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Atlanta-native Patricia
Reeves, this month’s cover artist, was born with an artist’s passion that
she began expressing through watercolors, acrylics and oils at the age of 7. She
created her first of many art exhibits at the age of 14 and had her work
recognized with Governor’s honors. She graduated from high school at the age
of 16 and proceeded to become the youngest understudy to the founder of the
Atlanta College of Art. She went on to study graphic design and for over a
decade worked as an advertising executive, owning her own agency as well as
working with other agencies, including Fortune 500 companies, as a creative
director. But in 1991, Patricia’s
immune system became shattered, her health crushed by this lifestyle of
workaholism. Disease and the memories of a lifetime of traumatic events had made
mobility — both mentally and physically — nearly impossible. The cry for
help went higher than heaven’s music (a favorite quote of Patricia’s from
her God Calling devotional) and eventually brought this artist into a deep and
personal relationship with the Mighty Physician, Jesus Christ. Unresponsive to
medications and near death, she kept hearing in her heart that she would be
healed. Over and over again she would also hear, “Scripture...Scripture.”
Housebound and barely able to walk, Patricia began to feed herself with
Scripture and signed up for her own miracle after reading about the woman that
had touched the hem of the Lord’s garment (Luke 8:43-48). Patricia had just
enough imagination as an artist to allow a faith seed to grow within her
spirit.“ The illness put me flat on
my back for a while,” says Patricia. “I think that was the only way God was
going to get my full attention. I had always loved God and enjoyed church, but I
did not have a personal walk with Jesus. I really didn’t know how or what it
meant. Through this recovery, He showed me how to get personal... by putting the
desire in me to read the Living Word, the Holy Bible. “ In my opinion, there had
been a lot of bad marketing reps for Jesus that had crossed my path, so He had
to make a personal house call to me,” she explains. “Before, I had
encountered believers that would pray over me, but if I had not been healed in
the time they felt the healing should happen, they would say I had a lack of
faith.“ But now, no matter what
would come my way, the Savior would encourage and teach me how to see things
through His eyes in Scripture,” she says. “The first time I sat with the
Bible, not really knowing where to begin, I was guided to read the miracle
stories. Somehow I seemed to know the words before I even read them. Something
seemed so familiar, yet I had not read the Bible at any length before. I was so
excited to have found my first love.” Patricia began using
nutritional foods, juices and supplements to help her deal with the physical and
emotional depression that plagued her. While they also helped her build up her
immune system so she could fight the virus in her muscles and regain the
strength to walk, her real strength continued to come through Jesus. “ One day while I was
walking up the stairs, I turned around slowly and in my mind’s eye saw Jesus
on the cross as if I was there at the foot of it,” Patricia says. “I sat
down and begin to weep and felt some of the pain He must have suffered from the
persecution and torment He experienced. The next day, I was able to walk
completely around my neighborhood (a half a mile). Before that time, I had been
unable to go past two houses! Some weeks later I was whitewater rafting for the
first time as a get-well gift to myself.” While painting on the
Florida beaches, Patricia discovered that painting brought her a sense of peace
— it was “God’s healing prescription” that the doctors had been looking
for. As a result, she relocated from Georgia to Florida, where she lived for
four years. After moving to Florida,
Patricia taught art, displayed her work in galleries across Southern Florida and
assisted a team of faux painting artists at Sylvester Stallone’s home in
Miami. She founded the Art of Living Mobile Therapeutic Art Service in 1994,
serving nursing homes, hospitals, homeschoolers and shut-ins with her VAN-GO
route that took her from West Palm Beach to Miami. Stroke victims with minimal
movement would begin painting up to 10 inches in range after 45 minutes of
painting. Brain injury victims would begin to speak the names of the colors,
discover and enhance motor skills and focus on the music and art expression
session. Depressed and anxious patients would sing and laugh. Joy and peace was
the most invaluable outcome of these sessions. Patricia has also hosted
her own Art of Living television show, been a guest on radio talk shows and made
public appearances speaking out on wellness through the arts. Patricia told God
that if He healed her, she would tell everyone about it! While in Florida, Patricia
painted “Armour of God,” this month’s cover art, in honor of the book of
Ephesians. The day after the painting was completed, Patricia’s daughter was
looking at the piece and discovered the image of Jesus on the cross in the
clouds. Patricia was unaware she had painted it: her habit of praying before
painting each work had prompted her to change the colors she would use — and
had definitely changed the image’s outcome. Patricia returned home to
Georgia in 1998 and painted “God’s Welcome Mat,” a 10-ft. by 10-ft. mural,
for the City of Woodstock. She most recently has finished a mural restoration at
the Tate House Mansion in Tate, Ga. She loves to paint original commissions,
portraits and murals, and her artwork can be found at the Marks Collection
Gallery, Heritage Picture Company and other Christian coffee houses and
bookstores. She will also be exhibiting at Atlanta Fest at Stone Mountain June
21–24. Patricia continues to
serve health-minded organizations and individuals that want to incorporate art
as an extension to their wellness program. The Art Heals/Art Expression
instruction is designed for anyone with mental or physical health challenges
that wants to participate in their own recovery and health maintenance. The
instruction is also provided for homeschoolers, churches and special events. This article is complements of Gabriel Publishing. If you would like to visit them on the web just click on Gabriel below!
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