Arting

 June 27, 2018

Patti and I met at Carter's Hay and Feed to do some sketching, including the livestock. It was a beautiful morning as we sat under a tree in front. Patti opted to do several sketches as she continues to perfect her line drawing and tonal studies - which are getting really good! I did one sketch in my largest watercolor journal. Knowing where we were going, the night before I stained several pages in the journal with coffee to create a nice rustic tone to begin on. Usually you want to use different strengths of instant coffee, which I didn't have, so I just used leftover morning coffee. I was very pleased with the results and plan on doing this more to pre-tone the paper.  Here is my sketch of the livestock chilling out in front of the barnlike store. These were goats and a couple of Barbados sheep who had lost there winter wool, which apparently you can just pull off in a sheet so they don't need sheering. They staged an escape while we were there but sheep herder, Patti, foiled their attempt!  I'll post Patti's when she sends them to me. I'm going to miss these times with Patti when I move. 

Urban sketching at Carter's Hay & Feed in Encinitas with gal pal, Patti Slattery. They keep some small livestock to entertain children and artists! I pre-toned my journal paper with coffee which was kind of fun.

 I filtered some of the color out for a different look.

Love is a Curious Thing

  

(I wrote this for my boys in 2007)

Love is curious.
Some say it is a many-splendored thing,
like oxygen,
or strawberry shortcake on a warm summer day.
But it has little to say on a cost-benefit scale,
nor does it move the economy

yet it moves our hearts
for our heart thirsts for Anyone,
that essential someone who cares to know YOU

Without pretense or shallow expectations

Let me say, therefore,
beauty follows the path of tears—

Wrinkles and sags eventually ordain the shell

Riches are evasive and vanity a lack of pride. 

But children, I love you.
Yet I love you beyond the games,
beyond rules, performance, possessions

-- and beyond communication.

I love you for who you are and can be,
in the inner depths of your true self,
where this world cannot reach it or harm it,
and that love will never die.

You once laid beneath my heart as close as breath

but you are not me nor should you be

God knew you as you laid gently in the curve of his hand

And wrote in your book long before you were mine

So dance and sing through your days—

Generosity and pure spirit linger and make true accounting

Don’t play dress up and put on a show

Saying, “Watch me conquer the world and then,

Judges of the world maybe you’ll love me.”

I'd rather you spread your wings to fly, ...and fall,
than clip them to please the vultures of the world.
I'd rather you'd mature
so these words would not stir your passions.
I'd rather that the clamors of the masses would please you less
than the whispers of God

I want for you the essential – look for it

draw back the curtain of the world’s deceit

ride the winds of heaven
and taste romance's heartache – but be true

Love, Children--

Life Model

 My life drawing teacher (French) asked me to be the model for class one day. I said, sure, but I'm keeping my clothes on!!! She told me to dress dramatically so that's what I tried to do.

To What Do We Cling?

“I do not understand this life of ours. But still less can I comprehend how people in trouble and loss and bereavement can fling away peevishly from the Christian faith. In God’s name, fling to what? Have we not lost enough without losing that too? You people in the sunshine may not believe in faith, but we in the shadow must believe it."

~ Arthur J. Gossip (sermon "When Life Tumbles In," preached the day after his wife collapsed and died unexpectedly in 1927. He faced this loss with tremendous courage.)

When Life Tumbles In

I read this quote and it meant so much to me - I know what he's talking about! I must believe! This world is a battleground, not a playground. 

“I do not understand this life of ours. But still less can I comprehend how people in trouble and loss and bereavement can fling away peevishly from the Christian faith. In God’s name, fling to what? Have we not lost enough without losing that too? You people in the sunshine may not believe in faith, but we in the shadow must believe it." 

So many people’s religion is a fair-weather affair,” as he put it. “A little rain, and it runs and crumbles; a touch of strain, and it snaps.” But if we turn from faith in the time of trouble, what shall we turn to? Have we not lost enough without losing that too?

~ Arthur J. Gossip (sermon "When Life Tumbles In," preached the day after his wife collapsed and died unexpectedly in 1927. He faced this loss with tremendous courage.)