faq

YOU NAME IT & I’VE BEEN ASKED IT! HERE ARE A FEW OF THE MOST COMMONLY ASKED! GOT A QUESTION THAT YOU DON’T SEE HERE? EMAIL ME!

TimGagnonORG 1506 Lighthouse Rd., PCB, FL 32407 Tel: 850-532-0348 Email: timgagnonorg@gmail.com

Q: I love the Art, But I don’t know HOW to apply this kind of Ministry to our church. I Don’t know HOW to use you!

A: This question is the HEART of this MINISTRY! How do you incorporate people of “Other Talents” into your services so they can be a part of Corporate Worship? Most churches can easily figure out how to incorporate singers or speakers into a service and guess what, Visual Art is just as easy!

Most churches think they have to find some special event or Holiday to have me out, but not really. This is over thinking a simple problem. As you can see from this photo, I DON’T take up a lot of room on a platform. All I need is a 5X5 square of floor space. I take up the same amount of room as a duet of singers. There are MANY ways to incorporate this type of ministry into a “typical Sunday Service” regardless of the Denomination.

1.Painting DURING WORSHIP. While your Praise Team leads worship I am on stage painting. Dance Ministries are always welcome to join in!
2.A short 10-20 minute Performance with your Dance Ministry set to Track Music.
3.Is your Pastor doing a Sermon series that he/she needs “illustrated”? He can Preach while I paint to his topic, OR I can paint during Worship, keeping the painting on the Platform during the Sermon.
4.Believe it or not, I can actually Preach the House Down! I have many motivational teachings for ALL people and I use ART to illustrate my sermons and bring the message home in a dynamic way! Topics include: Evangelism at Work/School, Private/Corporate Worship, Personal Accountability/Character, and Victorious Christian Living to name a few! Think of me as a Guest Evangelist with a Paintbrush!
5.Worship Conferences. Key Note Speaker/Clinician Speaker. Tim entire ministry is about using your talents as an Act of Worship! Teaching lay people and clergy alike how they can incorporate talents that most of us don’t generally associate with worship into a private or corporate worship setting. This is a powerful and thought provoking teaching that encourages all who hear it!

Bottom Line: You don’t need to make a big fuss for me! I’m pretty easy to work with and very low maintenance! Treat me as you would any guest singer or evangelist and I’ll take care of the rest!

Q: What does the FIRE do?

A: This is the Number 1 question asked! Some people think it dries the paint. Others think it activates the metallic paints I often use. Others get “Super Spiritual” and try to come up with some metaphorical/allegorical reason behind it. The truth is this: I FIRE PAINT because it LOOKS AWESOME!

Q: Are you REALLY painting with FIRE?

A: This is sort of a “TRADE SECRET” but the quick answer is YES & NO. My brushes are ON FIRE (obviously), but there is also metallic paint (iridescent medium) on my brushes. When I light up, I am actually highlighting areas of the painting with the metallic paint, giving it an iridescent sheen. So paint IS being applied, with a brush that is ALSO on fire!

Q: Is the FIRE SAFE?

A: FIRE is NEVER safe. Whenever you work with fire you need to take precautions and I do. I have plenty of water in a bucket at my feet, a soaked rag on my belt and a fire extinguisher with a trained volunteer ready to put me out if needed! The fire is actually not that big a flame either. I make it look bigger by turning the lights low or off and moving the brushes around a lot so that the flame trails behind.

Q: I saw someone else on Christian TV painting with fire and it wasn’t you!

A: I can’t confirm or deny that because I didn’t see it. I’m not the ONLY Christian Performing Visual Artist and you can’t exactly copyright “Painting with Fire” so there really isn’t anything I can do about it. I have been painting with fire since 2005 with vids on Youtube and Godtube since then too so I guess it’s like they say, “IMITATION is the greatest form of FLATTERY!” LOL

Q: Do you PLAN your paintings or are you “LED BY THE SPIRIT”?

A: It depends, sometimes I can “Wing It” and just let the paint fly. Other times, especially if its for a special occasion, I need to plan something that works with the theme of the event.

Q: How do you paint such large pieces so fast?

A: PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!

Q: Can you paint me a picture? Do you do Commissioned Art?

A: Yes I can and do. I can paint a portrait of a loved one, or interpret a favorite scripture, dream or vision you had. Understand that I have TWO DISTINCT STYLES that I work in. When I perform, I paint very quickly, painting with a modified impressionistic approach. In the studio I like to take my time and use much more detail Look through my gallery and decide which style you like and contact me to discuss.

Q: How much does a commissioned piece cost?

A: Quick Answer: Imagine what you would pay a Reputable Photographer (not Wal*Mart) to do a Family Portrait or Wedding and double or triple it.

Real Answer: Without sounding like I’m trying to dodge the question, prices for Commissioned Pieces vary greatly! Am I working from a PHOTO or from LIFE (a live model)? What is the Medium (Pastel, Acrylic or Oils)? What Size in the original? All these must be factored in!

People tend to get “STICKER SHOCK” when they see how much a commissioned Painted Portrait costs, but when you realize what you are actually “buying” it puts it all into perspective.

For most people, the closest comparison you have is getting your Senior Pictures, Wedding Pictures or Family Portraits done from a reputable Photographer (not the photo place in the Super WAL*Mart). First you pay a hefty “Studio or On Location” shoot fee. Then you have the Photo Packages which vary greatly, not to mention matting and framing. Typically the entire process can range from $500 - $3000 or more! That is quite a range!

Without disparaging the art of photography, comparing a photographic portrait session with the EXPERIENCE of having and artist Paint your Portrait is like comparing apples to a gourmet meal! In a photo portrait, you are buying the end result...the photo. You are CAPTURING a moment of TIME - a split second actually. You take hundreds of pictures shot in a matter of hours, decide the ones you like (usually after a lot of photoshop work), and the images are then mass produced in whatever size and quantity you want. A good photographer will make the shoot fun and capture your personality, but it is a snapshot of a moment captured in time that can be copied exactly thousands upon thousands of times.

When you commission a portrait what you are really buying is twofold. The EXPERIENCE and the ART.

The EXPERIENCE of sitting in the studio (for hours and sometimes days), as the artist captures your likeness with paint and brush is a very primal and humbling process. You connect with the artist at a very deep, emotional level. A good artist captures a piece of your soul (who you are), combines it with a piece of their own soul (who they are) and immortalizes it it onto a canvas. It is an experience you will never forget and cherish forever.

The completed PORTRAIT is a one of a kind, hand crafted piece of fine art. Even if you made the highest quality prints, they would be nowhere near the same as the original. The textures, brushstrokes, light refraction and tones would not even be comparable to the original. The power, tone and feel of an original piece of fine art is as unique as a diamond and in some cases even more valuable. Fine art increases in value over time, becomes a true heirloom and will last hundreds of years if not a millennium. Five hundred years or more from now, when your photos have faded to dust, a portrait of your child could be hanging up in a museum on the other side of the world!

How much is that worth?