CHILD'S PLAY....

Now with eyebrows and a little charcoal outline.... and her title....and signature....and a little lip color.....she's done....the story is told....she is looking at God's creation and her life....as Olivia said... I've been taking a class with Mystele, called Gut Art, also called pulled art, where you scribble, throw a little paint or color on a canvas or paper, add more.... take away....and look for a story.... WELL, I had some simple scribbles that when I turned it upside down, had nice lines of a face and some nice scribbles looking like plants or something. So I put it aside for today to start developing....and when Olivia came over (my grand daughter, age eight), she immediately picked it (12x24) up and commented on the face she saw! When I told her what it was...pulled art...where you find a story in the shapes, she insisted on doing it herself. SOOO, I got the craft paints out and she began developing and drawing what SHE saw in the scribbles....it was really fun watching her loosely find and enjoy painting what she saw....explaining as she went....seeing the face, then the funky hair, two colors, then the flowers and leaf shapes, then the blue lake and the hills, then said the green/blue middle area was the sky, then she saw the eagle, a golden brown eagle.....I had already decided to put the black edge that seemed to border what she was seeing....she named it "God's Creation...Genesis 1"...she said it was like the lady was looking down on God's creation.....and her life. Well, she told me each color she wanted and I mixed until she was happy and when she finished, I had her outline it with black charcoal....well, she was pleased as punch!!! And so was I!!! She is hooked and now wants her own paints and brushes and canvases! We settled on gessoed cardboard for future practice and craft paints for now....but she is ready to sell!! I had such a giggle, because she is planning to hang it in the gallery....and it IS a "little?" better than some of mine!!! HA!!! Today was a grand art day for us both!!! Blessings!! ENJOY!!

ADD A LITTLE SPARKLE....

Click to see the better colors....these look dull... I just noticed the piece of wood showing (hanging on a wooden tree hook on the door) right under the paper with the scripture....well, it is one of the Castanettes that I played when 10 years old living in Spain!! I leave it there and demonstate my talent on occasion! Ha! I've never been into doing arrangements, especially out of silk or artificial flowers. My yard is usually full of flowers, leaves and good smelling dirt in the vegetable garden and have never had the need for the artificial. So when one of the young women at church gave me a dull garrish brite orange and brown plastic wreath to "try and fix up"...as she said.... for the small entry door .... I said ....uh ....ok ..... Well, I was stuck with no supplies and a long way from a store. So I picked crepe myrtle dried blooms (FORGOT TO MENTION ...I sprayed them with a red-ish maroon automotive PRIMER color I found in the garage!! the only color that would work....and I'll use that color again!!) Then added gold and red glitter to them adding them to the wreath.....and then I added pink transparent paint over the really brite orange little pumpkins to soften them then added glitter there too. She said to add a scripture somewhere....so I printed part of a painting with the right colors and glued it in place ....added the soft polka dot ribbon...it was all I had....but I think it turned out A-OK! The scripture is in Spanish for our church and it says, "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." Psalm 28:7 The last photo is an aerial taken by my husband of just the town of Warrenton (population less than 50) before all the crowds....during the Antiques Shows in our county and Round Top.....and this is just one little town! We are rested and enjoying our fall weather!!! Blessings to you all for a blessed Fall of Thanksgiving!!!

PRAISE....anyway?

Today is officially the last day of the two week Round Top Antiques Fair all over this county..... and in my excitement I was going to write a BIG PRAISE TO THE LORD for such a fabulous weekend.....and then I thought...."Would you be doing a BIG Praise if you hadn't done well?" And as I was cleaning up from such a busy two weeks in the shop, I was reflecting on how I got to this point in my life in the first place..... It all started in a Bible Study years ago in the eighties....I was working in our restaurant, which I really did NOT cherish....and longed to be out of it! At this bible study that I had just started going to...a girl read this scripture...."Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart...." Psalm 37:4,5....and I thought to myself...."Oh, yeah, right!....humpf!....and then I remember sitting there during that next few moments thinking what the desires of my heart would be. And my EXACT thoughts were this..."If anyone would EVER want just one piece of art that I could do....that would be the desires of my heart...." At that time I had only done some crafts and taken a few art classes .... hoping .... and loved art none the less! That was 27 years ago this year....and I have been creating art ever since .... and yes, someone has liked it. THE KEY?....the key was what I learned that day after me asking the leader to elaborate on that verse more...as it was really appealing to me since I was so miserable in the restaurant business. She and the rest of the women took the verses a little further and talked about the part that says..."Delight in the Lord...."...basically it was to learn to give God ALL the glory for whatever you did....however small or however great....and no matter what, to "delight in the Lord". At times when I am grumbling or angry or tired and frustrated ..... I think long and hard......and it always comes back to that day at that little bible study......and that one little verse .......that seemingly impossible verse that was read.... and I know how this all got started .....I think He heard my thoughts......that day and knew my love for art ......and my need for people contact and of course I HAVE to DELIGHT IN HIM and give Him THE GLORY or the CREDIT!! ....even if we did well or not.....thank You LORD for a great Antiques Fair Weeks with such wonderful people who blessed us! Blessings!....the manipulated photo above was a vase of flowers I took to Easter Service year before last.....just something beautiful we were blessed with in the yard that year.....I was way too busy to take any pictures of the fair weeks....sorry. Enjoy!

