Wheat - Attention to Detail

Wheat

This painting was quite a challenge for me.  Well, I was trying to challenge myself not to rush through it and think it through a bit more than I usually do.  But, I did get stuck at moments.

It began with the sky.  Whenever I am unsure of myself, I can always start with the sky, it is a motivator for me and one part of my paintings that I have a bit of confidence in.

As I was working on the sky, it helped me to decide what I'd like to do next.  I wanted a silo, wheat field and a barn too. So I began researching silos, wheat and barns.  When I decided on what I liked and where I would put them on the canvas, instead of just starting to paint them in, I actually, quickly sketched the barn and silo with pencil, which is not something I normally do.  I was on to painting shortly after the research finished, because with acrylic paint, the sky and horizon were already dry.  Acrylic dries fast.

I went ahead and painted in the base color of my land where the wheat would be and played with the sky some more.  I knew I needed to make everything on the left side of the barn darker and place my shadows just so because the sun was actually coming from the right side.  I worked on this through out each step of the painting.

To make the wheat in the foreground stand out more I had to darken the shadows and field even more.  Knowing I wanted the sun to be hitting my most forward wheat, I began placing it in here and there with white paint.

I got stuck for awhile on my wheat.  I kept going lighter and lighter and it continued to blend in with my sky until I was pretty frustrated.  It wasn't until I bit the bullet and went darker on the wheat did I fix the problem.  Then I was able to highlight the wheat to make it look as if the sun was hitting it.

But, oh that barn, I couldn't figure out what was wrong.  It looked too perfect and that's when I began working on the roof, giving it some age.  

I gave it a road, added more wheat and still wasn't happy.  It was the barn, I knew it was, but just couldn't think of what exactly it was about the barn.

Though adding those elements helped, it wasn't until I actually aged the wood that it came to life.  Put some holes and places where the wood had chipped away and was finally was able to move on.

A bit of light coming from the hole in the roof down into the inside of the barn, darken up the sky a bit more on the left.  Bring a few clouds on the horizon on the right.  Fix the silo shading.  And I think I've got a finished painting.

Growing up, scenes like this weren't something I noticed everyday, in fact not very often at all.  But there is something so inviting and breathtaking about the countryside, I would be happy living in a barn with this as my yard.  Wish I would have paid more attention to details like this while growing up.

I hope you enjoy my wheat field, barn and silo.  I really loved painting this scene and learned quite a bit from the experience.

This is an acrylic painting on stretched canvas.   If you would like a print of this particular work, please visit my store by clicking below to view the posters.

Southern Sky Posters
by Teresa owner: Southern Sky Studio

Paint With Black, White and Gray

Even if all you have is black, white and gray paint, you can still paint anything you like.  I'm going to be experimenting with this technique a bit more, but I really did enjoy keeping it simple.  This painting is on canvas and painted with acrylic craft paint, black, white and gray.

There are some touches with watercolor pencil.  Three shades to be exact, French Green and Staedtler #50 another green. Then add Staedtler #30, a blue touch for the rain and droplets.

After lightly penciling in the flowers and stems, I just began my background with black, gradually working up the canvas adding a touch of white as I moved upward and gray.

This was my first attempt at raindrops, so I Googled them, studied them and tried it.  Yes, I was afraid of failing, but now I've actually got something to build on for the next time I try.  They are not the greatest, but they will do in a pinch.

I enjoy the look of lead pencil and the act of shading.  This worked much like it, just a different look.

You should try it.  If this becomes your palette think of the space you would save in the studio.

On dreary days as it's pouring or drizzling rain, it seems my mind will always turn to flowers and especially sunshine or light.  Even on these kinds of days God can help us turn our minds to happy, positive visions and thoughts.

God gives us His light to see us through, even on days like these.

Recreating Autumn’s Glory

 

 

Even when you hear it said that the artist just paints for him or herself, they still have to be pleased with the piece before it is finished.  The vision must be represented to their satisfaction or either it is not finished, it goes in the closet or they work on it again at a later date to try to reach the goal with that particular work.

As an artist I take my work very seriously, there is such passion and determination in each piece I paint or draw.  There is a strong desire to represent God’s Creation in a beautiful way.  I’m sure most every one that has that creative drive strives to represent their vision, cause, or whatever they are working on or for at the moment in a pleasing way. 

