Eileen Tully/Joy to the World: An Advent Art Meditation

  • $5

Joy to the World: An Advent Art Meditation

  • Webinar
  • Started Dec 16, 2025 at 11:00 AM EST

This popular workshop is back in time for Advent! What is joy? How does it differ from happiness? Join me for this one-hour watercolor workshop that uses color to explore the ways that we can find abiding joy despite our circumstances. We'll meditate on scriptures while we paint using basic watercolor tools and uncover how the virtues of faith, hope, and love help us to understand joy in this season of waiting.

"...the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

How do we find joy when we're suffering?

Saint James tells us to "consider it all joy" when we face trials (James 1:2), but how do we do this?

Even Jesus himself wept when Lazarus died, and suffered intensely in His passion, but Hebrews 12:2 tells us that He endured the cross "for the joy set before him."

What does this mean, and how do we find this kind of joy for ourselves?

Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, so finding it must have something to do with the Holy Spirit working in our lives.

We'll use color and simple artwork to to discover what it means to find the joy that the scriptures and our faith talk about.

Here's what you'll need

Please note: usually, my art coaching workshops allow for any colorful medium - crayons, colored pencils, markers - but this one is specifically going to use watercolors.

  • Watercolor paints - even the small, inexpensive sets you can find in the grocery store, dollar store or your local art supply store like Michael's or Hobby Lobby are fine. You'll want a set that has a variety of colors, not a monochromatic or neutral palette.

  • It will be ideal if you have watercolor paper (which you can also find at the art supply store), but card stock or even printer paper can work as well.

  • Your set will probably come with a paint brush, but if it doesn't, you'll want one of those, too. Ideally, it will be a relatively thin one and not a thick, flat brush or fan brush.

  • A glass of water

  • If you're not sure about choosing your own materials, click here for an inexpensive set on Amazon that comes with paint, brushes, and watercolor paper with fast shipping for Prime members. It has everything you need (except the water).

Don't worry about your artistic ability

You do not have to be an artist to do this!

There are no special art skills needed

It's the process of being creative while we meditate on these topics that makes lasting changes in our hearts and minds. The simple artwork helps to do the heart work!

"Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5

This is one of the monthly workshops offered inside our Community!

join Those Who Mourn Community

You can purchase access to this workshop on its own, or get it as part of our growing libratmonthly workshops - along with a book club, discussion group, grief support, and ALL of the things that are offered inside our community.