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.....
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This was fun....just playing with unlikely stuff while I was thinking about being FREER.....
"free" photos from "The Pioneer Woman's " Blog......................................................................................................................................................
I recently (this week!!) read "The Pioneer Woman's" blog about her story of meeting her "Marlboro Man"....from "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" as she calls it.....and to my surprise I was "totally" captured in the whirlwind of her life changing events for the few months leading up to her new life on the prairie!! I NEVER read novels or romance stories.....I usually just read the "scriptures" which are as well full of adventure and real life events that change your life.....but why was I sooo captivated by her story of those months and how she met her Marlboro Man? I even talked to my Hubby about it.....it moved something in me that has been laying deeply covered by life lately....especially the last five years or fifteen years!!..... or more...twenty five!?!! I have continued to push myself to be busy with all the "talents" the Lord has graciously given me.... art, sewing, decorating , keeping the gallery open, taking new classes, learning new and wonderful art, stressing over the B&B days coming up and scheduling sweet people....sort of a dread because I feel like I'm constantly, mentally on a fast and busy expressway, having to keep my eye out to not miss the correct exits, so I don't lose momentum with being sure all is planned and organized and accomplished, and painted and framed and finished......and so I don't waste time to be able to get it all accomplished....never really relaxing....being lazy in a semi-depression...yes....but never really relaxing.....kind of how "Ree" started to realize she felt about her life in L.A.....in the "Pioneer Woman's" romance story.....she was young and falling madly in love with THE man of her life and a life she never dreamed she would be experiencing....ever in her life or in her wildest imagination..... and she became excited that she was actually being FREED from who she THOUGHT she was and freed from continuing to live out who she THOUGHT she was....!! ...maybe living a roller coaster ride that she didn't know how to get off of!! ....an OKAY roller coaster....but a fast moving one that had a tight seat belt that would be hard to unbuckle from the momentum and jump from! WELL.....the strangest thing has come over me this week after being glued to reading and absorbing her adventure of a new life .... and also of some recent events that have affected my life in a sad way.... sad for some (close to me, that I love) who have chosen to throw away their life....by not knowing when to unbuckle and jump out of that roller coaster....that seemingly exciting roller coaster ride..... It has all really had me reflecting this week.....as I shared with Dick..... I want "off" this roller coaster I am on and have been on for years......I want to sit and read a book and not feel pressured for time .....I want to sit on an expanse of a porch and look at the sunset....and watch birds for a "long" time.....I want to just take off on an adventure when I feel like it....in the dirty car with him, with the kids in our life....not having to worry about schedules, commitments, work, money or any pressing obligations.....that are mostly un nessessary. I want to visit West Texas where I grew up, I would visit Spain where I cherished my life as a 9 to 12 yr old child, but it's just too far and too many crowds and pressure of travel, plans etc......I just want to strike out in my sweats or whatever I grab to wear.... throw them in a paper bag and go.....just start driving, stop in an old motel,(do they have those anymore?) .. buy a Delaware Punch and peanuts and not be in a hurry to go anywhere in particular....but just to see the wide expanses of plains, maybe wheat, cows, lots of cows, smell dirt and cow manure....just like "Ree" does now..... on her prairie.....I grew up going to a farm, helping to feed cattle, haul hay, gather eggs, eat homemade wild plum jelly on hot fresh biscuits and maybe gravy and homemade ice cream and fresh fried catfish from the Sandy Creek .... which was usually dried up .... but they always brought fish to Grandma's to fry up....so there had to be water somewhere in that little river. It's funny....I haven't missed "ANY" of that for years!!!...... until I read The Pioneer Woman's blog.....and I thought how wise she was to follow her heart ......and I don't feel like I'm following MY heart anymore anymore .... I feel like other things, ....obligations are "driving" my heart and it is soo used to doing those things that it doesn't even recognize the tiredness of it all .....of riding on that roller coaster for so long....which has been great, but I'm telling you....it is time to jump off.... and just walk a little while. I'm not sure what all this means..... but I am actually TIRED of ART ... at least producing art to sell .... I've been doing it since 1983 and it has been an incredible gift ....to me....to others....but something needs to change.....I feel like it is all finally burying me....smothering me....and I need air!....MY AIR....not any other air. CRAZY?.....maybe it is my age ....? I'm way through with menopause and THAT has been life giving in itself! I want to GO somewhere.....where there is not very many people or pressure....I want to just be.....JUST BE....the child I am....and that belongs to an awesome and loving and understanding GOD.....I want to be FREER in HIM than ever before in my life and I want all things that are incumbrances to being freer in Jesus to be pushed aside....away! ....if they are supposed to be.....and HE definitely knows if they are in the way....I just hope "I" will recognize and KNOW too. Here is a piece of photoshop art I worked on tonight during all my thinking.....for NO ONE ...just enjoying the process and creative playing....it is me in my simple plain Vogue tailored wedding dress of 1966 that my Mother made....but with a new creation of zinnia (from my yard) petaled Spanish looking "flowing and frilly" dress that adorns my old bodice and adorns my head....with a crown.....because "I am" His beloved child....(by His grace)...... I am stubborn, lazy, fatter, mixed up, strong willed, tired but very happy to be HIS child...."thankful" that no matter what....I AM HIS CHILD through His Mercy and Grace ...and always will be......eternally. THAT is something I CAN rest in.....and I think He is giggling about it! I wonder what tomorrow will bring.....? Hugs to you all.....and thanks for listening....and pray big for those around and near your heart that are hurting in some serious way....do it right now.
