Starting off 2015 Western Style

I procrastinated several days before starting this one.  It was lined up to be the next painting I worked on, but I was waiting on the new year so it would be the first of 2015.  Then when the first day of the year rolled in, I seemed to have found yet another reason not to start the painting.

When you deal with a lack of confidence the way I do, procrastination is either your best friend or your enemy.  Which ever way you choose to look at it I suppose.  In a way I think it’s manipulation of yourself.  Putting off your goals, your fears and ultimately your success.

Instead of looking at each piece as a learning experience in technique and subject matter, I’m going to look at it as an exercise in building self confidence.  How do I do that?  Beats me, but it’s worth a try.

Part of being successful at anything is making mistakes and learning from them.  Finding the error of your ways and correcting them.  I can see several things that need to be corrected in this piece along with getting it closer to completion.

So as I labored with my lack of confidence and poor planning, hours into the painting I had this…….





So the picture was cut completely in half by land and sky.  Not a good idea.  When I got to looking at all the area I was going to have to fill up with blades of grass, I got really tired.  That’s when I knew I should stop for the day.  “I’ll tackle that after a good nights sleep”. (More procrastination?  Or maybe finally a bit of wisdom.)  Only this would have never happened if I’d planned a bit better.





One million blades of grass later, a few weeds here and there, a few touch ups, oh and also some after thought embellishments I finally had a finished piece.





This painting was most definitely a labor of love.  Love of the process of art and the beauty of God’s creation, the desire to please the customer and to grow as an artist.

Not sure if this has boosted my self confidence though.

Art: Rows of Beans

 

 

This picture was taken from memory only.  It is quite amazing the wonderful things our minds can recall when we try.

I get so inspired by nature and the scenes I see as I ride.  This particular scene, we have all been blessed with so many times in our lives as we ride down the road or walk down a road in a rural area.  The idea began with my grandchildren’s garden.  We were looking at the leaves of their bean plants.  The plants had pretty much stopped yielding beans and before the plants were leveled the caterpillars and other insects were having a fiesta with them.  The leaves looked like lace they had been munched on so much.  At first I wanted to do something with those leaves, but when I got home and started working on an idea, all that came to mind was that scene of rows and rows of beans.  The next thing that I pulled from my visual memory was the lone tree standing in the middle of a field.

I always wondered as a little girl, why that one tree was left.  Later I found out that the tree was a resting place for those tending the crop.  I have seen this particular view so many times in my life, I didn’t even need a photo to paint it by.  I thought that was quite amazing considering I think I have to have a photo to paint just about everything I paint or draw.

This painting was painted with acrylic paint.  The canvas is barn wood with a thin coat of white gesso applied.  The barn wood was planed, so no sanding of the surface was required.

I am so thankful for the beautiful scenery God has given us.  He places certain things in our minds and in our hearts that we can recall at will. I’m also glad that among the things we would like to forget or ignore, there are also these wonderful bits of nature that we know and are familiar with even when we don’t realize it.  He is working in our lives even when we don’t realize it.

Art: Painting Peace

 

Even when your mind is in turmoil and you can’t seem to find a peaceful moment, you can change that by painting the peace you desire.  Little did I know that as I began painting this peaceful scene that it would actually change my mood and ease my mind.

We all have certain things that we enjoy and look forward to.  Things we find comfort in, sometimes when we don’t have the time to do them, just thinking about them can bring about that peaceful feeling.

I use to be able to roam the country side, through the pastures and areas where hardly anyone ever walked.  Scenes like these were a daily part of my life.  Now all I get is a brief glimpse every now and then as I travel to work and back.  I don’t know anyone any more that has this kind of land where I would feel free and welcome to roam.

I long for those days.  At least though, I have the memories I can flash back to that helps to put my mind at ease after four, 12 hour work days at the factory.

The painting was almost finished at this point…………….

………….but I really wanted something else in it.  So I added the round hay bales, which gave it that more complete, finished look.  And the hay didn’t take away from the peacefulness that the landscape and sky created, it added to it.

This view; the sky, the land, the trees, are all gifts that God has given us to help ease our troubled minds. If we will just be looking for it, beauty like this is everywhere.  I thank Him for that.

About the painting:

The paint I used for the entire painting is Apple Barrel Colors by Plaid

Before beginning your painting apply two coats of ProArt Gesso Canvas Primer.

