Sympathy

Recently, I was informed that a good friend tragically lost his 19 year old daughter.  While watching  the video montage of a lifetime of pictures of this individual, I was moved at what a beautiful person she is, and also felt such sadness for her parents who now are trying to determine how to move forward, to find hope and healing. I'm always at a loss as to what to say, or what to do.  You want so desperately to take away their pain, or to say something meaningful;something that would supply succor and encouragement, while at the same time you don't want to pry or be audacious enough to think that you are capable of reducing the pain.   So, I do what I can...I paint.  Their beautiful daughter loved insects, particularly spiders and tarantulas, with the hopes of becoming an entomologist.  So, while a tarantula is not normally an image that one expects on an an envelope containing a sympathy card, this is what I am sending to them with a few thoughts, and condolences.

Done completely in gouache.

...to gladden the heart

In a conversation with a family member this last week, I listened to someone that I care about express her frustration about the challenges that she is facing, about feeling adrift at times, not knowing quite what she should be doing and questioning what the future will look like.  It was hard to hear that she was struggling.  Yet, we have all been in those fiery furnaces wherein we have to make decisions to either continue forward with faith, or to shrink.
My thoughts have gone back to her repeatedly this week, wondering what counsel I could give, or what reminders I might send to help her to see herself, and the world in the light that would help her in this struggle.
I came across a scripture this week that was impactful, and meaningful in this regard.  It states:

"And inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances...with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance—

Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;

Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;

Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;" --Doctrine and Covenants 59:15-20

 

I was struck by the reminder that all the things in this world, even down to the tiniest creeping thing, were created for the use of man, God's children, and that he has an anxious desire to please our eye and gladden our heart.  It was helpful for me to remember that this is one of his characteristics, a desire to see us happy.  Knowing that, and knowing that we can call upon him for assistance through the rough parts, is comforting.

 

So, today, I painted a little bug envelope for my family member that I love, but who is struggling.  I sent her a letter to remind her that even the littlest, beautiful things were given to us to help us be happy, and that the same being who was careful enough to create beauty in the little things, is anxious to orchestrate happiness in our lives, as we permit Him to do so.

 

I also used a little insect, because this person's knickname when just a little girl was "bug."

 

 

This was done primarily with Gouache and Prismacolor.

...seen or unseen, they are always near

Recently, I learned that a dear friend lost his angel mother to death.  Over the past few years I watched as he took her into his own home because of her increasing struggles with dementia.  He and his wife tended to her needs, despite having young children with very large needs of their own.  They treated her with kindness and compassion, and served as a great example to me of what it means to "Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother."

When I learned of her passing, I contemplated the happiness that has come into my life knowing that my own Father, who I lost a number of years ago to cancer, still is an active, engaged participant in my life, but from a different part of the "vineyard."

A wise and trusted teacher once stated, "From the beginning down through the dispensations, God has used angels...in conveying love and concern for His children.  ...Seen or unseen they are always near." --Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

I believe that those that we loved in this life, that have passed on, are given opportunities to watch over us, when needed, and assist us through the challenges we face, just as they did while in this life, and that we, if we desire, will be given opportunities to do so now, and after we pass.

So, today, I painted this envelope for my friend, and sent a little letter thanking him for his example, and giving my assurance of the proximity of loved ones that go unseen.

Done in gouache and acrylic.

Happy Holidays

This month has been frantic, and I have not made the time to do some of the traditional paintings that I do each year.  However, I did find the time last night to do an envelope for a young man who just recently gave up a year of his life, under extremely trying medical challenges, serving the people in South America.  I saw him shortly after he came home and he seemed a little down for not being able to stay even longer in his service.  In my eyes, however, I felt that he was very noble for sticking with it for so long, and putting people above his own condition.
I painted this little holiday envelope for him and thanked him for his service.

This is done in gouache, an acrylic background and a bit of pen and ink.

I hope that everyone has a great holiday this year.  Find someone to serve and make their day a little brighter!

New Week, New Envelopes

I skipped a week in doing any type of artwork, and I have missed posting.  This weekend, however, I "caught up" on my goal of doing an envelope and a friendly letter to somebody weekly.  Both of the doodles this week go to people at work.

