Minooka pastor creates a variety of art pieces in his spare time

MINOOKA – Arol McFadden, lead pastor at Minooka Bible Church, had just sold his 4-by-4-foot Statue of Liberty painting, when state Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, stopped to admire it and asked if he would commission a 3-foot version for her.

McFadden, who said he dabbles in art only occasionally, was happy to do so. When he completed the new rendition, Rezin came to Minooka Bible Church to pick it up.

“He has a unique style that I have not seen,” Rezin said.

The festival that started it all

McFadden hadn’t considered participating in Morris’ Liberty Arts Festival until he was invited to do so. McFadden said he had sold one of his works at a Morris gallery last year and thought it might have spurred the invitation.

It was an opportunity to use up the pile of 100-year-old maple floorboard piled up in his garage, a gift from a friend who remodeled their apartment. For McFadden, the wood was the perfect canvas.

“Each piece had been beaten up, scratched, dinged and stained, so it already had a history,” McFadden said. “I wanted to paint something on it that told a story.”

However, the stories had to reflect the wood: challenging and imperfect, but full of beauty when one looks back on it, McFadden said. Some of his depictions included the Statue of Liberty, Emma Lazarus’ entire poem “The New Colossus,” and Martin Luther King Jr. on the road to civil rights.

McFadden said he painted 10 to 12 different works.

Their creation took McFadden about six weeks total, working at odd times, such as when his children were playing outside or sleeping. To further enhance the depiction of those stories, McFadden said he used a combination of different paints – acrylics, oil and spray.

“It’s a fun process to experiment and see what works best,” McFadden added.

McFadden’s personal art history

McFadden said he was the art editor for his high school newspaper and has worked through the years with pencil, ink, paint and digital graphic design.

In the 17 years McFadden has been on staff at Minooka Bible – four as lead pastor – McFadden has lent his artistic talents to various projects, but nothing where McFadden said he can assume credit.

McFadden said he has no website of sample art. There is only one place he has any art that is 100 percent his creation. “In my garage,” he said.

At the Liberty Arts Festival, McFadden received an invitation to the Ottawa Riverfest, where he won an honorable mention for his submitted work. The festival invitations provided the perfect opportunity for creating art, he said – as well as conversing about art with other artists and art lovers.

At the Ottawa Riverfest, Rezin said she was so impressed with McFadden’s work that she bought one of his 4-by-4-foot Lincoln paintings to hang over her fireplace at home.

“I think he has a tremendous talent,” Rezin said, “and that he will soon be very popular and sell a tremendous amount of his paintings.”

The Christian perspective

Being an artist in no way conflicts with McFadden’s first passion and duty – leading people to Christ. If anything, the vocation enhances it.

McFadden used this analogy: Unlike some artists, he likes when people look over his shoulder and scratch their heads while he unfolds the chaos of colors. McFadden likes when he shows the final product and they say, “Now I see.”

“They’re willing to come along for the ride and trust that I know what I’m doing,” McFadden said.

McFadden said God infused the desire to create in everyone, whether that person is creating a traditional art piece, garden or spreadsheet, he said. As creator, God also is an artist, McFadden said.

“He’s this amazing creative artist that comes to his broken creation that has no form and breathes into it new life and transforming it in a way that only he can,” McFadden said.

McFadden also believes part of the spiritual walk consists of coming along for God’s ride, assured God knows what he’s doing.

“I’m trusting this great creator more than I trust my own ability and more than I trust my own doubt,” McFadden said.