Botanical artists pray through their drawings

YAMAGATA, Japan (UCAN) — Kiyohiko Sugisaki and his wife Fumiko express their love of God through plants — not by growing them but drawing them.

The elderly couple from Yamagata Church, Yamagata City, are both botanical artists and by drawing plants everyday, they say they are touched by the providence of God.

When Fumiko sees all kinds of flora blossoming, she feels that “plants and humans share life.” Through the magnificence of the evolution of plants, their colors and shapes, one can see “the work of God,” she said.

“Botanical art is the combination of botany and art to show the design of God. I have this feeling while I draw,” Kiyohiko said.

Both Kiyohiko, 70, and Fumiko, 65, have come to believe that God helped them discover this profession after Kiyohiko underwent a major transformation in his life 28 years ago and learned botanical art by chance.

At that time, Kiyohiko’s life was wrapped around a successful career in an oil company. “I was the one feeding my family,” he said, and added that he had no interest in religion then.

Turning point in their lives

But his world fell apart when he was demoted following a restructuring of his company.

He suddenly had more time on his hands and Fumiko encouraged him to take up drawing, something he had never been particularly interested in. They both then set about learning to draw from a well-known botanical artist.

Three years later, Kiyohiko resigned from his job and started his own studio.

His interest in Christianity developed soon after, again as a result of his wife’s influence. Against his wishes, Fumiko had been sending their children to a Church-run kindergarten which had been a source of some conflict between the two.

It was then that Fumiko persuaded Kiyohiko to attend a Marriage Encounter meeting, which he found inspiring.

His interest in Catholicism grew when Father Misao Kawamata of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary visited them one day and first paid tribute to the Buddhist statute in their home. This greatly impressed Kiyohiko.

After visiting another Sacred Heart priest, the couple decided to get baptized.

They say that these experiences were truly the work of God, and thank God for making them realize that “drawing is praying.”

JA08748.1588 February 10, 2010 38 EM-lines (379 words)

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