Painting in the Park
Art can open up many avenues of conversation that regular day-to-day life cannot often
do. When a person sits in a public space with a canvas and a paint palette, people are
bound to approach out of curiosity. That is exactly what Mary McCain takes part in weekly.
Mary lives in Stockton-on-Tees. Her love for others and the Holy Spirit’s lead have
influenced her art-based work in the community. She has a passion for painting, and enjoys
including others in the creative process.
Before her time in Stockton, she served a year in Bristol, and one of her favorite
experiences from the year was her weekly work setting up a toddlers’ craft table.
“I was doing a craft with kids, but then the mums sat down and crafted as well. They would
just open up about their life and struggles. It was a way to connect with people, and it
broadened to where people just opened up about things. I want to create more spaces
where people can come and express what’s going on in their life, maybe through art,
through painting or some creative means. My goal is to do a lot of art-based work here in
Stockton. People get to explore and be empowered through art, and feed the curiosity of
how we were created with a purpose: when you create something for a purpose, and then
you look back at humans and see how we were created for a purpose.”
Mary also hosts weekly women’s “art mornings” at her home in Stockton. Her love for
hosting blends with a desire to create a safe space for others, and offer a time of relaxation
and deeper conversations about faith and life. She has challenged the women that attend to
invite others from the community as well.
About three to four times a week, she frequents local cafes in her area with the intention of
creating art. These cafes all surround a local park, and Mary often sits outside when the
weather permits. She settles down with her art supplies and works on whatever the Holy
Spirit has placed on her heart that day. Other times are spent in prayer and seeking
conversations with the people around her.
Her regular routine has made her a familiar face in the community. People often look for
her and know her as The Painter. Fellow artists also like to show her what they’re working
on, or swap photos and encourage each other in their creative pursuits. Her work is also done with intentionality to have a faith conversation.
During the Christmas season, she painted a special series. “Through Advent, I did some paintings based on different Advent readings. And then I would do them while I was sitting in the cafes and painting, and people would ask me about them. And I’d be like, ‘Well, have you ever heard of Advent?’ And they’d say,‘Well, I have an Advent chocolate calendar.’ So then we would talk about it and it opened up a big
conversation to talk about faith or to ask, ‘Do you believe in Advent? Do you believe in any
of this?’ It just opened doors to make connections.”
Mary’s commitment to Christ and her God-given talents are a great reminder of this verse
from Proverbs 16:3: “Commit your activities to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”
We know that all work done for the Lord is never done in vain. God has crafted each of His
children so differently, and planted in each person a set of interests that can be used to
connect with those around us. One word, one picture, one conversation can truly make a
difference in someone’s life. Seeds will always be planted when we use our gifts for His
purposes.
Mary, who also teaches a weekly after-school children’s art programme, has many aspirations
of how she’d like to expand her creative ministry in the upcoming year. She hopes to get
involved in local live painting events, contribute fundraising towards a cafe that she
frequents, and do more arts ministry in her home.
Author: Alyssa Rose is an intern with Greater Europe Mission serving in Scotland.