My Favorite Tree at Petit Jean

As always, the foto doesn’t do it justice.

…By small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.” 

Alma 37:6

This scripture had been running though my head as was drawing.  Not sure why.  Today, I had to laugh, because a small woman  confounded many men by dressing as a man to be on the ship’s crew so she would not be separated from her fiancé. They named the mountain after her, Petit Jean, when she dies of an illness, and built an iron fence around her grave at the overlook.  People still lay flowers inside the fence. 

Singing our song

A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and sings it to you when you forget the words.

Even if it’s howling.

What I’m working on

I’m using a picture in a book for reference and am really intimidated drawing the muzzle.  The wolf is just gazing through the branches of this pine tree.

The left ear interior is darker than the right one in the photo, but something must be done to balance it out in the drawing.

I dreamed that I could fly

 

The other night I was having a dream that meandered  here and there as they do. I couldn’t see who was with me, but I knew someone was there.  I began floating and flying.  I turned to them and said, “You didn’t know I could fly, did you?  I do it only when people aren’t looking.”

Hmm… I wonder if the most wonderful and interesting things I do, I keep to myself?  Maybe so.

Today is a 2-fer day

My friend Dana loves sandals and wears them only when it isn’t snowing.

Play on

Iraq

"Some 160 miles northeast of Baghdad, in a Sulaymaniyah music hall ravaged by war, looting, and neglect, a violin- playing boy sounds a note of hope.  His tacher, Azad Mearuf, lives there, instructing scores of students."-- a recent National Geographic Magazine

What really happened to the Mayan Culture

The last thing Hunha Wunga saw was

a big blue foot.

He did not know that the song

of the Blue Footed Booby

was a warning.

Flying by the Seat of My Pants

I fly by the seat of my pants.  I do.  Scheduling has just never been my strong point and so I usually end up noticing suddenly that my pants are hanging from a tree branch, which leaves me standing around in just my Sally Jane Pantaloons.

Tripping Over the Moon

Jump again, Gertie.  You'll make it!

Wynkin', Blynkin', and Nod

Another page from my new art journal~

I found this old foto (from the collection of Ruth Lehman, which collection I have a copy of on disc) of my mom,  her baby sister (who died at age 3) and older sister from the mid-1930's.  I shrank it down, cut it out and glued it in. They needed to be sailing amongst the starts. I was reminded of a song I sang to my babies called Wynkin', Blynkin', and Nod. 

Wynkin', Blynkin', and Nod one night, sailed off in a Wooden Shoe. Sailed down a river of Crystal Light, into a Sea of Dew.



“Where are you going, and what do you wish,” the Old Moon asked the Three.


“We’ve come to fish for the Herring Fish that swim in the Beautiful Sea. Nets of Silver and Gold have we,” said Wynkin’, Blynkin’, and Nod.


The Old Moon laughed and sang a song, as they rocked in the wooden shoe


And the Wind that sped them all night long ruffled the Waves of Dew.


The Silver Stars were the Herring Fish that lived in the Beautiful Sea. ”Cast your nets where ever you wish. Never a feared are we,” so sang the Stars to the Fishermen Three, Wynkin’, Blynkin’, and Nod.


All night long, their nets they threw to the Stars in the Twinkling Foam, then down from the sky came the Wooden Shoe, bringing the Fishermen home.


Now we shall name you the Fishermen Three, Wynkin’, Blynkin’, and Nod.


Wynkin’ and Blynkin’ are two little eyes, and Nod is the little head. And the Wooden Shoe that sailed the skies is a wee one’s trundle bed.


Now close your eyes and dream the dream that some said could not be, and you shall see the wonderful things as you rock on your Misty Sea.


Where the Old Moon rocked the Fishermen Three, Wynkin’, Blynkin’, and Nod.

Eve

My sisters from Arizona came for a visit and we made new art journals.  I loved it!!  You paint your pages with spritzers and stencils and loads of creativity, writing on them later, as the mood strikes.
Don't think, don't look back.

I thought of Eve when I found this picture in a magazine and wanted to include her in my journal.  I'd been feeling inadequate according to the "standards of the world" and I keep forgetting my accomplishments are different from those of many women.  They are noticed Where it's important.

Watching and Waiting for Spring

I was walking the other day and noticed an Oriole nest dangling from a tree limb.  I remembered what I waited for every year...the return of the Baltimore Oriole birds.  Their song is lovely-- high and clear. 
Their nests are sack-like, built in dangling vines, hidden amongst leaves.  They will also weave colored yarns, lace, ribbon, plastic strips and dog hair into their nest, so we toss out yarn and ribbon in our brightest colors, hoping we'll be able to locate their nests.
Bird came out kind of wonky, tho...I'm learning.....
As always, this didn't photograph well, and every shot I took came out a little fuzzy.