With so much negative in the world, bringing out the beauty and positive energy in each piece seems to be the goal I strive for.  Seeing a smile come across a face when someone looks at the paintings, drawings or collage’ I have poured myself into is one of the greatest payoffs.

My desire is that the art I make speaks of God and represents Him well.  Like those who want to spread His Word vocally, I attempt to spread His Word through painting and sharing the wondrous creation He made for us.  God made us in His likeness, He is the Creator, so we should be attempting to create too.  Creating is actually something from nothing and there is only One that could, can and ever will be able to do that.  So, actually, I am attempting to recreate as best I can with the tools and talent He has given me. That is my mission, my goal.

Even evil has to be given tools to work with.  Many times the same tools used to make evil are tools that can also be used for good. It’s not the absence of evil, but the overwhelming quantity of good that can make the difference in our lives and in the world.

James 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

This piece “Autumn Glory” was inspired by the beauty of God’s Creation. It is an attempt to capture that glorious light of our Father and the beauty with the autumn colors.  Realizing that any attempt to recreate the Creator’s beauty is feeble and a goal that cannot be attained shouldn’t keep us from trying.  He wants us to be like Him in all areas of our lives, so we try.  We try using whatever talents and gifts He has given us as individuals.

What is your voice?  Mine is visual, painting and drawing to share the beauty of this world He gave us.

I hope you enjoy this piece, hope it brings a smile to your face and most of all, that it resembles the beauty God has given us enough that you think of Him.  And thank Him.

God’s Great Gallery

 

 

Really, no other gallery matters does it?  All the art work I do can go ignored on this earth if that is the way it is to be.  But I am closest to God when I am painting.  Because when I paint, I think, I pray, I meditate on things above.  I ask God to help me as an artist, as a person, to show me what His purpose is for me, to use me to glorify Him in some way.  The only way I can even imagine is through my art, so that’s the direction I am taking.

If He chooses to give me another way, a better way, then I have to be ready.

 

As I was working on trying to improve this painting, I was thinking about what I would like my life to be about.  This is what I came up with.

 

My paintbrush is my heart,

my imagination, my palette,

my purpose is God’s will,

my prayer, to glorify God,

my goal is to spread His Word,

my destiny, I will exhibit some day in God’s Great Gallery.

Written by Teresa Haynes Johnson

 

And so I plopped it right here on this painting to show the world how I feel and who I want to become.

 

I hope you enjoyed my artist thoughts today.

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.

Beyond Slavery

As an artist, there is one thing that stands out in everything we see, that is the beauty.  Even though there are things all around us trying to take away from the beauty, the beauty we see is always there and then comes all the thoughts as we are painting.  Well, at least that's what happens to me.  As this painting was beginning to take shape and the thoughts begin to whirl around in my head, especially with the events of late here at the end of 2014, I saw this as a look into the past and future of our ever changing culture.

I entitled this piece "Beyond Slavery"  particularly because, I was under the impression we had moved past that.  Apparently though, some are still stuck there, dragging the bitterness around on a daily basis and trying to infect us all with hatred.  My heart goes out to those who are determined not only to drag themselves down but are also trying to take all of us down with them.  These are the ones that walk around with a ball and chain, dragging their feet from the heaviness of bitterness, seeking revenge and destruction of anyone that might get in their way.

Take a close look at this painting;  The field is empty, because we have moved on.  Yes, most of us have moved on, most of us are living in the now and striving for a better future. We have moved from the field to the promise of a lovelier day, a wonderful day, a gorgeous sky full of beauty, promise and possibilities.

As in all of our lives, there have been failures and there have been mistakes.  Just as we are thankful for the flowers, we have to be thankful for the mud.  Just as we are thankful for the accomplishments, we have to be thankful for the failures and what each failure taught us.  If you are afraid to try, you will never go anywhere, you will never taste the life that God has given you, you will never reach your full potential. We all must experience some failures and some mistakes to get there.

But, once you have made it past a certain point, then leave it there.  Remember the failure, only for the lesson it taught you.  The heartaches, the disappointments, the mistakes have brought us all to the point we are at today, right now, at this very moment.  Rise above it and look past the point where we once were (the cotton field) and into the bright, beautiful sky of the now and the future.  If we dwell in the past, we dishonor our ancestors and forefathers who fought the battles and made the mistakes for us to learn from.  If you act like a criminal, you either want to be one or think it’s your destiny for some reason.  Why?  "Gird up you loins" as God put it and be who you are meant to be, use the mistakes of others as your teacher. The hard work and burdens carried by generations before us were not intended to create bitterness, they were intended to create Freedom!

