Cock-a-doodle-do!!

Every once in awhile (more frequently than I like), I start a painting and in short order I end up hating it...convinced that it's going poorly...thinking maybe I should just start over...what on earth was I thinking, anyways?!  That happened with this guy.  But I was just reading in Romans about perseverance bringing about proven character, and I so-o-o-o did not want to just give up!  Press on!  Keep going!  Never, never, never give up!

And, as it turns out, I LOVE the end result!  Roosters just speak of joy and exuberance, don't they?  I'm calling this "Doodle Do".

Romans - the 8th Canvas

The photographer asks your forgiveness...(that would be me)...but this is the best pic I got!

I was actually planning on painting a human form down in the hollow of God's hands.  But when I got this far, I realized that I LOVED the visual of how it looks safe and deep down in there!  If I painted someone nestled in there, yes it would communicate....but I wanted to look at that deep place and know that THAT IS WHERE I DWELL.

It is the truth that carries me, enables me, and gives me courage.  That is where I dwell.

Romans - the 7th Canvas

Can you feel the frustration?  Longing to change and be transformed, and then slipping back into that old habit.  Seeing the value of holding your tongue, and then spewing all sorts of anger the next moment.  Determined to serve with a whole heart, and choosing to do something for yourself instead.

I specifically painted this so that the person had one clean hand, and one filthy hand.  And we really do end up living with both.

My model and I had a great time setting up this pose.  I wasn't completely sure what to 'dirty' her hand with, and in the end I think we ended up with a combination of potting soil and maple syrup!  I've felt a little bad about this, because I definitely didn't make her look PRETTY....but then again, there's nothing pretty about sin.

Romans - the 6th Canvas

I don't even know what to say about this one.  The verse calls for some STRONG rejoicing, but it took me forever to pin down HOW I wanted to show it!  I actually went to our local grave yard and took pics of grave stones.  And I have pics of me jumping off of grave stones...which felt really, really disrespectful! 

I finally decided that all the pics of me had really bad lighting (the grave yard is in the trees with lots of dappled shadows, and I wanted stronger shadow lines on the figure), so I had to try again.  The grave yard in Divide has some direct sunlight....but I couldn't go jumping off of real grave stones again!  I just couldn't!

 So, this is Murphy jumping on his trampoline.  He had great fun!  And the lighting was much better!

Romans - the 5th Canvas

Simple statement.  Loaded with meaning.  I don't even know if I grasp the value of what God has given me.  I guess that's because I'm not totally sure what it would be like to have NO peace.

There are 9 different languages on this canvas (I think?).  I loved all the different fonts, but getting them all laid out took FOREVER.  When I painted them I left the outlines in some places on purpose.  Again, that sketchy look.  God began a good work and will be faithful to complete it.

Just a note:  making sure I got the phrase correct in Thai was a bear, and I'm still not sure I nailed it.  They don't break up their words in a sentence!  It's all run together!!  Good grief!  Someday some person from Thailand will visit our church and tell me I got it all wrong.  Aak!

Romans - the 4th Canvas

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED THIS ONE!!  Can you just imagine?  After weeks of hearing it repeated, Sunday after Sunday.....we're all sinners, we're all guilty.....then, HOPE!  God Himself reaching down, through His own suffering, to enter our darkness.  Tainted by our sin.  All for our rescue, and His glory.

Beautiful truth.  After painting the last canvas in just 3 colors, I couldn't bear the thought of this one being the same.  This one had to POP!  It needed full color so it could show the JOY of our salvation!

It took me awhile to find just the right hand model, and even then the drawing of it was tricky.  Someday I hope to say that I'm better at the human form!  Practice, practice, practice, right?

Romans - the 3rd Canvas

This one completely FREAKED  me out.  I've always believed that I cannot draw the human form, not even a part of it.  Every time I tried, I choked in a big way.  So what on earth was I doing attempting human hands on an 8 foot square canvas??  Insanity, for sure.

It just goes to show you that my God is the one who paints, not me.

I did baby-step this, in that I didn't use full color.  I have a very dear friend who is a far better artist than I, and she advised me to work on tone this first time out.  So I used white, brown and black.  Simple.  Getting the reference proved to be amusing.  My friend Scotty stood in a north facing window holding dry-erase markers while I took the pic!

Romans - the 2nd Canvas

Romans 1:18 says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness..."

Painting the wrath of God was not one of the things I particularly looked forward to.  But it's part of the truth of our story.  Spending a day painting God's wrath made me more thankful for my salvation, and that Jesus took God's wrath on Himself.

My favorite part of this painting is the glow on the hillside.  I find it amusing that it was a mistake!  Bob Ross would call it a "happy accident"...I call it the kindness of a creative God!

Romans

Romans 1: 16 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes..."

How do you sum up the gospel in one canvas?  Well, it helps to have a really, really big cross that can be moved and placed wherever you want it!  So I painted the empty tomb, and placed the cross smack-dab in front of it, so that it's shadow gets cast on the canvas (the shadow doesn't show up in the picture, but it's there).  This is the truth of my salvation in one simple statement.

As for the mechanics of it all, I kind of wanted that sketchy look.  I wanted people to see that their salvation, while a done deal in God's eyes, is a work in progress from our point of view.  The masterpiece is yet to be seen.  And when God is done, we will be pure and holy.  It's gonna be fantastic!

Painting Scripture

 WHAT ON EARTH??


This is a big black canvas.  It measures 8 feet square.  Last September there were 8 of these hanging in the sanctuary at my church in Woodland Park.  They were all waiting for paint.

We started a sermon series on the Book of Romans, and I was honored with the task of painting images to go with the sermons.  Sometimes coming up with an image was easy, quick, obvious.  But there were times I seriously wrestled with the text!  How do you paint that man suppressed the truth so God gave them over to their sin?  Or how do you portray the Holy Spirit in a new and interesting way, without giving Him a body?

This week (and yes, this is Tuesday already) I was hoping to paint something showing how the Holy Spirit "intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words".  I've had a couple of ideas, but I'm really uncertain about them.   So what this canvas will end up looking like is a mystery to me!

I'll post the other seven this week, along with why and how I painted them.  And if you have any great thoughts on my current angst, be sure and let me know!  The clock's ticking!!