meeting the Beerhorst family

"Pen Pal" by Rick Beerhorst

I stopped by the Beerhorst Family Christmas Art Show on Fuller today. The three youngest Beerhorst kids attend the Kid's Club at my church and through them I learned about their buzzing, creative family. The entire family--mom plus dad plus six kids-- creates art through which they earn their living. A few times a year the family pulls out their creations and throws open the doors to their house. People come from all over to wander through and purchase everything from potholders to rugs to mobiles to monster sock puppets to cards to sketches to oil paintings. There's something for people looking to blow $10 or $10,000.

When I walked into their house I was so very excited to realize that I know the work of their dad Rick Beerhorst via his woodcuts for Cross-Shattered Christ, a Lenten devotional book Brazos published a few years ago. I loved the images in that book so much that when I led a small group through the book I made a point to copy the images for everyone along with the weekly reading. And I included them on my blog here, here, here, and here.

Rick and I had a warm conversation in his studio and I met more of the kids. The Beerhorsts homeschool/unschool their kids and live close to the earth with a huge garden, chickens, and rabbits taking up most of their urban backyard (they live less than two miles from me). They're carving out thoughtful lives for themselves. And while I trust life in their house is far from utopian, it is kind of inspiring to see them so alert to the world and each other and God.

Rick writes about his art and his life (they are not so distinct) here.