Red

This weekend, I had more time than isual to fiddle around in the studio, and felt a longing to paint red.  There is a joy thay comes in painting crimsons and reds...  I love adding the greens to make shadows, popping the orange to pull out highlights.  To quench the "red" fever, I started this little buddhist monk with umbrella, and will add more and more red items in the future....who doesnt love a nice, flowing RED?   As I painted this, I was reminded of my little Tibetan children painting I did a while ago.  There are so many awesome colors in the orient....let's move there!

...and that is dying.

This week I was reminded of an individual in my neighborhood that recently lost her mother.  Years ago, at a funeral of a loved one, a thought, or poem of sorts, was shared.  It was penned by Henry Van Dyke years ago, but it was insightful, and I remember it often.   This week's envelope was to this person who lost her mother.  In it I put this thought, and doodled the ship on the frront.  

Gone From My Sight

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

 

Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone."

 

Gone where?

 

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,
hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.

And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"

 

And that is dying...

 

...more value than many sparrows

Confession Time:  The past few weeks have been rough with various pressures, challenges which consequently bring me to a place where I face a crossroads of fear or faith.  Normally when I get into these circumstances, I become grumpy, even unapproachable at times.  Last night as I lay in bed  I pondered my circumstances.  I reviewed how I have reacted to them, and recognized that I could do better, be better, and trust more, I came upon a pleasant reminder in Matthew 10:28 - 31 that circumstance does not determine personal worth.

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.   Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."

So I decided to watch the sparrows today, and think of someone who is needing reassurance more than myself.  I decided to sketch out this envelope for a friend who has been asked to face a very challenging circumstance recently.

Silkmoth

Today I painted the life cycle of a silkmoth.  Why?  I love insects, but I thought that today, of all days, it was nice to see the type and shadow, even in nature, of the fact that something  slow, unappealing, and gross to some can be transformed into something that can soar, that is beautiful, and that is ever attracted to light.  Happy Easter to all, and may we see the potential in ourselves and others, even when it may not be apparent at the present time.  

Under the Radar

It's been a while since I last posted.  Ive been flying under the social media radar a bit lately, but have continued to doodle.  Here are four more envelopes that I have sent off with letters to the dear recipients.  Two of them went off to amazing Sister Missionaries that I admire. One is serving in Paris, France and the other is serving in Utah.  One doodle ties into the "Fishers of Men" invitation given to disciples of old, while the other is a little garden and empty tomb to reflect on the upcoming Easter weekend.  Two other envelopes went out to dear friends from Georgia that have been asked recently to face some new struggles, yet who are faithfully moving forward a step at a time.  

 

 

 

 

Cherries

This week's envelope and letter goes out to another awesome missionary that is serving in Washington State, home of some of the best growing for Cherries in the Northwest part of the U.S..  No doubt, she is doing a fabulous as she works to bring aid to people in that part of the country.  

 

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.