A Great Day.....

Why is it a great day? You know all of those canvases that we have painted and we just don't really like them?.....then we begin to paint on top of them and try to create a little differently and a new painting appears.....not always, but trying and maybe growing in the process....if you don't fail at first....you don't grow and learn in trying again.....and maybe again and again.....BUT the best part is you aren't always the one in control. Sometimes you are being taught by the One who loves you for who you are, but helping to tweak those areas that need to grow....BUT He doesn't throw you out in the process .... like we (speaking of myself) do sometimes to others. Then came this devotional today "Strength in Weakness" Click here ..... (it really spoke to me.) .... I needed to hear it today .... the "bird dog" has been on the loose around here chasing the birds ..... when you least expect it ..... he won't win though .... not even in the end. Soooo it is a GREAT DAY! I can't write something without at least putting something beautiful to look at .... like this old plate I found years ago and have never seen another ... .a treasure of mine. On the back it says..."Scripture Illustrations" "KEC"....I Samuel Chapt III....it is at least 100 years old or older....if you know something of these ..let me know. In this picture I have repaired the cracks it has in real life....the computer doctor cleaned it up a bit. Don't you wish we could do that with ourselves?! Blessings!!

TREE LETTERS.....

The one below is a twenty fifth Anniversary piece and they wanted their dog, Sally, on it who had recently passed.... I've done these "Tree Letters" for fifteen plus years ... can't remember when I started them exactly, but they are still requested by customers needing to give the gift of "Remembrance", "Newlyweds" or "Newly Born" in birth or in Christ. A few went to Russian Students that were at Baylor playing tennis. It has been a joy to do all of these "special names" over the years with their chosen scripture for each person. You end up thinking what the person is like while you are painting their initials or their full name....when you don't know them....you end up praying for them as you draw and paint their name. It has become a special order when I get a new name ... for whatever reason it is being requested and I feel blessed to get to do it! Enjoy and Great Blessings to you this week!!

NEW POSTCARD....

Before below and the after is above....the lines under the truck are actually petal lines of a gerbera daisy from one of her textures....it just gave that dry August ground interest! I took this photo for an AD campaign .... maybe .... and then started fooling around with it digitally. In DJ Pettit's Class (listed in my favorites under Gentle Whispering Hues) we learned how to do layers and photo manipulations. We also learned how to use photos of different texture to add texture to our photos and use or manipulate them in an artistic way. On this photo I used three of her new FREE textures she so graciously shared with us. Really I was just wasting time playing and the more I played I began to like what was transpiring ...I thought it looked like those old forties or fifties photo postcards that have that super enhanced saturation that make them look almost surreal, but colorful. Anyway, I've decided to use it for a card or postcard to advertise the Fall Collection at the shop. (But I will wait until I see if I won the competition I entered!) I guess wasting time can be productive!! Don't tell your kids or husband that...teehee. Honestly, we all need to play ..... enjoy the present moment ... and relax. BLESSINGS!! TODAY, THE 31st, WE JUST FOUND OUT WE WERE ONE OF THREE WINNERS ON THE PRODUCT DECOR IDEAS FOR THE ROUND TOP COLLECTION!!!!! WE GOT A BIG PRIZE!!!! WOOHOO!

JUST PLAY..... and TRUST

Now that I see this, I think I will add the word "TRUST" to it..... The TRUST part I am still learning. I say I totally trust the Lord, but does my daily life really show it? When fear sets in over "the news", "illness", "children's well being", "debt", "God's Will", "our future here", "Prayer"....among other areas that I THINK I trust Him....but do I REALLY? I've been praying about that for a while and have had some very interesting God "THINGS" happen lately that had been evidence of His LOVE and proof that I can and MUST trust Him.... and really I WANT to completely....actually I HAVE to....there is no other choice.... so I CHOOSE to. Actually, isn't that wonderful?!?! We CAN TRUST and have Faith in Him ...my stories are too long to tell, but trust me....ha...you CAN TRUST HIM!! While contemplating and drawing a very detailed watercolor of my "Tree Letters" to do for a God Sent order.... I needed to loosen up and so I did this painting..... from the "found" or "pulled" method that Mystele has taught us to experiment with, and I have to say it was so relaxing and fun to do.... it did loosen me up for the night of detailed drawing I needed to do.... I was in the groove! Thank you, Lord!! You are faithful....Blessings!! sherry

