Artist says work inspired

FORT WAYNE -- With a stark light illuminating the darkness of her living room, Mary Hilger kneels before a black canvas. As a medley of Christian songs plays in the background, her left hand feverishly scrawls white chalk across the board, seeming to form an outline of a skull.\nThe picture's face becomes more defined as Hilger applies pencil and chalks of various colors to the eyes and cheeks, the "O" of the mouth.\nBy the time she adds the long brown strokes of hair, it's clear the creation is her depiction of Jesus. About 20 minutes later, the songs stop, and so does she. Hilger's guests are speechless for several seconds.\n"Oh, man. That's beautiful. Praise the Lord," said Mark Deister, one of her guests for the evening. Later he said, "It was within the last two minutes (the portrait) came to life to me personally. I could sense in her drawing her love for the Lord."\nDeister and his wife, Cindy, got to know John and Mary Hilger while dining at Hilger's Farm Restaurant on U.S. 30. The Deisters have seen Mary Hilger's creations before, but this is the first time they've witnessed the artist in action. Mark Deister was so impressed with her previous work that he helped Hilger develop a Web site to showcase her art.\nHilger said this is the type of reaction she receives on a regular basis, adding that many have told her they are healed through her creations.\n"I feel God has a hand in the midst of this, guiding me," she said. "I'm really with the Lord when I'm doing it."\nShe has drawn in front of various groups, from seniors to juvenile offenders to shoppers at Wal-Mart.\nHer gift has taken her to the home once occupied by Mother Teresa in India, and she plans to draw and teach in Nigeria this November. Before traveling to Africa, Hilger will visit Rome and may have an opportunity to draw for the pope.\nHilger's art ministry began in 2002 when Bob Sedlmeyer, a youth minister at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, asked her to draw during a youth retreat. The catch was she had to complete her drawing in 15 minutes or less.\nSedlmeyer said that was the maximum time he had available for Hilger's presentation. Hilger accepted the challenge. Sedlmeyer said the youth were captivated as she drew a crucifixion scene to illustrate the retreat's theme of "God is Forever."\n"The way she did it, it was almost how God is revealed to us in our lives, bit by bit," he said. "Afterwards there was total silence. I think (Mary) made God's love and His presence tangible in that room."\nA full-time art teacher at Indian Springs Middle School in Whitley County, Hilger said her creativity lay dormant while she raised six daughters and helped her husband run the restaurant.\nAlthough she gives many of her drawings away, Hilger, a member of Queen of Angels Catholic Church, does raise funds to cover the cost of art materials and to send money to the Catholic Diocese of Jamshedpur in India to help needy children. She hopes one day to create a foundation to help children around the globe.\nMost importantly, Hilger said she tries to "stay out of the way" to let God be revealed through her art. "I'm learning there are no limitations when it comes to God. It's been awesome"