Potter (and I Don't Mean Harry)

This is the one-line birthday card that I sent to my friend Jim.  He's a potter.

Several months ago he invited a couple of us to the pottery to see the whole shebang.  We took our cameras, of course!  My grandma was a potter too, and I was reminded that there's a pretty long, drawn out process that goes into making pots, including two firings (I think), and some trimming, and some glazing...and in the end there is something beautiful and useful.

I'm reminded of the work that God puts into us.  Stretching.  Shaping.  Forming.  Trimming.  It's absolutely necessary that we stay in the Potter's hands for a long while.  Then the firing, which is terribly uncomfortable, but necessary.   All because God is making us into something astounding and useful.

Useful.  For His glory.  Make it so, Lord.

From the Archives

Summer!  FULL summer!  Not that hesitant, iffy, still-snowing-sometimes kind of summer that we seem get in the mountains.   Full-blown, hot, baking-sun summer.  That's what we've finally got, with a fantastic thunder storm thrown in every other day, just for entertainment.  I love variety in weather!  It's just evidence that God is amazing.

This watercolor is little, measuring only 6" square.  I gave it to a friend of mine.  And for the record...we ATE the vegetables.  Shocking, but true.

Rest is Valuable!

I did this ink drawing  awhile ago.  It's one of the pages that I tore from my Moleskine knock-off.  Yesterday I was delighted to start a NEW Moleskine, this time the real-deal, with nice thick paper, and it was enriching in every way!  I'm sure I'll be posting scans of the drawings from time to time.

I've had a delightful week off from anything resembling art.  I can't believe I just said that!  Really, the joy came from freedom from any deadlines, which can be a little wearing at times.  Even when we're doing exactly what we believe God has placed in front of us to do, there is still a need for stepping away every once in awhile.  After all, Jesus sent out his disciples, and when they returned He said, "Come away and rest awhile."

So I rested awhile.

And today I get to go back to painting.  And I really do mean that I "get" to....it's something I'm delighted about and looking forward to!  Amazing what a week off does for your energy and enthusiasm and perspective!

Happy Monday, everyone!

Converse

con-verse -vi. 1. to hold a conversation; talk  -n. 1. informal talk; conversation

OR!  My favorite tennies.  I'm thinking I should contact the Converse company owners and negotiate decorating their shoes for them.  It'd be a big hit!  I'd wear 'em in a second.

Another Parable

This one took me FOREVER to paint!  Outlining all those coins was pretty doggone tedious.  However, I had delightful surroundings to paint in.  Much more so than usual.  When I'm painting these I'm generally alone in our big church sanctuary.  People come and go.  There's a day-care that uses the building, so at least twice a day there's a line of small children that parades through and they all "ooh" and "aah".  They think I'm the BEST PAINTER IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!  Makes me smile every time.

But for this canvas, I was finishing up while our church's worship team was practicing.  It's definitely a rich experience to paint to live music, loud, filling the space, and I could sing along and nobody could hear me!

Funny thing, though.  The sound-man forgot I was there and was trying to give the worship team a better atmosphere so he turned down all the lights!   hahahah!  It's a little difficult to paint in the dark, Scotty!

Red Peonies

I drew this last  night while we sat and watched it rain and rain and rain.  Our exceedingly dry land was drinking it in.  And it smelled SO GOOD!  I am often astounded at God's kindness in creating smells...and color...and our senses to appreciate both.

Today I go back to "work" to finish one of the canvases at Community Church.  Note to self:  take the camera!

Birds of a Feather?

This is a page from the Moleskine knock-off that fell apart on me the other day.  I tore out all the pages, threw the book away, and scanned all the drawings so I can show them to you!

This is a drawing that I did from three different reference pics.  Last year I got to visit family in North Carolina, and my cousin had white lights strung all around his deck.  The birds loved to hang out.  I took the three different pics and smashed them all together.  Bummer that the bird on the left lost part of his beak in the scanning process!!  Ah well.

Happy 4th of July!!

I know I've posted this before, but I couldn't help myself.  It fits the day!

Just today I was thanking the Lord for the wisdom and courage He gave our founding fathers.  This nation is a beautiful place to live, and I am thankful.  Happy July 4th, my friends!

Icelandic Poppies

Summer has finally arrived at my house!  Today, my hubby and I sat out on the deck, under our lovely umbrella (because it was too hot in the sun!), and we talked of many things.  "Of shoes, and ships, and sealing wax, and cabbages, and kings, and why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings!"  Actually, we talked about the world, and our son, our church family, and birds, our work, and the noise that the summer bugs make.  And while we talked I kept looking at my flower pots that are blooming with color.

Quick, get the sketch book!  Sketching and chatting go hand-in-hand.

Eventually, the typical mountain summer squall blew through and forced us indoors.  I love living in the mountains!  It's now beautiful outside again, and I need to return to sitting under the umbrella.  Happy Sunday everyone!

From the Archives

I painted this way back in 2006.  It's watercolor on bristol paper.  I love how sloppy it is, drips and splatters and all.  I haven't done anything in watercolor in a LOOONNNNGG time.

On a side note, the cheap Moleskine knock-off journal that I've been doing my ink drawings in FELL APART!  The pages fell completely free of the spine!  All my artist friends who have been chewing me out for doing art on flimsy paper now have their complaints validated.  I hereby move on to paper of some quality and longevity!