Beauty Leads Us Closer to God

by Susan Bergman

As a busy mom of eight, Marcie Stammen of North Star rarely stopped to think about her journey with art. Looking back, she can see how God planted this gift in her early years and gently drew her back to it when the time was right.

“I always loved to draw and sketch, and my mom took notice of my abilities,” she said. “She took me to see my great-aunt, who was an artist, for lessons. Her hands were bent with age, but she could still draw beautifully. It was amazing to see, and I picked up on it easily.”

From that spark, art became a thread woven throughout Marcie’s life. She studied art in college, but as her family grew, creative pursuits faded to the background. “For a long time, it was just a hobby,” she said. “Motherhood was my priority, but when all the kids went to school, I started painting again.”

That return to art came with both nerves and a touch of grace. When asked to paint a mural of the Last Supper for a neighbor’s dining room, Marcie felt rusty and unsure, but the project renewed her. She started taking online classes to fine-tune her skills, including one focused on finding her artistic voice. At first, she was frustrated because she only drew what she saw, but through prayer and discernment, she created a portrait of Mother Teresa. In that moment, she realized her voice as an artist was meant to bring others comfort, hope, and peace through spiritual art.

“Visual art helps others encounter Christ through images,” she said. “It is a good complement to our faith. We see so many unholy things in the world today. Sacred art is different. It is what we and our society need.”

From then on, Marcie’s art became more than images. It became woven into her prayer life. She began incorporating old Scripture text from hymnals and antique Bibles into her pieces. She found herself painting while listening to sacred music and noticed how much peace it brought her. Curious, she researched the connection between artistry and anxiety. “Looking back, I see what God was doing,” she said. “Painting calmed me, and I wanted to share that gift of peace with others.”

Her reflection “Art and Anxiety” grew from those insights and is now a free guide that helps others explore creativity as prayer. In it, she invites readers to meditate on images, doodle in journals, or let daily tasks become prayers. “God is the Creator, and we are made in His image,” she said. “That means we are all capable of creativity. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be prayerful.”

Marcie’s work began impacting others in new ways. She recently led two live-painting fundraisers in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati that raised more than $10,000 for parish missions. At an event for St. John the Baptist Church in Maria Stein, she created an image of the historic church before the devastating fire of May 2025 and incorporated pages from an 1883 German Bible she found at the nearby retreat center. “I sat down and prayed, and God pointed it out to me,” she said. “If something happened to my parish, I would be devastated. I wanted this piece to be a prayer of hope for their future.”

Looking ahead, Marcie hopes to continue merging her artistic talent with fundraising for nonprofits and Catholic ministries. Her prayer is simple: may God use my brush to inspire faith, healing, and generosity.

“I want people to know that beauty can lead us closer to God,” she said. “Art is not just decoration. It is prayer, healing, and evangelization.”

Explore Marcie’s reflections and artwork, including her free resource, “Art and Anxiety,” at artbymarcie.com.

This article appeared in the March 2026 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.