Plein Air in Marble Falls: April 21 thru 27, I will join Plein Air artist from across the nation for the 17th Annual Paint the Town Event in Downtown Marble Falls, Texas. We will be scattered out with paint and easels to capture various scenes and panoramic Texas Hill Country landscapes, as well as scenes of historic Marble Falls. Original art will be available to purchase during the entire week. There will also be live Painting demonstrations, student art day and a QuickDraw Event!
My wife and I were blessed to be able to visit our daughter this past Christmas in beautiful Puerto Rico. I must say it’s a beautiful and interesting place. – a U.S. Territory, but not really the U.S., with the flavor of a 3rd world country sprinkled throughout. However, the island is beautiful. Many miles of beautiful coast line, an awesome rainforest and mountains, and, the iguana population seems to be flourishing. I believe we especially enjoyed the mostly unpopulated beaches. The awesome waves rolling in and crashing onto the sand. Palm trees in various sizes and shapes, and a comfortable sea breeze always present.
Since I was not able to take an easel on this trip, I shot a few photos for reference for future works. One of the photos was my wife, Donna walking on one of the empty beaches, with the 4 foot waves rolling in an crashing on the sand. We were reminded again of God’s creative power, and of God’s conversation with Job, who had just gone through some extremely rough, dark days. Job was struggling to understand why he had lost his 10 children, all his livestock, other property and even his wife had become a burden to him. Job had done everything right, and yet bad things were happening to him. The question has been around for a long time. “Why to bad things happen to good people”. How God responds is interesting. He simply ask job several questions, basically asking “Job, where were you when I created all this? I love this section in Job 38 where God continues questioning job. These verses were illustrated on a beach one sunny afternoon in Puerto Rico:
“Or who enclosed the sea with doors When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb; When I made a cloud its garment And thick darkness its swaddling band, And I placed boundaries on it And set a bolt and doors, And I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther; And here shall your proud waves stop’?”
Job 38″11
Who Told the Ocean… • 9″ x 47″ • Oil on Panel
Detail – Who Told the Ocean…
One of the lessons God is pointing out to Job, and all of us, is that we are not in control. There is an awesome, loving God who is in control. His desire for us, and this is the message of the Bible, is to TRUST HIM. Hebrews 11:6 sums it up:
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6
I would love to spend some time in Puerto Rico painting… perhaps another day.
What relation do the Appalachian Mountains and Israel have? Interesting story….
It had been three years since my wife and I had been able to visit family back in East Tennessee. We always love our visits to East Tennessee and one of the “must-do” things on our list while there is to visit the Great Smoky Mountains. I took my easel along and was able to create three Plein Air works during our time in Tennessee, 2 of them were inside the Park boundaries. One of the locations I painted inside the Park was the history-rich area of Cades Cove, the Dan Lawson cabin in particular.
The Dan Lawson cabin was built in 1856 and Dan Lawson was the largest land owner in the Cove after the Civil War. The cabin was built from hand hewn logs and boast a brick chimney, which was rare in the Cove at that time. You can read more about the history of the Dan Lawson Cabin here.
Psalm 118:24 says “This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” The day He made for us that day was rainy, misty and cold. So we thanked Him for it and proceeded with that day in Cades Cove. As mentioned above, I set up at the Dan Lawson cabin, because I could back up in the parking place and setup under the Dodge’s tail gate and stay “mostly” out of the rain. It actually worked out pretty good!
Many people came and went during the couple of hours of so I was working there. By far the most interesting and encouraging group was a group of young folks from Israel. My wife, Donna, and I had some great conversations with these awesome, beautiful people. I was very impressed with their demeaner and curtesy. At one point in our conversation I told them that I felt compelled to apologize for many of my fellow Americans who seem to have lost their minds in their opposition to Israel. We told them that we support Israel and always would. To sum up, we had a great time with our Israeli friends on a cold rainy day in the Smoky Mountains…
“I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 12:3
“In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD before them. And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”
Zechariah 12:8
Dan Lawson Place, Cades Cove – 9 x 12 Plein Air Oil on Panel
Another location I was blessed to setup and paint was near Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I set up by a little mountain stream and as Donna explored the nearby area I painted the scene below. It was a little cold, but quiet and peaceful. I am always in awe at God’s awesome creation!
Debris – 12 x 9 Plein Air on panel
The third location I was able to setup and paint at for a couple hours was inside the Cherokee National Forest, which is located between Cleveland, Tennessee and Copperhill, Tennessee. The stream depicted is called Goforth Creek and comes down the steep mountain side through boulders, mountain laurel and rhododendron. About 1000 feet from the place I setup the creek runs into the Ocoee River, which then empties into Parksville Lake a few miles down stream.