To create the sky, I used Tropical Blue, Dark Gray, White, Yellow Flame, Apricot and very small touches of Cardinal Crimson and Nutmeg Brown.

The line of trees in the back ground were made with English Ivy Green and Nutmeg Brown.

The green pasture was created with English Ivy Green and Lime Tree.

The lone tree was painted with Nutmeg Brown, Dark Gray, English Ivy Green and Lime Tree.

The hay bales were created with Nutmeg Brown, Yellow Flame, White.

The painting was rendered on an old piece of barn wood.

I hope you enjoyed viewing this painting.

Art: Pleasing Imperfections

 

This painting has been quite a challenge for me and I’ve learned a few things I find quite interesting.  The more imperfections I caused it to have the more I seemed to like it.

Here’s what it looked like to begin with…..

For some reason it just bothered me and I couldn’t figure out why.  It wasn’t a perfect square outline, which I like the imperfection there.  I sat back and studied it for awhile and decided it was the light blue clouded area, the outline was just too perfect.  I worked awhile on it and just couldn’t get that perfect outline off of the painting.

I knew what I was going to have to do to make this painting more pleasing to look at, but I just kept putting it off.  I was afraid after all my hours of work on it that I was really going to mess it up when I started sanding it.  But that’s what I wanted to do and that’s what I did.  The more I sanded it the better I liked it.  Sometimes those hard lines need a lot of elbow grease and sand paper to get them out.  I’m thinking the same can be said for out lives.

On the painting:

To create this painting use three pieces of old wood prepared with two coats of white gesso and lightly sanded.  To achieve the colors use these for the rose – Apple Barrel by Plaid Acrylic , Pale Daffodil, Bright Yellow and White.

For some of the darker areas on the rose use  Staedtler watercolor pencil No. 16

For the wispy stems on the small white flowers use English Ivy Green acrylic paint again by Apple Barrel Plaid.

Use the same green for the stem and foliage on the rose along with Lime Tree and White by Apple Barrel Plaid.

The sky was achieved by mixing Aple Barrel Plaid Acrylic Paint, Turquoise and White.

Using a paper doily stencil, create a light layer using Turquoise and white to dab the design on around the outside edges.

I hope you enjoy giving this a try.

Inspiration:

I was wondering if God looks at our lives in the same fashion; standing back and studying about just exactly what we might need to help us become more pleasing to Him.  What might He do next in our lives to bring about a more positive or pleasing result?

Like this painting, I have had quite a bit of sanding and, I might add, chiseling too.  I am glad that God knocked me down several notches and shook “stuff” out of me that wasn’t pleasing to Him.  Now that we have established what I should not be doing, God and I are working on what I SHOULD be doing.

Happy Painting!

Art: A Little More Research

 

 

I was under the assumption that art was just painting pictures.  But, it seems I was a bit mistaken. There are quite a few things you have to do to prepare for the painting and also to finish the piece if you are the unconventional type.

Because of that erroneous assumption, you know thinking things were just cut and dried, sometimes I just dive into painting only to wish I had of done this or had of done that.  Now, I’m not saying those thoughts won’t come anyway, even if you are the most meticulous planner, but it might help cut down some of the time you spend having to make corrections on your creations.

When someone challenged me to paint a fish, I began my usual research for photos of my subject.  As I looked through the photos, I found a very clear picture of a fishe that I thought I could use and manage to get some detail.  I already knew that there would be water, sky and land and had decided pretty much on my color scheme.

I was really giving myself credit for actually sketching out the fish first before I started painting.  But, what I failed to do was to stand back and study it a moment.  I just started painting.  Needless to say the finished product was not appealing to me at all.  The more I looked at it, I knew that the fish and the splashes of water would have to go or I couldn’t give this away to anyone.  Here is what it looked like…….

                                                  

The fish was way to big, the colors weren’t right and the water splashes were really bad.  I was ashamed.  Then I realized that I can’t just look at one photo of a fish.  If I want to paint a large mouth bass, I should research them, make sure the colors are the same, find out what they really look like before diving in and just painting it.  I should plan out my paintings a little more carefully, putting more thought into the process.  If I knew my fish and painted fish everyday it might have been a bit easier.  When someone challenges you to do something that doesn’t come as easy as what you normally do, then we need to educate ourselves.  Put a bit of extra time into it.

