More Than Material Art Show Virtual Tour

"Before The Climax" by Anna Rushmeyer
Acrylic Paint On Canvas

Artist Statement

My name is Anna Rushmeyer. I am a sophomore at Sauk Rapids Rice high school. My piece is an acrylic painting of a girl walking through a dark forest with a white horse. I did several layers of trees to give it more depth and really took my time with painting the girl and the horse as these are not easy. The background is sort of dark like a scary forest during a thunderstorm. Side note: don’t walk through scary forests during thunderstorms, it’s not cool. The girl and the horse are looking down like they are in the falling action of a story that isn’t going their way. However to contrast with the background they have the effect that they are glowing brightly. This is because they are at the part of the story right before the climax and right before they realize where to go or what they need to do. They still glow with hope. Though it may seem like it, their story is far from over.

This piece came out of different parts of my life. I have dealt with anxiety since before I can remember and it made it seem like each little thing was the end of my story. Each time God has come in and told me that my story doesn’t end here, that he has plans for me. The forest that I use as a metaphor for life can look endless and dark but God has constantly reminded me that I am not forgotten when I feel lost. The armor in this painting is a symbol of God's plans that are always with me, His protection from the lies of the enemy, and His truth that still reigns over my life.

This was my first portable vision session and coming into it I thought I would learn about art and I did. Even more so I learned things that I did not know about myself through a lot of reflection. I also got to learn about how active God is in my life and how loved I am. I want to thank all of the portable vision mentors that showed me how I can incorporate both myself and God into my art. So many times the mentors would come over and ask me reflective questions that added a deeper layer to my art. I am super thankful for the other artists that encouraged me and helped make me feel like I belonged.

Oral Statement