We can remain enslaved by our bitterness or we can grow a pair of wings and fly far away from it.

I'm not stuck in the cotton field.  Are you?

Art: God’s Amazing Creation

You might look at this painting of a sailfish and pick it completely apart, but for me, I am amazed.
I know that I couldn’t have done such a painting as this if it had not been for the Ultimate Creator.  He is the one who gave us such beauty to look at and enjoy.  Without this fish, this water, the amazing sky He created, I never would have been able to accomplish this piece on my own.
Nature is such a miraculous thing.  I am so thankful for God giving it to us.  I am thankful for more reasons than just admiring the beauty of it all and learning from it, I get to use it for subjects to paint.  I know there are others out there who see the awesome beauty in nature and how God speaks to us through it’s beauty.  I wonder though, am I doing anything with my art to help reach those who might not know who God is, or that may have strayed away from Him somehow?
After all it is God’s Creation that I am trying to duplicate here.  It those who aren’t fortunate enough to ever get to see a scene like this in reality, I wonder if seeing this picture would awe them, maybe just a little.
I try to recreate a nature scene as best I can as it would look in reality.  Now I know that is impossible, all I can do is try. 
My hope is that someone, somewhere might take a look at this painting and one thought come to mind; God is the Creator.
I know that I can never duplicate any of God’s creation with the magnificence and beauty that He has done, but I can try.
As a matter of fact, it is quite amazing to me that I can do this.  I’m just me, I have the desire to serve the Lord through my painting, I have the passion for the beauty.  God is giving me the skills as I attempt to be an artist for the Lord, teaching myself as He holds my hand.
I am not outspoken, I am a pretty quite person.  I wondered how I could serve the Lord and witness for Him.  He gave me art.
I thank Him and will continue to learn and grow as an artist in hopes that someday, somewhere He will use something I have painted to touch a heart.

Art: It Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

 

After spending several months getting pieces ready in hopes of being accepted into the Artisan Market, I still had the urge to let a little creativity flow.  But I wasn’t so interested in getting to involved in one piece.

Recently I was walking through my grandchildren’s garden and spotted these leaves left over from their bean plants.  The insects had made many meals off of them, transforming them into botanical lace.  These simple little leaves had already inspired a painting, but I was wanting to do something else with them to show off their beauty and give them more life.

I had also collected yet another moth.  It was just laying there on the floor at work.  I was trying to find something to put it in when a friend offered her snack wrapper.  I was surprised it made it home in one piece.  But it was still in tact enough that I could use the wings.

Anyone could do this, if you like it enough and want to try, here’s how…………….

Build a barn wood canvas:

I happen to have three pieces of barn wood that I nailed together using slats on the back side of the barn wood.

Then simply apply two coats of white gesso to the front side of the wood.

Design:

Arrange the leaves in flower like shapes onto your canvas just like you want them to look when finished.   It doesn’t have to be bean plant leaves, it can be any kind.  They don’t even have to be half devoured by insects.  Leaves are beautiful anyway you find them.

Apply:

Remove one leaf at a time, apply Mod-Podge Decoupage solution with a brush to the spot on the canvas where the leaf will lay and place the leaf back down in it’s spot.  Then lightly apply Mod-Podge on the top of your leaf.  Move on to the other leaves, one at a time, until finished. Look for areas of the leaves that may have popped up slightly, gently brush those areas down.  Allow to dry.

If you happen to have an insect or two you could put on this collage, glue on with regular glue. 

Or if it’s flat, like my moth wings mostly were, use Mod-Podge again.  Apply a pretty thick coat, using tweezers place the wings on top of the thick Mod-Podge Decoupage solution.  Let this dry and then coat the top of the wings with gentle brush strokes using the Mod-Podge solution.  Allow to dry.

Embellish:

I used copper tacks to create the middle of the flowers made of leaves.  I also put one right in the center of the moth wings where they all touched.

Using DecoArt Craft Twinkles Gold and a thin small brush, I painted stems onto the flowers.

 

 

Using Plaid FolkArt Metallic Inca Gold, I wrote in script at the bottom of the collage.  Mine says, “It’s the simple things” and then I signed it.  You could letter what ever saying you’d like, there are a lot of great quotes out there.

 

 

This took about 30 minutes of work not counting the drying time.

If you decide to try this, I’d love to see your creations.

