Signage

Picture yourself going to a wedding.  They have a lovely spread of food at the reception.  But WHAT IS THAT?  You're not quite sure...oh, wait. They have a lovely sign telling you what the mystery dish is!  It's beautifully printed on a small piece of card stock, perhaps.  So nice.

Well, this wedding is different.  It's outdoors, in the woods, and the food is now labelled on small aspen stumps.  My latest, tiny project.  And thanks to my grandpa for paying for calligraphy lessons eons ago!

(by the way....the house smells FANTASTIC because of those freshly cut aspen chunks!)

My Next Project

Not long ago someone saw one of my paintings at my church, and asked our church secretary who painted it.  I love free advertising!  So a new contact was made....a new relationship begun...God is good.

This is the sketch for what I'll be painting for them.  It will be painted on a wall about 3 feet wide and 8 feet tall, in the tiniest little church imaginable.  Actually, I might be jumping the gun here, because the client hasn't approved the sketch yet!  So we'll just say HOPEFULLY I'll be painting this next!

I had to have the statement radiate.  After all, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the starting point for EVERYTHING, so the words HAD to shout!  I know, it's not Easter, but this truth transcends one day in the spring!  Say it with  me: "HE IS RISEN!!"

In Your Face

Oh, how this guy cracks me up!!  He's on a greeting card, and I'm wishing I didn't have to mail it!!

6 (Yes, Six) Failures

"Palms"

8" x  8"

Oil on canvas panel

Oof.  In the past three days I have painted 7 of these little canvas panels, and I've wiped 6 of them off.  That's not a great average.  After the first wipe-off you just think to yourself, "ok...it's been awhile since I've painted...I'm a little rusty..."  But after the 6th?  You go do something completely different, like make meatballs (and for those of you who know me, the kitchen and I generally don't get along, so going to make meatballs is SAYIN' SOMTHIN').

To quote Winston Churchill, "never, never, never give up".  So, I'll try again tomorrow.  Lord, help me!  And I mean that quite literally!

And the Elephants are Finished!

Just a few in-progress shots for you.  The initial sketch went on some craft paper (the largest paper I've got).  I inherited this fantastic roll from my grandfather, and it comes in very handy for big pieces!

Then I transferred the drawing onto the canvas...I had to ask a friend HOW to do that, because I didn't have a clue.  Evidently they teach you odd tidbits like that in art school!  The above pic shows the first colors.

And some more color....until finally...ta dah!!!

I don't know if this is a sunrise, or a sunset, but I don't care.  I'm delighted with it!  This is actually a family portrait for some friends who live north of town.  If they have more kids we'll just add another canvas!

More Sketching

Just a page from my sketch book.  Another lovely evening of sitting by the fire.  I initially looked up reference photos on-line, and there were plenty....but none of them really grabbed  my attention.  So then I went to the CHILDREN'S section of the library.  How brilliant was that?!  Their picture books are fabulous!  So I will be happily drawing elephants until the books are due!

A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening

Just messing around.  One sketchbook.  Two pencils.  And there I was, all wrapped up in a cozy blanket, certainly not wanting to get up to sharpen a pencil!  So I wore them down to almost nothin'.  

Longing For Spring

Spring in the mountains of Colorado is a tentative thing.  Slow coming and deceptive.  We'll have a glorious day where it's well into the 60's, and the next day we have to huddle around the fireplace while a ferocious storm howls outside.

That was yesterday.  So I added wood to the fire, and drew flowers.

2 Timothy 1:7

This week I painted this on the office wall of a friend.  We seriously struggled with choosing the right red....it's harder when you're working with house paint, because the colors just don't  mix normally!  And I've decided that the white paint is going in the trash.  It's gotten too old and is all gloopy and chunky, and if you try to thin it it just ends up like slightly sour skim milk....all runny with strange chunks.

Despite those foibles, though, I like the result!

What Do I Feed On?

I was thinking the other day of the counterfeits that we go to for courage, comfort, love, fulfillment.  I was reminded that my ONLY source for truth is God's Word.  My GREATEST source of comfort is God's  Spirit.  Everything else leaves me with greater longings than before!

The vertical words in this journal page speak to that.  Peter told Jesus, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life."

(psst....you can click on the image to make it bigger.)

Ribbit!

Take the picture!  Quick!  Before he jumps!  Just looking at this guy's feet makes me shake my head.  The variety in God's creation astounds me!

This is the result of another evening spent drawing.  Two nights in a row!  Now, that's delightful!  I'm not in love with the blue ink/colored pencil combination, but this was drawn for my own practice and was never destined for a frame.

We'll see if I can stretch this drawing thing into three nights.....

Finally!!

Donkey, Burro or Mule?  I haven't a clue.  This guy lives not far from here, along with several other donkeys, burros, or mules.  If you stop and get out they'll come meandering over for a brief chat.  They'd probably love a tid-bit of something yummy, too, but I never have anything with me.  Except maybe some old, dead french fries, and I don't know if donkeys, burros, or mules like french fries.

I sat and drew this last night and REVELED in  holding a pen again.  It's been far too long.

Dancing Before the Lord

Lately I've been pondering how we worship God.  Privately, or in a gathering of other believers.  So often we're distracted, or concerned with appearances.  Sometimes I wish I were invisible.  And in that invisible place, this is what my heart looks like.  Vibrant with color.  Blown by the wind.  Leaping for joy.

I'll be adding words to this.  I just haven't decided yet what I want this to SAY.  So you're seeing it in process.

Live Art

Last Sunday a friend and I did live-art at our church.  While the worship band played, and all the people sang, we painted.  It was nerve racking, to say the least!  But, now that it's all done, I think it was definitely a good thing.

The previous friday there had been a boy in our town who was killed in a car accident.  It's a small community, and a lot of people are heart-broken.  So Sunday's theme was particularly poignant:  that in the midst of our storms, there is Jesus Himself, saying "Peace, Be Still".  He is our only real source of CALM.

By the way, my painting friend is Lois Sprague....you can see more of her work here: 

http://www.loisrosiosprague.com