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Gallerie Rembrant - Restless Spirits
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Gallerie Rembrant - Restless Spirits
I love art galleries. I thrill at seeing the work of the great artists. One of my favorite things to do is to wander through small private galleries. I love looking at art that may one day be in famous art galleries. I am no expert, but I can see a clear difference in the brush strokes of very talented artists. I see how artists capture light differently. In addition, there are elements of imagination that is unique to each artist. I am particularly fond of artists that paint from memory and fill in the gaps with their creativity. Because I like oceans, seascapes always get my attention. For some, painting is a relaxing hobby. For some, it is doing what God created them to do.
While traveling, I visited my friend Kimberly in Carmel. She is one of our brave heroes in the military. There are many art galleries in Carmel, California. As Kimberly and I were wandering, Gallerie Rembrant caught my eye. I could not resist. Apologetically, I looked at Kimberly and asked if she minded.
I always feel a sense of reverence when I am looking at something great. I was lost in my reverence as I stared at the work. I jumped when someone said, “May I help you?”
“Tell me about the artist that painted this picture,” I whispered.
The man smiled and said, “I am the artist. My name is Roger Budney”
I introduced myself and quickly explained that I was only looking. “I won’t be making any large purchases anytime soon. Your work is beautiful.”
“Where are you from?” he asked.
“Jacksonville,” I said. I quickly told him about my trip across the country.
He smiled. “I know Jacksonville well. I used to sell insurance there,” he said.
I gasped. “You must have hated selling insurance if you can paint like this,” I blurted out.
“Actually, you are right. I have always loved to paint. I tried to paint as a hobby because I had seen too many starving artists. I didn’t believe I could support a family while painting. The entire time I sold insurance, I was restless. My wife prayed for me constantly. I was committed to the insurance field and made money. I was never really happy. We moved to California. I stayed in insurance for a while but continued to feel restless. I put a few of my paintings in a gallery and they sold quickly. I was delighted and surprised. I longed to do this full time.”
Ted and his wife are Christians. They sought out God’s leadership. They turned to the Bible. “It did not give me a direct answer. It did talk about fulfilling God’s purpose for my life and trusting God. We talked to our minister. We prayed and decided to step out on faith. My first step was to open a smaller shared gallery in another part of town. I did reasonably well. Then I felt God’s leadership to go even further. I found a partner and moved into this area. The rent is more but the local community and tourists support this area. We were worried about making the financial commitment. We prayed and made the decision. We took a deep breath and gave a deposit on this place.”
“How is it doing?” I asked.
He smiled. “One of the blessings and the difficulties of prayer is that God answers it. I am now a businessman, a business partner, a marketing department, and an artist. My restlessness is gone. I have traded restlessness for cash flow and profit issues.”
“Is it worth it?” I asked.
“Oh yes. I make less money but that gets better ever day. Painting is what I was created to do.”
lerie Rembrant - Restless Spirits
I love art galleries. I enjoy the famous ones in large cities. I thrill at seeing the work of the great artists of yesterday.
One of my favorite things to do is to wonder through galleries that sell art. It thrills me to look at work that could potentially be the great artists of the future. My husband and I enjoy looking at art together and occasionally we plan for special purchases.
Because I've always traveled and I love galleries, I've had the opportunity to visit galleries all over the world. I've learned to spot the difference between fabulous and mediocre paintings. I realize art is a personal taste, but I can spot quality even in works that are not to my taste. I can't always afford quality but I can enjoy it.
I'm no expert, but I can see a clear difference in the brush strokes. I can also see how artists capture light differently. In addition, there is an element of imagination in the painting that I believe I can see even in pictures of places like seascapes. I am particularly fond of artists that paint from their memory and fill in the gaps with their creativity. Because I like oceans, seascapes always get my attention.
There are many art galleries in Carmel, California. I could spend days looking at art alone. As my friend Kimberly and I were wandering through Carmel, Gallerie Rembrant caught my eye. I couldn't resist. Apologetically, I looked at Kimberly and asked if she minded if we go in. I knew I couldn't currently afford a purchase but I wanted to look anyway.
The art in Gallerie Rembrant was breath taking. Two artists own this gallery. These two men paint much of the art. Both men are incredibly talented. They are also talented in picking what hangs in their gallery. I enjoyed everything in the gallery. They had new and old works. I put pictures on the Website but my poor camera and my skills cannot do the art justice.
I always feel a sense of reverence when I am looking at something great. I quietly asked the person working the floor about the artists. It turns out that he was the artist of the painting I was staring at. His name is Roger Budney.
Roger asked where we were from. When I said Jacksonville, he smiled. He had sold insurance in Jacksonville. Him selling insurance instantly got my attention. I couldn't imagine anyone that could create such a work of art being happy doing anything but painting.
Roger Budney always loved to paint. He painted as a hobby but he had seen too many starving artists. He didn't believe he could support a family while painting. The entire time he sold insurance, he was restless. His wife prayed for him constantly. He was committed to the insurance field but could never be really happy.
They moved to California and he continued in that field. His wife continued praying for his restlessness. He put a few of his paintings in a gallery and they sold. He was delighted.
In parallel, his wife's prayers were answered in an unexpected way. His job situation suddenly changed. Economic conditions made his field no longer an attractive economic choice.
He and his wife prayed together and decided to step out on faith. He first had a smaller shared gallery in another part of town. He did reasonably well. The next step was to become partners with the other artist and to move into the area that is more heavily traveled by tourists and the local community. This area is also more expensive. Making that financial commitment was also a step of faith.
