Seeds of Faith

I continue to marvel at the wonder of spring. I miss having young children and watching them plant a garden. So much faith goes into the ground with that little seed. Even though I tried to explain it to them, I know they couldn't fully understand the nutrients in the soil that would be soaked up into the seed once the seed was watered. Nor how the seed would take those nutrients, add to them the warmth from the sun, and shed it's hard shell, send out a root, and then begin to reach for the light somewhere above the darkness of the surrounding earth. 

Oh how often I feel so surrounded by the darkness, even though it is providing me nutrients for growth. I fight to crack open the shell of character weaknesses that keep me trapped, and send out a root that will keep me grounded in goodness. I struggle to push and push and push toward the light, trusting that it will be there and once I find it, I will really begin to grow.

Any Guesses?

This one is just a teaser! I'm excited and a little nervous to try this one. It's a real personal challenge. It will also help me in the next conceptual piece I'll be starting. There's a tiny hint in my Mixed Fruit post... What do you think???

Darkness

When I was teaching elementary school one of my favorite books to read to my class was "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" by Judith Viorst. Whenever Alexander would complain his mother would respond, "Some days are like that, even in Australia". I use that line all the time. Most people have no idea what I'm talking about, but it's a good reminder to myself. Some days it really does feel like all the lights have gone out and nobody's home. It's good to remember that some days are simply like that - even in Australia - for everyone everywhere. It's not only a comfort to myself to know that I'm not the only one who feels weak and vulnerable at times. It's also a good reminder to me when I come across someone who treats me unkindly or seems distant or distracted. I try to remind myself that maybe their just having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad, day and they don't know that some days are like that - even in Australia.

Mixed Fruit Day 2

This was really fun. Portraits are definitely my favorite paintings, but fabric is a close second and fruit is not entirely unlike flesh. So this was quite enjoyable. I like the contrast of the shadows and light and I also like how the reflected colors through the piece help unite it.

Twin Rocks

A very simple, quick sketch as I sat alone with myself and my inner artist, reflecting on what was around me, enjoying a cool breeze on a mostly cloudy day, bare feet in the sand, sitting on a washed up stump.

Mixed Fruit

Another beginning. I am really enjoying the daily painting, although my schedule doesn't allow me to paint every single day. Still, I am painting more and more often than when I was in limbo begin major painting projects. I will soon be starting another illustration so it will be interesting to see if I have the time and energy to do a daily painting and work on a major painting on the same day. Challenges, challenges... so exciting... right?

Commitment

Commitment seems to be the theme of the hour. I've committed myself to many different projects, groups, and people. Additionally, I've committed to better eating and health routines for myself. While I know all of these things are good and important, on this day I was feeling very overwhelmed. The commitments felt like prison bars. And yet I could see all the beauty that these commitments would bring. Sometimes I only focus on the feelings of being trapped instead of realizing I'm actually on the beautiful side of the bars. 

Rhodie Done

I punched the darks, tipped the lights, and Ta-Da! Rodie's done! Rhododendrons are everywhere here on the Oregon coast. They are such a marvelous herald of spring. I have always loved springtime with everything bursting with newness. But springtime here is like springtime on steroids. It's so much better that Christmas!

Search for Balance

I am constantly searching for that perfect point of balance. Sometimes I am driven to go and do and do and do and do. It feels great at the time, and may last for days. But eventually I burn out and exhaust myself. Then I have to pick myself back up and try again. Often this is followed by a period of fear where I'm so afraid I'll overdo again that I don't do enough. Eventually I begin to feel lazy and start to push myself again. And then the vicious cycle simply repeats. 

Where is that road that is straight and narrow and easy to follow? 

Rhododendron

Well, my little Rhodie didn't get finished in a day... but I think she's coming along nicely just the same. This has been a great exercises in both hard and soft lines, as well as lights and shadows. I can see that I need to follow my own rule and stop being afraid of the dark! I think as I deepen the shadow areas it will really bring a greater sense of depth to the flower.

Relief

Opposition exists in every aspect of life. There seems to be plenty of dark nights, but they are always followed by a rising sun.

When hope dawns once again there is such a sense of relief. This sketch was done after talking to a friend. It's wonderful to have someone in your life who is supportive and encouraging as well as understanding and empathetic. 

Trapped

Some days I find the core of who I am buried so deep in layers from the past that I have to work hard to dig myself out. It's amazing how easily some little thing can happen, some inconsiderate word can be spoken, and suddenly I find myself acting out emotions from long ago. 

When I find myself tied to the past, I try to recognize what is happening and then ground myself in the present. I have a wonderful life, in a beautiful place, surrounded by love. When I can bring myself back to this place of gratitude then the past can slip back into the past. Once again I can see the Light.