I also watch for the Crimson Clover that lines the roadways and covers fields.  I never saw any of this back home in Maryland.

Now, I have to find a picture of the Weird Willie Bird--another bird I can only listen for as it is Nocturnal.

Petite Jean Overlook and likening the world unto conversion

There are a pair of rocks at Petite Jean Overlook in Arkansas that look like Gorilla faces. I had to attempt to draw them. I have a personal foto of them on another computer, but I ended up using a foto in a book of Arkansas fotos by Tim Ernst. I have come across 3 of his books and I love them. One is Arkansas Landscapes, Arkansas Wildlife and Arkansas Portfolio I (which I have not seen) and II. As always , this did not photograph well. I made the main "face" too long. There should not be so much space between the "brow" and "nose

Flowering cactus

I considered the gradual conversion, the softening of the heart of someone learning of the Gospel, how a flower begins to bloom among the pricklies.

Jack-in -the-Pulpit

The Wockenflock spoke in church today on the Love of God, which is charity, compassion, love, mercy.
If you read through each phrase slowly and ponder the meaning, the Charity verses take on life and true meaning.

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long [endures], and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly [indecently], seeketh not her own [unselfish, seeks the welfare of others], is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth:

As always, this did not photograph well.

Cardinal at the feeder

Cardinal at my moms feeder (It was low on seed) on a snowy day
from a foto taken by Mary. As always, the drawing did not photograph well.

"When I began this day [Matthew said] my life was like the surface of a stormy sea. I was unclean. I was blind. I sat on my seat in the custom house, not realizing that it was I who was spiritually paralyzed, that it was I who was spiritually dead....as you marvel about what you have seen, do not forget this, I stand before you a different man. THe storm in my heart has been stilled. I am healed of my sickness, cured of my blindness, cleansed of my uncleaness. I have been raised from spiritual death to new life...What you saw in the house of Jairus was a miracle of astonishing power. But for me, the greatest miracle of all is what has happened to my heart."

---The Kingdom and the Crown, by Gerald Lund

(which volume, I am uncertain)

Echinacea

"Yea, and ye need not any longer hiss, nor spurn, nor make game of the Jews, nor any remnant of the house of Israel; for behold, the Lord remembereth his covenant unto them, and he will do unto them according to that which he hath sworn." 3 Ne. 29:8

I used a picture of many colors of coneflowers (as reference) because they represented to me the many tribes of the house of Israel.

This has been on my mind for a while. The Lord, in His kindness, allowed me to open right up to this when I as thinking about it, wanting to find it.

Echinacea is a medicinal plant used as an antibiotic.

"And there were some who died with fevers, which at some seasons of the year were very frequent in the land--but not so much so with fevers, because of the excellent quailties of the many plants and roots which God had prepared to remove the cause of diseases, to which men were subject by the nature of the climate--

But there were many who died with old age; and those who died in the faith of Christ are happy in him, as we must needs suppose." Alma 46:40-41

"And whosoever among you are sick, and have not faith to be healed, but believe, shall be nourished with all tenderness, with herbs and mild food, and that not by the hand of an enemy."

D&C 42:43

Pathways Between the Pyramids

Pathways Between the Pyramids
Pyramid quilt-variation, with a lattice.
Light and darkness.

Young lovers
seek perfection

Old lovers
learn the art
of sewing shreds
together

And of seeing beauty
in a multiplicity
of patches

a poem from the movie "How to Make an American Quilt"

Motherhood

As always , this did not photograph well. I loved this photo, this woman in all her beaded glory.

Turning to this photo in a book I own was an answer to a prayer. I have questions about who I am and my future.

"While we tend to equate motherhood soley with maternity, in the Lord's language, the word mother has layers of meaning. Of all the words they could have chosen to define her role and her essence, both God the Father and Adam called Eve "the mother of all living," and they did so before she ever bore a child. Like Eve, our motherhood began before we were born. Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. Sheri Dew "Saying it like it is" p.54

Proverbs 31:10 "who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil
12 She will do him god and not evil all the deays of her life
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it,: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheth her arms.
18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow, for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29 Many daughters have done virtously, but thou excellest them all.
30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the fruit of her handsl and let her own works praise her in the gates"

Birds on my porch

There is a patch of dead grass that grew up through a crack in my front porch. I've been seeing some birds poking and hopping around in this patch of dead yellow grass and leaves for quite some time. They don't seem to concern themselves with the people on the other side of the window from them.