So after much studying on water splashes and much time comparing photos of large mouth bass, after sanding out the first fish and regrouping, here’s what it turned out like………………

 

                                                 

There are still some problems, but overall it’s much better.  Now, if I had just planned a little more I would know what to put in this picture on the left, because it’s empty since I sanded boss bass out of the water.

Last week I sawed a painting down to size to fit the only frame I had for it.  This week I’m sanding 1/3rd of the picture away.  What’s next?

Painting notes:

I used Plaid Apple Barrel paint on old wood boards.  The boards are nailed together on the back side using wood slats.  The boards were sanded, then two coats of ProArt Premium Gesso canvas primer was applied and sanded just a bit more.

Spiritual notes:

Sometimes I feel like God is sanding and sawing things away on me that need to be corrected.  The more we study His Word and do our research, it’s possible we might “get it” before we let things get to messy.  Anyway it’s worth a try.  Some of us just have to mess up to learn it seems.  Is it because we haven’t done our research?  It might cut down on some of the time we spend trying to undo the messes we make.

Art: The Iris (Too Beautiful For This World)

 

 

One of the most beautiful flowers I see is the Iris.  There are several different kinds, I’ve noticed some of the blooms don’t stand very tall and seem as if they are kind of flat.  I had been looking for one that was spread out, yet still had a petal or two standing up high.  When I stumbled upon a photo of this one, it was exactly what I wanted to paint by.

Unfortunately, this beautiful flower, is just TOO beautiful for this world.  The bloom doesn’t stay around very long at all.  It reminds me of some people that have left this earth too soon.  By whatever means they traveled away from us, I think they are in a place that is peaceful, filled with beauty and calm, love and compassion.  Like the bloom of an Iris, their time with us was cut short.  Too, beautiful for this world.

This painting was achieved with acrylic craft paint.  For the bloom I used:

Apple Barrel:  Lilac Mist, Wild Iris, Petunia Purple and White

For the foliage I used:

Apple Barrel:  Lime Tree, Vineyard Green and White

Americana:  Pistachio Mint

To prepare the wood, just coat with gesso and allow to dry, lightly sand. Apply another coat of gesso and allow to dry, then paint away.  When you have finished with your masterpiece, if you’d like a rustic look, lightly sand the entire surface.

If you would like to see more painting on barn wood join me on facebook.

Art: Galatians 5:22-23 The Answer

 

 

Suddenly one day I realized that I had just as much brain as the other fella.  I didn’t need someone who pumped themselves up as “chosen by God” to explain the Bible to me.

When I came across Galatians 5:22-23 in the Bible, a light went off.  The answer was not to spend your life trying to avoid it and being full of fear about what could happen, it was to jump right into it all and make the best of the life God has given us.

If I was constantly trying to avoid evil, then that was what I was constantly thinking about, evil.  But that’s not the way God intended us to be.  He created a beautiful world, full of beautiful things to enjoy.

There are always going to be ways to take a wonderful idea and use it for bad, but God meant it for good.

This particular illustration is of my favorite verse in God’s Word.  For me, it sums up just how we should try to be.  It is the ammunition we need to live the kind of life we were intended to live.

The painting is acrylic on barn wood.  It is an attempt to recreate the beauty of the words in the verse. 

Have a wonderful life, focus on the beauty all around you that God created for you.  It drowns out the evil that attempts to take over us all.  But, the battle is already won!

Art: Perfectly Beautiful Flowers

 

 

So what does beautiful mean?  Pleasing to the mind or pleasing aesthetically is one of the definitions I found.  Aesthetics (also spelled æsthetics and esthetics) is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of art, beauty, and taste, with the creation and appreciation of beauty.^[1][2] It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes calledjudgments of sentiment and taste.^[3] More broadly, scholars in the field define aesthetics as "critical reflection on art, culture and nature."^[4][5]

Flowers seem to have a way of pleasing us with their beauty.  And with their perfect form (thanks to our Creator) they also help us realize how to appreciate beauty.  We can be a part of this in more than one way.  We can plant them and enjoy them as they come to life, we can pick them and use them to brighten and cheer up our surroundings, we can give them as presents, we can try to paint them and recreate their beauty, just looking at them though, brings a sense of hope to me.