Don’t forget to visit me on Facebook or follow my blog here for more interesting art projects.

Thanks for stopping in.

 

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: Put Reality Into Your Paintings

 

These butterflies are real!  Oh yes, they are.  Because I love the butterfly so much, when someone finds one they give them to me.  Sometimes they are whole and sometimes not.  But they are always lifeless.  What better way to bring them back to life and give them another chance to grace us with their beauty, than to put them in a painting true to their surroundings.

This wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.  Although first dissappointed, it became apparent that they were going to need a little touch up.

I began by painting in the background on my canvas using acrylic paint and then painted the flowers and the grass.

Using an exacto knife and tweezers the wings were removed from the body.  Afraid the delicate wings wouldn’t take much moving around, I used the knife and tweezers to place them in different positions on the canvas to decide where they would be most appealing.  Using Plaid Matte Mod Podge with water mixed in it, I applied it to the area on the canvas for the first bottom wing.  Carefully moving the wing I placed it on top of the Mod Podge.  It was all more forgiving than I expected, but still working very carefully, I pressed gently with my fingers, then applied a coat of Mod Podge on top of the wing.  Each wing was done this way.  One wing at a time.

There were a few parts missing on the butterflies so I took acrylic paint and painted the missing pieces in.  You can’t really see it.  The right bottom wing on the black butterfly was missing a bit, the yellow butterfly was missing some on the right bottom wing.  The brown butterfly (or moth) was in tack except the body and antenna, I had cut them away on all the butterflies and had to replace them.

The dissappointment came when the Mod Podge had dried, it left the butterfly darker and some of the colors were no longer vivid.  As I began touching up flowers and adding more and adding more grass I decided to try a little watered down paint on the wings to see if it helped them.  Not much was needed.  It was like giving them a drink of water.  Since they accepted paint well, I decided to highlight them and even put some blades of grass and cone flower petals on top of them.

All in all, I’m pretty satisfied with this idea and can’t wait for friends to give me more butterflies.  They would look great on old wood.  I’m thinking they would also be easier to apply to something a bit harder than this stretched canvas.

To finish the piece, paint a coat of Mod Podge on top of the entire canvas being careful not to put too much pressure on the butterfly wings.

You should try this for yourself on a wood board for ease.  Let me know if you do.

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: It’s a Business too!

 

 

                                             My business card

                                                 

It’s kind of hard to believe that in the time I could have gotten an entire painting done or at least a good start on one all I did was design and lay out a business card, letterhead and write an artist statement.  Oh, I guess I should mention that I was also able to print them out, which was not an easy chore in itself.

I did not grow up with computers, but I think they are quite wonderful for those of us who are on the creative side, to be able to do things for ourselves.  If it wasn’t for computers and in home printers, well I would have had to take everything somewhere and possibly not have it for several days.  Even though it took me all day, I did finally accomplish the tasks.

I needed the letter head for the artist statement that I will have to have when I show my art.  I needed the business cards to hand out to possible customers and to those who buy art from me.  I have needed those for sometime, but I was too busy actually painting pictures to do any of the business side of this business of art.

Sometimes we do get too busy doing all the things we think we should be doing and only involve ourselves with the most enjoyable parts.  But God says in Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

So we are to place just as much importance on the tedious, small, mundane things and care for them as much as we do the larger, seemingly more important things.  That’s hard to do sometimes.

It seems to take just as much of our time to do those less enjoyable, tedious, important things that just don’t seem to add up so fast, that just don’t seem to make as much of a show and give that sense of accomplishment as it does those things that seem more important. 

But for one days work, I’ve got business cards that I can print out whenever I need them, they are saved on my computer; I’ve got a pretty decent artist statement that I can print and use whenever I need it.  And it’s done, and I am so glad.  Strangely, I AM experiencing a sense of accomplishment now that I think about it.

And here is my artist statement that goes with each one of my paintings that will be displayed:

 

I have lived in and moved away from Tennessee several times, but I always seem to come back to the inspiration of the rolling hills, blooming flowers and wildlife of this heavenly area of the world.

Art is my avenue to fight negativity. I thoroughly enjoy nature and the beauty God has given us through His creation. Trying to duplicate that beauty is a challenge I love to lose myself in. Painting on canvas brings much pleasure, but I find that painting on wood brings a more satisfying experience and finished piece. Old wood just seems to tell stories to me as I paint. If I could use old barn wood or fencing to paint on for the rest of my life, I’d be one happy artist.

