Isn’t this daisy marvelous?! I’m not talking about my painting, though I am happy with it. What a riot of color and form! Those tiny stigma and anthers celebrate life. All the while, as they crowd together to ensure there will be Gerbera Daisies next year, the flaming petals seem to get all the glory.
Have you seen these beauties waving in the summer breeze and standing firm in the heat of the day? Don’t these make you want to sing and shout with joy? Take a walk today or soon and just see the beauty and variety of flowers all around you.
This is the second time I have painted this hummingbird. The first painting was left in the hands of my art teacher to help raise funds for a Christian charity in Malaysia. It does my heart good to know people were not just blessed by seeing this bird painting, but by the generosity of Christians to help those in need.
The first time I painted this bird, I was so awed by the physical prowess of such a tiny bird to fly such an incredibly long migration nonstop over the Caribbean Sea. This time I couldn’t stop seeing all of the intricate design that went into creating this tiny bird. I was painting her at more than twice her size and still was a great way from being able to paint the individual feathers.
The Bible tells us from the beginning of Genesis that God created everything. I’m awed each time I take a good, long look at any created thing. The more I look, the more I believe.
My friend sent me a picture of a beautiful double hibiscus flower she grew in her garden. I was amazed it was a hibiscus, it looked almost like a rose! It was fun to try to catch the beauty of her flower in watercolor.
It is the middle of summer and I wanted to buy some small plant that I could keep growing over the fall and winter. I found a Hen and Chick. That’s what got me wanting to mark the beginning of my attempt to grow succulents, again! I’ve never been good at growing them in the past. I usually kill them with too much water. I chose Anna Mason’s tutorial of a single Hen and added two chicks.
This plant reminds me that the purpose of growth is multiplication. It is nice to see growth in my own life. But I want to see reproduction, others beginning small and growing and becoming ready to reproduce. I don’t want to drown by taking in too much water and dying, like most of my previous succulents did. I also don’t want to die of thirst and never have the joy of bearing fruit. I want to bear fruit in season.
I have been following an online group to learn more ink patterns that can be used in designs. Each week we practice 6 new patterns. Then the challenge at the end of the week is to use the patterns in a design of our own. This was the result of Week 6 practice. Mike suggested the diagonal design.
I love doing this in the evening while we listen to music or watch something on tv. I’ve always wanted something in my hands to fiddle with. These detailed designs keep my interest and train my hands and eyes.
Since these are patterns that someone else shared, I like to stick as close to their pattern as possible. These artists cannot force me to do it their way. It is my choice to follow their pattern to the best of my ability.
God says He has a plan for my life and He doesn’t force me to do it His way, either. As it is my joy to follow the artist’s pattern, it is my joy to follow God’s plan for my life. The difference is that God also promises to be with me all the way, help me, provide for me, and even make my missteps to work for my best.
The name that was coined for this ink art is tangleations. Doesn’t that sound a bit like our lives feel sometimes? God walks with us through our tangleations and some day we will see the design He made through it all!
