JOHN HENRY FOLLEY
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Why I Left

2/7/2019

22 Comments

 
​Why did I leave my comfortable job to pursue classical art training?


I had been teaching at an all-boys prep school for six years. I loved my colleagues and had great bosses I respected and loved to work for. I loved the young men that I taught. My wife and I were just starting our family - we already had our first beautiful baby girl! With these responsibilities in mind, my wife and I had decided to leave the security and comforts of my job as head of the Art Department at The Heights School so that I could go back to being a student myself, full-time, under Master painter Paul Ingbretson.

Many people would say it was crazy (and likely they were saying it). I left a very good career path that didn't entail a fraction of the risk and outright financial loss that turning down years of income in exchange for years of tuition would. And yet my wife and I weighed these realities and with a little fear, a lot of hope, support from family, and a firm will, took the leap and moved our small family up to Manchester, New Hampshire to start this foolish little enterprise.

So why did I do it?
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Starting a family... My children motivate me to make this world more beautiful.
​
For me a big piece of that choice goes back to my grade school experience when my family attended Saint Vincent De Paul Church. Many people in our mid-sized Midwestern Town referred to it as "St. Vincent Deluxe" -- for easily inferable reasons. And yet despite being one of the wealthiest parishes around, it was a truly ugly building. It is what I referred to as a "Pizza Hut church" whose squat architecture speaks much more of fast food than of beauty, transcendence, and elevation of the mind and heart. It's one of many such buildings erected by Catholic parishes in the United States during the dark days of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. The stained glass windows were more sandy grout than actual glass. Their designs were clumsy at best -- upon reflection, I think they have much more in common with the pixelated graphics of an early Nintendo gaming system then the amazing patterning and geometry of the stained glass of Chartres or even a modest 19th century chapel. I believe it had some rough hewn statues, Stations of the Cross, and a crucifix that was inoffensive at best. Besides these, the sanctuary was very bare. But perhaps even more offensive than the barrenness of the church sanctuary were the very ugly murals just outside, in the vestibule. Stark blue-faced figures, reminiscent more of aliens than of human beings, marched across the bright orange walls of the vestibule in a world constructed of violently hacked, jagged paint strokes. They were supposed to illustrate the life of St. Vincent de Paul... I only knew that I didn't want to be around them.

With all this wealth and opportunity, why didn't we have a beautiful church? We as a parish community could certainly afford it.

Then, during my 8th grade year, my parents took me on a trip to Rome. What an experience! I was deeply moved by the great beauty I found there. The stark, colossal grandeur of the statues in St. John Lateran; St Peter's Basilica with its amazing Colonnades; the wonders of the Vatican Museums -- particularly the Sistine Chapel -- but most of all the paintings in the Jesu (a grand, post-Reformation Church, that is the head Church of the Jesuit order) spoke to me as nothing else I had ever seen before.

The beauty and vigor of the figures from the Jesu touched me deeply. Perhaps a little over-the-top, the figures burst forth from their architectural frames into the space of the viewers. They spoke to me 
unmistakably of the Saints being of our world, having power to intercede for us, to change the world for the better... and all of this communicated by the excellent craftsmanship, care, and vision of all-but-unknown artists. Here were men and women who looked like me, but perhaps a little higher, cleaner, more noble. I wanted to be like them and I was convinced that they would want to help me. I felt profoundly the bridge between Heaven and Earth through this artwork and it helped me to watch, to stay, to pray, and to enjoy the house of God - almost nothing could have been farther from that aesthetic experience than the experience of the vestibule at St. Vincent de Paul's back home.

And yet the communities who had made these grand, amazing churches didn't have nearly the resources in terms of technological sophistication that the community of St. Vincent's had.

​I had also heard of beautiful buildings that were built in the rural area of New York State where my mother had grown up -- made by poor French and Irish pioneers and farmers. I heard stories of these elegant churches filled with carved wood and stone that, before my time, had been replaced with other Pizza Hut churches. I began to suspect that the ugly churches came about not through a lack of money or technology but because of a type of spiritual crisis: a lack of love and dedication (to Beauty and to the Source of Beauty -- as Saint Augustine said, the "beauty ever ancient and never new").

From that point on I started to feel called to dedicate myself to the pursuit of beauty.
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Receiving inspiration from the museums of Europe just after college graduation.
​Through the years that pursuit took different forms.

