NOT

MY

HANDS

Story and Photos by: Whitney Hackbarth

I want art to be my ministry.

Sitting hunched over the pottery wheel in
the Colorado State University art studio,
Britta Horsfalls hands gently caress the
clay pot shes creating. She keeps her
eyes steadily on her work as she talks
about her passion for art and for people.
Her clothes are covered in clay dust,
but she doesnt seem to care. Spinning a
piece of clay on the wheel into a pot
comes second nature for her. I started at
9, she says. Its my comfort zone. Its
familiar.
In her second year as an art student at
CSU, Britta has stepped way beyond her
comfort zone to hone her skills. Ive
learned not to make my art precious, she
says as her foot intuitively kicks the wheel

26 | MARCH 2016

every few moments. I dont want to be

an artist that is good at fixing stuff; I want
to be good from the beginning.

MORE THAN A HOBBY

Its easy to tell that art is not just a hobby
for Horsfall to do to pass the time. Her
work involves her faith in God and her
passion for life. My only goal is to touch
people with my art, she says. Thats the
best avenue I see my art going down.
Horsfalls art has had the chance to
impact people as close as roommates to
people in her art classes who shes never
spoken with. In class when we critique
each others work, Ive watched her
critics captivated by how amazing her
skill set is, says Aubrey Bender, second

year art education major, of her close

friend and roommate.
People know that there is something
deeper in her work and they will approach
her outside of the classroom and share
with her how her art has impacted them.
Bender and Horsfall became good friends
a year ago when they were both placed in
the art hallway in their freshman dorm.
I want to see her art change hearts,
Bender says. It already is in the
classroom. Britta has a heart for serving
people and I want to see people changed
by her art.
Even though Britta is a talented artist,
she is still constantly growing. I have
watched her push herself and grow from
the process of trusting that what she is
doing in a piece is the right thing and that

her process is going in the right

direction, Aubrey says. She has become
more sure of herself and more confident
in the process.
Its clear that Horsfalls drive and
passion are quick to impact the people
around her. Gary Keimig, art professor at
Colorado State University, has only had
Horsfall as a student for one semester in
figure drawing, but she left a lasting
impression. Britta had a passion for her
work and she was truly interested,
Keimig says. I watched her improve
dramatically because she was engaged
and self-motivated. She had the
enthusiasm to put time into figure
drawing, which many students think they
can easily pick up.

FEARLESS
Brittas approach to art is different than
most. While a lot of artists stick to what
they know and what is comfortable, she
pushes herself into more. Her passion is
fearless, Bender says. Its rooted in
what she knows: truth. She is able to
fearlessly go forward with each piece with
no reserves. Her fearlessness shows when
her art is based off of revelations.
In the year that shes known her,
Aubrey has played a huge role in Brittas
art journey. Ive helped her from a
technical standpoint by telling her what to
change compositionally, but Ive also
helped her from a spiritual standpoint,
she says. Britta is an external processer
so Im there for her to share her
revelations and bounce ideas off.
Aubrey remembers a specific time
when Britta did a painting of the Red
Woods. It really impacted her because she
knew how much Britta loved them. I
watched her struggle with not being
content with her work because she
couldnt see the finished product, she
said. She didnt want a lot of feedback
on her piece, so I was there to simply
bring joy. Whenever Britta would get
frustrated, they would go to the studio
after hours, put on music, and just dance.

Then she would go back to her work and

everything was OK. She realized that her
frustrations werent as big as she thought
they were, Aubrey says.
Its not often that you
hear a college student
changing the lives of their
professors. Britta asked
me to go beyond the level
of engagement I often have
with students, Keimig
says. I was very personal
with her and we developed
a friendship. I hope to
continue being friends with
her; that doesnt happen
with most students.
Fearlessness
has
become a trademark in Horsfalls work.
She doesnt shy away from what her
piece means to her, Bender says. She
says what needs to be said and trusts that
the people who need to hear the message
will hear it. Ive seen her fearlessness
more amplified when she says, Theres
no point for me to not say what the piece
means for me.

calling over your life, you are more rested

then youve ever been.
Stories from her experience with
prophetic art on her mission trip in
Bangladesh
continued to pop up
throughout the entire
conversation. People
would line up at their
prophetic art booths
to receive prayer, the
Holy Spirit would
show her pictures for
each individual, and
she would draw
whatever she saw.
Art is a universal
language, Horsfall
says. In Bangladesh, it was my vehicle
for interacting with people.
During her time there, Britta lived in
villages where people spoke other
languages and their team had few
translators. She knew that when she left
the country, people would have something
to hold onto through her art. Stopping for
someone and sacrificing for that person
really influences them, she says. Its not
about the art; its about the people.
One family in the village really
brought this home for Horsfall. I had
made prophetic art for both the husband
and wife individually before I found out
that they had both become saved, she
says. This made me realize that prophetic
art is out of my hands; I have no control
or responsibility for what I make if I dont
know the people Im creating for. Theres
a lack of expectation and it gives God a
better stage so that I dont get in the way
of Him working.
Horsfall describes it simply: Im
drawing what I see; thats all it is.

I realized that
when youre in
Gods calling over
your life, you are
more rested then
youve ever
been.

DRAWING WHAT I SEE

Prophetic art has been a huge part of this
journey for her. She describes it as being
an open heaven for people and being
their ears in times of confusion. This is
how she desires God to use her passion to
reach people. Prophetic art is a tangible
way of bringing healing to people,
Horsfall says. It gives me a heaven
perspective and requires my pieces to
include hope.
It started as an innocent passion in
high school. I was super into art that was
creepy and disenchanting, she says.
During my senior year of high school, I
became discontent with my lifestyle. At
this point, I didnt know what to make
anymore and I would find myself
thinking, how can I make my art weird
enough?
When she returned from winter break,
something had changed in her relationship
with God. The first piece I made
coming back was a very therapeutic
ceramic bowl. I started writing
random thoughts and Bible verses on
it, not intentionally, but it felt
authentic, Horsfall remembers. This
piece not only fed my soul, but it also
started influencing other people. I
realized that when youre in Gods

FAITH FOR THE FUTURE

This is only the beginning of what Britta
hopes to do with her work. My ultimate
dream is to see people set free from
spiritual ware fare, mental illnesses, and
to see their shackles fall off, she says.
Its obvious that Horsfall wants her
relationship with God to be completely
integrated into her work and in whatever
she ends up doing with her art after
school. I want my pieces to carry
righteousness, she says. I want the
presence of God to be on my work
without me doing anything. When people
see it, I want them to see the gospel.

27 | MARCH 2016