One of the blessings and the difficulties about prayers is that they are answered. Roger Budney is now a businessman, a business partner, a marketing department, and an artist. His restlessness is gone. Painting is what he was created to do. He has traded restlessness for cash flow and profit issues. Even the most talented artists have trouble earning a living. Everyone has heard the term "starving artist."
His first year began very well. What he didn't know is that in Carmel, the winter months don't produce many sales. Christmas last year was almost non-existent for this family. It was all they could do to just pay the bills. He said that the lesson learned there was during the peak times, put money aside for the slower times.
His latest challenge is the economy. The combination of job insecurity and the uncertainty of world events have hit the art business hard. I understood completely because if I were currently employed, I would have made a purchase. In addition, his wife has just been laid off from her position. She is helping him in the business and this gives him more time to paint. They have to wonder if it is faith or foolishness for both to count on this as their income.
I wondered what he was doing to promote his art. Many talented artists go unrecognized because no one sees their art. Marketing has always been both an interest and part of my profession. I was very impressed with the steps he has taken to promote the work of the gallery. Again, he stepped out on faith. Even though sales are down, he is continuing to advertise for the gallery. It is never the right decision to stop marketing during economic slow downs but most business makes that fatal mistake. Roger has an excellent business sense.
I was fascinated by his courage and his faith. He says his wife is concerned but supports his choice. He and his wife are Christians and active in a local Christian church. On Sundays, he doesn't open his gallery until after church. He and his wife prayed about this decision and he knows it was the right thing to do.
Following his dream is his way of loving God with all of his heart, soul, and might. Art involves all three. Without heart, an artist gives up. Without soul, there is no art. Without might, it doesn't ever get painted.
I was also fascinated by the faith combined with action. He didn't sit around and wait on God to send him customers. He does the footwork. He makes sure the gallery is open. He paints several hours every day. He does the marketing and sales.
I suspect he is doing much better than most private galleries. He certainly has all of the right ingredients for success. Anyone that has studied the history of great artists knows that most of them have financial struggles. Often these struggles add character to their art. Many of them also have financial success. They all probably had family members wondering why they couldn't just be happy with a "real job."
These artists paint because they have to. God gave them the ability and if they don't honor that ability, the world misses their legacy. The artist suffers from not following God's plan for their life. The artist spends his or her life with a restless spirit.
"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Luke 12:48 NIV
Gallerie Rembrant is getting a following of people in the area that collect their work. They have priced their work below other works of the same quality. It is the type of work that will go up in value. In the gallery, the prices range from around $750 to $12,000. I concur with his assessment that it is priced below others of similar quality. If you are ever in that area, stop by and give yourself a treat. I didn't meet his partner but I assure you, his work is also beautiful.
Are you struggling with a restless spirit? God often talks to us through our restlessness. Check the restlessness against the scripture. If you are feeling a longing to do something that is contrary to God's Word, this restlessness is not from God. If it doesn't conflict with scripture, find out what it would take to succeed in what you want to do. Investigate. Take a step. Do the footwork.
There is a story in the Bible about Noah building an ark. I can just imagine him saying, "God, you are going to do what? You want me to do what?"
Imagine what his wife and other family members thought as he stopped his normal profession and built an expensive ark.
We are told Noah did everything God commanded him to do but I suspect there are a lot of details left out of that story. Imagine what it must have cost to build the ark the way God described it. He couldn't have had time to earn money another way.
God spoke to Noah but he didn't mention speaking to his children, wife, mother, father, etc. Their very lives depended on them acting on what Noah heard from God. What if they didn't trust Noah? What if Noah decided he had imagined the voice of God.
"So God said to Noah, 'I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within 18 inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.' Noah did everything just as God commanded him." Genesis 6:13-22 NIV
Give your restlessness to God. Ask him to remove it if it isn't from him. Ask him to reveal to you what the next step should be. Trust that he will answer and act on your instincts.
There is a warning that goes with this. Satan will try to get you off track. Pray continuously. Study the Word. Meditation is the way we listen to God. Don't forget to sit in silence and listen. If you are still restless, take action immediately.
Doubts will set in. These doubts could cause you not to act in faith. Have courage. Most likely, you will have to take big steps before you have assurances that it will be successful. That is why God calls it Faith. Trust God. He is worthy of the trust.
There will be stumbles along the way. These stumbles may make you doubt your decision. Expect them. See them through. Find out what you are not doing and make adjustments. If you really believe you have made a mistake, don't let pride keep you from acting. This experience will make you better able to hear God next time.
If you are the support person for someone who is restless, encourage and support them in stepping out in faith. This will most likely mean sacrifices on your part. It may be the only way the restlessness will ever go away for your partner. Pray for them. Honor them as the adult they are and let them make their own decisions. Support, trust, and love them. Trust God. Even if it is a mistake, if you love God, good will come out of it.
There is a great danger in acting on restlessness. The danger is that it may be a "geographical cure" for a lack that comes from within. "Geographical cures" seldom work. Some people are unhappy in most of their circumstances. They move from career to career and situation to situation. They are unhappy in relationships, churches, jobs, and communities. If you are one of those people, I encourage you to get your relationship right with God before you make any more changes. The changes you are making are most likely damaging you and everyone that loves you.
If your life is stable in other areas and your restlessness is specific to this one area in your life, you most likely are not in the category mentioned above. Don't let the fear of this stop you from acting. Following the voice of God is an experience none of us deserves to miss. What are you restless about? Take action.
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