The LORD is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works. Psalm 145:9
Shutters & Strokes on display at the Breckenridge Fine Art Center, Breckenridge, Texas
The Breckenridge Fine Art Center in Breckenridge, Texas is sponsoring a “husband & wife” exhibit featuring Donna’s Photography and my works in Oil, Pastel and Charcoal. The exhibit is titled Shutters and Strokes! Donna and I love to hit the backroads of Texas and the South, where she shoots many photos and I collect reference material for future paintings. Whether in a canoe, a car or walking a trail, we love to see the People, Animals and Landscapes God has made. Psalm 19 begins with this message:
The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. Psalm 19:1-4
We are truly blessed to be a part of this show. The show hangs the entire month of August 2023 through September 30, 2023, with an artist’s reception on September 9th, 2:00 p.m. til 4:00 p.m. If you are up for a “mini” road trip, stop by the Breckenridge Fine Art Center and check out the exhibit. The Center also has two very interesting permanent exhibits: Festival Dresses of Texas and the Kathryn Leach Doll collection.
Shutters & Strokes on display at the Breckenridge Fine Art Center, Breckenridge, Texas
Donna and I are truly amazed at this opportunity to exhibit together the “work of our hands”. Work that we hope will point to the Creator. If you knew the road that we traveled in our early days, you might be amazed too! Not at all because of us, but because of the grace, kindness, and goodness of God.
The older I get and the more I see, the more I am amazed at the goodness of God. I understand that sometimes life does not seem so good. But God is good, and His goodness never ceases. David said this in Psalm 27: 13-14-
I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.
How true, solid, and unchangeable God’s Word is. He has allowed us to see His goodness in the land of the living.
But our lives together did not start out that way. Donna and I met in the mid 1970’s. Everything that had been sown in the 60’s was bearing fruit. The 1970’s brought more of the same, and my life was “marked” by the turbulence that foolishness and rebellion against God bring. Struggling to make sense of the hypocrisy and madness in the world, I begin to descend into the abyss of drug and alcohol abuse, which lead to dishonoring God in many other ways. Donna and I met during those years.
The “play” of our life began on that stage, and it was certainly destined for failure, except for the grace of the God who loved us more then we loved ourselves. He brought us to Christ, where all the sins of our past were forgiven. Psalm 103:12 says:
He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.
That will do… the east never meets the west. They are forever separated. Once our hearts were changed by His blood, we begin a new journey. And, through much blood, sweat, and tears God has shown us the power of the miracle of salvation through Christ as well as what a marriage can be, when all is laid at the foot of the cross of Christ.
September 2023 marks 46 years since we first said “I do” in a little ceremony in east Tennessee. Our journey has only been possible by His grace, and for that we are very grateful for His goodness.
Come, let us tell of the LORD’s greatness; let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34:3
Towards the end of last year, I was blessed by an old friend and gallery owner to produce a couple of commissions for one of his clients. The project was for two oil paintings. Each painting was to be 16 x 20 in size. The subject of each was U.S. Federal Courthouses. The first was the Eldon B. Mahon U.S. Courthouse in Fort Worth, Texas, and the second was to be the John Minor Wisdom U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Eldon B. Mahon is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a bit of a mix of architectural styles. Built in the “Art Moderne style, it incorporates classical elements. Art Deco lanterns of aluminum and glass, Aluminum grilles in Mayan ziggurat, Plains Indian arrows and Egyptian lotus motifs are of few of the Art Moderne elements incorporated in this building.
Eldon B. Mahon U.S. Courthouse in Fort Worth, Texas • 16 x 20 Oil on panel
Although the overall building is perhaps a unique and excellent work of art, painting the building as seen from the street was a bit mundane. It basically looks like a big box, with the above mentioned elements not really seen unless the viewer was very close to the building. It was a bit of a challenge but paled when compared to the next painting – the John Minor Wisdom U.S. Court of Appeals, New Orleans, Louisiana.
The architect for the New Orleans Federal Courthouse was James Gamble Rogers of the New York architectural firm, Hale and Rogers. The architectural style is Italian Renaissance Revival. Construction began in 1909 and was completed in 1915. The building materials is White marble walls on gray granite base with copper roof and corner pavilions. There are also four monumental coper and bronze sculptures by Daniel Chester French on the roof of the building.
Restoration of the building began in 1971 and was completed in 1972. About 1972, before the courthouse took his name, Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals fo the 5th Circuit, John Minor Wisdom, said: “It is probably the finest courthouse in the country…This fine old building was built in a time when they built well…Its preservation means a lot to New Orleans and Louisiana.”
In order to get solid, original reference material for this courthouse painting, my wife and I made a brief trip to New Orleans for a “photo shoot”. Once we located the building in downtown New Orleans, I have to say the building is impressive. I love the architectural detail. Every doorway and window was embellished with intricate stone work, columns… detail stacked on detail. And the front side which contained the “Focal point” of the painting, had 8 Corinthian columns, recessed porches and endless detail in the entablature that bordered the top of the building. My recurring thought during the next few weeks of working on this piece was “what did I get myself into?”
John Minor Wisdom U.S. Court of Appeals, New Orleans, Louisiana • 16 x 20 Oil on panel
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the commission of these two works was a blessing indeed. I am always grateful for work, and working though the challenges are simply part of it.
