The Camp That I Love!

Oh, how I love Camp Elim!!  It's a fabulous place, where kids go for a week at a time to run around and play and be crazy and hear the glorious truth of Jesus their Savior.  I went there as a kid, and then I volunteered there on staff as a young adult.  What great memories!  And what great things God did in my heart because of my time there.

Every so often they have a need that I can fill with my paintbrush.  Aren't these fun?!  That top one has the Camp Director doing his version of a photo bomb (um.... you're supposed to be peeking in over someone's shoulder, Dan!!).

Loved, loved, loved doing these.  You should go see them in person!! Better yet, you should send your kids!!!  Or go yourself!  A week on staff at Camp Elim is the best vacation ever, just sayin'!

Check 'em out:  http://www.campelim.com/

Painting for Camp Elim

I just finished these for Camp Elim...which could easily be called the happiest place on earth.  Disney is no comparison, just sayin'.  Their winter camps are starting in a couple of weeks, and these will be the backdrops.  They'll be screwed together and stood up accordion style.

Their theme is taken from Mark 12 where it says "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength."

If you're looking for a fun, impacting, soul-growing weekend for your kiddoes...and if you live in Colorado...you can consider sending them to Camp Elim.  It's fabulous!  (you don't HAVE to live in Colorado.  It's just a wee bit expensive to get them here if you live in...Texas.)

You can see what Camp's all about at http://campelim.com/ (and I think that's ACTUALLY a link!! I mean, I think it'll work if you click on it!)

On a side note, my Lord is always kind to me.  When you put on black paint with a roller, and then have to do touch-up with a brush, it ALWAYS SHOWS.  There's something about the texture, maybe...I don't know what it is, but I always grit my teeth, hoping that I don't have any obvious drips, because I don't want to have to touch them up.  Well, I had a fairly major drip on the "MIND" canvas.  And the Lord put it into my head that the drip looked remarkably like a shoe-lace!!!  So, presto, tall boots with laces sticking out!  See???  God's kindness is EVERYWHERE!  Sometimes we just don't see it!

Finished for Camp Elim

Finished!  I just finished cleaning up...paint cans, step stools, brushes, paper plates, bucket of water, paper towels, scaffold, lights, extension cords, overhead projector, stir sticks, trash....everything is nicely where it belongs, waiting for the next project.  It feels GOOD to wrap it all up!

Painting for Camp Elim

I just started painting these big panels for the kid's Bible camp that's up the road from where I live.  They're big.  They're made up of two 4' x 8' boards, hinged in the middle.  The people at Camp offered to bring them out to me so that I could paint them HERE...INSIDE...instead of outside, with the panels roped to trees on Camp property.  What a great idea!!

Except I forgot that the ceiling in our garage is JUST 8'.  Which means that these 8' panels can't be stood up to paint.  Which means that they have to be painted outside after all.  Aack!!

My hubby came to my rescue, as usual.  He worked up a way to secure them in his carport, so I have a roof over my head, and a level place to work, and they're screwed down so the wind won't blow them over.

Of course, painting outside means I have to wing-it when it comes to setting up my equipment...as you can see in the first picture.  The second picture shows my palette...not at all professional, but it worked!

Here are some progress pics.  This is painted VERY loosely.  I have to work on it some more, but I need my friend (who is WAAAAYYYYY better at painting people) come look at this and give me some constructive criticism.  Once again, there will be no pouting!

Loving Camp Elim

Last August I painted a set of canvases for Camp Elim, a kids Bible Camp up the road from town.  I love it there!  I spent one week there every summer for most of my growing up years.  Then I worked there for three full summers, attempting to run their dining room staff.  Truly character forming years (for those of you who remember her, I love Granny Nelson with all my heart!)!

A few years ago they built a brand new chapel on their grounds.  Talk about filling a great need!  It's a fantastic building, and it gets used not only by kids all summer long, but also by guest groups that rent the facilities.  Because of those guest groups, the camp director talked to me about their "silent witness"...that need to speak truth without moving your mouth or making a sound.

That's an open invitation for artwork, if you ask me!

This is one of six canvases that I painted for them, and of those six this is my favorite.  It hangs in the foyer of the chapel for all the world to see.  Sort of makes me goose-bumpy all over!

Here I am finishing up the lettering.....