A couple of days ago, I witnessed the very sad occasion of a co-worker being informed that her father had just passed away, and that he was in a different country.  She is relatively young still, and I was heart broken to see her sadness.  I chose to include in her condolence letter the same poem that I sent to a previous recipient, about the ship and how it relates to dying.  Consequently, I felt it was appropriate to do a little painting of an old fashioned clipper, a sea ship.  This was done in gouache and I enjoyed playing with the blues and yellows.  Here is how it came out:

The second envelope that I completed this week was also for a co-worker.  This gentleman has been working at the location that I manager for over 40 years.  I think it was difficult for him to make the decision to move to the next chapter of his life, as I'm sure it is with anyone who has really dedicated him or herself to an industry for such a long time.  I chose to sketch a picture of a bird, ready to fly off to a higher perch, since I'm secretly a little jealous that he is at a point that he can step away from it, to find freedom with his family in this new part of his life.  I've still got a number of years before being able to reach such a stage, but I'm hoping to keep my wings ready for flight, for when the opportunity presents itself...

This also was done in gouache:

Orchid

Very recently, I had a friend reach out to me requesting that I paint an orchid for her, in the same format of my envelopes, (with a blank place or placard for a name) so that she could have the image somehow put onto the urn that will be used for her mother's ashes.  I was sorry to hear about her mother's passing, but intrigued with the request to 1)- do something for an urn, and 2)- paint an orchid of some kind.
Ashamedly, I'll admit, that I have never given much attention to orchids, having never really been around them much.  Yet, as I reviewed the multiplicity of types of orchids, it was impressive to see just how delicate, yet how beautiful of a flower an orchid can be.  This is the first time trying to paint such a thing...normally I stick with the critters or animals that are either climbing upon a flower, or that will eat one as lunch.  Hopefully, it does justice for the intent of the final image.

This was done in gouache and pen and ink, with a background of acrylic.

Complimentary Colors

My son just recently began to find a deeper interest in color, the color wheel, color theory, etc. due to an art class that he is taking in junior high.  This week we spoke about complimentary colors, how they look when they are put together in a composition, how to correctly shade by mixing the complimentary color, etc..  Because of the lesson, I chose this week to play around with blues and oranges.  Thankfully, with a little more weekend time than normal, due to the Labor Day holiday, I was able to spend a little more focus on detail.  This is the result....another envelope to be sent to an unsuspecting recipient.

I've mentioned before that I love fish.  We have a tank in the house and I find that when things are crazy, it is very therapeutic for me to just sit in front of the tank and watch the little guys float here and there.  There is so much in nature that could be enjoyed, so many indications that there is a benevolent creator who has specifically made beautiful things for us to see, touch, and be intrigued with.

This was done almost entirely in gouache, and the background is done in acrylic.

L Train

Recently, a gentleman I know from work, was browsing through some of my doodles and asked if I would do something for him.  Apparently, his brother is getting married this week, and has an infatuation with the mass transit system in Chicago, particularly, the L Train.  He asked if I would do something on an envelope so that he can put his gift inside of it for his brother.  I don't normally get many requests, and frankly, shy away from them somewhat.  However, I was intrigued with the chance to do something a little more industrial, a little more linear, than what I normally play with.  Here is how it came out.  I put in some foliage to try to balance the mechanized with nature.  This is done in pen and ink, watercolor and some prismacolor to accentuate some of the colors.

I hope he likes it....

Cardinal

Today I played around with capturing the majesty of the cardinal.  The scarlet of this bird, which doesn't dull in the winter, always captured my attention when I lived in Georgia.  The black on the face, giving it just enough contrast from the blast of crimson makes for a stunning specimen.  I could watch them jump through the brush from limb to limb all day.

This envelope goes out the the third fellow on the list of friends, as explained in my previous posts.  There are few people that I know that are as gentle and warm and inviting as Mike H.  I don't think I remember ever hearing him be judgmental of others, yet he is very liberal with his praise of those with which he encounters.  Despite reaching various areas of success in his life, he seems ever to be self-abasing and humble, and has served as another great example of what it means to "walk peaceably" with others.  At a time in my life when I was rather self-critical and didn't have much faith in my own ability, or in the brightness of my future path, his kindness contributed to my ability to see things in a different light, and to begin to trust in ones' ability to change and to grow into something different.

I chose a cardinal for him because of the color red and the deeper meanings behind that color for me. This spectacular bird is a silent witness of the reality of the gift that the color red reminds me of.

This was done entirely with gouache and an acrylic background.

