Crossroads Ministries
As a service of the WonderArts Initiative, Scarlett recently held an art class at a retreat for Crossroads Ministries. Crossroads is a ministry for women who are transitioning out of correctional facilities into a safe and positive environment.
The ministry creates a nurturing setting where these younger women can gain more independence and supports and encourages them to find employment while preparing them to live on their own. Scarlett also volunteers as a mentor with the Crossroads program.
One exuberant boy could not wait to run up to “Miss Scarlett” to proudly display his completed church painting.
WonderArts Initiative
The WonderArts Initiative was founded by Scarlett Johnston from a desire to inspire
young people (and people of all ages) to embrace their gifts and talents in the field of
the arts. Wonder is defined as “the ability for someone or something to amaze people.”
Scarlett says, “To watch someone, especially a child, create a beautiful painting from a
blank canvas is indeed a wonder. Many will never realize their artistic aptitude until we
embrace and help them recognize their potential.”
Recently, Scarlett taught a group of 100 students in a forum setting for three nights in
her hometown of Madison. There she educated attending students and leaders on how
to select their colors and brushes to paint a church or a birdhouse. Scarlett provided an
acrylic painting tutorial on techniques such as covering your canvas, outlining your
subject, painting gently, not being afraid to make mistakes, blocking the colors in and
painting with light or dark shades.
For upstart artists, what was nothing is now a lively display of colors, textures and shapes -a painting of which he or she can be proud. And, where technique and competency may be areas of growth, delight in seeing the imagination come to life is where dreams lie.
The goal of Scarlett in educating students young or old is to start with a simple design and allow them to follow easy steps on the canvas. As the student carefully follows instruction they are able to see their painting come to life. “If you need to start over, paint over your work and start over,” says Scarlett. “The only way to learn is to try new things. The world of art was built on daring innovation from the imagination of the artisan.”
When Scarlett was a young girl she remembers learning the virtue of patience in artistry from her grandfather, Thomas Bell, a master craftsman who built hand-made rocking chairs, straight-back chairs, tables and other furniture from red oaks. Her grandfather’s fine craftsmanship and woodworking inspired Scarlett’s creativity as she watched the accomplished chair-maker perfect his art. Over time, Mr. Bell’s chairs became known as Thomastown Rocking Chairs, and he was regularly commissioned by individuals seeking one of his treasured rockers.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “‘The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” That is true for each artist who sets out on the adventurous path in life of fascination and awe. “My grandfather was a practiced artist who was able to use the tree as his canvas and teach apprentices a craft that is more semblant of the 19th century than that of today. Hand-made chairs are a lost art as is taking the precious time allowed us to instill into our aspiring artists the dream that they can achieve anything, “says Scarlett.
Paintings used to teach:
