Hope Deferred

Hope Deferred - SOLD!

Thank you!

Week two of my painting commitment of doing one large piece per week until September.  I think I'm gonna like this!  I can feel myself stretching and learning as I go.  They say you don't get to your true self as an artist until you've painted 100 paintings.  Well I am nowhere near that but I'll definitely be working toward that goal!

Abiding in Faith

abiding(adj.)  continuing without change:  "an abiding faith."

enduring, imperishable, unceasing:  "an abiding belief"; "imperishable truths"

My faith is not abiding by the above definition.  My faith often takes a beating having to deal with the day to day struggles we all face:  relationships, finances, sickness, unfulfilled hopes and dreams. I wrestle with my faith often and I fail often.  How about you?

I'm learning, though, that faith is a two-way street and that God's faith in me is abiding, continuing without change, enduring, imperishable and unceasing.  He never gives up on me no matter how bad things get.  He is the perfect and faithful Father.  

*****

So the above painting is the first of many I'll be creating over the next 3 months.  That's about 12 weeks that I have to prepare for an art fair that I've applied to participate in in September.  I should be notified in the next couple of weeks but I want to be prepared and so I begin.  

This one is listed in my Etsy shop for sale HERE.  

Shop Update

I've added several new mixed media pieces to my Etsy shop today. You'll find the link to my shop on the right. These new pieces all have lots of great texture and are sealed in beeswax which is just yummy!

Here are a couple of my favorites:

Check it out and let me know if you see something you like!

Hope Deferred

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12

Painting to come...

Beautiful Mess

I found this song recently and keep listening and reading through the lyrics. It so resonates with where I am in life at this time, in this place.
I need to preserve it here so I can be reminded of the beautiful mess that's inside.

It's inside all of us, you know. The beautiful mess of creativity, the desire to create whether with words or paints or music. Or maybe it's just the creating or recreating of your life. It's there inside you, a beautiful mess.

We need to make ourselves dig down deep, deeper than ever before and give it birth,
so we can share that beauty with the world.

Listen, read, let the words sink in.

Far far, there's this little girl
she was praying for something to happen to her
everyday she writes words and more words
just to spit out the thoughts that keep floating inside
and she's strong when the dreams come cos' they
take her, cover her, they are all over
the reality looks far now, but don't go

How can you stay outside?
there's a beautiful mess inside
how can you stay outside?
there's a beautiful mess inside
oh oh oh oh

Far far, there's this little girl
she was praying for something good to happen to her
from time to time there are colors and shapes
dazzling her eyes, tickling her hands
they invent her a new world with
oil skies and aquarelle rivers
but don't you run away already
please don't go oh oh

How can you stay outside?
there's a beautiful mess inside
how can you stay outside?
there's a beautiful mess inside

Take a deep breath and dive
there's a beautiful mess inside
how can you stay outside?
There's a beautiful mess
beautiful mess inside
Oh beautiful, beautiful

Far far there's this little girl
she was praying for something big to happen to her
every night she hears beautiful strange music
it's everywhere there's nowhere to hide
but if it fades she begs"oh lord don't take it from me, don't take it"

She says, "I guess I'll have to give it birth
to give it birth
I guess, I guess I have to give it birth
I guess I have to, have to give it birth
there's a beautiful mess inside and it's everywhere

Just look at yourself now deep inside
deeper than you ever dared
deeper than you ever dared
there's a beautiful mess inside
beautiful mess inside

Heal my Heart

Before I left on my trip to Haiti, one of my prayers was that my heart would be open to give and receive and to allow myself to feel what ever emotions my experience conjured up without shutting down. I didn't want to close myself off to what I was seeing just because it was hard and hurtful to see. I think that's what compassion is - allowing yourself to feel the hurts others are experiencing.

When I came home, my heart was full and I needed to find a way to express what was there.

Brokeness and pain, yes.

But also healing and hope.

And Love.

This series of heart canvases is the result of that. There are others still there, waiting for the opportunity to come to live with canvas and paint and text. These are the ones I've completed.

If you want to see more details and closeups, please click on My Art page. I'll continue to update that page as new pieces are completed.

Thank you to all who take an interest. Feel free to contact me if you want to make a purchase or have any questions!

Peace and Grace,

Pearle

First Friday!

Thanks to my sweet daughter-in-law, I get to display some of my art work at one of the midtown restaurants, Bulldog, for First Friday in November! I'm so excited!

I spent the better part of the day yesterday painting and got 3 more pieces finished. I'll post pictures later.

Soul Painting

As a child, I was always so envious of the ones whose creative abilities seemed to come so effortlessly. There were always a select few in school who were known as the "artistic ones." I was not one of them. However, throughout my life it seems I've always been drawn to one creative endeavor or another. There was sewing for my children when they were young, latchhooking, cross-stitch, painting of birdhouses. I decorated birthday cakes. I took piano lessons, guitar lessons, a creative writing class. I just never seemed to stick with anything long enough to get good at it.

A couple of years ago in the midst of some struggles with an anxiety disorder, a friend invited me to something called a "soul painting" class at her church. I was desperate for something to help me deal with my anxiety and the opportunity to be creative again drew me in.

The class began with the lighting of candles and prayer. We were then asked to meditate and open our spirits up to God's creative powers. We were given an hour to go to one of several painting stations which consisted of a large sheet of paper attached to the wall. In the center of the room were buckets and buckets of all colors of paint, paintbrushes, aprons, palettes, water, everything we needed to create.

As I was meditating I had a vision in my mind of what I was to paint. It began with 4 mountain like structures, each one with a name: judgment, rejection, abandonment and failure. These were the fears in my life that seemed to be causing the anxiety I was dealing with. The mountains became more human-like in their form and I imagined myself walking among them, yet finally escaping along a path that led to an altar of peace. The painting is very simple and childlike, lacking in any detail or true talent. But the release I experienced from the painting of it was enormous.

This is what led me to begin to explore more about painting. That was just a little over 2 years ago. Locking myself away in my art room and spending hours creatining and painting has provided me with a safe haven, a place to express all those fears and emotions that have caused me anxiety and pain. I had no imposed expectations on being "good enough" to do this. It was simple play.

Now looking back over the things I have created over the past 2 years, I can see how much I have grown and evolved. I am no longer imprisoned by the fears I once had. I am accepting myself as the person I was created to be. I see growth in the way I create, too. It's a wonderful journey that will continue with no expectations on where it will lead.

Today

Here is where I'l be spending my day:

All day.

Listening to music and being inspired.

Wishing you an inspired day!

Visions of Grace

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."
Isaiah 43:18-19

Lots of new beginnings for me lately - a fresh start on getting healthy, a new opportunity to serve, new church, new friends. And a new beginning to a dream.

Several months ago I contacted an online friend to see if we could spend some time together talking about how to go about getting started in the business side of the art world. I had been playing with my art for a couple of years, painting, mixed media, collage, assemblage. It was a wonderful thing to add to my life during this middle age. So much so that I dreamed of being able to one day quit my regular job and do nothing but art full time . Truly that would be a dream come true. So anyway, in talking to this wise woman, her first suggestion to me was to pray and ask God if this is something He wants for my life. Of course, I agreed, remembering that my usual modus operandi is to plow through and ask God to bless my efforts. So I prayed, fully expecting God to give His blessing, because after all, it was something that was good and brought me joy. But God in His infinite wisdom told me no. But even then, I sensed that the answer was really not now. I had to wait.

Then about a month ago, when I was full of the hope and possibility of going to Haiti, my art returned. I've been art journaling, trying to get back into it and then started painting. I feel a new freedom in my painting. It's just all coming together so effortlessly. I believe God is giving my art back to me now and is fully blessing my endeavor to set up shop online and has even provided a couple of 'in-store" possibilities. And even better, He has given me a purpose in my art ~ to help support our church's mission in Haiti with Global Orphan Project.

I've been struggling with trying to find a name for my shop, for my label. All of my old ideas seemed to fall flat, not really describing who I am or what I want to do. So I woke up the other morning and just asked Him, "What name should I use? What would best represent what I'll be doing?" And the answer came:

"Visions of Grace"

And so it begins....

P.S. Thank you Jane for your sage advice. You are a gem!

Random Evening Thoughts

Several months ago I felt like God was telling me to put my painting aside, to lay down my art for a season. And I did. But this week I am feeling so inspired and the creativity is just pouring out of me. I've done two paintings in two days and that makes me so happy! Maybe I'll post pictures tomorrow.

I've reconnected with some old friends lately. It makes me happy but sure stirs up some confusing feelings. There are a couple I want to be more connected with but seems they don't necessarily feel the same. That part makes me sad but just knowing they are still out there gives me hope.

I'm going to Haiti in September. I'm so excited and grateful for the opportunity but also feeling a little fearful. Not about going but about what this trip will do to my heart. I know it won't be easy to see the extreme poverty and the orphaned children. I'm trying to prepare myself but I have a feeling no matter what I do, I won't be prepared.

I'm working on getting in better physical shape. I went to Longview Lake today and walked on the trails there for over an hour. I was so hot and so tired but it feels so good to be active again.

I'm ready to wind this day down and bring it to a close.

~peace~

Inspire Me Thursday: Moon

Thy beauty haunts me heart and soul,

Oh, thou fair Moon, so close and bright;

Thy beauty makes me like the child

That cries aloud to own thy light:

The little child that lifts each arm

To press thee to her bosom warm.

Though there are birds that sing this night

With thy white beams across their throats,

Let my deep silence speak for me

More than for them their sweetest notes:

Who worships thee till music fails,

Is greater than thy nightingales.

William Henry Davies

My Latest Inspiration

A site I've been enjoying the past few days is Amanda Blake Soule's, SouleMama. The photography with all the colors and textures are a treat for your eyes. Her writings inspire you to live a simpler, repurposed, handmade life.

Finding my Creative Voice

I've been seriously playing (oxymoron?) with art for the past year. Most of my time is spent studying other artists and their work ~ people like SuziBlu, Willowing, Mystele, Gritty Jane, Milliande, many others ~ and then learning by imitating their work. It's so great that these wonderful women are so willing to share their craft and bring others along on this artful journey and I will be forever grateful for what I've learned from each of them.



But lately I'm growing restless. I feel like I've learned enough to get me started on finding my own creative voice. I just don't know how to get started doing that. How do I go about finding my own style? Where do I go for inspiration? When I look at what others are doing, I think, 'I can do that!' But that's not what feels right to me now. I need to find my own way, my own subject matter, my own inspiration, my own style, my own voice.

Things that inspire me in my art

Walks in the woods

Birds

Trees

Nostalgia

Peeling paint

Antique malls

Old bottles

Beads

Photos focused on the things we don't usually "see"

Bright colors in unexpected places

Words

Love

Quiet

Solitude

Music