I hope you brought your party hats, groucho glasses and noise makers, because today we're gonna celebrate good times, come on! (Yes, this song will be stuck in your head all day. You're welcome.)
As you know (because it says so right over there <--), "The Master's Artist is a group blog for writers united by the blood of Christ and a love for language. We come from different backgrounds, have different theological outlooks, and are interested in a wide variety of genres and art forms." You may also know we've been hanging out here in the artsy district of the bloggerhood for seven years now, and over the course of those years, various contributing members have come and gone for various reasons, most of them because publishing success demanded they trim their commitments. Though we love them and were sad to see them go, we share the joys of their success.
Other active members have had to take temporary breaks due to the tendency of life to keep on happening, leading us all to realize it was time to open the windows and let in a little fresh air. Of course, by "fresh air" I mean new voices, gifts, and perspectives.
Starting in May (that's next week!), you'll see two new faces around here, and we're super excited to welcome them. I expect many of you know one or both of them already, but for those who don't, I'd like to introduce them to you now.
Michelle writes and edits horror fiction with The Midnight Diner, is president of a small press publishing company, leads Visual Prayer workshops, dabbles in photography, blogs at MichellePendergrass.com and most recently became a mixed media artist.
Multi-talented, Michelle joins us as our first-ever visual artist in residence. If you've never seen her paintings, you are in for a huge treat. Of course, as with all our members, we aren't putting tight constraints on Michelle regarding the content of her posts. One of the joys of participating in this community is the freedom to explore what it means to be an artist with a Master, and that's a broad canvas indeed. Michelle is a real live-out-loud kind of girl, and I know she will challenge us all in multiple ways. Meanwhile, we are very excited to introduce a visual art component that has been lacking in the past. Look for Michelle's posts on alternating Mondays, beginning next week.
The Master's Artist is also pleased to welcome another prolific and multi-talented writer, Glynn Young. On his personal blog, Faith, Fiction, Friends, Glynn explores faith, culture, life, and work, often through the vehicle of original poetry. He's an award-winning speechwriter and communication consultant and is also a contributing editor for The High Calling.
Glynn is one of those people who obviously has more than twenty-four hours in his day. At least, it seems that way when you realize how connected he is, how much he manages to read, and the thoughtful way he interacts with people and knowledge. While Michelle primarily concentrates on visual art, Glynn will focus on poetry and faith-influenced poets, introducing us to a broad range of artists from the well-published to the obscure. I'm confident that even folks who feel out of their element with poetry will be engaged by Glynn's infectious enthusiasm and unpretentious approach to this beautiful and powerful art form. He will also begin posting next week, and will continue to grace us with his words on alternating Wednesdays.
As you can see, both Glynn and Michelle are already pouring their gifts into some wonderful communities, and both are also first and foremost committed to their families. We feel deeply honored and blessed that they've agreed to shower a bit of their talent and expertise on our little corner of the virtual world, and we know their contribution will encourage and inspire us all.
Please take the time to welcome them today, and come back next week to enjoy their inaugural posts!
Jeanne Damoff loves exploring art and faith with amazing people, including the faithful readers of this blog. Thanks for coming alongside to share the journey.
THIS is wonderful! I'm so glad to see the team growing here!
Posted by: kelly | April 28, 2011 at 06:43 AM
So Exciting!! So fun to have a visual artist in the mix :)
Posted by: Kimberly | April 28, 2011 at 09:34 AM
Welcome welcome welcome! So glad to have you both aboard!
Posted by: Madison Richards | April 28, 2011 at 01:16 PM
Michelle is one talented woman. Her creativity is inspiring. I'm so happy she's joined the team. And Glynn...I look forward to reading your posts!
Posted by: Elaina | April 28, 2011 at 09:21 PM
Time to party like it's 1999.
Posted by: Heather | April 29, 2011 at 06:43 AM
Thank you all so much!! I'm truly humbled to be part of this group!!
Posted by: mich pendergrass | April 30, 2011 at 07:48 AM
I look forward to hearing from Michelle and Glynn! New voices keep things fresh.
Posted by: Tina F | April 30, 2011 at 08:57 AM
I left because I was always the poseur of the group anyway ;-)
Welcome new writers!
Posted by: Jennifer Peacock | May 01, 2011 at 07:45 PM
Thanks, everyone! We're delighted to have them both.
(Whatever, Jen. You were the mastermind behind it, and you're welcome back any time. xo)
Posted by: Jeanne Damoff | May 01, 2011 at 09:18 PM
I visit here every once in a while. Glad to see it's still here.
Posted by: Jennifer Peacock | May 02, 2011 at 07:17 AM
When I said, "you're welcome back," I meant as a poster (as opposed to poseur, which you never were, my dear), but I'm glad you do visit. Love to you, Jen.
Posted by: Jeanne Damoff | May 02, 2011 at 09:02 AM