With the precise strokes of an artist’s brush, you can be transported to places never seen with the natural eye. A talented artist can breathe life and imagination into any canvas with simple acrylics, pencils, pens or watercolors. The medium that an artist chooses can leave you spellbound by their skills and creativeness.
This is exactly what the intensely talented, Natchitoches native, Trevor Lucas, accomplished with his entry for the 42nd Annual Natchitoches Christmas Festival Poster.
Karen Terrell, Natchitoches Arts Council, had lots to say about this year’s winner.
“His artwork is a fresh perspective of downtown and the festival. When his poster was chosen, I had no idea he was from Natchitoches and that I know many of his family members. He was a joy to work with and his message of overcoming life’s obstacles is a powerful one.”
At the constant requests, nagging and friendly bullying from his friends and family Mr. Lucas decided to answer the call and make his official entry into the poster contest. It took Mr. Lucas only about five days for his full vision to come to life utilizing the medium of digital art on his Wacom tablet.
While he admits that his childhood memories are a bit foggy, one thing that is clear as a bell is the joy he feels when he thinks of the Christmas Festival. It automatically reminds him of the larger-than-life parade and being on Front Street catching loads of candy.
“There is something about the experience of watching the bands and seeing the smiles on people’s faces. The thought of the parade makes me so happy, and it was definitely my inspiration for the poster,” shared Mr. Lucas.
The poster affectionately gives a nod to the beginning of the parade featuring the Northwestern State University marching band as well as Santa Claus at the end of the parade.
While having an unwavering faith he has never forgotten all the broken and winding roads that life has forced him to ride. The intense pain of losing his mother at the young age of twelve was the propellant that drove him to seek an outlet for his emotions. He wrote poems and traced his cousin’s artwork, who he admired so much, and pretended it was his own. It did not take him long to realize that he had talent of his own and he also drew inspiration from Bob Ross.
It was actually during his childhood drawings that he thought he may possibly have a color vision deficiency. He drew a rose for a friend, and she asked him why the rose was dead. He shaded it brown and did not realize it.
At 17 years old his grandmother signed him in as a troubled teen with the US Navy. While serving a short time he decided that he truly wanted to be a Navy Seal. Life threw him another curve ball; he miserably failed his color exam and he was diagnosed as being color blind. While it wasn’t God’s plan for him to be a Seal, he did have many other plans for Trevor Lucas. He went on to be a father, a husband, a successful businessman, TV personality, and an art therapist for at risk children.
Trevor Lucas is a 1997 graduate of Natchitoches Central High School where he took art classes under Mrs. Gianforte. He wants art students to know to always be your true authentic self.
“If all the characters in a movie were the same, it would be a boring movie. God wouldn’t have created you if you didn’t have your own purpose,” shared Lucas.
Lucas is a firm believer in God’s timing and God’s purpose for our lives. When he started his own art studio, he named his business Anomaly. It wasn’t until many years later that he found out his visual disorder was called, “Deuteranomaly”. God named his gift before he named his disorder. Lucas is 42 years old, and it was the 42nd Annual Christmas Festival Poster. He acknowledges this was no accident.
He also feels it was no accident that he was able to come back to Louisiana to visit with his stepfather who is terminal. Although their relationship was strained as a child, his stepfather was able to share with him how proud he is of his success. Even though he lives in Virginia he says he will always consider Natchitoches his home.
If you were able to meet Trevor Lucas when he visited in the Fall, then you would be familiar with is humble and gracious nature. When you compliment him, he gives all glory to God. When asked his he ever thought about writing a book, or even suggesting that his story would make a good movie, he simply replied, “I feel like I made it out of a burning house and every so often I run back in to pull someone out who has had the same struggles as me, by sharing my story. As long as I have this testimony then I am able to help others.”
When I asked Mr. Lucas to share his favorite scripture with me, he did not hesitate to let me know it was Psalm 18:29.
“It’s my favorite because it gives me confidence to do any and everything without fear because my father in heaven has given me the strength and the power to accomplish amazing things. This verse makes me feel like a superhero with God as my source.”
Lucas went on to say, “It keeps me confident of my gifting but also keeps me humble because I know it’s not me but through him. Watch and marvel at the great things I do with God at my side. I live by this level of faith because it’s been proven time and time again. Nothing will stand in the way of God’s work. I believe I am his work and I’m doing his will. I give him the glory for this assignment”.
“For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.”
Psalm 18:29
