Do Not Be Anxious About Tomorrow: Matthew 6:34

I keep this little sign on my computer. As often as I look at it one would think it would sink in. The last few days I have thought about the cost of chasing this dream. A creative life. No one seems to care that I do this and tonight I am tired and I am not sure that I care myself. There is an important reason for sharing Christ's message. He gave me life. He gave me the incentive to share silly little pieces of art that for some reason used to bring me joy. It is my way of expressing myself and my inner vision. Today it seems that it is all just an ego-promoting proposition. The last few days it seems that I have spent a lot of time in thought about this. What does the future hold? Where am I going? People do not seem to care about art. And if no one cares, why do it? What purpose does it serve?
     My disability was the reason I started doing this. At least it started out that way. What is my motivation now? Why do I create? Why do I spread the word of Christ? Christ exists. Romans 10:13 says if we are to be saved, we are to call on the name of the Lord. Lord, I need you. Help me. Show me where to go from here. I believe in you and I know that you gave me a life that has bounced back from a darkness that threatened to destroy me.
Thomas Kincaide was someone who seemed to have everything. Yet, he was also an alcoholic and a relapse took his life. I have one of Kincaide's books. As a younger artist he had a simple vision. When did it get so unmanageable? When did it become an ego-promoting vision? I know a little bit about the illness that produces an alcoholic. I saw it in my own family. It has been almost twenty-six years since I had a drink. I saw what it did to my family growing up. With God's grace I have chosen not to drink. I am an alcoholic.
     My point is that sometimes our motives start out good but we get lost. Spreading Christ's message is a good one. But if it becomes just a way to further one's ambitions, it is not a good thing. Norman Vincent Peale used to say if a thing is wrong, it can never be right. How does one begin to evaluate one life direction?  And the reason one does something? Thomas Kincaide was, I believe, fifty-four years old when he lost his battle with alcoholism. I saw original works of his right here in my community. He was extraordinarily prolific. I am not talking about how he got off track and traveled down a dead-end path, but in my own life I saw how I  became obsessed with an idea to achieve something. And I forgot that originally I just started sharing something that brought me closer to God. I am after all just one of God's kids. And I found that with some paint and a pen  and a brush I could express that part of me... Thank you for being a part of this journey. Some days it seems that there are no easy answers.  God bless you. Dale

Always Be Thankful...

Hi. Sorry that I haven't posted lately, though I am now feeling better after my encounter with shingles. They are completely cleared up with a little lingering pain at times. The shingles were caused by a virus in my body that was left there by a childhood bout with chickenpox.  I don't remember chickenpox. I won't soon forget shingles. They were the most painful thing I've ever experienced...
     This little five by seven inch painting is a copy of a painting that I had posted on the large corkboard in my workspace. It always reminded me to be grateful for things that come along, even those that might not necessarily be wanted. To be grateful for all things.(I Thessalonians 5:18.) Another little painting that I have  in my space is: Philippians 4:8. "Whatever things are excellent, whatever things are worthy of praise, think about these things."  If I use this tack I can thank God for my shingles. They remind me to never take things for granted. Don't let h.a.l.t get to you. Too Hungry. Too Angry. Too Lonely. Too Tired. I think a lot of this went into my shingles. I let myself get rundown. I can thank God for showing me what intense pain feels like. I am blessed with  being pain free most of the time. Or, at least pain levels that are manageable.  Even the backaches I experienced before the illness  were probably a result of the symptoms of the virus. It is funny how pain can be managed with a change of perspective. I learned something about doctors as a result of the virus. That paying attention to them can save you a lot of misery. The anti-viral medication they gave me saved me a whole lot of trouble. My symptoms were much less intense and of shorter duration than they might have been. This was worth the much-dreaded trip to the physicians.
    Have a great week and God bless. Dale
.

The Remedy Against Bad Times is to Be Patient With Them

I finished this one tonight. I like the yellow frame. Not much to write about tonight. Kind of tired. I have a framed drawing of this quote on my desk. It is an Arab proverb. The last few years have been pretty stressful for our world it seems and this quote is a good one. My wife had a heart attack in April and she is in a hospital bed at home and it can be easy to get overwhelmed unless surrounded by positive messages. Or at least messages to remind oneself that bad times do not last forever. Sometimes it seems that optimism is something that has to be really aggressively pursued. I had a bunch of sugar earlier and I am paying the price. In a way it was a celebration for being so productive. Not a good idea.

