Welcome to the Way of Beauty
Welcome to The Way of Beauty!
Hello and welcome to my Substack! I’m David, an artist, writer, and teacher originally from England. I am now a proud naturalized American living in Princeton, New Jersey. I am also a Melkite Catholic. The Melkites worship God with the Byzantine liturgy St. John Chrysostom and recognise the primacy of Rome.
What to Expect on This Substack
On The Way of Beauty substack, you will find reflections on art, culture, beauty, and faith. I will share insights from my past and ongoing journey, discuss the transformative power of beauty, and collaborate with others to influence and enrich our cultural landscape.
I will also be writing about the Way of Beauty process. This is a program of personal formation for all people that stimulates creativity and which is based upon traditional Catholic spirituality
Download a four-page flier with a description of the Way of Beauty process
My Mission
My work is devoted to the evangelization of the culture through beauty, education, prayer, and worship. I believe deeply that the essence of Western culture is profoundly Christian, and preserving this heritage is crucial for fostering love and freedom among all people and all nations.
Artistic Roots
I am an artist. English iconographer Aidan Hart trained me in Byzantine iconography. I learned and studied the academic method - a rigorous method of drawing and painting developed in the Renaissance - with Charles Cecil in Florence. For me, art is not just about beauty but about tradition, which evolves with each generation while remaining to its core values.
Here are some examples of my art:
Current Endeavors
I am the Provost and Dean of the Faculty of Sacred Arts at Pontifex University, and I serve as the Artist-in-Residence at the Scala Foundation, an initiative led by my wife Margarita to transform American culture through beauty. I recognise the English roots of American culture and the values espoused by the Founding Fathers; ultimately, these are Christian. American society's Christian values make it a nation that welcomes people regardless of race and creed. We must preserve our Christian roots to preserve America as an extraordinary country.
Philosophy of Beauty
I hold that beauty is not just in the eye of the beholder but is intrinsic to the object itself. Beauty is a sign of participation in the divine order and purpose. When something is beautiful, it is a sign that God, who is Beauty itself, created it or inspired its creation.
My Story
Born in Neston, Cheshire, England, my journey from the sciences to the arts was marked by personal transformation. This path took me from Oxford University as an undergraduate, where I studied materials science, to Michigan to study engineering. In my mid-twenties, an accidental encounter with spiritual exercises took me from atheism to Catholicism, spurred on initially by a search for beauty and the desire to be an artist (which previously I had not believed possible), and ultimately by the beauty of the Church’s liturgy. In 2009, I moved permanently to the U.S. as Artist-in-Residence at Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in New Hampshire. I became American in 2023, becoming a dual citizen. I still love the country of my birth and the cultural connection between these two great nations.
Published works
I have authored several books, including "The Vision for You - How to Discover the Life You Were Made For", which is about the spiritual exercises that led me to become and artist; "The Way of Beauty: Liturgy, Education, and Inspiration for Family, School, and College", which covers the traditional training and formation of artists; "Veiling to Reveal: John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and the Role of Clothing in Christian Art and Anthropology"; and “The Little Oratory: A Beginner’s Guide to Praying in the Home” which describes how to pray with art and create an icon corner at home.
In these books, I explore the spiritual dimensions of art, the formation of artists, and the integration of beauty into Christian life and thought. It was the publication of these works that led to my being invited to take up my current role as Provost and Dean of the Faculty of Sacred Arts at Pontifex University, which offers the unique Master of Sacred Arts program, a cultural, intellectual and spiritual formation for creatives in any discipline.
What to Expect on This Substack
On The Way of Beauty substack, you will find reflections on art, culture, beauty, and faith. I will share insights from my past and ongoing journey, discuss the transformative power of beauty, and collaborate with others to influence and enrich our cultural landscape.
I will also be writing about the Way of Beauty process. This is a program of personal formation for all people that stimulates creativity and is based on traditional Catholic spirituality.
Download a four-page flier with a description of the Way of Beauty process
Informing and guiding all human activity, giving it purpose, meaning and beauty, this is a program for people of all backgrounds and any (or even no) artistic ability. It is a Christian formation based on that given to the great artists of the past.
Commit to steps that enable you to discover and foster your personal creative vocation aligned with beauty.
Practical guidance on how to turn creative ideas into reality. Implement daily practices to help overcome struggles with creative blocks, anxiety, boredom or a lack of direction and purpose.
Stimulate the imagination through habits of prayer, meditation, and contemplation in the Christian tradition, daily journaling, sketch-noting, and the contemplation of beauty in nature and art.
Thank you for joining me in exploring beauty. I look forward to sharing this journey with you.
