Painting for Sarah Bagwell is a form of prayer. Her
paintings express God's mercy and his love, and her
life's goal is to use her gift of art in service to
others. Sarah, the daughter of Sue and Rev. Bill
Bagwell of Trinity United Methodist Church, is a
senior at Warner Robins High School. She plans to
pursue her studies in Fine Arts at LaGrange College
this fall.
Her favorite painting, Blessed, was one of the
three pieces of art Sarah showed the judges for the
Telegraph's 2007 Golden Eagle Awards. Sarah won
Honorable Mention in Art on April 10.
When Sarah describes her paintings, she tells about
her faith. "I painted Blessed, a picture of Mary
pregnant with Jesus, in my 10th grade year. It was the
first painting that I actually felt God's presence
thoughout while I painted. It was the first piece for
me to use art to express my faith. That's when I knew
that art was a special talent that God had given me. I
named that painting Blessed, because Mary was blessed
to have been chosen to be the mother of Jesus,"
Sarah said.
Sarah painted The Foot Washing, shown on the cover
of this issue, last month.
"The Foot Washing is painted in acrylics. It
shows a foot washing, with the two people waiting to
have their feet washed painted in plain, neutral
tones, but the person who has just had his feet washed
is shown in vibrant colors, glowing with God's mercy
and love. Most of my paintings come from what I read
in the Bible. The Foot Washing came from the story
found in John 13:5-15," Sarah said.
Inspired by the teaching methods of her art
teacher, Grace Sharpe, Sarah wants to teach high
school art in a low-income, urban setting.
"In an urban setting, kids are facing more
types of conflict and violence and drugs, and I would
like to help them realize that creativity is a way of
expressing yourself and that you can use art to
express your emotions. I've always wanted to be in
service and teaching art would be one way I could be
of service here in the United States. I'm still open
to what God's plans are for me. I was raised in a
Christian household and my dad's a minister, so the
possibility that I might go into the ministry is still
open, but teaching is where I think He is guiding me
right now in my life," Sarah said.
The Bagwell family moved to Warner Robins in July
2005. Sarah and her twin sister, Rachel, started
Warner Robins High in their junior year.
In addition to her art and her schoolwork, Sarah is
active in outreach at Trinity United Methodist Church.
She has been on three separate mission trips to the
Gulf Coast and one to Hinton Rural Life Center in
Appalachia. Sarah also sings in the New Horizons Youth
Choir.
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