They are delicate, yet they are strong.  They are perfect and all the different flowers and colors are perfect.  Perfectly beautiful, I guess, is how I would describe a flower.

So as I worked on this piece, I fell even more in love with flowers.  It is such a bright and welcoming piece.  It would cheer up any room it was hanging in.  And of course, being on this barn wood with all it’s history even makes it better for me.

Great thing about this piece is that, you won’t even sneeze when you look at it.  There’s more than one way to enjoy their beauty, even if you can’t have the real thing for one reason or another.

I started not to put color to it and this is what it looked like after drawing it with white acrylic paint and a brush.  I like the lacey look too, but the colors are more cheerful.  Cheerful and happy is what I am after in most everything I do.

                                                

Flowers are pleasing to the mind, soothing to the soul and spiritually and emotionally stirring.  They are simply beautiful.

Hope you enjoyed looking at this piece.  Have a beautiful day.

This painting was done by me, Teresa Haynes Johnson, finished on April 21, 2014 and is acrylic on barn wood.

Art: On the Other Side

 

 

This little piece is 5 3/4” H by 20” W, acrylic on barn wood.  I looked through several magazines looking for just the right ideas.  When I finally got tired of looking through all the pictures, I just kind of started with the green.  Then I went to the sky, the tree far in the field and then the fence.  So, apparently I picked up the ideas as I was looking through the photographs.  I knew what I wanted to do in the fore ground, everything else was a guessing game.  I just wanted flowers.

I am so happy God created such beautiful things in nature, if He hadn’t of created all these wonderful things, I’d have nothing to paint.  It seems that is all I like is flowers, butterflies, trees, the sky especially, animals, water….. all things nature.  And how can you go wrong with such beautiful subjects to paint from.

This particular piece of wood I’m told, did not come from a barn, but it came from a fence.  It’s nice wood.  Ricky Pardon gave it to me after he planed it.  It comes from here in Tennessee somewhere.  I’d like to know when it was built and exactly what it fenced in or out.  I’ve asked for that information, but hadn’t got it yet.

Have a wonderfully creative day!

Art: He Smiled

Took this painting into work one day to show the man who supplying the wood for me to paint on what I was doing with it.  He said he would like one.  I asked him the normal questions, what would you like for me to paint for you, do you have a photograph of something special and on and on I went with my questions.

As we were talking another man walked up and said I’d like to have a painting.  He is an older man that is probably past retiring age, but cannot afford to retire.  He works two jobs.  He has also had some severe challenges with his health recently.  I asked him my normal questions about what he might like to have painted. He didn’t have an answer for me, but said he would think about it.  He did however ask me how much it would cost.  I told him we’d talk about it later after he decided what picture he’d like me to paint.

 As the days went by he would stop by to say good morning and oil my machine for me, as he had always done. I would ask him if he had come up with any ideas for his painting and he would just look down toward the floor and shake his head, no.  Then one day he said to me that he would just like to have something painted by me.

Well, what an invitation to give a painting away.  What more did I need than that nudge God gives me.  So I began thinking about it.

Just a few days ago, he came by my machine, didn’t speak, didn’t even look up.  His head was hanging so low, it was obvious and concerned me, something was wrong.  As he made his rounds again later that day, I walked over to him and asked if he was feeling ok.  I commented that it was quite obvious something wasn’t right, he wasn’t smiling as he usually did.  He just looked up at me, still all slouched over and said, as I looked into his red, sad eyes, “Honey, my self esteem is just about gone, they have just about destroyed it”.  I wasn’t sure who, they, were, but it didn’t matter, he was hurt.

I took the painting to work with me again, the one he had already seen and first sparked his interest in wanting one. I told him I’d just like for him to have it, how much he meant to me and how much it would mean to me if he would accept it.

And he just smiled.  He took the picture and rode off on his little cart, smiling.    Even if the smile is just for a moment maybe that moment will come again and again whenever he looks at my painting.

So this painting is now hanging in the home of a man, I hardly know.  But knew enough to know that he needed compassion.



Thank you God for the opportunity and privilege to make someone smile.

Art: A Struggle

I was hoping that I could come up with some excellent pieces and have a display at the Renaissance Center here in Tennessee.  But I am not sure this will make the cut.