THE BIRD DOG FINISHED....and school headbands for Pilar

The picture above is a little off on the color...it is richer colors in person. My favorite part is the trees in the far left upper corner....and the fun stockings on the big blue bird...life is not sooo serious! Goofey, I know, but it was fun... I finally finished "The Bird Dog" as a result of Mystele's "Story Telling Basics" Class....as discussed in the previous post with the first posts a few weeks ago on the discovery of the the BIRD DOG in the painting....which gave it a story....it may be my story of life right now. As I look at it, it has A LOT going on.... which is how my life is right now. I am always too involved with projects and so many things in different areas of life. I also live in a beautiful place with lots of birds and flowers and trees and solitude if you want it....and I love it.... HOWEVER, the Bird Dog is ever lurking to disturb my peace and rob me of my joy in Christ or try anyway. I know the Lord uses it to make me stronger and more dependent on Him. The Bird Dog itself is not evil because he hunts innocent birds....and the bird dog who lurks in our lives may not be a dog, but a person or circumstances and they are used by evil to upset the flow of peace in our lives. BUT .... he is small in comparison to our Keeper (Christ) who will be with me always!! The painting was fun and I got lost in it which I love to do. Time becomes unimportant when I'm painting or playing with paint. It is soo soothing for me. The next thing is I made two headbands for Pilar, age 9 who has beautiful black thick heavy hair and she is letting her bangs grow out and it is driving her crazy hanging in her eyes constantly. SOOO I made these two thicker stronger but funky headbands that stretch for her upcoming school days. She is also really into being fashionable (new) and she is artsy and loves hair stuff, but it never works for her thick hair..... hopefully these will. They aren't in her beautiful black hair yet, but propped on my knee to get a photo. The pink one is crocheted with chain of 62 and a needle # 10 ...then five rows, then sewn together and flowers added. The red check is wide bias tape with elastic sewn in the middle pulling slightly to gather, then joined in the back to fit child's head. The felt flowers are sewn with random design and then stacked and sewn on headband. I hope they fit well and stay in her hair. I had a thought of putting a long line of hot glue along the area that touches the hair(after it is dry of course!) to hold to her hair in better....??? what do you think?... not sure about that part... anyway...ENJOY and BIG BLESSINGS to YOU!! Keep a watch for the bird dogs... in your life.

PLAY, PLAY...

Just some PLAY I learned in DJ Pettit's class with a beautiful Iris in my yard that I photographed in May or June....I really love these colors....flowers for me are a must!! I deheaded my zinnias today in 99 degree weather...HOT August and not much else blooms in this heat except zinnias....but they are struggling. The bees were all over a native white flower vine and the zinnias getting what they could of nectar...lots of very busy bees! This art looks pale here...it is darker in person. I may print it on vellum and put it on an off white card stock for a card...ENJOY....I DID....Blessings!

The Bird Dog...

The unseen story....just paint randomly layed on. Above I saw the old lady with red glasses and green hair piled on top, and long nose. A big face at the top with maybe a mustache?....Naw.... The birds began to come out...NO PAINT is added at all during this process...only graphite or drawing...the shapes seen. little houses, trees, lake... Above a house, birds, flowers, SEE the Bird Dog on the upper right? More flowers, birds and trees... and the BIRD DOG that showed up... He made the story a story...click on pictures to enlarge... to see the complete drawn in story before painting.... The BIRD DOG..... That is the name I came up with for this developing story in this canvas (piece of wood). It is about 6.5 x 23 inches or so. I did as Mystele (in our free class, basic story telling) has been showing us and enjoyed randomly (with nothing in mind) laying gesso, paint, collage, and other items to add texture to this canvas. Then I let it dry .... then I sat it up to look at and to find the story ... one way I saw a big face at the top, but could never make the rest come out. Then another way I saw an old woman with her hair piled on top of her head, and she had glasses on and a long nose that I couldn't get away from .... she was there, clearly....but I just didn't like her or have a feeling for her .... I'm feeling old lately and it was just too depressing .... believe me, she would have turned out ugly .... really ugly .... so I searched and searched for some other story in the canvas and it began to develop! I saw a couple of little houses, a lake, some trees, a sky line, and birds kept coming through....lots of birds ... and flowers. Well, it was not much of a story UNTIL....THE BIRD DOG showed up! I guess that is why the birds appear to be still, very still, ready to take flight if he gets any closer! A little like our lives sometimes! Do you see him? He is small and pointing! OKAY, I have my story and I kept drawing in what I saw in the shapes and colors. NOW ..... this where I usually mess up a good thing!!! When spreading the "unknown" shapes and colors, I am really free and loose ..... BUT when I "know" what that shape is, ( a bird, tree or dog) .... I begin to fill it in like a coloring book and become tight with my brush applying the rest. Hmmmm ... I will leave you these without the finished product ..... and post the results later .... and I will also take any advice! No spiritual message here, except watch out for THE BIRD DOG!! Enjoy and Blessings!!