Hen

Yep, another hen.....  There's something really great about the steely eyes of a rooster or hen, surrounded by the blazing comb and wattle, and the pop of the colorful and feathers.  I've done a couple other sketches of hens or roosters, and enjoy exploring their beauty.

In my last post, I spoke of my goal to send out a doodled envelope to a group of friends from my youth that had significant impact on my life. This week's post goes out to a second fellow (pictured below).  Matt and his good wife have created a friendship with us that surpasses mere friendship.  Do you have anyone in your life that are friends, but must have somehow really been family in the grand scheme of things, despite no blood relations?  These two have consistently been people with whom we feel we can be at ease, at home, loved, without pretense, and just enjoy one another.
I did a hen for them because of the hen's ability to gather in their loved ones and provide safety for the little ones.  Matt and Marlene have ever been the "gatherer's" for our little group of friends, and I'm grateful for the glue that they have been for us and that they continue to welcome us in.

This envelope was done with gouache, pen and ink, acrylic and a spot of prismacolor.

Deer

In my last post, I mentioned that my family recently had the chance to head back to my home town and spend time with a handful of different friends.  It was great to see everyone.  On one occasion, we sat down with a group of great people at The Pie Pizzaria (one of Salt Lake's best pizza joints), and my friend Terri looked at me in a dead-pan manner, and refreshingly, yet candidly said, "So, what does someone have to do to get an envelope from you?"  I had to laugh, but was grateful for the inquiry.

Little did Terri know that I had already begun thinking about series of envelopes for this very group of friends to thank them for how richly my young life was enriched to have been permitted to be absorbed into such a fine group of people.  Recognizing that I hadn't been vocal enough about my gratitude to each of them, it seemed appropriate to send out thanks via envelopes.

I took a picture of a handful of these good gentlemen (see below.).  They made a profound difference when I was teetering on some rather foolish decisions, and trying to find myself.

This first envelope for that group goes out to Mike P, and his wife Terri.  Great people!  Great examples of approachable, down to earth, honest and deeply interesting people.

Here's the envelope I did for them shortly after we returned from the trip.  This is done in gouache, with a small hint of pen and ink, with an acrylic background.

Here's a shot of the gents that have surrounded me for a long while, and that I am deeply grateful to call friends.

Frog

Today my family and I returned home from a trip to Utah to drop off our son at the Missionary Training Center for our church, in his continued preparation to serve a two year, full-time mission in Colorado Springs.  We are very proud of him for his decision to dedicate two years of his life volunteering to help others, something that seems less and less common in this world of selfies, immediate gratification and "what's in it for me?"  Aside from the neat experience going to the M.T.C., we also had a bunch of time to spend with great friends and catching up after some extended time apart.
Recognizing the importance of friends in the life of my son, and the influence they've had on him, I reflected on the power of friendship and how relationships from my youth played and continue to play such a profound role in my life.  Among many friends that we visited, were Brian and Elaine, who invited us to come and visit and spend time with their amazing family.  I doodled this envelope to them for their kindness and goodness, and for the impact that they have played in my life.

And here's a quick selfie we did on their porch just as we were leaving.  What beautiful people!

Since I am on the friendship theme now...there are a few more envelopes in the works to thank others for the influence they have had on my life.  Stay tuned for those....

This is done in gouache with a hint of pen and ink .

Olive Tree

After the time devouring map that I recently finished, I have decided to go back to the more familiar territory of doodled envelopes for people that might need a little "pick-me-up."  Recently I discovered that a friend had been diagnosed with cancer, and I decided to spend a few hours designing something for her.
There is something intriguing to me about the beauty of trees, and the unique character that each of them have.  I've doodled a few others over the years, as can be seen here, here, here and here.  But I've never done an olive tree.  Olive trees are unique in that they can grow in the roughest terrain and undergo severe pruning, dunging, forming and cutting and yet still thrive.  In fact, it is the constant and watchful eye of the Master of the Vineyard, and his ever present arboreal husbandry that continues to push the tree to yield a desirable crop.  I think there is meaning and significant symbolism in that.  Sometimes the very pruning that we undergo in this life that come in the form of disappointment, challenges, adversity, are the very things that push us to produce our best selves, letting the unimportant stuff slough off, leaving what matters most.
Here is the envelope that I sent off today:

Insect Map, Finally Complete!

