FLYFISHING

It has been dreary the past two days. The sunshine will return.  Today I thought I would post a painting I just completed.  I don't flyfish, actually I don't fish at all. But, I do enjoy the outdoors.  So maybe this will bring a little light or reminder of good times for you.

Have a blessed day!!

SHADOW PLAY

I played with the camera again this week. I am still learning about its settings. What I find is that it does best when I set it to "auto".  That is because I haven't learned how to use the other settings so I get an unsatisfactory picture. 


It snowed here and was very cold. The snow is sticking around which is unusual for our area. I see on tv that the snow is unusual in several areas.  I was struck by the way the snow glistened and called attention from the normal view.  The shadows were intriguing also, due to being reflected on the snow.  

It took the snow for the reflections from the sun to create these striking shadows.  Otherwise the shadows would have blended in with the ground and not been as noticeable.

Do we need to have a special effects in our life to bring God from the shadows?  Or, do we keep Him in the forefront to guide our way.

Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate the opportunity to share with you.

THE BIG PICTURE

I received a new camera for my birthday!  I was excited to take new pictures of my paintings.  I skimmed over the settings, afterall, they couldn't be much different from my old camera. I arranged the paintings, added light outside my photo box, set the camera on a tripod and started snapping.  What I didn't take into account was the magnitude of this camera.  It really took the whole picture! Lights outside the photo box which before balanced the light became spotlights creating blurs with this camera which balanced its own light.  Larger megapixels meant a larger picture also and small flaws in my paintings which I hadn't seen with the naked eye suddenly became huge.


I wonder how many times we don't see the whole picture by looking at the flaws of others. How many times do we look to see what is wrong instead of appreciating what is good. 


I am going to try looking at the whole picture instead of focusing on what is flawed.  And, yes, I am going to read the manual that came with my camera before snapping any more photos!


With all the cold and snowy weather, I thought that today I would post something to think about. I can see myself under the tree staring at the sky and dreaming.  Daffodils.

Thanks for stopping by. I try to post every Friday. I was late this week, having fun and frustration with my new camera!

And the Meek shall inherit the earth...

Last week I spoke of Emerson’s quote that life is an experiment. Being bold and trying new ways of doing things. Today I speak of meekness. Most people think of being meek as being weak. It is not. It is having self-control. It is being bold but with kindness and tenderness.  That is the experiment Emerson speaks of, I think. Learning to balance, reaching up to new levels, not stepping on those you pass, but bringing them with you.  Teaching and sharing. As you would a child. Being compassionate.

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This is the Lord's day, rejoice in it

Emerson said "Don't be too squeamish about your actions.  All life is an experiment.  The more experiments  you make the better."

What better way to grow one's creativity. Stretch yourself into trying new things.  I have mostly been a landscape painter.  Partly because I love nature, and partly because my first art teacher came through watching William Alexander.  He was from Germany.  He started the Magic of Painting.  He was an older man but full of life and joy.  And he spoke of "almighty" mountains.

Now I reach out to grow my creativity. I try oils, acrylics, and watercolors. I draw and color with pencils, crayons and pastels.  What will this do? What will that do? God is pleased with those who create, after all He was our Creator!

This is "Campfire Tales".  The image is of a family sitting around a campfire. The kids are snuggled in their sleeping bags. The father is telling a story about a wonderful horse, and the imagination of all "sees" the horse in the smoke rising from the fire.

Creativity in story-telling. Imagination. Rejoicing in the Lord's Day.

More exciting news....

go to http://beautifulartandartwork.blogspot.com/2011/01/featured-artist.html to see all about me and my art.

Exciting News

A PhD theology student from Belguim has requested the use of one of my paintings.  This one:

HIS ALMIGHTY POWER



She described it this way: "I found that this picture really express something of a power, a dynamic. It is for me a positive image of power through the colors and the form."

What excites me the most is her description. That what I had hoped to express in my painting was received by another.  My paintings do not have to hang in a famous gallery to be appreciated. I believe that this is God's wink that my painting talent is from Him and will be used by Him.