On Hallowed Ground: An Interview with the Artist, Bart Forbes

By Jenna Pitman, Director of Communications

If you’ve visited our new Parish Hall, it’s impossible to miss the enormous painting over the stairs. The painting’s rolling hills, bright flowers, and winding country road invite us into a serene Texas landscape. On Hallowed Ground is more than a beautiful depiction of the Texas countryside. It is a testimony to what can happen when we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our steps.

A Life Shaped by Art

The artist, Bart Forbes, has been a parishioner at Saint Michael for over 50 years. He was born into a family of Episcopalians and started attending Saint Michael when he and his wife, Mary Jo, first settled in Dallas. Over the years, their family has been involved in nearly every aspect of our community.

Bart always knew that he would be an artist. As a young child, with no access to paper, he would fill the blank pages in his children’s books with drawings. After graduating from the University of North Carolina and studying at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles he began to build a career as an illustrator, creating posters, book covers, ads for magazines and even U.S. postage stamps.

Over the years, Bart has faithfully gifted Saint Michael with his artistic talents. He designed the stained-glass doors along the south wall of the Church and the leaded-glass angels on the doors entering Saint Michael Chapel. One of the angels is even modeled after his own daughter.

Expereincing God's Handiwork

About 15 years ago, Bart pivoted his professional focus to gallery paintings, specializing in landscapes. Inspired by the beauty of God’s creation, he creates oils on canvas that focus on patterns, colors and textures that are found in nature and the world around us.

In his morning walks with his dog, Bart frequently encounters a group of doves in his neighborhood. To Bart, they serve as a reminder that God is near and we are all a part of his creation. Bart first incorporated a dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit, in the stained-glass windows on the south wall of the Church. Now, that same reminder of the Holy Spirit is present outside of our Parish Hall.

A Holy Prompting

About a year ago, Bart was walking to Sunday service alongside our construction site and suddenly had the thought, “I really should offer to donate a painting for the new building.” Bart didn’t have anything specific in mind, but he contacted our rector, Chris Girata, who was enthralled by the idea and encouraged Bart to do some sketches. They immediately agreed that the painting should be a Texas landscape, typical of his gallery works.

Chris charged Bart with the daunting task of creating a larger-than-life painting—one that feels like you’re standing in the landscape. To properly fill the space, they decided the painting needed to be 18 feet—far larger than Bart could create in his studio. Bart thought, “18 feet? My gosh, how am I going to do an 18-foot painting?”

Instead, Bart painted a 4-foot canvas and had it enlarged as a giclée, a digital copy on canvas that looks exactly like the original. When Bart saw the colossal size of the painting, he decided it needed a few extra details. The dove didn’t look quite right. The countryside called for more wildflowers. So, he climbed a ladder and got back to work right here in our Parish Hall.

Painting isn't simply Bart's profession—it is the vocation through which he understands his relationship with God.

“I’ve had many times when I’m working on a painting where I’m the one holding the brush but all of a sudden something else is at work and the painting suddenly becomes what I want it to be. Being an artist has definitely shaped my faith. When I was in my 20s, I was hustling to try and get work just to earn a living. But I soon came to the realization that there was more at work here and possibly the Lord had a hand in the work I was doing.”

I asked Bart what it means to him to have participated in the visual experience that enhances a worship service. He took a moment to reflect and said, “It’s very gratifying to be a small part in contributing something to a place that is very close to our family’s heart.”

On Hallowed Ground isn't an isolated gift—it is part of a decades-long relationship between Bart, his art, and Saint Michael. Bart’s openness to an invitation from the Holy Spirit in a seemingly mundane moment, has transformed a space that allows us to center our heart and mind on God before entering Parish Hall. He is confident that this idea was a gift from above.

“Frequently things just come to my mind. I wasn’t thinking about painting, but all of a sudden I had the thought that I should do a painting. Is it to my credit that I came up with that? Or did God ask me to do this painting? I think maybe He did.”

Each of us has been uniquely blessed with talents and skills that God has given us. When all of our talents come together, we can create something beautiful as a community. The empty walls of our building are filled with one-of-a-kind artworks, an empty worship space is filled with hymns that have been sung for hundreds of years, and meaningful relationships are formed in small groups.

Bart didn't just make a painting. He noticed an invitation, responded to it, and offered what he had been given. God is calling each of us to bring our gifts to enhance this community. Will you follow the Holy Spirit’s leading?

**This article was written by Jenna Pitman and was featured in the 2026-27 Winter Archangel.