New Beginnings 2010

Happy, blessed new year to all. This year brought so many joys, laughs, triumphs, answered prayer, miracles, heartaches (including that movie I got in the White Elephant exchange), pain, healing, financial difficulties, love, exchange of ideas, friendship, dental work, Italian cuisine, Spain and Italy, Sri Lanka, respect, art, art and more art. Through it all, Jesus has been with me. God's word, miracles, family, sunny Italian days, friends and warm fellowship have sustained me.

I am enjoying a new book for a new year.
Portraits. Since we moderns have few models, we have to use photographs.
Drawing  portraits reminds me of the unique worth and value of each person.
Each loved by their Creator. Remember: you are God's artwork!

Happy, Blessed New Year!

Post Christmas Fun with Katie and Virginia

After a slow start to our day, Virginia and I met Katie at Southcenter Mall. We had lots of fun among the monkeys and elephants at the Rainforest Cafe. It was relaxing to sit and laugh without any time constraint. We talked about dreams, movies, art, children, babies, God, Breaking Free, the fake thunderstorm, more laughing, hurts, and more.  I just love my daughters.

I have drawn a sketch of our hands while we were enjoying coffee, hot chocolate and tea at The Cheesecake Factory. I could put more hours into it, but it is time to call it a night. Sweet dreams and happy new year just around the corner.

Wrapping Up Loose Ends

I am hoping to get into Seattle tomorrow to hand off a drawing and a painting for giclee print-making. So, I need to focus on two pieces to get them really finished. Hmmm. Really finished. Ouch. Ask any artist, and they will tell you they think of taking their "finished" work out of the frame to keep working on it. Therefore, handing your work off to a printer means you think you are finished. I am getting better at this.

This photo gets at a bit of the detail, but not the color as much. I hope to make prints of this.

                                                                                     

 I added purple  to the sky to bring out the yellow in the sunflower. Color in photo not accurate.

I finished this one as well. Not an accurate photo colorwise. The two worlds - the seen and the unseen. I finished it for Karen, and hope to get prints made to sell. My daughter, Katie, will enjoy a print of this one.

Jesus - The Word in the Flesh

I am really struck by the fact that God, the Father, chose to speak to us in words as well as visually in the flesh. God could have just given us His Words to help us understand who He is, but He chose to come in the form of a man. Fully God, fully man. And, as fully man and fully God, Jesus lived a perfect life you and I cannot live. He did it for us, and He gave us an example in three-dimension as to how to live in a way that honors God on planet earth.

I think the visual way of "speaking" is another way to reach out to us with grace and truth, another way of calling us to a love relationship with God. "Long ago, God spoke to us by way of the prophets, but in these last days, God has spoken to us by the coming of Jesus." (Hebrews 1:1-2) People actually touched Jesus, saw Him with their own eyes, held Him, followed  him. God knows we respond to the visual as well as words. Many people have said to me they respect Jesus, but don't understand the Bible.

By having Jesus actually enter our world, God reaches out to us in hope to call the world to himself. I know it is much more, but one way of thinking about it is that He painted a picture of Himself in Jesus.

By making art, I am also showing the hope we have as we respond to that call. To quote Makoto Fujimura, "Art is an inherently hopeful act, an act that echoes the creativity of the Creator. Every time...an artist envisions the first stroke of a brush on a white canvas....that act is done in hope; the creator reaches out in hope to call the world into that creation." From Refractions:A Journey of Faith, Art, and Culture.

I am starting a drawing of the father running to his prodigal son. Just like our heavenly Father is eagerly longing for a love relationship with all of us. For Lani. It is a rough start.

3 Pears Transformation

I have finished my study of three pears. The final painting is brighter than the photo is showing, but taking pictures in the daylight might help that situation. I am fighting post-Christmas fatigue. Thank you, Lord, for another time of painting and being who you created me to be. Thank you that I am in your hands for transformation, just like my pears were transformed in my  hands. The analogy does break down when I consider you brought me from death to life, but it is a bit of an analogy.

My fantastic quote for today: "I love the fact that the Bible records that the Father loves the Son and is pleased with him before he does anything public. That’s the opposite of religion... Religion basically says, “Work really hard. Try your best. And at the end of your life, maybe God will say ‘I now adopt you. I will now love you. I’m pleased with your life.’” Our God is a God of grace. He reveals himself as a Father. And our relationship with him begins with love and approval and affection." - Pastor Mark Driscoll

Following Jesus - Grace vs Gravity

I've been thinking about the whole concept of denying self, "taking up my cross" and following Jesus in a new way. I used to think it meant something like toughing out being good and trying not to make a wrong move or poor choice. (God will be mad if I mis-behave.) Fighting gravity.

I've finally realized, OK, slow awakening, that I will continue to make wrong moves and poor choices in this life. It's part of being human. Doing and being both good and bad. God knows all this.
Now, I think denying myself has more to do with giving up self-idolotry, worship of self. Thinking I can be perfect. It's giving up the maniac urge to be in absolute control of my life, trusting only myself for knowing what is best for me.

When I give up this worship of self, and then worship my Loving Creator instead, I am free to be who He intended me to be. I break free from the bondage of self and evil, when I happily follow, take up the cross-centered life and run to Jesus. Embracing His love, forgiveness, acceptance, grace. I grow in goodness within my relationship with Jesus, but even that is dependent on God's grace, power and Spirit working in and through me.

Jesus did the measuring up, perfection for me. Took my punishment for the bad in me. He exchanged His life for mine. And rose from the dead in the end to secure an eternal place in heaven for me. Can you imagine a love like that? No more cowering in the corner of regret and shame. Complete acceptance. Amazing grace.

I want to think about this quote as I draw and worship God: "I love the fact that the Bible records that the Father loves the Son and is pleased with him before he does anything public. That’s the opposite of religion... Religion basically says, “Work really hard. Try your best. And at the end of your life, maybe God will say ‘I now adopt you. I will now love you. I’m pleased with your life.’” Our God is a God of grace. He reveals himself as a Father. And our relationship with him begins with love and approval and affection." - Pastor Mark Driscoll

I'll start a sketch with the concepts of the cross and breaking free.

Joyous Micah

It's been a joyful  day at Micah and Caleb's house. They had lots of fun with their new Legos and transformers. Caleb ate way too many cookies, and I probably did, too. Christmas with children is so much fun! It has been a very busy day, but I am winding down with some art-making. Here I am working on a sketch of Micah on his fifth birthday. I am enjoying learning the process of the open mouth and happy eyes. I hope to continue on this in the days ahead. I pray I can capture the joy he showed that day as well as today.

Christmas Day, 2009.