Published on
June 4, 2004
A biography of artist and painter, Virginia Wieringa.

Featured Artist

For 34 years I’ve taught art, first to elementary students and then college students. I have studied painting and drawing and experimented with many media and subjects. Recently, I retired from teaching and look forward to devoting more time to my own artwork.

I’m a member of Church of the Servant Christian Reformed Church and serve on the art committee. It’s a dynamic congregation with many professional artists in the membership. We have many unique pieces of liturgical art that are utilized throughout the year and have a yearly art show of artwork by members of the congregation.

For me the art process is meditative as are long walks in nature with my husband. My recent work has trees, water and paths that have their roots in our walks and experiences in nature. They are also inspired by Biblical references like “paths of righteousness” (Psalm 23), “teach me your paths” (Psalm 25) and “…may your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love” (Ephesians 3:17b) and also “let all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord” (Psalm 96:12).

A recent series, “Trees by the River” was started in 1997 while a child in our church was battling cancer. It was a battle he lost. Many people grew deeper roots spiritually from knowing him and his family during this time. Walking alongside his family led me into more paintings of trees and water. These, in turn, led me to rendering groups of trees and paths through wooded areas. I’ve been thinking of people following the paths where God leads in a walk of faith and the mystery of the unfolding roads around the corners of our lives.

The “Hidden Arithmetic” series that I’ve worked on recently are abstractions of the Michigan woods. I’m reminded of how God numbers the stars in the sky and the hairs on our heads. Psalm 139:16-17 says: “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.” (NIV) To me, the mysteries of God’s varying plans for his children and the numbers of ways that he teaches and blesses are like the ever-changing compositions and arrangements in the woods. Psalm 90:12 says: “Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are: help us to spend them as we should.” (LB) It’s arithmetic that’s hidden from us, but we can trust his calculation.