LIVELY SPIRIT LIVES IN ABBEY ART COLORFUL WORK TO BE FEATURED AT FALL FESTIVAL.Byline: Peggy Hager Staff Writer VALYERMO - A trip to Malibu beach Malibu Beach (măl`ĭb  ), resort and residential area (1990 est. pop. 10,000), S Calif., W of Los Angeles and near Santa Monica. inspired the Rev. Maur Van Doorslaer to create a ceramic plaque. The white-haired Belgian monk rode a scooter scooter: see motorcycle. for the first time, then returned to St. Andrew's Abbey St. Andrew's Abbey is a Benedictine monastery of men located in Valyermo, California. In 1929, St. Andrew's Abbey in Bruges, Belgium founded St. Andrew's Priory in China. Until 1953, the monks of St. Andrew's Priory conducted missionary work among the Chinese. to see a young boy riding his own scooter around in front of the abbey's ceramics shop. The result: an angel riding a scooter. ``I like the beach,'' said Van Doorslaer, sitting Thursday in the shade outside the abbey ceramics shop door, sketching new designs. ``When I go to the beach, I make many drawings.'' Van Doorslaer's ceramic plaques - depicting policemen angels, nurse angels, St. Francis or St. Monica or St. Luke and crosses or California missions - are among the attractions at the abbey's annual Fall Festival, which will be held Saturday and Sunday. Some 20,000 visitors are expected for the festival, the 43rd annual one hosted by the monastery founded by Benedictine monks after they were expelled from Communist China. ``Father brings spirituality into everyday life,'' explained Tim Benedict, ceramics manager at the abbey for 12 years. ``Most ideas are from requests. Occasionally he will be inspired.'' Van Doorslaer's most recent design is a depiction of Jesus There is no undisputed historical depiction of Jesus. The most common illustration are Christian icons. Images flourished in Medieval art. Most surviving images of Jesus have in common a number of appearance traits which are now almost universally associated with Jesus surfing at the beach - a three-tile set. Van Doorslaer's other designs include Jesus roller-skating with friends at Venice Beach and driving in a car, besides the more traditional plaques of saints and angels. His angels are surgeons, clowns, mechanics, travel agents and workers in other occupations - just about any that can be thought of. Van Doorslaer began designing ceramics at the abbey in 1965 when he was sent there from his home monastery, Sint Andries Abjij in Belgium, to help the 9-year-old monastery raise money to support itself. ``I found a little kiln . . . and asked if I could use,'' explained Van Doorslaer, who speaks mainly French and Flemish. Well-known in Belgium for his abstract paintings, making use of varying shades of Noun 1. shades of - something that reminds you of someone or something; "aren't there shades of 1948 here?" reminder - an experience that causes you to remember something white, Van Doorslaer used his skills in ceramics for the benefit of his new home. He begins a ceramic piece by sketching his design on paper. Then he transfers it through carbon paper onto a slab of plaster of Paris. He incises his design into the plaster to form the mold. The plaques are created by pressing a slab of clay into the design mold with a rolling pin. The clay is carefully peeled off, trimmed and then allowed to dry. When thoroughly dry, the clay is fired in a kiln. The bisque bisque 1 n. 1. a. A rich, creamy soup made from meat, fish, or shellfish. b. A thick cream soup made of puréed vegetables. 2. Ice cream mixed with crushed macaroons or nuts. plaques are painted by hand - by workers in their homes - with colored glazes and then fired a second time, producing the final product. Ten thousand ceramic plaques are expected to be sold at this year's festival, the major fund-raiser for the monastery and its youth retreat center. Van Doorslaer will be on hand both Saturday and Sunday to sign his ceramic plaques for customers. ``The people are very nice,'' he said ``Some people give suggestion.'' Originally sold only at the abbey, the ceramic plaques are now available through mail order and at nearly 1,000 stores in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. and Canada. Benedict said the monks hope to have a Web site available for orders by early next year. People on the Web can order a catalog catalog, descriptive list, on cards or in a book, of the contents of a library. Assurbanipal's library at Nineveh was cataloged on shelves of slate. The first known subject catalog was compiled by Callimachus at the Alexandrian Library in the 3d cent. B.C. of ceramic items by e-mail at ceramics(at)valyermo.com. Directions to the abbey are available by calling (661) 944-2178 or on the web at www.valyermo.com. Festival Facts FEATURES: Music, dancing, food, art sale, boutique, book sale. DATE: Saturday and Sunday TIME: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. both days PLACE: St. Andrew's Abbey, Pallet Creek Road at Fort Tejon This article has multiple issues: * It does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by citing reliable sources. * It needs to be expanded. Road in Valyermo. ADMISSION: Free PARKING: $4. DIRECTIONS: Take Longview Road south from Highway 138 in Pearblossom. Follow the signs to the abbey. CAPTION(S): 3 photos, box Photo: (1 -- color -- ran in AV edition only) Jesus and skating friends hold hands in the Southland south·land or South·land n. A region in the south of a country or an area. south  land·er n.Noun 1. in a series of ceramic tiles by the Rev. Maur Van Doorslaer. He has made many tiles for the Valyermo Fall Festival to be held Saturday and Sunday at St. Andrew's Abbey near Pearblossom. (2 -- color in Verb 1. color in - add color to; "The child colored the drawings"; "Fall colored the trees"; "colorize black and white film" color, colorise, colorize, colour in, colourise, colourize, colour AV edition only) Monk-artist Maur Van Doorslaer lines the walls of his workshop at St. Andrew's Abbey with his fanciful fan·ci·ful adj. 1. Created in the fancy; unreal: a fanciful story. 2. Tending to indulge in fancy: a fanciful mind. 3. ceramics. (3 -- ran in AV edition only) Belgium-born monk-artist Maur Van Doorslaer holds a plaque in which an angel rides a scooter in the Southland. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer Box: Festival Facts (see text) |
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