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Set Our Hearts On Fire

May 23, 2021 | Beauty Heals Us, Painting Feature

Descent of the Holy Spirit, 2020 mixed media painting by Michelle L Hofer Holy God, Holy Breath, Wind, Flame, Spirit: Set our hearts of fire. Burn...

Lighten UP

Nov 25, 2020 | Beauty Heals Us, Influences

Korean pop music sensation, BTS WARNING: This is a fluff piece... cuz it's 2020 and we need this. My family describes the majority of my musical...

Thanks Upon Thanks

Nov 24, 2020 | Beauty Heals Us, Visual Quote

We give you thanks upon thanks, O Lord our God, Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, by all means, at all times, in all places. For...

A New Way to Pray

Nov 23, 2020 | Art Feature, Beauty Heals Us

For many Christians prayer is worded expression. Words are offered to God in praise, in thanks, in petition and confession. But how might it be...

We Are Not Those Who Give Up Hope

Nov 22, 2020 | Beauty Heals Us, Visual Scripture

My friends, we are not those who give up hope and so are lost; but we are of the company who live by faith and so are saved. — Hebrews 10:39 This...

They Do Exist

Nov 20, 2020 | Beauty Heals Us, Nature Reflection

Pristine Beauty - photograph by Michelle L Hofer, taken in Banff National Park Canada 2018 I always thought those pretty mountain scenes Bob Ross...

Tree of Life Ceramics

Nov 19, 2020 | Beauty Heals Us, Ceramics Feature

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the...

Now, O God, Strengthen My Hands

Nov 17, 2020 | Beauty Heals Us, Personal Reflection

If you aren’t familiar with the story of Nehemiah, it’s a good one. This trusted Jewish advisor to the Persian King Artaxerxes I learns that the...

Surrender

Nov 16, 2020 | Beauty Heals Us, Painting Feature

Surrender (Jonah’s Whale) by Michelle L Hofer - 8” x 10”, mixed media on paper, 2020 Jonah (shouting back): God is using the sea to punish me, so...

Survival Mode

Nov 14, 2020 | Beauty Heals Us, Painting Feature

Survival Mode (Elijah’s Raven) by Michelle L Hofer - 8” x 10”, mixed media on paper, 2018 Making it through doubt and drought will require a...

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Lost Sight Series

Lost Sight – Series Introduction

Jan 30, 2018 | Lost Sight: How the Protestant Reformation Disrupted the Art and Faith Connection

CAN THERE BE SUCH A THING AS AN IMAGELESS FAITH? Faith may, will, and must have its images! - Martin Luther For many of the new forming Christian...

Part 12 – Now I See

Jan 23, 2018 | Lost Sight: How the Protestant Reformation Disrupted the Art and Faith Connection

Above: We Are One (The Holy Trinity after Rublev), 2018 by Michelle L Hofer A Real Eye Opener I am an avid podcast listener, especially when I’m...

Part 11 – Seeing the Divine

Jan 16, 2018 | Lost Sight: How the Protestant Reformation Disrupted the Art and Faith Connection

Above: Detail of Christ, Deesis* mosaic in the Hagia Sophia (13th century) Istanbul, Turkey. *Deesis is the name of the artistic depiction were...

Part 10 – This Means War

Jan 9, 2018 | Lost Sight: How the Protestant Reformation Disrupted the Art and Faith Connection

Above: Self-Portrait at Twenty-Eight Years Old Wearing a Coat with Fur Collar (1500) by Albrecht Dürer - detail If I were a better lyricist I would...

Part 9 – Seeing the Good News

Jan 2, 2018 | Lost Sight: How the Protestant Reformation Disrupted the Art and Faith Connection

Above: The Vladimir Mother of God (12th century) “I’ve stopped watching the news,” my friend tells me at a holiday party. Having taken a challenging...

Part 8 – Glowing Gospels

Dec 19, 2017 | Lost Sight: How the Protestant Reformation Disrupted the Art and Faith Connection

Above: “XPI AUTEM” © STOCKHOLM, NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SWEDEN, MS A. 135, FOL. 10R A Discovery “...as my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of...

Part 7 – A Visit to the Cave

Dec 12, 2017 | Lost Sight: How the Protestant Reformation Disrupted the Art and Faith Connection

Above: The Adoration of the Shepherds (1645) by Georges de La Tour It was Christmas Eve, 1223 when a devout monk in the Italian hillside town of...

Part 6 – The Reformation’s Dynamic Duo

Dec 5, 2017 | Lost Sight: How the Protestant Reformation Disrupted the Art and Faith Connection

Above: Lucas Cranach the Elder, The Holy Kinship (1509)/Portrait of Martin Luther (1528)  both by Lucas Cranach the Elder Creative marketing - it’s...

Part 5 – Heaven on Earth

Nov 28, 2017 | Lost Sight: How the Protestant Reformation Disrupted the Art and Faith Connection

Above: Hagia Sophia, exterior (1852) by Gaspare Fossati* “We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth, for surely there is no such splendor or...

Part 4- Protestants Gone Wild

Nov 21, 2017 | Lost Sight: How the Protestant Reformation Disrupted the Art and Faith Connection

Above: The Garden of Earthly Delights, detail - right panel (1515) by Hieronymus Bosch Paranoia Will Destroy Ya Dear Dad,Sorry we burned your KISS...

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Holy Week Series

Remembering Truth

Apr 8, 2020 | Holy Week Reflections from an Artist's Perspective

When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the Twelve. While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray...

Remembering Beauty

Apr 7, 2020 | Holy Week Reflections from an Artist's Perspective

While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on...

Remembering Goodness

Apr 6, 2020 | Holy Week Reflections from an Artist's Perspective

Working on Gabriel the Messenger created on an abstractly painting background Jesus came to the temple. He drove out all those who were buying and...

Down Memory Lane

Apr 5, 2020 | Holy Week Reflections from an Artist's Perspective

Walking along one of the dirt roads near my home. Jesus, the disciples, and the great crowds were heading toward Jerusalem when they came to...

Down an Ancient Path

The BIRCH TREE STUDIO BLOG

Hi, I'm Michelle…

A visual artist traveling the dusty roads of history and tradition searching for ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE and WISDOM. My writings and art find inspiration at the crossroads of creativity and Divine Beauty.

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Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. — Jeremiah 6:16