REST and PEACE.....

A friend said this looked like a broken bridge or boat with all this glorious life coming out....I loved what she saw....and I think it says there is Hope, even when broken! It is oil pastel, charcoal, scripture collage on dark grey pastel paper....a first for me. This doll piece was a "pulled" piece by mushing on paints and seeing what might be there....and this is what I saw.....again oil pastels on acrylic...with crumpled tissue paper for matted look border. Enough snow in Ohio for a snowman on the hood of our Texas car! thanks Scott! Our son and his daughter with cousins in Ohio enjoying the snow on Thanksgiving Day! Our daughter and son getting to visit....sorry I'm prejudice...my two children...wonderful kids to this day!! Thanks Dad. A "Congratulations" card from girl cousin to boy cousin who was a "party boy in the Nutcracker" ballet in Ohio....he played his part well! And flowers for our ballerina grand-daughter who had three parts in the Nutcracker Ballet in Ohio at the Midland Theatre!...It was a special night!! Bravo!!! She is beautiful with a beautiful heart like her Mom! Our grand-daughter's personal Christmas tree.....she is into decorating like her beautiful Mom! See the "Clara" Nutcracker ornament her cousins gave her? The Texas cousin enjoying the snow... Our baby girl of the family in Ohio....saying cheese! Opening my birthday presents from the kids and look at that awesome cake they decorated and made!! We all got to stick our finger in the yummy chocolate icing!....without Mom seeing! My awesome daughter in law made a video and photos she put on "Smile" as a special momento for me....thank you !! And do you see my precious grandson waiting to give me "his" present?....he built me this big Lego Sculpture!....just for Mimi! I loved it! A good throw by a great grandson with snowballs in Ohio.... Snow balls going everywhere that day.....on Thanksgiving in Ohio! See that pretty freshly painted Deck, that Daddy did? Thanks for a great time kids and parents!! And that carved and cooked turkey and all the goodies!! And below, a rare opportunity for us all to be together with all the grandbabies....what a blessing! Thanks to our Ohio Family for hosting Thanksgiving Day!....and now Merry Christmas!! Two words come to me today..... REST....and ....PEACE. I think they come to me because I am resting from the long and hard work of accomplishing six pieces of art work for the 2010 season of a Company I can mention at a later date .... a small job....but BIG for me. I hardly slept for weeks, working through the night and sleeping for five hours in the day! It was some of the most glorious days I've had in years of Art Making.....just pouring myself into it, not wanting to stop and having the "legitimate" excuse of it being a "real" paying job for someone with a deadline...... and my family understood that! Usually Art Making takes a back seat ... letting everything else....take precedence. I recently had a serious talk with the Lord about what He wanted me to do....mostly with my ART, since people don't come by the little gallery much anymore.... very slow business wise here.... anyway, it was CLEARLY felt in my heart as a result of prayer that I was to proceed...."Get MY (the Lord's) WORD UP AND OUT THERE".....that was the message I have felt so strongly since that conversation with Him in September-ish. Then in October the "JOB" came....and what did they want?....My art ...in "their style and product" with what?....GOD'S WORD ON IT....YES!....GOD'S WORD! After my conversation and prayer with the Lord and before this job came....I was thinking....well okay, I'll just paint as much art as I can with the "Word" on it and "cover" all the walls in the gallery.....thinking that was the biggest thing I could do.....and that the Lord would bring the people......how else COULD I do it? We are so limited in our minds and sometimes our faith too..... because what "HIT" me after the Company hired me to paint their pieces of art with God's Word on it.....that the Art would go all over the WORLD..!!! EVEN to China....!! His Word would be seen by workers in the process of reproducing what six pieces I did....having to paint it over and over.....those who would pack it would see His Words....those who shopped and did or didn't buy it would SEE HIS WORDS! WOW, when the Lord wants you to do something....His IDEAS surpass what we could even think or dream of!!! So I know I can REST in His love and care.... The next word that is in my head today is..... PEACE.....it is an incredible "peace" that I have inside my head and heart....that He truly is in control.....that He is truly ALIVE and WORKING in our lives....especially when we hand our life over to Him to occupy our hearts and trust Him with it.....so today I am RESTING in PEACE with my life in "His" hands....... and it feels so wonderful..... even though I'm tired and my bad feet still won't let me walk as much as I want.....yet! His works are wondrous and I marvel at Him! I can't share the work I did yet until it is out for the Company.....but I will share some recent fun pieces done in my Online Gut Art Class and photos of our trip to Ohio to see Kellie (our daughter) and Family with Scott (our son) and his Family going with us....a great drive and time with those I hold so very dear....my gifts from the Lord! I have to say, I missed my "precious church" and extended families and my sort of adopted children here too! BLESSINGS for a meaningful Christmas to you all.... sherry...and (dick)! Rest and Peace to You All.....

Stanley,Tito & the Parrots, Me and New ART!

Pilar was too scared to go in the cage.... but she WAS there too...it was raining so not many pictures.... The smeary original for the above is on the post "Works in Progress" I think I like the original smears above best...?? I can't find the photo of the smeary beginning of this bird...but I like the end result... Well, Stanley earned his visit to the ZOO....we LOVED the parrots!!!! It was a fun surprise when the parrots all landed on our heads.... they were the sweetest birds!! I needed the get away before the big ANTIQUES FAIR that begins in these parts again on March 24th thru April 5th! Thousands of people, and good deals to buy, people set up all over the pastures, dance halls, town squares and yards ..... I have had more requests for the B&B than ever before! ??? ...the economy?! I have added a few antiques to my yearly sale.... among other goodies and more new art and some sculptures.... new to the batch of work from the studio! Remember this one with the paint smeared on the canvas and then set aside to see if I saw a picture in it?...It is on the post "WORKS IN PROGRESS" below .... well, here it is finished with not much done to it....I HAVE TO TRY THIS AGAIN!!! It is "Walking in the Garden"......then the girl's face "Hide and Seek"was the second one and then the bird "My pop-corn ball curtain"was the third one..... NOT ALL GREAT but I have loved the spontaneous process....I have more started.....and of course I have prints for anyone who wants a print....or the originals in the gallery next week. I have written scripture on the backs of the canvases with a personal note....I do PRAISE HIM for the joy I get while painting and creating..... it ministers to my soul. I have been stuck, delightfully, on these scriptures for all my painting last week.....Isaiah 55:10,11. I just love what it says....especially the part that says....."it will not return to Me empty." And I love my garden, and His garden! We are His garden too.....planting seeds, growing, watering and harvesting....beautiful and hopeful. Enough...chat...here are the goods!!! Enjoy!