During the years of single parenting, I managed to illustrate a children’s book, (“Scamper Squirrel Goes to Camp”), paint several portraits in pastel and was commissioned for pieces by individuals according to their specifications. I have also painted baptistery murals, and designed T-shirts as well as logos. All this was, at the time, just to help make ends meet. At present I am freely painting what I love and the beauty I see, hoping that it is beautiful to others as well.

I have learned to work in pastel, watercolor, pencil, acrylics, oils and colored pencil. I enjoy painting flowers and trees, landscapes, rustic subjects, wildlife, butterfly’s, still life, encouraging and happy pictures for children and the drama of the sky. I call it “art from the heart”.

Please visit my art page at www.facebook.com/southernskyartstudio where I regularly post my work. Or visit me on my blog at www.southernskyartstudio.blogspot.com to read about the inspiration behind each painting or illustration I complete. I hope you enjoy my art.

ARTIST: Teresa Haynes Johnson

TITLE OF PAINTING OR ILLUSTRATION_________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

SIZE_________________ MEDIA____________________ ____________________ _________________

PRICE ____________

 

There is my days work all on this page.  Hope you enjoyed it!

Art: Saw Your Painting

 

 

This was one of the first paintings I tried on lace.  There were things I liked about it and things I didn’t.  I thought that because it was lace, I needed to have it behind glass for it to last.  We think lace is delicate, I found out differently when I took a big risk.

I am preparing for an art show, trying to get everything together and in frames.  I wanted to include this particular piece, but here is the way it was framed.

 

And it was behind a piece of glass.  For some strange reason, I just don’t like my work behind glass.  I found a frame I thought would look nice but, it was a bit smaller than my picture.  This lace is stretched over the top of canvas hardboard, so the only way I could crop it to go into the frame was by sawing it.  I swallowed pretty hard, made my marks and began sawing.   

 

Strangely enough, the hardest part of it all was getting through the lace which in no way could be separated from the the canvas or the painting would be ruined.

This is what I got for taking the chance:

Sometimes it’s worth taking a risk.

 

This piece was also too big for the frame I picked out, but it is on stretched canvas.  Not a problem.

 

 

I just took the knife and cut it off from the backside of the stretcher strips it was stretched onto.   After figuring out where I wanted to cut, I just marked it and cut.  Afterwards, I re-stretched it onto hard board, taped it and framed it.  I actually cut a couple inches off the height and a couple off the width.  This is what I ended up with:

 

 

As I was doing all this sawing and cutting, I was thinking…………………….

Sometimes you may think it would be so nice to be able to cut away pieces of your past, those things you did that hurt someone else and even those things that damaged your own life and self-esteem.  As hard as it may seem, we have to be able to forgive ourselves and move on.  If God can forgive us then we surely should be able to forgive ourselves.

He can wipe away our tears and forget our wrongs.  He will give us opportunity after opportunity to get it right.  He doesn’t require us to use a saw or a knife, all we have to do is simply ask for His help and believe that He will do what He has promised.  Of course this won’t erase the memories, but He can help us to rise above it all.

 

Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Art: Encourage a Child with Illustrations

Technorati Tags: art for kids,inspiration,encouragement,illustrations

I can remember as a child not having much encouragement in the areas of my interest.  Sometimes it's hard to figure out just which direction your child is going if they do many things.  There are certain pictures from my memories of growing up that stick out in my mind.  It begins visual and follows with the event or situation that was connected to the picture.

Visual illustrations can leave a lasting mark on a memory.  Something as simple as a poster hanging in a child’s room or anywhere they spend a great deal of time can travel with them through their life.  Even the negative ones can have an impact and let’s face it, children are surrounded by negativity these days.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.  We can change that for them with such simple things; from a special treat being placed in their lunch boxes everyday along with a note from Mom or Dad, to a simple illustration that might touch their little hearts, spark an idea or just inspire a certain attitude or outlook to live by.

Recently my daughter asked me to make some illustrations for some picture frames she had acquired.  These illustrations were to go in my grand-daughters remodeled bathroom.  So I thought long and hard about what I could illustrate for her that she might always remember.  Now, I don’t know if these illustrations will be one of those childhood memories that will inspire her as she grows up, but, if I could do anything to help her dream big, be inspired and have a positive outlook on her life, it was worth a try.

Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

I tried to make the illustrations include something she loved, something she could relate to, to make the biggest impact on her.  She will see these everyday.  I hope and pray she will remember the illustrations and what they are saying to her.  Someday she might need this memory.

If you are interested in hanging these up for your grand daughter click on the picture to purchase a print.  Inspire a child!

                   

Art: Counting feathers or NOT

 

 

Some of us are just too serious.  There are times when we just need to let go and play with ideas instead of thinking that we need to do a serious, saleable piece each time we begin one.  I find that when I do allow myself to relax and just have fun with it all, I personally, like the finished product better.  But early on, I was around many artists that were successful at selling their work, actually counting the feathers on the ducks in their paintings and they were….. tremendously stressed out.

The thought that everything had to be just so-so, has remained with me throughout the years.  Even though much of my work doesn’t reflect that, I was attempting to achieve perfection and it has been very stressful.  Occasionally, I have allowed myself to just let it all go and have fun.  I love that free feeling so much, but still can’t seem to stay there.

Early on in my life as a Christian, I was taught much the same way about worshipping God.  I had to be perfect.  Don’t wear this and don’t wear that, don’t go here and don’t go there.  Pray at this time of the day and for this long and about these things.  If you do this or that, you won’t go to heaven or God will be mad at you. 

As humans, I now know that we can never achieve perfection as far as being judged by others on this earth.  We are made in the likeness of God, so therefore we are perfect in His eyes.  We will surely slip and fall, but He knows what we are capable of, He created us.  God gave me freedom to worship Him and be happy when He revealed to me through His Word, Galatians 5:22-23, which is all about the Fruits of the Spirit.  The wonderful things that God has given me to do that I can do with His help.  I can’t battle profanity and promiscuity in the work place, but I can concentrate on being more like Jesus, emphasizing and practicing the Fruits of the Spirit.  I can’t solve the problems of homelessness, but I can give when I can.  I can’t keep someone from getting mad at me, but I can practice longsuffering.  I can’t always keep myself from getting angry, but I can replace angry words with kind words, understanding words and good deeds.

I hope that someday I can experience the same freedom and peace with my paintings that God has given me in my day to day life.  There are still battles everyday that I find I want to jump on the bandwagon of, but when I rein myself in and focus on what I should be doing instead of what I shouldn’t be doing, it’s a much happier life to live.

So whenever I find myself starting to count feathers, I pull  back and focus on the surroundings.  The beautiful clouds, the color of the flowers, the sun rise or sun set; these are all easier to see and bring into perspective than all the feathers on a duck.

Galatians 5:22-23  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 

About the painting:

I started out as usual, thinking I was going to copy this photograph I took exactly.  I quickly realized that I was trying to hard and just began to enjoy it.

This is watercolor pencil, black, gray and acrylic white on wood pallets placed in a barn wood frame.  The stenciling around it is a lace paper doily.

Here’s the photo:

   

 

Photo taken while working:

 

 

Finished piece:

 

If you’d like to see more of my work please visit my page at southern sky art studio.

Art: Overcoming Fear

 

 

This painting went through a great deal of changes before I was finally happy with it.  Kind of like we do as we grow and learn.

 

This is what it looked like yesterday and…………………….

I wasn’t happy with it at all!

I studied on it for awhile and I knew if it was ever going to a piece I didn’t mind showing or even giving away, it was going to have to go through some major changes.  Even though I was reluctant to actually paint out the vase, that’s what I knew I needed to do.

Sometimes in our lives we know we have to make changes and more times than not, they are very difficult, even scary.  If we are passionate about what we want to do, then we just have to push back our fears and dive in.  And we have help if we want it.

2nd Timothy 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Completely painting out part of the picture was pretty scary to me.  But I thought, God has given me the desire to use the talents He has given me to show love to other people, so I couldn’t give up.  This little painting would just end up in the trash or under my bed, tossed way back in the closet or something else very wasteful.  I liked the flowers and wanted to save them.

I couldn’t let myself be defeated, so I just dove in.  I’m glad I did.  I have a happy little painting that will either make money for me or I will give it away in hopes of making someone smile.

About the painting

Just in case your interested:

This is acrylic and watercolor pencil on stretched canvas.  The large flowers are cone flowers.  I just used regular craft paint.  After I was sure it was finished, I sprayed it with a clear matte sealer.  I used photos of the flowers and the rest was just imagination and determination.

Join my on my facebook page to view more of my work by clicking here.