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Wednesday, January 21, 2015

drawing an ordinary thing









***

Canon 6D
Tamron SP 24-70 f/2.8 lens
Manual Mode
ISO 200
f 3.5  1/25 sec
on tripod

LR preset: kk_likeadream
Texture: kk_follow

Drawing
done with
Prismacolor colored pencils

Sketchbook page
embellished with
stamping ink
paint
collage

I can't prove it,
but I do believe
this pear
tasted
especially
delicious.

***

Linking up with

Thursday, January 8, 2015

not still life...real life



So
I've been busy lately
...
watching my child
watch her child.

It doesn't get any better.






***

Canon 6D
Tamron SP 24-70 f/2.8 lens
Manual Mode
ISO 1600
f 3.2  1/100 sec

LR preset: kk_barelycolor
Texture: kk_epic

Drawing
done with
Sanford UniBall Fine pen

***

Linking up with


P.S.
Happy Birthday
to my own
Mom
Great-Grandma Peggie

Sunday, January 4, 2015

trust: one little word for 2015



I said I wasn't going to do it this year...I can't make up my mind; I don't want to confine myself to just one word; I usually forget about it by February anyway; I have too much else to worry about...

...and then it came to me. In the dark of the night (actually the wee hours of the morning, when I tend to wake up anyway, with my mind/heart in gear for the day):


t  r  u  s  t



Actually, I have been 'trusting' for a few years now - albeit sporadically and in varying degrees - in two important areas of my life: Faith and Art. (Relax, family and friends...you all are in the Love area, which is inextricably linked to these two.) This year I am really going to focus on it, pray on it, and reflect upon it on a daily basis.


1.
Trust in the Lord

Fear is useless,
what is needed is trust.

Luke 8:50 and Mark 5:36
(paraphrase)
(and a favourite of my Canadian husband's)

"Fear is useless, what is needed is trust," seems to be a pastoral translation, and while it strays a bit from the literal meaning of the underlying Greek, it does seem to speak to men of our time. I know many people that have this particular translation memorized instead of "Fear not, believe only," without actually owning a copy of the St. Joseph Ed. NAB from whence it comes. People hear it, remember it, and take it to heart. I was shocked when my search for 'fear is useless' in the 'Faith Database' came back with nothing in all of its Bible translations. That is what lead me to this discussion forum. I am glad to know which Bible translation it comes from so that I can continue quoting the phrase with a bit more certainty.   ~ Carson Parker



detail from the piece
'Faith, Hope & Love'
which I made
a few years ago


And believing that art - whatever form it takes - is my Creative Calling, it goes hand-in-hand with Trust in the Lord. So (note to self)...

2.
Trust the Process

There's been a lot written about the creative process, and I have studied it for many years. At some point, pretty much everyone talks about trusting the process...for good reason. Here are a few of my favorites:

The War of Art, by Stephen Pressfield
The Creative Call, by Janice Elsheimer
The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp
The Everyday Work of Art, by Eric Booth
The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron
Walking on Water, by Madeleine L'Engle
Art for God's Sake, by Philip G. Ryken
and anything by Frederick Franck

A quick google search netted many hits such as these:

It was actually Ali Edwards, one of my favorite artists, who first introduced me to the annual One Word concept many years ago. This year I am finally taking her class: One Little Word Project. I'm hoping - trusting - that it will help me follow through this year.


***

Linking up with



Wednesday, December 24, 2014

mary's boy child







Long time ago in Bethlehem
So the Holy Bible say
Mary's boy child, Jesus Christ
Was born on Christmas day.

Hark, now hear the angels sing
A new King born today
And man will live forever more
Because of Christmas day.

music and lyrics
by
Jester Hairston






***

LR preset: kk_litely
Textures: kk_waterfront30 and kk_myrtle
Drawing: newborn Fen (from my own photo files that day)


Linking up with

***
Merry Christmas!



Tuesday, December 9, 2014

in this place




...and I knew it not.
Genesis 28:16 

Sometimes it is hard to believe
that God is
present
in our lives,
especially
in
trying times.



If He seems distant
we have only to
reach out
to
Him.

I remind myself of this on a regular basis.

***
LR preset: darkmood
Textures: kk1 and kk-magic0916

Linking up with
My Still Sunday (via Instagram)




Thursday, November 27, 2014

an american-italian thanksgiving



These things
say
'Thanksgiving'
to me:
Canon 6D + Tamron 24-70 lens
LR preset: kk_earthywgrain
PS textures: kk_waterfront1 and kk_waterfront21


as seen on Instagram
iPhone 6 captured with Camera+ app
edited with Leonardo and Stackables apps

family heirlooms
now in my keep:
ravioli rolling pin,
collander,
macaroni pot,
Italian embroidered linen tablecloth
and matching napkins
(a wedding gift for my folks in 1953)


***

This is what
Thanksgiving dinner
looked like
in our family:
homemade ravioli
with
homemade ricotta filling
and
the best ragu
you ever tasted.

We kids never had a traditional
Thanksgiving turkey dinner
until we were
grown
and living on our own.

For the record,
none of us
ever objected.

Also for the record,
we considered ourselves
Americans
of
Italian/Irish/Swedish
descent.

Greg, Cindy, Mom, Grandpa,
'Dudie,' Adrienne, Lissa
(Dad was behind the camera)
Thanksgiving 1966
at Dudie & Grandpa's house

Dudie wisely got out her best
plastic faux lace tablecloth
for us kids
(tomato sauce stains quite reliably)

Greg, Cindy, Adrienne, Lissa
making ravioli with Grandpa
in our kitchen
November 1969
See the rolling pin?

The tradition continued
- in a way -
when we kids
had kids,
only now it's



Linking up with

Happy Thanksgiving!



Sunday, November 23, 2014

humble of heart




There's something about
dried flowers
that speaks
to me
so
eloquently
of
life.


LR preset: kk_pause
Textures: kk_anne and kk_bamboo

I gathered several of these
'daisy heads'
from my garden
this fall.
I found them
to be
infinitely more
captivating
than their
showy summertime
incarnation,
the black-eyed susan





I set up
this little still life
and captured it
with my iPhone 5
just so I could
experiment
with some apps.
as seen on Instagram



It is a mystery that unless unless the seed falls to the ground and unless it dies, it remains alone. I realize that there are many things in me that must die before He can live: my pride, my ambition, my impatience, my anger. The difficulty in loving my neighbor, or listening to the problems of another. There is much that I must die to. But unless these things are conquered, He cannot live in me.

***

Linking up with