29 " Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven." Matt 10:29-32

As always, this photo doesn't do the drawing justice. The colors photographed very red, choppy and blocked when actually they blend much nicer.

I showed my mom my book of drawings and she was really pleased. She reminded of when we were little, and she was newly divoriced, she got into oil painting to unwind. There is so much pressure and stress on single parents, you have to find an outlet.

beauty and thorns

Spiny Bear's Breeches, Acanthus Spinosus

There is opposition in all things. Beauty and thorns. And Eve said, "Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient." Moses 5:11

This passage gives me thought to ponder.

The picture I drew from came from a book tittled 50 High- Impact. Low-Care Garden Plants. The foto I drew from showed the flowers as being more Magenta than the foto shown here. The flowers are white with pink veins. Thorny plants, but beautiful to look at. I want to grow this.

Camo-Granny, the gatherer

This is my mom, when she is happiest and wearing camo. I want to remember her like this forever. She LOVES going to Canada to visit my brother and his wife. She is loved there, carefree with good friends. They go fishing on the lake, catch however much they are allowed, then go to shore and cook it up.

The foto came from Brandi Brown's album collection that she posted when tagging members of my family.

I draw with colored pencil in my art journal. I struggled drawing her mouth. Too wide so it doesn't really look like her....but I wanted this memory in my art journal

Honoring our ancestors and hope for the future

Heavenly Blue Morning Glory. Not the best drawing as I don't have quite the right colors or technique.
My Grandmother, Virginia Grace Jewett Wickline, grew these in rememberance of her daughter, Audrey Anna, who died at the age of 3 from an illness.


Audrey Anna in the bath 9-12-1936

I love these single layer shrub roses. This drawing did not photograph well

"And before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose."

D&C 49:24 This passage has been on my mind off and on for years, and now, lately, it has become clear to me.

Toad Suck in Winter

Winter Sunset Arkansas River, Toad Suck, Arkansas, Stony Point Rd.
This is the view from my mother's back yard.
The left bank did not photograph well, coming in too light.
I think I will go back and go over lightly with black on that left bank.
I drew this from a photo Mary took (she is becoming quite the photographer) and that left bank is mostly a solid black bramble area showing branches jutting out.

Deliverance

As I was sitting the foyer during the Seminary hour, praying mightly about some concerns I have about my life, I ended up at Mosiah 14, a favorite section of mine, where the people of Alma are enslaved by the Lamanites and former priests of King Noah. They were told that their prayers were heard, and that the Lord would ease the burdens upon their backs, that they would not even be able to feel them. But today I found my eyes drawn to a couple verses further down, where the people are being promised that on the morrow they would be delivered out of bondage. They were going to be blessed for their faith and their patience. I felt wrapped in peace and was comforted, my eyes filled with tears, as though this was meant for me.

Really? Is it time for my deliverance from this bondage I am in? It has been out of my hands. I will watch and wait.

I know the picture I drew is of 3 Nephi 1, when the believers are delivered from their execution date for believing in the prophecy of Samuel the Lamanite, that Christ will come into the world, born to be the Messiah. This is the image that came to me... .of Deliverance. They also believed, had faith and were patient, even when threatened. They were blessed with seeing the signs and wonders.

"God never bestows superior blessings upon a people, or an individual, without a severe trial to prove them"--Brigham Young

There is a moon up there in the sky somewhere, that you prolly can't see unless you click on the foto for a larger image.

More than I can see

I know I have been blessed beyond my capacity to even see. In our lives we must pass through trials and afflictions, but we are never asked to endure anything beyond what we can endure with the Lord's help. In every trial I have faced, the Lord has always delivered me. Always. I have also always called upon Him for His help.
I have been promised that my family would have everything we needed, and it has been so, no matter how impossible the trial appeared. The Lord always provided. Since my husband was taken early, while we still had children at home, two of them disabled, the Lord has to take over the responsibility, and He takes it seriously. I do my part, and He does His.

He has also told me that I have done everything He has ever asked of me and He will not abandon me. Yes, there are many hard things he asked me to do. And I am still here.

