Hope McIntosh is joining the Clapham School faculty this fall as our art instructor and Lower School aide. Classically educated from kindergarten through high school, Miss McIntosh is an artist who recently returned from a transformative Christian art residency in Herrnhut, Germany. We had the opportunity to interview her about her passion for art, her experience in classical education, and her excitement to build the art program here at Clapham.
Can you briefly share about yourself (where you grew up, your family/church/education)? How did you begin an interest in art?
I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, where I attended a small, private, classical Christian school for my primary and secondary education. My family has always valued faith and nurturing our relationship with God. We attended a variety of denominational churches before settling on an Anglican church which helped me value tradition and intentionality within my faith. During my time at Whitefield Academy, my primary and secondary school, I was taught by loving teachers who genuinely cared about me and what we were learning. I created many lasting bonds with these teachers, most of which I am still in contact with. My art teacher was largely impactful to me in his love of art and faith. I have always possessed a love for art and this passion was encouraged and guided during my time at Whitefield. I then attended Trinity Christian College where I studied Studio art and Ministry. At Trinity, I was guided by wise professors who helped me grow in my artistic abilities and my faith.
Please tell us about the artist residency you just completed. What were you working on/who were you working with?
This summer I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a Christian artist residency with other believers for two weeks in Herrnhut, Germany. The residency’s purpose was to equip Christian artists to enter an artworld that is decidedly not Christian by providing discussions, speakers, and practical goals. We spent two weeks working on individual projects as well as a collaboration project with someone else among the discussions, sessions, worship, and dinner parties. This residency reminded me of the importance of beauty in this world and the role of the artist to reveal beauty to others. This residency was greatly beneficial in my walk as an artist and a believer in the challenges and encouragements that were given.
What was the most unexpected or surprising thing you encountered during your time in Germany, either artistically or personally?
I arrived in Germany with few expectations for the residency. I arrived after two days of stressful travel to a castle believing in the importance of art but without a fleshed-out reason why. I left the castle with a conviction of the essential role of artists in this world. Within these two weeks, I was met with countless people ready to discuss the role of the artist in the body of Christ and why they matter. I came with questions, and I left with answers. I have always known that art is important, and that art can capture beauty in a world where beauty points us to Christ, but I have struggled with understanding the train of thought to get to that conclusion. This residency helped me take a step back in my beliefs and convictions of art, and dive deeper with fresh eyes. Art and faith are greatly entangled, and this residency gave me space to think with others about this entanglement and leave changed, convinced of its necessity, and the necessity of artists in the world.
What excites you most about teaching art within a Christian classical school setting?
Classical Christian education has always been dear to my heart because of its great impact on my own life. I am elated to return to classical education and to teach a subject that I deeply love. Art is such a broad subject with so many conflicting voices, which can make it intimidating to approach. I am looking forward to helping to equip my students to approach art confidently and informatively. Teaching art in this context allows me to help students see how creating and appreciating beauty is a way of participating in God’s creative nature. I am passionate about not only cultivating artistic skill, but a love for what is true, good, and beautiful.
How do you envision the study of art contributing to a student’s overall classical education and their understanding of truth, goodness, and beauty?
Have you ever been stopped in your tracks by a work of art that captures your eyes, mind, and spirit? A work of art that pulls you in without you knowing why? Art can be powerful. It can tug at the strings of your heart and your longing for something more, something greater. What excites me about teaching art to students in the classical setting, is that classical education values truth, goodness, and beauty. These three elements can all be found in art. As image-bearers of God, we bear his creative character. All things from God are true things, which means that our creative character, given by God, can reflect true things, even though it has been tainted by sin. This means that art can possess truth, which points us to Christ. I recently read a book called, God is Beauty, which argues the point that God is beauty. If this is true, then we must discover beauty and focus on it because God is beauty. Classical education values deep thinking and discussion for growth individually and in community. Namely, classical education seeks to shape the mind, but it also seeks to shape the heart. I love classical Christian education and art because they share this same willingness to dive deeper.
Beyond your residency work, what kind of art do you personally enjoy creating or exploring in your free time?
Like many artists, I am curious and love diving deeply into my questions. I have explored many different types of art styles and mediums, focusing on different things, though my favorite is creating abstract oil paintings. I love exploring deep concepts such as forgiveness, connection, and legacy within a large canvas through abstract forms. I like the challenge of taking an idea that has no form and expressing it in an indirect way. Along with large oil paintings, I enjoy drawing what I see. Lately, I have been using ink and wash (stationary ink and water) to draw architectural structures. I love the unpredictability when using ink and wash. There is a vulnerability in using these materials because you cannot control them. You make a perfect line with ink and then water pools up and makes the line thicker and misshapen. You add a drop of ink to a light shadow under a window, and it expands, making the shadow darker than you imagined. There is a release of control when using these materials which mimic our release in control to God. The process of these materials mimics a posture we need to take with God. Creating is a very contemplative act for me as I release control, think deeper, and connect with my creator who joins me in these moments.
Is there a particular artist or artwork that has profoundly impacted you, and why?
Piet Mondrian has been an artist who has silently influenced my artistic journey. He began his career by painting realistic landscapes and windmills. He then transitioned to painting abstract lines and squares using only complementary colors. His work inspires me because he successfully created artwork in both styles. He created realistic paintings to capture the world around him, and then created abstract paintings to try to understand the world around him. I find value in both styles—creating to depict and creating to understand.
Some people feel that they just don’t have a natural aptitude for or relationship to art. What would you like to say to someone who thinks that understanding art or being creative is just out of reach for them?
I will be the first to say that art is intimidating, both to look at and to create. We have all entered those art museums where a blank canvas is hanging up or a bowl of spaghetti is lying on the floor with a plaque next to it. This only fuels our confusion and hesitation about art. Though art consists of difficult concepts and ideas that we like the execution of or not, I am striving to help art become more accessible to everyone. For my students, that means admitting that art can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. My classroom will be one where discussion on confusing artwork is welcomed and encouraged. Regarding creating artwork, this looks like clarifying what art is and why it is important. Often creativity is limited to visual rendering like painting a portrait or perfectly shading a vase, but creativity is much more than that. Creativity comes through music, writing, cooking, dancing, inventing games on the playground, gardening, hosting a dinner party, and so much more. As image bearers of God, we possess his character of creativity, which means that we are all creative, but in different ways. In my classroom, I will teach students techniques in art, value, perspective, line, shape, and so on. Like any sport, art takes practice and devotion to grow in ability. With enough time, practice, and dedication, all of my students will know the techniques in art and be able to render shapes, lines, and colors, and I hope, have a love of beauty.