I had always drawn, but having been to Rome, interest in classical and baroque art started engaging me in a new way. I took some classes in high school, but never had any art teacher who seemed to be offering what I really wanted. I learned about Caravaggio, and was swept away by the same sense of wonder at the beauty of light and form combined with the beauty of the presence of the Divine so close to us that I had experienced in the Jesu.

I went to college; my parents encouraged me to "find something that I loved and figure out a way to get paid for it." To my parents' somewhat restrained horror I really took the first part of their message to heart, trusting that I would figure out the second part in time: I majored in Studio Art and Philosophy. Here again, I was disappointed at the lack of any teacher who could teach me what I was truly craving: how to draw the beauty, the truth - how to create an image of that higher Vision that those great Italian Masters I had seen in Rome had done.

In fact, I found they couldn't even teach me excellent technique for approaching any visual subject.

By the time that I was just about to graduate. I really didn't know what to do next. I knew I wanted to pursue "art" but had gained only enough knowledge to know that I needed a lot more training to be able to make the beautiful things that I hoped to make -- that I was haunted by, that I felt were burning at my heart.

I didn't know where to get such training though, so I decided to get a job and continue my search.

As the head of the Art Department at the Heights School I did that in one of the most supportive and generous communities that I could imagine. I taught my grade school and high school students, I took classes from different realist artists and started to learn more about the reviving tradition of realist, Western Art. A breakthrough came when I visited the studios of Henry Wingate in Front Royal, Virginia. Some friends had told me about him, encouraging me to get in touch and visit him. When I reached out to him, telling him about my history and desire for training, Henry generously invited me out to his studio.

What I saw there blew me away.

Henry's studio was a whole building, the size of a small house, tailored to the needs of a traditional artist. It had a huge room with an enormous north-facing window. Multiple panels, custom made to fit the window, could be placed over or removed from different areas to completely control the flow of light. It had a large, raised pedestal where he drew and painted from live models in natural light. And it had his work: beautiful still life drawings and paintings; large, imposing portraits; but most of all, his epic grand-scale religious figurative work. I felt like I had stepped into the studio of one of those great Italian Masters. It was unlike any other Studio I've been to before and I knew I was on the right track.

I wanted to study with Henry, but to my disappointment he informed me he was not taking any students. However he directed me towards the master under whom he had studied: Paul Ingbretson. It was a very exciting moment in my journey. If Henry could make paintings like this, maybe someday I could as well.

A year passed before I could visit Paul's studio. I'd seen some of his work online, but the thing that really took my breath away when I finally visited were the colors in the still life. By that time I had visited a number of studios of contemporary realist painters; I had seen much of their work in galleries; I'd been to many great galleries in the US, the UK, Italy, and France. I have never been as impressed with color in still life. The vibrancy and freshness of the color without exaggeration or over-saturation, combined with disciplined drawing, was so powerful and yet so calm and restrained! It was truly a revelation of Beauty for me. I had never suspected until then what an exciting thing still life painting could be. 
Picture
A few years into the new enterprise, my daughter visits the Manchester atelier.
​
The decision had been building for a number of years. I had often talked with my wife about it and finally we both had enough clarity to see that after our first child, if we didn't make the jump to have me study painting then, we probably never would. We had to choose between settling down and taking the "leap of faith." We had both decided that we were committed to beauty. We recognized that real sacrifices often have to be made in order to pursue the highest goods, and we both recognized that learning how to make beautiful images for others and to present a vision of true beauty -- in short, working actively in building up a culture of beauty -- is something worth sacrificing for.

We had both seen our share of Pizza Hut churches as well as a popular art culture that rejects and often attacks beauty; we had seen how many people were seeking true beauty and were unable to find it; and we recognized the need for people to act to change the culture for the good, the true, and the beautiful. We had discerned that we felt a call to be such people - culture warriors, perhaps some might say - in the service of Beauty. We also realized that we had only one life to live, and that if we didn't make the jump we would probably regret it for the rest of our lives.

And so -- we jumped!
What do you think? Is there a dream out there that you would pursue if you had the chance? Tell me about it. 
22 Comments
Kathryn Swegart link
2/9/2019 01:27:29 pm

Now that I have the time, I am pursuing a life-long dream to write children's books with Catholic themes. I feel like the Holy Spirit is guiding me to write inspiring stories about Catholic heroes. I wake up each day feeling so grateful l for this opportunity. I am following the path of artist/writer Barbara Cooney took in her book Miss Rumphius-making the world a more beautiful place.

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John Folley
2/19/2019 05:16:40 pm

Hi Kathryn,

Thanks so much for your thoughts! I am glad that you are doing good work and making the world a more beautiful place! It is a very good thing! Different people have different callings and different seasons in their life and I am glad you are working and following your call to make beautiful stories. I believe it is making the world a more beautiful place!

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Janet Quinlan
2/16/2019 08:50:57 am

John, you are in our prayers as we support you and your sweet family in this most excellent pursuit!

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John Folley
2/19/2019 05:38:46 pm

Thank you so much Janet! Please do keep praying for us - and if you know anyone who needs a beautiful painting for their home, office, or Church let us know! :D

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J.C.
2/16/2019 10:57:30 am

Respectfully, while I share your perspective on and commitment to the Beautiful, the True and the Good, I disagree. (That is, at least in general terms; I can't speak to your exact personal situation in life.)
To put it bluntly, your immediate obligation to provide for your family is of a higher order and more proximate responsibility than your lesser desire to produce or promote beauty in the world. One is a grave obligation, the other, at best, is a noble aspiration that could be pursued in one's spare time. (At worst, it could be a childish or arrogant indulgence.)
Beauty is a vehicle for orienting our lives to God. It is a tool and component of a good Catholic life. Beautiful Churches do your children no good if they do not also offer True, Beautiful and Good Liturgy, Sacraments and Doctrine. In these post-Christian days in which we live, a man's most pressing responsibility is to find a place his family can have access to the things necessary for their salvation! Families are forced to sacrifice whatever necessary to live near a traditional Mass with orthodox priests and genuinely Catholic Faithful in order for their families to even have a chance of keeping the Faith. This should be a man's priority and his guide for choosing a practical career. (Notice I said career, not education. A Catholic classic education in philosophy and theology is indispensable nowadays. With online programs and classes, most of this can be achieved in high school or studied alongside a more practical profession and should become a lifelong habit.) Your parents, and almost all their generation, gave terrible advice to their children regarding education. It has condemned an entire generation (of men especially) to pursue what "they love" with no thought to their future vocational responsibilities. A father should teach his sons from the outset, that the responsibility of fatherhood will inevitably entail tremendous sacrifice and toil. God warned us, too!) Some work can have a very noble end in and of itself, but for most people it will simply be a means to a temporal end. My husband and I constantly discuss this topic, I suppose because we have 3 daughters. Perpetual male adolescence is not a purely secular phenomenon. The vast majority of young men from devout Traditional families show the same traits. We all recognize the caricature: the bright devout liberal arts educated young Catholic man endlessly pursuing philosophy and theology degrees, needlessly accruing debt, while trying to support a young family...until they realize they should have gone to law school or medical school or used all that student loan money to start a business or make an investment. This not virtuous, valiant or heroic, it's reckless. The pews of traditional Churches are filled with pious young girls who believe they have a vocation to marriage. The few Catholic boys left, who are not lost in the modern world, are often emasculated and clueless. They feel generally drawn to marriage (that's what hormones are for!), but have been deprived of any manly direction that would help them make prudent decisions about their future education and careers, and therefore make them good future candidates for becoming holy husbands and fathers.
Sorry for the earful, but you did ask "What do you think?" :)

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John Folley
2/19/2019 06:30:28 pm

Hi J. C. ,

Thanks for your thoughts! Thank you for your concern about my family and our financial well-being! I certainly would be appreciative of your help getting on a firmer financial footing! Please let me know if there are any parishes near you that need beautiful paintings or any of your other friends who's homes might benefit! ;) I am all for doctors and lawyers - many of my good friends are such men and women! They are also the type of men and women who can help as patrons for the arts and are part of an integral part of a healthy culture in this respect. However, just like everyone is called to be an artist, not everyone is called to be a doctor or a lawyer.

I know you are giving a cliff-notes version of your views here, but it would seem possible that in some ways you might be presenting a vision that is overly timid. The pursuit of a career as an artist does not exclude the ability to make a living for one's family. It is an entrepreneurial venture, like many other ventures, that involves risk. I think that real men do need to take risks. Some turn out, some don't. We live in one of the most financially and materially comfortable societies of all time that is also one of the most spiritually and culturally poor. I fear that the view you have presented here seems to prize too highly material comfort over other these values. I think we need good professors, philosophers, artists, writers who are willing to make careers out of good hard work in these fields, with plenty of sacrifice and manly effort to support his family and improve the world in the way that they have been called. It could be a very big mistake for many reasons if somebody who believed they had a calling as an artist were to become a doctor or lawyer merely out of fear of financial disadvantage.

This discussion reminds me of a passage from Whittaker Chamber's book "Witness." At a certain point he concludes that it is not sufficient to be Conservative if we want to maintain the West against the currents spiritual, cultural, and political - we have to be Counter-revolutionary. We have to actively be building up the culture of the West, who's core is Christianity, in order for it to survive and thrive. This doesn't mean just having our families, going to our Churches and earning a living while trying to keep our heads down - he asks what sacrifices we are willing to make - what is our plan of action - will we be outdone by our spiritual adversaries because of our lack of effort? So even if we are doctors and lawyers, I think this Counter-revolutionary spirit is something to contemplate and take seriously.

Anyways, I will pray for your daughters to find some good men! Thank you again for your thoughts, it is often out of disagreement that the truth is revealed in a fuller way!

Peace,
John

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Anamaria
2/20/2019 07:27:25 am

I certainly see similarities between the Folleys choice and the irresponsible young men who can’t buck up and do what it takes to provide, endlessly pursuing more degrees and never dedicating themselves to an appropriate career. (And boy do I see that as a problem!) As my Brother says, stop trying to find what you’re passionate about. Get a job you don’t hate, that serves the community, and get good at it.

But there’s the differences: J Folley is a. not trying to find what he’s passionate about; he knows. B. He IS in service to the community, not just his own passion for art. C. He is getting really good at it, I.e., acquiring a real skill, not just knowledge. If one of my daughters were to marry a man like that, I’d hope she was clear-eyed about the real sacrifices she’d have to make but I would be very happy. If she married the perpetual adolescent, at least in terms of professional vocation, I would not.

I say this as someone who, on the face of it, made the opposite choice with her husband, and has seen great fruit from that. But it’s more complicated and not all about financial security. Too much to get into here.

I came here from LMLD but I think I was a year ahead of you at ND (‘07). Not sure if we ever meet but I know we know some of the same people.

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Deirdre Folley
2/20/2019 01:03:40 pm

I just wanted to chime in to clarify that this career move of John's didn't entail accruing debt. The atelier where John studied had a modest tuition - very different from the bloated prices of college courses, and much more focused as well. We were able to make things work with the significant savings John had accrued from his pre-married days (he was a very frugal bachelor!), support from family, and the freelance work we both have done along the way.

But as he says, the goal is to make a gainful go of it - So the focus is certainly on making it work in order to support a family! He'll have to write more about that aspect of it another time... :)

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Deacon Ed Peitler
2/24/2019 01:43:46 am

Not to fear, with beautiful art the commissions will come. People (whether they know it or not) are hungering for beauty. And faithful / orthodox Catholic parishes will always be interested in beautiful art produced by Catholic artists.

Parentethically, I visited Henry Wingate's studio in Madison VA. He spent an hour or so with my family and me discussing his art. He work also can be viewed at the Catholic parish in Front Royal where he's done a number of paintings from the life of John the Baptist. If I'm not mistaken, he gave up a career as a pilot for that of an artist. Lots of luck!

Anne-Marie
3/1/2019 08:18:32 am

JC, I agree that the increase in the number of feckless young men is a problem. Still I think the picture you fear is overly pessimistic, in part because it's based on a false dichotomy. Pursuing truth and beauty isn't necessarily reckless, as the Folleys' experience and mine shows. My husband earned three graduate degrees in philosophy and theology covered by stipends and has supported me and our seven kids in more than comfort. Pious girls waiting for a doctor or a lawyer husband need to rethink their priorities.

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E.B.
5/30/2019 05:29:50 pm

J.C., Johann Sebastian Bach and his wife, Anna Magdalena, raised a houseful of children, and I, for one, am very grateful he passed up a profession in law and medicine to work as a musician and composer. My own great grandmother, widowed with three young children, earned her family's living as a lacemaker. She kept her home so tidy and beautiful that my grandmother and her sisters didn't realize they were poor until they were nearly adults. Poverty is a state of mind, as evidenced by the ecclesiastical esthetics John experienced in his childhood parish church.

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Ginni
2/17/2019 02:03:52 pm

My goodness! This essay speaks to my heart. Everything from the Pizza Hut Churches, to the lack of teaching in art technique in art classes, to the beauty that we need in our lives as Catholics- it is all so true. And yet your words make me think that there is still time, even for adults, to learn. I do have a dream worth chasing… I want my daughters to enjoy creating art, as I do, for recreation or for profession, for all of their lives. I do not currently have the ability to go and take classes and then turn around and teach them, but I am a professionally trained calligrapher, and a lifelong “at-home” artist. I decided to put examples of really beautiful artworks in front of my children to help them to try to create their own pieces in the spirit of those works. For example, I chose children’s books from long ago when they used only three ink colors. Now they must create the something using only three colors. I also found landscapes, portrait drawings, and whimsical cartoons. They get to practice those styles. I buy art magazines where artists share their techniques. We learn from them. It is not much, but it is a way to inspire my children to always have their pencils, watercolors, and pastels going. My hope is that someday that they can contribute to this beauty and goodness movement, this thrilling new renaissance taking place in our Church. I think that it will inspire us to focus on the beauty that is Jesus, and it will get us through all of the Church’s troubles. Our beauty from ashes, as it were. Thank you, and your family, for being a part of it, and for sharing your family’s journey here. Thank you for writing this.

Now, I must respond to J.C., who submitted thoughts here... Your critique is that Mr. Folley and his family chose to go into debt while Mr. Folley pursued his career, and you view that as negative, due to his career choice. Even as he explained, eloquently, that we need new voices to bring our Church back into beauty from its architectural and artistic malaise. Someone has to lead the charge. Why criticize their choice as a family? They see a problem and their family is trying to cure it. Mr. Folley and his wife have the eyes to see, and ears to hear, that the church needs a fix-up. A beautiful church and breathtaking religious art can inspire the devout and holy priests, and the holy families, of today and of tomorrow. It will help.
You quarrel with the kind of career that Mr. Folley chose. I argue that we need creative, dedicated people who make daring and bold choices for Jesus. This is their bold choice. There are many members to the Body of Christ, and we all have different things to offer. Artists are just as necessary as other professions. Not everyone is meant for medical school or law school, or even investment banking. The end goal of life is not going to Harvard. Our goal as Catholic parents is to get our children to Heaven, and to create Heaven on Earth, as it were, by living a lively Catholic life. The Folley family is doing what they are called to do for Christ, and they trust that this is where Jesus leads them.
No, J.C., I would say your beef is not with Mr. Folley. You lament the lack of availability of good, stable, marriage-leaning, caring, family-oriented boys for your sweet girls. This is a different problem entirely. The society that we live in does not encourage, nor give great example of how to raise its children right. We see a lot of that don’t we? It is a burden for us mothers to wonder and worry if there will be good and holy men for our daughters. I wonder, too. And yet - I trust in Jesus. It is wild, and sometimes it feels reckless, but I trust in Him and hope in Him completely. He is going to find the good and holy men for our girls.
I will pray for the Folleys, and I champion their boldness to help the Church to find beauty again. I will pray for you. J.C.. I am praying for good and holy husbands for your daughters, or for their holy single lives, or for their religious vocations. Whatever God wills. We have to pray for each other. That is the solution to our problems.

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John Folley
2/19/2019 06:43:15 pm

Wow Ginni! Thank you so much! I am speechless! Thank you for all of your support, I hadn't seen your comment, possibly because the page hadn't fully loaded, before I had replied to J. C. - you have argued for me most eloquently and generously! I should have just let you speak for me in the first place! :D

It sounds like a good training and formation in beauty that you are offering your children. I love calligraphy - though I am without super-formal training. I would love to see your work sometime! Thank you for your warm support and your thoughtful comments! Peace!

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Lynn
2/18/2019 05:09:33 pm

Bravo! Y'all have read Sarah and Simon and No Red Paint, right? That children's book always makes me teary eyed. While not an artist, my husband is an entrepreneur, and chose a more adventurous and happier (and less financially secure) path, and that book speaks to me. Blessings on your wife and family! Your work is beautiful and rare and I hope one day to commission you!

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John Folley
2/19/2019 06:37:00 pm

Lynn, thank you so much! I have not read "No Red Paint" yet - I need to! I will plan on looking it up - right now in fact! You and your husband's journey sounds exciting - I never really had been interested "business" per se until finding its connection to art. I would love to hear more about your journey sometime! Thank you so much for your warmth and support, I would love to work with you some day in the future!

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Tealady
2/20/2019 08:07:34 am

I think your family will enjoy No Red Paint, and it's Edward Ardizzone! (I of course trust you love Ardizzone.) This has been a good discussion. I particularly like your point that 'it is often out of disagreement that the truth is revealed in a fuller way,' a reality sorely forgotten in our modern times. May God continue to bless your family richly as you glorify Him and follow His will in sharing beauty and truth with the world.

Tito Edwards link
2/23/2019 07:06:00 am

A Catholic after my own heart!

Amen brother.

All you need now is a feed for your blog. I couldn't find one & my feed aggregator was unable to detect one. I looked into your coding & noticed that you are not offering one.

You should definately add a feed to your blog so others, like myself, will be able to follow you.

:)

In Jesus, Mary, & Joseph,

Tito Edwards
Editor
www.BigPulpit.com

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Tito Edwards link
2/23/2019 07:07:13 am

Oh, one last thing.

What is the font style you are using for the comments section, I like it.

In Jesus, Mary, & Joseph,

Tito

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J.C.
2/23/2019 08:28:43 am

Hi John and Ginni,

I had started a reply to Ginni, which I didn't finish, but I am glad because now I can thank you both for your prayers! (Ginni, one of my daughters is convinced she has a vocation, so, yes, thank you for covering all the bases. You are absolutely correct that we must pray, hope and have confidence in God's Providence.)
But the biggest misunderstanding I wanted to clear up is that I was condemning the Folley family specifically. I explicitly said I do not know their personal circumstances (nor do I believe it my place to judge their decisions), but I can see rereading, how one could get that impression, so I am sorry about that! I should have written "one's" instead of "your." Because my big objection is to the popular general philosophy motivating education and career decisions, even, or especially, for young idealistic Catholic men. I just think this is generally not prudent advice for most people. Now here I will address the Foley's situation specifically. John and Deirdre are enormously talented artists!! I aspire to own art like theirs! If anyone can make it in the classical arts entrepreneurial endeavor, they can, or at least they certainly deserve to. And I pray for the success of their family. But most people don't fall into that category, and even if they do, they don't automatically have to make a career of it. We desperately need good conservative Catholic professors, theologians, philosophers, artists, writers, but even if they excel in these areas, most people will be hard pressed to support a family full-time in this way. And if they have have uncommon talent, it will usually manifest itself regardless of their "day job." People like C.S. Lewis and Tolkien, who were not writers by profession, come to mind. And if man can fulfill the financial aspects of his marriage vocation and simultaneously do what he loves and professionally and publicly champion the higher and neglected values of Western Civilization, then that is wonderful! And I completely agree with your statement that the "counter-revolutionary spirit is something to contemplate and take seriously." Absolutely, it is indispensable for the survival and posterity of the Faith! But perhaps you were right to assess my perspective as somewhat timid. Because I would argue that we really and truly are saving Western Civilization and being mindfully counter-cultural (even if we keep our heads down!) "merely" by supporting a family and preserving the Faith in our children and all that it entails. I think another difference I see between us is that I feel that a given man is called by God either to marriage, the religious life or the priesthood (I don't think a call to the single life is a Catholic concept). I don't think there is really such a thing as a "calling" to be an artist, or a lawyer or a doctor. I believe that God bestows talents upon people and that out of gratitude and justice, we owe God the obligation to use these talents for His greater glory, which may or may not include becoming a professional artist or poet or a lawyer or a doctor. Sometimes, giving greater glory to God may actually mean we have to subordinate our inclinations or our talents for a higher purpose or end, but not, as you seem to imagine that I mean, for material gain! Quite the contrary. I assure you that I do not value material comfort highly at all. (I mean, at least in principle...:) I think one of the main ways God uses marriage to sanctify individuals, is that more often than not, fruitful Catholic families bear the cross of relative (albeit, here, First World) poverty which protects them from material attachments, excessive comfort, superficial vanities and teaches them to humbly relinquish the illusion of control and rely on Divine Providence for all their needs. A woman should obviously look to marry a man who is willing and capable of providing for a family, but every Catholic woman should understand that external factors, health or mental problems, can change circumstances at any time as God deems fit. Hence, "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health...".This is getting so long, so I will leave it here. I really think we actually agree on 99% of what we are discussing. I just think it is a matter of degree or priority. May God bless your lovely family and your artistic endeavors!