A simple drawing but, I am not seeking a prize for great art. I went for simple truth and learning experience.

crossing the wilderness and daring to dream

This one is a drawing of a photograph I posted with an essay tittled Crossing the Wilderness with Lehi. We all have our times of wilderness that we must cross to get to our promised land. We must also pass through afflictions in our wilderness and if we are open to the promptings of the Lord, follow Him, and look for the tender mercies He sets upon us as we cross, our hearts and faith will be strengthened.


Northern Lights Grass. The blades are ranging in color from green to pinky orangey yellow-ish. I want to grow some of this. Seeing the Northern Lights in person is a dream of mine, so this grass represented to me, daring to dream. I am going through some big change, anticipating big change, but it is, right now, after having done my part, out of my hands and up to others, one of Whom is the Lord. It is hard to wait, but isn't it true that great blessings come to those who wait upon the Lord? *;-.)

Blue Star Sea Holly

This one was hard to do for a novice such as myself, but was good practice. The colors ranged in hue from pale lavendar to deep blue and the foto produced colors more choppy than the original.
I have been doing a work for the Lord, more than I realized.

Beginnings

Life is full of wonderful things. Life is full of hardships. The world is full of beauty that needs to be noticed. Small moments that catch your eye need to be recorded, along with the thoughts that come from the moment that is now yours.

Two of my sisters have begun an Art Journal and I thought I didn't have time for such a wonderful thing, also being stymied by the thought that I can't draw a straight line with a ruler, but now, reality has hit. The need to notice the beauty of the world despite my hardships have come together. I do have time for quiet drawing at the end of my day to ponder, dream and create something beautiful.

This was my first attempt, not having any idea how or what to do or draw, I just lay a pencil of chalky pastel on its side and scribbled a sky, a yellow blob of...something....sand dune...or haystack... a couple vines and some simplistic birds in flight. I made the mistake of writing in black Sharpie, which is a wet medium, on a paper that requires dry medium. What I wrote was recently posted on a blog, so there is nothing new here.

Christmas trees are a thing of beauty, bringing me peace and a visual sense of feeling centered. We put ours up on August 20, 2009.

I love this portrait by Liz Lemon Swindle, titled "Seeking the One." In tribute to the Savior, I keep this picture on my piano now, along with one of the oil lamps Leigh Tribett made for our RS sisters. Though I don't have the Charity Never Faileth statement on my wall, I wanted it in the drawing simply for it's truth.
I light this lamp often, and spiritually keep one lit for Him, because, truly, He Came Looking For Me.



I had a very bad day. My children learned that I knew a few words that they didn't. This is my tin of Cornmeal, now dented up. The story is known by a select few. A very bad day, full words you don't use in polite company, but also full of prayer, tears, more prayer, and knowing that I have not been abandoned.

Yes, housework IS the bane of my existance, but since it must be done, do it with a light heart and a sense of fun. I do, indeed, own a leopard print broom, WANT a pink mop, want the Pink or purple vacuum, and the big Fly Lady ostrich feather duster. We keep purple latex gloves for dirty jobs. This one was fun to draw. I was in the laundry room when I noticed my broom hanging on the wall from those green knobs.

I am at a place in my life where I know there are things I am to do. Revelation is a powerful thing, but I am uncertain about a lot of things, and spend much time in mighty prayer, asking "what is my part? What am I to do? How do I do this? How about this? or this? or this?" And my answer has been, "No, no, nope, definately not, no, nada, yes." But the "Yes" answer means my answer is completly out of my hands. So I pray some more and ended up at D&C 5: 33-34 where it says, "And there are many that lie in wait to destroy thee from off the face of the earth; and for this cause, that thy days may be prolonged, I have given unto thee these commandments. Yea, for this cause I have said: Stop, and stand still until I command thee, and I will provide means whereby thou mayest accomplish the things which I have commanded thee." Okay. Stop and stand still. Prayer and opening the scriptures for answers is how the Lord and I communicate. I wanted to depict this time of my life. I love how this turned out, catching the gold edging on the pages and the thumbnail indentations. I tried to write small and get as many of the real words in each passage as was feasible. A challange, but rewarding. Be still my soul.

The kids and I were watching one of the Planet Earth dvds, about Seasonal Forests and it took us to Madagasgar, to view the Baobab tree. The blooms of this baobab tree begin as a banana-like tuber bulb, that suddenly begins to split open, and comes to full bloom in one minute's time.

I likened it unto my family, how change, big change, when it comes, must happen quickly, so as not to prolong Katie's agony, bless her autistic heart.

This flower was quite a challange to draw, all the curly-Qs that were once the outer shell of the flower. This foto did not do the drawing justice. I was quite pleased with the finished product.