Wow!  Undertaking the map project was enlightening in a lot of different ways.  First, I didn't realize how much time it would take to produce something that large, with that much detail, especially when trying to capture something from my youth.  I'm happy to have done it, but happy that I can move back to something a little smaller and more manageable through a couple of hours.
I also learned that drawing a map of a place you once knew brought back a lot of memories, transported me back in time to almost reliving some of the things that occurred there.

When painting this map, I remembered being chastened once for not watering Dad's garden the way that he showed me, but also how he rushed to me in the garden after that reprimand when he noticed that I was tearful at the rebuke.  I remember him kneeling in the soft, dark soil and asking him to forgive me for hurting my feelings.

I remembered laying under the massive cherry trees we had in the yard and playing with my dog, "Pepper" and watching the birds come and eat the cherries that were in abundance.

I also remember tying strings in a 45 degree angle to the side of my house, staking it to the ground, and then finding tomato worms in the garden and having races up those strings as the worms slowly crawled from the bottom of the string to the top.  GOOD TIMES!

Anyway, I hope you get as much enjoyment out of the finished product as I have had making it.  It's clear that I love painting insects, studying them and finding out what makes them tick...but I think I'm going to take a pass for a while on the little critters.  I also learned that when you do big projects, its harder to document.....I couldn't really scan anything, so I just had to take pictures of various details.  Sorry about the poorer quality on the photos.

Here's a few close-ups of some of the insects:

Trout

Normally, I only knock out one envelope per week.  At least, that is my goal.  But, since today is a holiday and I am not at work, why not do another?  This envelope will go out soon to an individual who has been silently, and without fanfare, helping our family in multiple ways for a long time.  A great example of work, service and kindness, and to top it off, he loves to fish (hence the trout themed envelope).  This one is done in gouache, pen and ink and acrylic.

After looking at previous posts, I've realized that there are a handful of fish related entries...I guess I'm a fish guy as well as an insect guy.  You can see others here, here, here and here.

Tropical Goodies

I haven't posted for a couple of weeks, but I have still been doodling.  Recently, I've chosen to do some envelope art for young missionaries that I know, and that ROCK as examples of great young people willing to step out of their comfort zones to serve other people, full time, for 18 to 24 months away from their families.  The two envelopes this week went out to a couple of Sister missionaries both of which are in different parts of Brazil!  

This one is of a fruit I knew nothing about till I served my mission in Brazil.  It's the cashew fruit, and the cashew nut comes out of the bit that protrudes from the top of the fruit.  

 

This one is just a nod to all of the amazing wildlife found throughout the tropical areas of the world.

Fruits and Vegetables

This week I knocked out a couple of "Mail Art" doodles and letters to people that have brought me specific happiness, or took time to help me and my family feel welcome.  It is wonderful to see just how many tender mercies are afforded each of us through the kind hands of others when you stop to look and take an accounting of the many blessings.  The first, to a friend with the last name "Pepper"...hence, the pepper sketch.  The second, for a gentleman who exemplifies bearing "good fruit" as explained in Matthew 7:20.   These were done in Gouache and I enjoyed the way the color popped on the white background.  

 

Super Doodle

This week has been crazy busy with work, Christmas prep, concerts for the boys and a host of other things.  Consequently, I've had little time to knock out much in the art department.  I'm hoping to paint another Christmas themed Can before the actual day arrives...we'll see about that.  Nevertheless, I did find time to knock out an envelope to a couple that I have long admired and that I consider heroes in the most important areas of life.  The letter goes in the mail tomorrow...  

Nuts for Envelopes

Yup, had to come back to the envelope thing...still loving sending out little doodles to unsuspecting people inside of my realm of influence.  This one is for a dear friend who is a little nuts (hence the squirrel) from back in Georgia.  A person who, despite having to face some sincere challenges in her life, has been stalwart and passionate about moving forward and making the best out of circumstances that are put in her way.  I'm so grateful to know her and her great example.....also, I kinda miss all the squirrels that we so often saw while living in Georgia.

I Think I Can, I Think I Can....

Today I finished another envelope, this time for one that I admire for their courage and resilience in the face of a challenging new chapter in their life.  I thought about the story from my youth of The Little Engine That Could, and naturally thought that a train would be a great symbol of my confidence that this person will overcome, rise up and make it and eventually achieve their desired outcome.