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Douglas
2/23/2019 11:40:44 pm

A take on the "starving artist" component. Sir, I don't know you or your actual financial situation. It sounds as if you have been wise in many financial respects, i.e. by saving up money. But some of your words raise red flags, and so I write boldly, praying that I may also take the plank out of my own eye first.

Sir, one of Satan's strategies is to set men in hot pursuit of the good at the sacrifice of the better: the hazy instead of the clear and necessary. In I Samuel 15, Samuel gave Saul a clear command to destroy all the beasts of the Amalekites, and Saul disobeyed the clear in the name of the good, sparing the best beasts for sacrifice. In Matthew 23, Christ condemns the Pharisees, not because they tithed (Christ's words imply that they should *continue* tithing) but because their focus on the good of tithing blinded them to the much greater good of justice, faith and mercy.

By scriptural implication, beauty and truth ought to be pursued in the arts. But by direct command and not mere implication, we have a duty to our wives and children.

"Anyone who was a thief must stop stealing; instead he should exert himself at some honest job with his own hands so that he may have something to share with those in need."
Ephesians 4.28

"However, we do urge you, brothers, to go on making even greater progress and to make a point of living quietly, attending to your own business and earning your living, just as we told you to, so that you may earn the respect of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone."
1 Thessalonians 4.10-12

"Anyone who does not look after his own relations, especially if they are living with him, has rejected the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (Some versions translate the phrase "look after" as "provide for")
1 Timothy 5.8

So, if you are relying on donations rather than sales, your wife's income rather than your own, your diminishing savings rather than fresh revenue, the financial sacrifices of relatives rather than your own acts of industry: acts of industry that actually earn: and are content to let things remain as they are, even if you were to save all of western civilization, you would still be following in the footsteps of King Saul who sacrificed, not the apostle Paul who for all his blue-blooded education and genius made tents that he might not beg money from others. And even with a willingness to eat rice and beans and shop Goodwill, so long as you live in New England, you have to earn according to the cost of living there, not according to the cost of living in Ghana.

Sir, I trust my bold words apply not to you, but to those who are less wise. I see wisdom in your artwork and I know God would want you to use your talent. Under no circumstances bury it in the ground. But, figuratively speaking, the ground may still be a part of the picture for you. Some -- nay, the greatest -- in obedience to God, trade the good for the required, are the clay vessels who know the shovel, the ground, the dust from which they were fired.

May God bless your efforts abundantly.

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Kathryn L
2/25/2019 03:33:00 am

You are not alone on this journey. My story is similar in “call” but different in a few ways. St JPII’s letter to artists and BenXVI’s Spirit of the liturgy fueled a fire in me (already burning through God’s grace) to learn more about true beauty. That’s when I heard about David Clayton and his blog The Way of Beauty. I had similar experiences as you did with HS and university art classes that didn’t “teach” anything (the 80’s - too much “express what you feel”). I was a stay-at-home mom but had to go to work to help support our 3 daughters through college (1 down 2 to go). And now, with great joy, my job helps to pay for my Masters of Sacred Art at Pontifex University. Thankfully the classes are self-paced and my work hours are flexible (and my husband has been a great support). I highly recommend the program. I am only 3 classes in, but the instruction is solid and faithful and it goes beyond studio classes to cover architecture, music, the liturgy and more.
I will pray for you. Please pray for me

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Emily Miller
1/29/2020 05:53:14 pm

I'm so glad you took a leap. Rome is truly inspirational. The love and dedication those artists put into every detail of church artwork is breathtaking. It spoke to how much love and reverance they have to God. Artwork is one of the most reverent, and noble persuits

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    Hello there, I'm John H. Folley, an oil painter in the Boston School tradition. Thanks for visiting the Beauty Advocacy Blog, where it's my job to help you become a more discerning art appreciator.

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