Last night I installed a new art show at Frothy Monkey! The show will be up for 8 weeks and I have several new paintings that aren’t on my website. If you live in Nashville or are visiting, go check it out!
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Recent Posts
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I am an Invincible Summer.
“In the midst of winter, I found there was within me an invincible summer, and it made me happy because that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.” – Albert Camus
Idle Hands
Forgive my absence. At the start of last week, my schedule was wide open. Five glorious days to make whatever I wanted them to be. I was excited and looking forward to the adventure, though it was wishful thinking. I should have learned my lesson by now. This was too much freedom for me. By the end of the week, I don’t think I accomplished anything…obviously not blogging.
I thrive in routine. There is something about the stress of making everything fit into a week that actually makes me more productive. I find myself not only managing to get everything accomplished with my business, but I stay on top of cleaning and cooking at the house, find time to exercise, and to have a quiet time.
When I know my time is limited, I use it better.
Slap in the face.
Why have I not understood this lesson when it comes to our physical and spiritual lives? My time on earth is indeed limited. I’ve been heavily convicted this week that idle hands lead me to laziness and selfishness.
How about you?
Are you productive in or out of routine?
(picture above: artist Amy Reel)
Wealth and Poverty
If you are around the Belmont Area, stop into the Leu Center for the Visual Arts. I have three pieces up for display in a collaborative show themed around Wealth and Poverty. The show is up now and runs through February 24th. We will have an artists reception on Thursday February 16th at 4:00.
Wealth and poverty are polar opposites. One exists because the other does also. We all have a relentless tug-of-war between these opposing forces in our spirits, minds, and bodies. These paintings are the stories of myself and others as we learn to no longer fight this tension, but rather ebb and flow with it.
Here we find a place of beauty, a development of character, a depth of knowledge, a source of wisdom, and a garden of gratitude.
It’s here where I choose to live,
holding the hands of my neighbors
as we sway in a communal dance of praise
to the One who gives and takes away both wealth and poverty.
Selling My Secrets, Again
A few months ago I wrote a post titled Selling My Secrets. If you remember, I was writing my journal and then cutting out various shapes to add into my paintings. There is something freeing is putting your secrets on display for the world.
Well I realized that I have not shared with you the paintings these secrets turned out to be! Forgive me for the delay but here they are!
“Winter” 30×30 Acrylic, Paper, Oil Pastel on Canvas. $400
“Autumn Harvest” 30×30 Acrylic, Paper, Oil Pastel on Canvas. $400
“Wildflowers” SOLD
‘Evening Wind” 16×16 Acrylic, Paper, Oil Pastel on Canvas. $125
Community Painting
I had the honor of facilitating a community painting for Compassion Internationals Annual Artist and Speaker Retreat this week. It was two days of wading through what it means to Live a Meaningful Story, led by Donald Miller.
It will take months, if not a lifetime to process the wealth of wisdom that was spoken over those two days. I’m going to attempt to dive into a few of those conversations next week. As for now, I wanted to share the painting with you.
Do you remember all of those paper paisley’s we cut out a few months ago? (Look here) Well, I did the same for this painting. During a time of reflection, each attendee was given a paisley and some markers to write down their thoughts on what it means to participate in God’s great Story.
That evening I took each story and made them into the painting you see above. When you get close to the canvas you can see some of the handwriting in the paisley wind. Each story is moving and traveling and interacting with the others.
I can’t begin to put words together to praise God enough for his Ultimate Display of Creativity. Living a meaningful life is my greatest attempt to do so. Community paintings are a visual reminder that we are part of something larger. We have a responsibility to ourselves, to God, and to our neighbors throughout the world to live our stories with creativity, risk, wonder, childlike faith, and purpose. How beautiful.
