Take a minute to listen to this song. Our FBC Waco Choir has been practicing this one for a few weeks. The song continues to play in my head. And it showed up there today as the soundtrack for my morning plein air session.
Surrounded by God’s Love 9×12 Oil
What a beautiful morning it was! Full of light, and shadows, and gorgeous colors. I painted TWO 9 x 12 scenes and only came inside because the mid day light began washing out values to faded tones.
“O Love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee. I give Thee back the life I owe, that in Thine ocean depths its flow, may richer, fuller be… ”
—O Love, Music by Elaine Hagenberg Text by George Matheson
Her tune and arrangement of music soothes my heart and moves me to tears! Click on the video and listen,… really!
Sheltered Underneath 9×12 Oil
After I painted the first panel, I turned and this shade caught my eye. The strong, full tree was providing shade, and sheltering the beebalm and firewheels that are left in bloom. I continued to feel the protection of God’s spirit, as I painted and worshipped with gratitude.
The words by George Matheson continue:
“O Joy, that seeks me through the pain. I cannot close my heart to Thee; I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain that morn shall tearless be…”
This may be one of those times “you just had to be there.” And I was. And God was. And also, the random deer was! The one that pranced by in the midst of it all! I love mornings like this!
What a difference a season of time makes!! I painted Lonely Tree in the first few months of moving to the Ranch. The stark lack of foilage and evidence of wind, whipping its branches in the winter, caused me to name it “lonely tree”. (Yeah, yeah, there might have been some subliminal identification with it on my part at the time, after moving four states westward.)
The Gathering 10×20 Oil
But now, six months later, I look at the same tree and see that it has new growth, has sprouted numerous new leaves, and gathered bushes and various wildflowers underneath to share its shade. I think I will call this one “The Gathering.” It is a comfortable place to be. What a difference a season of time makes!
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3
This question has been foremost in my mind as I am getting settled in as a painter in Bluebonnet Country of Texas. Friends in Georgia have been waiting anxiously to see. Never mind that I left a trail of camellias and magnolias behind. The question now is, “But, can you paint a bluebonnet?”
I half-expected it to be the litmus test for joining any Texas art organization. I imagined every art gallery here would be filled with fields of bluebonnets and cowboy paintings. Or maybe the task would be included on the numerous hoops one must jump through to obtain a Texas Driver’s License! So today, I focused on a closeup view of the flower.
With that southern impressionistic, expressive, “blurry looseness” that I’ve been working on for several years, I wanted to stylize this bluebonnet as one of mine. What ‘cha think? There is always room for development, but for now, I’m checking this one off.
Now, if I could just find a way to attach the sweet fragrance that comes with them…aah!
“God who touchest earth with beauty, make my heart anew;
With thy Spirit recreate me. Pure and strong and true. “
( words from a hymn)
Bluebonnets on a Hill 9×12 oil
This song came to mind as I stood among bluebonnets and other pops of color . . . looking at the streaks of sunlight coming through clouds, and applying paint to canvas to capture just a teeny bit of the beauty of this place.
Our transitional stay on the 85 acre ranch has become an Artist’s Retreat for me. Days are filled with the opportunity to paint outside as the weather allows and to use the breakfast nook for larger pieces in a makeshift studio. Walks with my camera mornings and evenings have given profound assurance of the presence of God and more reference photos than I will ever have time to paint! “With thy Spirit recreate me” has been a prayer, as I search for how my art fits into God’s plan in Waco, TX.
Lately, I’ve been making a list of “re” words: recreate, renew, restore, revive, retreat, reinvent, revitalize…do you see a theme, here? RE-tired works too! This place of retreat is bringing rest and renewal to this tired soul – a restoration of who I am, a reevaluation of how I paint, and a reliance on God’s guidance.
Retreating involves a “be still and know that I am God” stance. I am content to retreat for now. Remind me of this place of solitude when life speeds up. Remind me to refocus and rest.
Several Studies en Plein Air
Welcome Spring! 11×14 oil
As this earth is restored to life with Springtime, may you (and I) be refreshed, revitalized, and resurrected to a purposeful life!
I’ll leave you with a few glimpses of this place through my camera.
dwelling – (noun) a house, apartment, or other place of residence. a home, accommodation, lodging, abode.
(verb) to live or stay as a permanent resident; reside. to live or continue in a given condition or state: to dwell in happiness.
Dwelling 24×24 Oil
This Dwelling has become Home until further notice. It was offered as a place to stay until our new home in the country could be completed. All of our furniture, pots and pans, sheets and towels, books and pictures, are in boxes in a storage unit, waiting for the day they can be reopened and put to use. Meanwhile, we are “dwelling” in this furnished “dwelling” on 85 acres of rolling ranch land in Texas.