Have a good week and God bless... Dale

(Click on the image to see it closer to lifesize and for clarity.)

Rejoice in the Day and Be Glad in It. Psalm 118:24

A painting I did tonight. I seem to be stuck in a rut. I have wanted to try pastel shades for mats since watercolor is so subtle. I wanted to see what a bronze frame would look like. That, plus it was the last frame I had. I would love to be able to develop more patience to do something different. I did a William Cowper quote for my wife last week, it was considerably longer in preparation. It was a seascape. But that was just an experiment. I will sign off. God bless. Dale

Creativity is the Highest Order of Things

I finished this tonight. I did the first one yesterday, I matted it, I framed it, and I hated it. So I decided that what I saw in my mind's eye needed to be attempted once more. This came closer. I saw a painting in my mind's eye that was much more finished. More technical skill. I didn't have it. So I will keep doing this 'til I get it. I have started saying something to myself now that I've never said before," I have a long way to go." I have finally accepted that this is not where I want to be. BUT IT IS A START. I don't understand how artists get so good. How do they do it? I have been painting most of my life, and if I'm lucky I have another thirty years to go. Monet and Matisse painted well into old age. And God willing, so will I...

Have a great weekend. God bless. Dale

For the technically challenged like me click on the drawing for a clearer image. 

Rejoice in the day...

This is a painting I finished yesterday. I call it: Sol, green and blue. Kind of odd I suppose,  but I have always enjoyed the stylized sun as an image. This is an analogous color scheme. My other half doesn't like it, but I really enjoy the color. I don't know that it works as an image, but the color sings. The analogous color scheme would be: yellow green, green and blue green. I am not sure why my partner doesn't like it. I have no input from others as to why this does or doesn't work. Except, as I said, my wife and she said that she didn't enjoy the color harmonies. A long time ago I went to the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, Virginia. It was a group of studios set up so that artists could display their work and sell it there. I spoke to an artist and told her of my interest in setting up a studio. One thing that she said that has always stuck with me was that if I were to work in isolation, my learning curve would be much longer. And that is what happened. I had to learn by trial and error instead of being influenced by others work. I have had some training. I had a half-years worth of art credits in college and art school.  I worked for a picture framer for a little while. I worked in an artist's supply store for a period. I have taken courses at  local art associations. And I've spent a lot of time in museums. But it has been so slow. My disability has been a   hindrance. I get tired very easily. My head injury makes it very difficult to stay on task. It takes two hours to complete a work. This is the limit of my concentration. When I was young I could spend many  hours at a time on a project. When I was in art school I could spend dozens of hours on a work. Now my depression does not give me that kind of concentration. When I sustained my head injury I developed PTSD and this really affected my ability to focus.
     I hope that some enjoy this, it isn't much. I have been working this week on trying to get some of my ability to function back. I have not had much time to paint.
     Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day... God Bless. Dale

Click on the image if you want a clearer picture. This tip is for those who are computer-challenged like me.

Art and God

This is a color pencil drawing I did in my journal. It was suggested that I post it in my blog. I do a lot of these. It seems that this is just one of my favorite drawings to do. I apologize for taking so long to post, there has not been a lot of time to draw recently, my journal requires extra concentration. Also it seems that I spend more time with other responsibilities. Since I haven't had time to paint, I decided to post this. God is someone I think a lot about and my understanding of Him is very limited. When I think of God I see Him as this journal image. At times God has been an angry figure in my life, most recently He is bright colors and excitement. I think perhaps as a child might see Him. Jesus, I think, said that we would approach Him as a little child might. My understanding of Christ is quite limited and I don't mean to offend anyone. This is a relatively new relationship for me. I know that we all have different beliefs and this one is personal to me...

Have a Great Day and God Bless. Dale

This may seem obvious to some, but if you click on the image it will get clearer.