Grocery Store Art

Sunsets amaze me. Sunrises too, but most of the time I'm too lazy to wake up and see them.

I'll never forget the first time I saw a sunset in Sedona, Arizona. The sky was so big, the colors so brilliant--pinks, purples, yellows and blues all swirled together for something utterly magnificient. If the sky were a milkshake, I wish I had a straw so I could drink it all in. It was too beautiful a moment to keep all to myself so I pulled my out cellphone and called a friend. Saying, "I wish you could see this" falls way too short in moments like these.

I wonder if God has a gallery of all the sunsets, sunrises and starry midnight skies He's created. And I wonder when I get to Heaven if He will let me see my favorite sunset moments over and over again.

Extraordinary displays like sunsets convince me that God is the master Artist and Creator. Something about art speaks to our souls, touches us at our core and inspires us beyond words. From the Greeks and their sculptures to the Hip-Hop generation and their memorial graffiti art murals. Art has followed us through the ages and that says something about how God designed His "image bearers".

NPR.org has this refreshingly original article called "Artistic Expression in the Produce Aisle" by Neda Ulaby. I have to give her kudos for being a good journalist and bringing something new to the table. Her writing resume makes me want to drool (I'll have to put her on my "one to watch" list). Anyhow, in the article Ulaby writes about how grocery stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's are employing artists to make their chalkboards more visually appealing. I find it interesting how art is always re-inventing itself and how it is so deeply ingrained in the human experience that it even surrounds us while we grab a carton of eggs for mom.

I've often wondered how Whole Foods got their chalkboards to look so stunningly neat and nifty. Now I know. Well, that beats my theory that once someone is hired they magically become skilled chalkboard artists. If only life was that cool.