Goblet and Shells

Well, I forgot to photograph the initial sketch again. I just get too excited to start paining! I've enjoyed this short series of goblet paintings. It's been fun to search around the studio and find things to match up with the goblet. It's also been fascinating to see the similarities and differences in the reflections in the goblet as I pair it with different colored objects, as the light changes each day, and as I play with different background colors. It's been a great study in painting glass and playing with light.

Chaos and Confusion

Some days it feels as if everything should be straight forward, simple, and doable. And then the chaos sets in and it becomes almost impossible to think straight at all. 

On these days I have to make my lists and take the day 10 minutes at a time. In the end, I may not accomplish everything I wanted, but at least I can inch my way forward and get as far as possible on that straight path.

Goblet and Eggs

I was determined to finish this one in a single sitting. It was hard, but I did it! I'm not sure I've ever done a true alla prima before. It was quite exciting. If I'd had more time I would have played with color a little more. But rather than fuss over it, I just moved on. 

The composition is not the greatest either, but I can live with it. I would like to have moved the front egg farther to the right. 

Additionally, I would like to have fine tuned and added more reflections in the glass of the goblet. There were so many plays of light and detail that I simply couldn't capture in the time I had. 

All in all, however, I'm satisfied with the end result. It's a good exercise and it's keeping me on my toes.

Solidarity

When solidarity exists and we have a strong, guiding focus we can support new growth. Creativity and innovation can flourish and develop. In a nurturing environment success builds upon success and soon growth becomes exponential. 

Life doesn't always offer us ideal circumstances. But even within our imperfect worlds we can find others who have common values and who are willing to support our dreams. Sometimes that support person even has to come from within. Regardless of what exists outside of us, we can be determined to develop that solid foundation and guiding path.

For me personally, that strength comes from my Heavenly Father and my Savior. With them, I am always loved, always enough, and never alone. For others, it may be The Universe, Allah, Buddha, or some other god. Whomever it is for each of us, we have within us all that we need to succeed and grow.

Goblet and Apples

While I didn't finish it one sitting, I'm still pleased with the result. Still life painting is not my forte, but I do enjoy it and this was a fun exercise. It is crazy how quickly the light changes. the highlights and shadows around the apples kept spreading as the hours passed and I couldn't keep up with them. It was fun to experience what the impressionists treasured as they played with these same issues. 

Renewal

Spring has always been my favorite time of year. It is when the world begins to wake up and start over. I love having the opportunity to wake up and start over. There are so many renewal opportunities build in to our existence. We have the opportunity to start fresh every single day. Our culture gives us a weekend so that we can start fresh at the beginning of each week. In my religion I practice spiritual renewal each week. 

As an artist I get to start new whenever I want. All I have to do is open my sketchbook and find a blank sheet, just waiting for me to fill it with whatever inspires me. I have a supply of blank canvases anxious for the first stroke of the brush. And I have a stock pile of old canvases willing to be painted over and made new again.

I think it's significant that before I can see the new blossoms in the springtime a lot of work has gone on below the surface. A seed had to soften and sprout and send out its roots. Those roots had to take hold and gain enough nourishment to send a sprout out through the soil and into the sunlight. And the sprout had to grow and develop a blossom. 

I so appreciate the opportunities I have to start anew. And yet, if I don't prepare myself for those opportunities how can I expect my efforts truly blossom? 

Daily Painting

While I love the idea of painting every single day, reality doesn't always allow it. However, I do know I can get better at it. It's easy to have an excuse not to paint - especially when I'm not working on a commission piece and in-between paintings for the book I'm illustrating. So I've given myself the challenge of painting every day possible, and if there's not a major work in progress to simply paint small and fast. 

So here is my attempt at completing a painting in one day... I didn't make it. 

Someone once said that excuses are like armpits - they all stink. So my stinky excuse for not finishing this painting in one day is that we were invited last minute to dinner with friends. Good excuse, right? In reality, however, I could have started painting earlier in the day, or prioritized my painting over socializing. Nevertheless, I did what I did and here is the result. 

The first image was when I remembered I hadn't take a photo of just the sketch. The second image is how far I got before my tummy and my head distracted me from my work... 

Time Keeps on Slippin'

Time management has always been an issue for me. I can't really wrap my brain around time any more than I can wrap it around spacial distance - like how far way 10 feet is. If the world revolved around me (and all too often I forget that it doesn't) I really wouldn't worry about it. But since my choices effect other people, it becomes an area of my life that I'd really like to improve. I've stolen from a couple of other creative sources for this post... the Steve Miller Band gets the credit for my time that most definitely keeps on slippin'. And Salvador Dahli was the inspiration of my melting timepiece. Not only does time melt away, but my energy seems to go alone with it.

My biggest issue is finding a way to manage my energy without wasting my time. If I had the energy to do all that I want, then I'd be going 100 mph non-stop 24/7/365. Unfortunately, I no longer have that kind of energy. So how can I allow my physical body to maintain a balance and still stay productive? As will all things in life, it's a matter of trial and error and practice, practice, practice.