An Interview with Artist Kristine Peterson

by Chuck Kelley

RIGA, Latvia – Kristine Peterson, has revived her talent of painting. In her teenage years she studied art at the prestigious Janis Rozentals School of Art in Riga, but after she was married and started a family, her painting was put on the back-burner...until just a couple of years ago. Now her commitment to the Lord, desire to paint, and passion to draw people closer to the Lord in worship has come together when she does what she calls 'worship painting'. During extended periods of group worship, Kristine has painted complete pictures depicting meaningful spiritual themes. She has painted in churches, camps, retreats, conferences, schools and special events.

Kristine's 'worship painting' has been an important component of BBI's signature events, Prayer Days and Mission Days. Many hearts have been touched. Recently I interviewed Kristine.

Chuck:  Kristine, my heart is blessed every time I see you 'worship paint'. I sometimes imagine being the one holding the brush, but I wouldn't like the pressure. It would be too hard for me. Isn't it quite difficult?

Kristine:  On one hand, every time I paint during worship or just take the brush and start painting it is so fun and easy. A definite "must" is worship music in the background.

But on the other hand, my mind can race 100 miles an hour and I don't want to be thinking about everything – all the people, all the pain that is crushing so many of those that we minister to, everyone's needs and how that effects me, and how I could help others in their trials. Nor do I want to be thinking about my own needs and struggles and things I need to make right.  If I do, there is no energy left to really worship freely.

Chuck  Every artist I know struggles when deciding what to paint. These struggles are often so strong that artists sometimes even fail to start new paintings. How do you decide what to paint when you are doing your worship art?

Kristine:  Many times songs actually inspire a theme in

me. Or Scriptures, or just something beautiful I have seen somewhere. Usually I pray and ask God to show me what to

paint. I often know what the theme is at a service or conference but I don't try to find out much of the details, like talking with the worship band and finding out what songs they will sing.

Chuck:  But there is a strong relationship between what you paint and the worship music, isn't there?

Kristine: Yes, but I really want God to guide me...not just the worship team. Sometimes music leaders have asked what I am planning to paint. So I give them the idea, and then they might change the selection or order of some the songs. But even then God surprises me how He guides my hand with every stroke and how He guides the musicians at the same time. There have literally been times, like at Prayer Days, when the musicians are singing about being safe in Father's arms and right at that moment I paint the part were the infant is in Jesus' arms. I remember in my painting Jesus' words "remain in my love" and as I was writing the word "love" they were singing those same words. This was unplanned and shows me some of those glimpses of God surprising me and at the same time confirming that He had planned it that way. Those are the moments that make me very excited about painting and I really see it as a tool to evangelize and encourage His children.

Chuck:  Please describe what was going on inside of your when you created the two paintings for Prayer Days.

Kristine:  At Prayer Days the theme was about the father's (God) relationship with his children (us). So as I was praying and preparing for this, one day while I was driving back from Riga to Ergli I was listening to Paul Baloche's song "To the Cross". The chorus says, "He spread His arms open wide; I lift my hands up high."

That impressed on me deeply. Right a way I could see the painting of Jesus hanging on the cross with his arms stretched out head bowed, kind of from a view from above, his blood dripping from his wounds and a man standing under with his back to me his head and hands raised up high to Jesus. Compositionally, this idea actually looks like a cross. The neat part was that as I started painting I didn't feel that this needed to be an adult figure, but more of a child. But of course everyone could imagine and see in the picture what he wants to see.

Chuck:  Tell me about your second painting?

Kristine:  My second painting was with Jesus holding an infant. The concept came from looking at a lot of father-child or father-son photographs. I also looked at my husband's pictures with our children. I chose a recent photo in which Dustin was holding his youngest brothers' firstborn son, Reuben, just few weeks old. The interesting part about it is that it looks just like the photo of Dustin holding our firstborn daughter, Bethany.

My idea in this painting is to show how Jesus sees us in relationship with Himself. Yes He is the SON, but He is also GOD, so he is the visible part of Father God. He makes it possible to see how Father God sees us. Just as we look with complete love to the little life that is in our arms, He looks to us.

And the other side of this picture is also just the fact that Jesus has a special and beautiful love for the little babies. I very often talk about this with my girls. I really want them to see how crazy God is about them. They very well know how their earthly dad is absolutely mad about them, but Jesus is more, more, more.

So we are invited to "remain in His love" just like this little helpless infant!