YOUR STORY MATTERS HERE: Carolyn Parker

“Art is a way of seeing,” explained Carolyn Parker.

Her artist’s perspective is the lens through which she sees and also through which she lives. Carolyn said the hymn “This Is My Father’s World,” nicely captures her understanding of how God, nature, and art come together in her life. The hymn is one she first learned years ago, and which continues to resonate with her. The lyrics to the first verse are:

This is my Father's world,
And to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world:
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas--
His hand the wonders wrought.

“The hymn means a lot to me,” Carolyn said. “It’s one of the first hymns I remember singing and loving…the lyrics are embedded in my heart. The words are the words an artist would love—an artist needs eyes and hands—and God’s help to see. You have to be willing to ‘Be still and know that I am God,’ to paint what God’s spirit is showing me.”

That connection with God through nature has manifested in Carolyn’s art no matter the medium, but especially in her love of Plein Air painting. Plein Air artists try to paint the spirit of a landscape while on location, capturing natural light and shadow, Carolyn explained.

“I can be outside and experience the beautiful expanse of nature,” Carolyn said. For her, it’s a way of really noticing God’s creation. That appreciation of “a God moment,” as Carolyn describes it, is a special part of her life which helps her in her art.

Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Carolyn described herself as an average student. She took her first art class by chance during her senior year of high school, and then proceeded to use every elective in her college years to take whatever art courses she could find.

Carolyn earned a degree in elementary education from Buffalo State University. She taught school in North Tonawanda, NY, before marrying her first husband, Clancy. They moved to Rochester for Clancy’s job at Eastman Kodak. They raised two children, Chris and Amy, together before Clancy passed away in 1991, after 24 years of marriage.

During those early years, Carolyn first taught third and fourth graders.

“I was known for papering my classroom walls with the kids’ artwork and projects,” Carolyn explained. “We always did lots of visual projects and the principal knew I loved art.” The art teacher at Carolyn’s school was a close friend who died in a car accident. Carolyn stepped in as the art teacher that year and began pursuing certification in art education.

After Clancy died, Carolyn found solace in her art. She took an evening print-making class at the Rochester Institute of Technology while teaching four-year-olds on campus during the day.

Carolyn met her second husband, Steve Parker, at church in Rochester.

“She was in a group looking for volunteers to be ushers, and she got a husband instead of just an usher!” laughed Steve.

Steve had two sons in college and worked as a CPA and Controller in the Rochester area. The two hit it off immediately and married the next year. Having two families with kids in college came with some challenges.

“My dad died three years after my mother and Clancy,” Carolyn explained. “I was very close to my mom, however Steve’s mom was wonderful. When I married Steve, I got a whole new family, in addition to my own!”

The Parkers moved to Cranberry Township at the end of 2015 to be closer to one of Steve’s sons and his family. The couple enjoys having hands-on fun with one of their grandkids. Carolyn has two grandkids in Madrid, Spain.

Almost immediately, Carolyn was jured with the Cranberry Artists Network, but it took a bit longer to find a church home. They visited Dutilh Church the first time for Christmas 2015, as well as checking out a few other churches in the vicinity of new home. They joined one for more than a year. However, the church was a bit out of the way, especially during the snowy winter months.

The Parkers decided to return to Dutilh for the Palm Sunday service in 2017.

“It was Youth Sunday,” Carolyn recalled. “Every young person would say ‘Dutilh,’ so we finally knew how to pronounce it!” she laughed – the word had been a challenge for more than a year. “I also heard that name, ‘Dutilh,’ as ‘Do till’ – as in ‘Do till the earth and plant seeds,’ which gave the name meaning. We started to attend here and we loved the balance of the gifts of both Pastor Tom and Pastor Jim.”

In addition to the benefit of proximity, Dutilh has been a resource for getting involved, which has created new friendships.

“Dutilh feels like it’s just the right size,” Carolyn explained. “It’s small enough that we have made lots of friends and gotten to know people, but big enough to have the spirit of inclusiveness to someone new.”

Carolyn has also found a home in Dutilh’s choir.

“I would never have said I’m a singer,” Carolyn said, “but being in the choir is an amazing experience. There’s something to the idea that God will give me the voice to sing if I am just open to it. There’s a lot of power in hymns and the music we sing, thanks to Maureen’s enthusiasm. We do it as a ministry to the congregation, but the lyrics also speak to your heart as a singer. So often, you receive more than you give just by saying, ‘Yes, I’ll do that.’ Each time you become involved, your circle of friends grows—a true blessing.”

Carolyn found a connection with Sue Woods over their shared love of gardening.  Carolyn is part of the Gardening Ministry with Sue, Kay Rimer, Dee Hamerly, and Debbie Mariotti—the women are responsible for the care of the flowers and foliage around Dutilh’s front entrances. She has also made friends through Dutilh’s quilting ministry and going on women’s retreats.

Perhaps the most personally significant way that Carolyn lives out Dutilh’s mission to “love God, love others, and love to serve,” is by sharing the gift of her art.

In January, Carolyn found a way to do just that.

While sitting in the waiting room of her doctor’s office, Carolyn was struck by how sterile and drab the surroundings were. Knowing that many patients feel anxious while waiting, Carolyn had the inspiration to help create a more positive and peaceful—even healing—environment for others.

“I shared with my doctor that I wanted to give the practice some of my paintings—something visual that could be uplifting while patients are alone in the waiting room. It’s good medicine,” Carolyn explained.

Carolyn met with the physicians and office manager, who selected 11 paintings as an initial effort to revamp the space. Carolyn matted and framed the images, which now hang in the office and give it a very different feel.

“I asked myself, ‘What can I do to help? Do I have anything to give during this pandemic?’” Carolyn recalled. “I wanted to do something because I am part of this community, and everyone has something to give. You might not be able to be in a food pantry handing out food. You give what you can. God's beauty, through my artwork, was my way to give back.”

All of it – the various artistic mediums, the music, the appreciation for nature and gardening through travel – adds up to a life lived with a particular lens for viewing and engaging with the world. Carolyn said being an artist allows her to pay attention to God’s creation and to appreciate the glory of the world around her. Her faith is very much tied up in her passion as an artist.

Much like another verse of the aforementioned hymn,

This is my Father's world:
He shines in all that's fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,
He speaks to me everywhere.  

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If you or someone you know in the Dutilh family has an interesting story or profession, send us your ideas! We would love to help tell the story. Email: communications@dutilhumc.org.