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Invitation to Photography: Summer Solstice

Welcome to the very first Abbey Photo Party!  This is a new experiment and sort of a twist on the regular Poetry Parties.  Instead of my selecting a theme and image and inviting you to respond with words, I will select a theme and poem and invite you to respond with images.  Since you can’t post images directly in the […]

Liturgy as a Feast for the Senses

I will be writing a regular weekly article for Patheos on Art & Spirit in the Church. Click the link for this week’s feature, see the links below for previous articles.  It is for the Catholic Gateway, but much of what I write is accessible to an ecumenical audience. Liturgy as a Feast for the Senses The […]

Are you listening?

Growing up in New York City, my favorite place was The Cloisters (a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art with art from medieval European monasteries). I had fallen in love with the aesthetic dimension of monastic tradition long before I understood what that way of life really meant. The art, architecture, music, and illuminated manuscripts all […]

Beauty and Spirituality

Have you checked out Patheos yet? (the great new site exploring different religious traditions)  I will be contributing to them regularly on the topic of art and spirituality and my latest article is here — Beauty and Spirituality — so pour yourself a cup of tea and contemplate the role of beauty in your own spiritual […]

Visual Meditation: Light & Shadow

  ** Make sure you visit this week’s Poetry Party  on Shadow & Light (these are a few more of the images from my photographic journey last week)** ______________________________________________ © Christine Valters Paintner at Abbey of the Arts: Transformative Living through Contemplative & Expressive Arts Become a fan of the Abbey on Facebook, follow this blog […]

Invitation to Poetry: Light & Shadow

Welcome to our 36th Poetry Party! I select an image and suggest a theme/title and invite you to respond with your poems or other reflections. Add them in the comments section and a link to your blog (if you have one).  Make sure to check the comments for new poems added and I encourage you to leave encouraging comments […]