I was in hopes that I could live my life in such a way that would be pleasing to God.  But I am pretty sure I have not and as hard as I have tried, pretty sure I will not be able to accomplish that.

I wanted to be serious about this painting, well, as serious as I could be and plan it every step of the way, hoping for a better performance and outcome in the end.  I can see a lot of areas that just didn’t come out the way I intended.

I have wanted to please God, to do something to glorify Him.  Whether it be my actions, thoughts or my treatment of others.  And I think pretty deeply about things before I say them, trying to be in control of my mind instead of letting my emotions guide me.  Still there are so many areas in my life and my character that are just not quite there.

I chose particular colors in this piece wanting to get it as realistic as I possibly could and end up with a bright and beautiful, happy, thought provoking piece.  Something that would pull the viewer in and help to create those wonderful thoughts.  Don’t think I accomplished that either.

I have desired to be someone who might through the observance from another person might make them wonder why I am the way I am.  But, really, I don’t seem to be different than anyone else.  Just struggling along like everyone else, sad one day, worried another, happy for a moment, content for an instant.  No matter how hard I try, negativity still creeps in and takes hold of me sometimes.

This might seem like it would get a person down.  But it just makes me wonder, how can I do things differently so that the outcome would have a chance at being better.  I know there are many things that only God has the answers to and that is just something that has to be accepted.  And in accepting that, if you are in tune with Him, you know He is guiding your steps and you will arrive when and where He knows is best for you.

As for me, I’ll just keep on trying.  Trying to paint better, trying to live a life as pleasing to God as I can, knowing that He loves me, no matter how disappointed I am in myself and He is in control of it all.

Keep trying!  Maybe we should look at it not so much as a struggle, but as an adventure.

Art: Yellow Roses on Barn Wood

I’ve been experimenting with different techniques, canvases and medium for a couple of years now.  Right from the start, wood seemed to be my favorite.  There’s just something about a more simple, down to earth approach that gives me a great deal more freedom in the creative process.  I admit, it’s not for everyone and it does have limitations in the marketing process.  But I would trade all that any day for the freedom to play with my ideas and step out of the traditional circle.

Barn wood has history behind it, which is just a thrill for me.  To think that at one time these pieces of wood were a part of a farm where cows got milked or tractors were parked, horses spent the night and had their foals or maybe even pigs or chickens lived, has so much more meaning to me than a piece of traditional canvas.

It’s sad that these beautiful buildings are being torn down.  But since they are why not use them.  I see people doing all kinds of creative things with the wood from barns.  There is just so much character in the wood.  I am hoping that I can keep painting on this wood for the rest of my days.  If not, I think I will still paint on wood of some sort.

I am finally finding myself as an artist.  I know I still have quite a bit to learn and am so thankful that God has given me the desire to create.  I hope that through my art someone might take a moment to reflect on the beauty of His world He created for us to enjoy and admire and thank Him.

Art: Giving or Selling

 

 

More and more I keep feeling like I just want to give my art away.  I had a lot of questions for myself about that.  Well, how will I ever make any money that way? That was the main question.  Money!  Don’t really like having to have it or starve, but it is unfortunately, a fact.  I’m not that crazy about eating but I know I have to.  I’d rather buy art supplies or give to someone who is struggling.  I have struggled most of my adult life and I know how that feels.  I know how it feels to have someone help you that did not do it in God’s name, but to, in the end, get what they could from you by holding it over your head that they helped you.  So having struggled, I have this urge to help others or give in some way, even if it just brings a smile to their face and nothing more.  And perhaps that’s why I struggled, so I could learn.

I’ve tried to sell my art, but honestly I haven’t put all I’ve had into that, because I wasn’t sure if that’s what I really wanted to do with it.  So I’ve decided that I don’t think selling it is really what I want to do with it and here’s one example why…………….

God gives us ideas, it’s up to us to follow through.  This idea about not selling my art has been tugging at my heart for quite some time.  I had someone in mind a couple of weeks ago that I’d like to give a painting to.  I was thinking if I give it away I won’t get any money for it.  I could use the money.  But God kept tugging and tugging.  This lady where I work is one of the sweetest ladies I know at this time in my life.  She is constant, she works hard and suddenly, I just kept thinking of her and how I’d like to give her something.  I knew she loved flowers, so I started painting with her in mind.  I struggled and struggled with giving it to her the whole time I was painting it.  Even up to the very minute I handed it to her I was wondering if I was doing what God wanted me to do with this urge to paint and be creative He has given to me.  I was really stressed about it, what if she didn’t like it?  Some people would think it was kind of weird to just walk up to them and give them something out of no where for no reason.  And I just almost backed out.  But……………………..

