that in English (especially through Etsy. A lot of my customers speak English), but I don't know if my English would be good enough for that (I'm Dutch). But meanwhile most of my work is found on Etsy or my Facebook: www.facebook.com/Lucilight and for the Dutch readers on: www.lucinde.nl where I sell more cards.

YBAL: What attracts you to print work? How do you gain inspiration for your work?

Lucinde:I wanted to share my work with friends, so I made cards and prints for them. And of course, in my work as a graphic designer I make a lot of prints.

lucilight

Most of the time I get my inspiration from nature (looking at and making photographs of everything God has made) and the quotes are most of time directly from the Bible. I also surf around on the Internet to find inspiration (a lot of Pinteresting is going on here ;))

YBAL: How have the events of your life affected your art? How has art affected your life?

Lucinde: A lot of my work is affected by the events of my life. Most of the time I make prints that I can relate to, so the message is something that inspires me or touches me. The jewelry and prints for shirts I make are made in my spare time and they're a good way to get some distraction and relaxation in life. When I make something creative I can let go of the problems that are happening out there and just focus on the colors/texture/look and feel of the stuff that I'm creating.

lucilight

YBAL: When did you begin your relationship with God and how? How has your relationship with God affected your art? How has art affected your relationship to God?

Lucinde: I grew up in a religious family, so I don't know a life without God. But when I was 19, I made the choice to follow God in my life. I try to search for the will of God in my life and to look what he wants me to do.

When I started to make the prints I wanted to involve God in that process. I wanted to do something with my talents and I wanted to show God/the Bible through my work. So I made the choice to make biblical prints to encourage and inspire people.

lucilight

I think that making art brings me closer to God. I'm using the Bible for a lot of my artwork, so I need to read it often. I'm thinking a lot about the messages as well, while finding a way to get the message in a right and attractive way to the people.

YBAL: Any future goals you'd like to share? Any encouragement for other artists?

Lucinde: I still want to do more with my artwork and I hope that, one day, I would find a way to make it my job - making art about and for God. I'm still thinking about more and other ways to do that, but my main items will probably stay printed.

And the one thing I use to encourage myself, maybe it works for others too:

Keep trying, never give up and pray a lot. Talk to God about everything, the good and the bad things, the things you want to do and what you want to achieve.

lucilight