We have been here about three months now. That is long enough for me to realize I have come to a place of contentment, most days, about living here. It took me a while to get to this point.
It’s not that I’m ungrateful. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be here, the provision of a place to stay, and the friendship of the owner. But the challenges of being in a new place, upstairs/downstairs, not my things, no dishwasher, outside laundry room, unfamiliar noises, cows all over the place, and a cold prairie wind, all took a toll at first. There were no huge challenges, just the little things we like to whine about as we fall deeper into discontent.
There was also some fear involved, though I fought it with all my might… Fear of being in a new environment, fear of this Waco traffic, fear that a mouse could be lurking in the laundry room, fear of big cows staring at me and getting ready to attack, fear of the tin roof blowing off in a windstorm, fear of us not finding the right contractor for our building project, fear of our retirement budget not being enough, fear that I would never sell another painting… Fear becomes irrational and can spiral into frenzy.
This past Sunday, the pastor said one thing (well, maybe more than one thing) that spoke to me. “Fear is the contracting impulse of the soul.” – St. Thomas Aquinas
I thought about how fear keeps our soul from growing, from loving, from trusting, from experiencing contentment. I’ve known this for years in my aged wisdom! Yet, I realized that these last three months of dwelling in this dwelling have been somewhat of a laboratory for God to continue teaching me about being content with the present day, to continue trusting Him, and to let go of fear.
As I painted, I thought about all that brings contentment in this present time: a place to dwell for now, daily companionship with my husband, the provision of new friends in a new place, these acres to roam on daily walks, beautiful scenes and changing skies to paint every day, peace with God, new mercies and grace every morning, and Blue Bell ice cream in the freezer.(!)
As I was debating this move to Texas, I told some of you, “Trust is my mantra.” I’m exercising the Trust Factor. And, I’m still learning to dwell in the present and be content. This dwelling is helping to teach me.
“… and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6 The Psalmist was learning contentment, also!
One of my favorite moments of the day is when I first look out of the windows to see what animals or birds might be strolling through the property as I drink my morning coffee. The sun rises over the pond and water fowl glide around. Ocasionally, deer may be grazing in the distance. And, more times than any, the black angus are already moving about.
This particular morning, the new calf was moving slower than the rest of the herd. So the mama was staying back to encourage it to get moving! As they walked past the clear point of the pond, the mama stepped into the water and drank — a long time. She lifted her head and looked refreshed, renewed, ready to walk further, and to try to be patient with this child as she prodded him along!
You know, things always look brighter in the morning. A good night’s sleep can help any burden. A night of rest can bring clarity to a plan of action. A glass of orange juice or a cup of coffee can wake your brain from sleep. A new day, a new light, a new outlook — “His mercies are new every morning!”
“Broken promises are worse than rain clouds that don’t bring rain.” Proverbs 25:14 CEV
This painting, presently on my easel, came to my mind when I read these words from the Bible. The imagery of rain clouds just teasing dry land is understood in this environment. The painting seems to illustrate the verse.
I’ve been painting this scene from a photo I had taken of what will become our new back yard. The 29 acres are fifteen minutes from Waco TX, between Mart, Axtell, and Hallsburg…what I like to call “in the middle of nowhere.”
We bought this property because it is only six miles from our son and his family. While looking for about five acres, we ended up with twenty nine! But a lease to pasture cows came with it. We love having the open spaces, and the front yard has seven big oak trees!!
I was the first one who saw the promise of a house in the steel barn on the property. Maybe it was because I had binge-watched “Fixer Upper” in preparation for moving to Waco! Maybe it was because I am a creative person and can see how to make things out of leftovers. We bought this place with the idea that it would be pretty simple to expand the 720 square foot apartment into about 2000 square feet of living space under the metal roof. Things are never as simple as they seem.
An Open Door 6×8 Oil
My “can do anything” husband drew up some house plans. For over a month we have researched, contacted and met with contractors to obtain bids for the project. Steve is presently doing demolition on the existing structure to get it ready to build into our vision.
I know there is a promise of a house here. (There is light at the end of this barn!) But, it seems like it is taking too long to see it fulfilled. Yet, I am grateful for a comfortable place to stay in the meantime (30 minutes away), which has wonderful scenes to paint, and trying to be patient about not having “my stuff” that is all stored away.
How many times do we find ourselves in the middle of a journey, only to feel that things are taking too long, going too slow, coming to dead ends? And then, we remind ourselves that if we are on this journey with God, we have His promise that He will never leave us, or forsake us, or break promises.