When I gave her the picture, I explained that I just wanted to give her something and that I thought a lot of her.  She cried!  She love it and was appreciative of me thinking of her.    Here’s what I gave her………

 

As I walked away, she was showing it to others with tears still in her eyes and I was thinking about how that reaction was worth so much more than any amount of money.

Thank you Lord for leading me to do this for this lovely lady.  Thank you for showing me that there are more important things than money.  Yes I would like to quit my job at the factory and just sit and paint.  I’m thinking that is not what God wants for me right now, maybe later, but not right now.  One day when I retire, I will be free to go to art and craft shows and sell art to help me make it financially through the rest of my life here on earth.  But for now, I am learning the meaning of giving and how to be fulfilled through the act of giving.

So I’ll just keep giving the originals away to those who touch my life or those God lays on my heart.  Hmm, I wonder who my next victim will be?

But here’s a pretty neat idea.  I have a little spot online where I upload pictures of my art.  There, people can purchase prints if they like.  So far, no sales.  For awhile I stressed about it, but you know what?  I’m thinking that’s not what it’s all about any way.

 

Matthew 6:19-21

New King James Version (NKJV)

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

¹⁹ “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Art: Growing Beautiful Among the Crowd

 

 

As I was working on all these little flowers I was thinking of what a profound statement they make about God’s love for us just by their beauty.  They don’t have to say a thing, they don’t have to do anything.  The air, sunshine, rain and nutrients in the soil do it all for them.  Some flowers get planted by people, but there are an abundance of flowers that spread and pop up just during the course of nature, growing wild and beautiful among the weeds.

I think God gave us these beautiful flowers just for our pleasure and the sustenance they give to some of the insects and birds.  Only God could have made something as beautiful as the flowers and butterflies and all the other ingredients of nature.

As we strive to be all that we can be for the Lord, sometimes you may feel a little lost among all the people everywhere.  But with the Spirit living inside you, you should strive to stand out and let our spiritual beauty stand up and make a silent statement about God, like these flowers do among the weeds.  There should be something different about us that others take notice of as we go about our everyday lives.  God has made us beautiful on the inside when He place His spirit within us.  Share that beauty with the world.

I have three beautiful children that I personally think stand out from the crowd.  God feels that way about each of us, we are His children. 

Here are a few close up shots of different parts of this painting.  I hope you enjoy looking at them.

 

                                 

 

                                  

 

 

If you would like to see more of my work please go to my website or my facebook page.  Thanks for looking.

Art: You Just Can’t Duplicate Perfection

Paintings that mimic nature are pretty, but no matter how hard I try, I just can’t get certain aspects of the natural scene like it really is.  I believe that also says a lot about us as human beings trying our hardest to live a sinless life, we can never do that.

But does that mean I’m just not suppose to try to keep painting better?  I don’t think so.  Does that mean that I’m just suppose to stop trying to get my life lined up more with God expects of me?  I don’t think so.

I’ve seen a lot of paintings that come pretty close to being perfect and they are amazing.  Don’t know for sure if I can ever attain that skill, but I’m going to keep on trying because God has put that desire in me and really, it’s all I know how to do that gives me a sense of accomplishment.  I would like to honor and glorify Him through my art.

There will never be another perfect human.  And knowing that can sometimes knock the wind out of your sail.  You might think, what’s the use in trying?  Well for me, His Spirit lives within me.  That means He is my Mentor, my Guide, my Heavenly Father.  So He has put it in me to keep on trying to do what I think is pleasing to Him, to try to do what He would do in situations, to love, to share, to show compassion, to care.

I thank Him for giving us the beauty of nature.  I can challenge myself to try to paint a picture as beautiful as His Creation.  I thank Him for filling me with His Holy Spirit to guide me in the way I should go.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my painting on barn wood.  If you’d like to see more of my work go to my facebook page or my website.

If you’d like to follow my blog, occasionally I give away my art work, if you are signed up then you will receive an email each time I post.  Then you will be informed when I am giving something away.

Have a great day!