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.