“With all my heart, I am waiting, Lord, for you! I trust your promises.” Psalm 130: 5
There is so much for which to be grateful! But that will be another blog entry.
When I paint, I often have realizations which I feel come from God, as He uses visual imagery to clarify direction for me. And sometimes, those images are solidified by phrases popping into my head that I may, or may not, have heard before.
As I painted this scene, I thought of my Mama saying, “It looks like you are going to the jumping off place!” Now, where in the world was the Jumping Off Place? When I was a little girl, she would use this comment if we were on a treacherous road, unable to see beyond the horizon line, or moving into unknown territory. As a child, I pictured the Jumping Off Place as the very depths of hell!
This composition caught my attention because I like the way the yellow grass of a road is highlighted, yet appears to be leading, who knows where, against the vast Texas sky…perhaps, leading to the Jumping Off Place! The clouds are a bit ominous in the foreground but there is light ahead, even though one can’t see where it leads!
We have recently moved four states over from Georgia to Texas. My husband and I packed and pulled our remaining possessions over the highways to land here in the Waco area. Some thought we were going to the Jumping Off Place! We are excited about a new chapter in life. We are pleased as punch to live in the same area as our oldest son and his family! We are tickled to death to get to sit by our two grandsons in “big church”! I am giddy with joy to have a daughter-in-law nearby who enjoys art shows!
But, when I look out the window at the yellow path, I can hear Mama say, “Looks like you are going to the Jumping Off Place!” And I smile. Because, though it is has had some scary moments, there is something a bit exciting about the unknown of the Jumping Off Place.
After painting this, I found out that this old road leads to a gate, which opens to a state highway. And the state highway leads, in both directions, to interesting places filled with interesting people! For you see, every road leads somewhere! Often we need to stop and wait for direction, maybe paint a picture or two, as God speaks about what to do next. We will approach with caution, but anticipation, to see what lies ahead.
Are you old enough to remember the opening scene of the Little House on the Prairie television series? You know, the one where Laura and her sisters are running happily through the waving prairie grass and swaying wildflowers?
Walking Through Wildflowers 10×20 Oil $150
Well, that’s the flashback I had when I was recently walking through wildflowers on a prairie near Waco, Texas. Two grandsons ran ahead, following the curving path their father had mowed. (I know Laura had to blaze the trail herself. It looks real picturesque on tv, but those grasses can cut and who knows what danger lies deep beneath them?) With the help of the pathway, we could enjoy the aesthetic, sensory experience in safety!
White flowers bloom for acres in August on the prairie. “Snow on the Prairie” is a fitting name. This day the storm clouds were beginning to bank themselves in the distance, providing a violet colored backdrop for the greens and white. The rain would be welcomed to give enough moisture for the next variety of flowers, waiting to spring forth from the cracked earth.
As we walked through the wildflowers, the boys ran ahead, delighting in finding trails that forked in two directions. The dog zig-zagged around in the tall grass, looking for whatever dogs look for. Our son and daughter-in-law walked and talked with us, as we explored and dreamed about the future. Eventually the boys came back around, the dog was called from his wanderings off the path, and all of us went back to the house to rest.
Walking through Wildflowers … if you lose your way, you simply follow the path toward home.
There is a lot of truth in that statement. Mike Rowe has proved that! I’m sure you can think of some dirty jobs you have had to do — like parenting, cleaning up after others, caring for your own house and family, packing to move! (don’t get me started.) Even if your vocation doesn’t involve dirt, there are times we all have to get our own hands dirty to get the job done.
We were at Bedford Greenhouses this past Wednesday, a place known for beautiful blooms and shafts of variegated green. And, there is a lot of dirt involved in a greenhouse setting! As I looked for something to paint, the yellow light at the end of the dirt alley caught my eye.
As I studied light and shadows, angles of rooflines and doors, I painted for a few hours. Several workers walked in and out of the greenhouses, carrying tools of a gardener, wearing gloves or not. As the day warmed, I noticed several wiping their faces of sweat. And I thought about the work that goes on behind the scenes to make those beautiful pots of flowers.
Isn’t that the way it is with anything that turns out beautiful, turns out finished, turns out worthwhile? A lot of hard work and sweat is behind any good project.
Think of recent successes in your life. How hard did you have to work to achieve it? Who were the people who got down to the nitty gritty of the project? Who were the ones who weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, the ones who put the sweat equity into it? It may be hard to notice people behind the scenes. But if we take our eyes off the glamour of the moment, the fancy Facebook photos, the instant Instagram pictures, we will notice this reality of Real Life — anything worth accomplishing takes dirty, hard work, and time.
And, finally, as the flowers burst into bloom after the work is done, our lives bloom with blessings and light after a job well done!