I find architecture fascinating on many levels. My grandfather on my mother’s side of the family was a carpenter and a farmer and an all around “builder” of things. He lived his life in the old South, in the northern region of Georgia. He built houses and pretty much anything that could be made of wood. As a kid, my brother and I were always into his carpentry “things”; it seams the DNA for building and creating was passed on to us and we have created and built things over the years since we were kids visiting my grandfathers place in north Georgia.
Building and creating things is part of that “image” we bear as an image bearer of God. Genesis 1:26 says:
“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” NASB
I guess an entire life could be spent digging into exactly all that verse means in its depths; to bear the image of God. But for now, I simply want to focus on building and creating.
God’s word is remarkable. Some have described it as a love letter to mankind. God instructs, encourages, warns and teaches through His Word. And is very simple terms God describes Himself in many passages. He does this because He loves us and wants us to enter into a relationship with Him. And the simple “good news” is that that is done through His Son, Jesus.
In scripture God describes himself as “Father”. Simple and clear. He also describes Himself as “Creator”. He creates things. And another fascinating description is that he is a “Builder and Architect”.
In a section of the famous “Faith Chapter” of Hebrews, we read about the faith of Abraham. How he believed and obeyed God and left his familiar country, lived as a foreigner, all the while looking to the future, trusting God. Then in verse 10 of Hebrews 11 it says:
“… for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” – Hebrews 11:10
Interesting… God the builder and architect.
In the scriptures we also see that if you are a believer, you join with God to both build and be part of a “building” God is building.
“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 3:9 thru 11
So it seems that the “visual” imagery of this Builder/Architect is this: When a person comes to Faith in Jesus Christ as their savior, we become part of a “building” of believers that God is building. And, we join in the building process as well. Why? Because God loves us with a crazy love, a love that Rich Mullins describes in the lyrics of one of his songs as “the reckless, raging fury that they call the love of God!”
“AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:17 thru 22
Fall is one of my favorite seasons., and I have especially loved experiencing fall in east Texas when I am able to visit. It’s really amazing how the landscape and trees can change in a short, 2-hour drive. The mesquites and juniper trees fade away as the landscape begins to be populated with pines, sweetgum, maple, and various other hardwoods that are not common in the DFW area. The variety of trees in east Texas can transform the landscape in one of incredible beauty as the cold fall winds and shorter days slide into place.
I guess am drawn to east Texas because it is so much like other locations across the south where I grew up and spend a portion of my childhood. I recently made a trip to the east Texas town of Palestine to deliver a few oil paintings to the Gallery at Redlands.
I was invited by the owner and fellow artist, David Tripp, who I have known for several years. David, who is a very gifted watercolor artists, makes his work available in his gallery and has also invited several other Texas artists to hang work as well. This unique stable of artists provides a variety of styles and mediums for the art collector who is looking for original, unique works of art.
The Gallery at Redlands is housed in the bottom floor of the historic Redlands Hotel. A visit to the Gallery at Redlands is a unique opportunity to experience a unique collection of original fine art, as well as providing a taste of the east Texas culture that Palestine has to offer. Whether you make a “quick trip” to the gallery or book a room at the Redlands Hotel and stay the weekend, you will enjoy your visit to this east Texas gem.
I shoot a lot of photos when traveling and sometimes it takes a while to work out a painting based on the photographic reference material I collect on various trips. The week of my Wife’s and I’s anniversary we were planning on making a trip to east Tennessee to visit family and friends, as well as driving through our favorite mountains, the Appalachians. However, since sometimes our “plans” turn out to be a work of fiction, I came down with COVID 2 days before we were to leave. Everything we had planned was scrapped. Maybe we get a mulligan on this year’s anniversary 😊
Last year we spent our anniversary in the Caddo Lake area of east Texas. I know that a lake that is more of a swamp is not on the list of places to celebrate anniversaries for most people, but my wife and I have never been much of “fu-fu” anniversary trappings. We enjoy paddling around in a canoe shooting photos and taking in all that God has created. Swamp, snakes, ospreys, raccoons… it’s all good. So, we rented a small house/cabin in Uncertain, Texas and spent three days enjoying the peace and quiet of the only natural lake in Texas. (its true… Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in Texas).
Back Porch • 20×24 • Oil on Canvas
The little place we stayed in could not have been improved upon at all. Secluded in the trees, backed up against part of the Caddo, long wooden boardwalks leading down to the water through the cypress trees, passing small, screened in dock houses supplied with table and chairs to relax and enjoy the unique atmosphere of the Caddo. We loved it.
Back Waters • 12 x 12 • Oil on Panel
With the exception of commission work, I always paint what I love, what I can relate to. The little house we stayed in had a screened in back porch which became our “go to” spot every morning. Cup of coffee in hand, camera ready, we sat on the back porch and thanked the Lord for His tender mercies and simple blessings. Perhaps it was a glimpse of another world beyond our reach.
Have a blessed fall.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiates 3:11
Artist friend Doug Clark is great at getting painters together to go out in the great outdoors and creating some “Plein Air” works. Many times I am unable to join the group, but recently (June) I was able to paint with the group at the Fort Worth Nature Center. The Nature Center is a beautiful place, one of the much forgotten jewels of north Fort Worth. Deer, wild hogs, alligators, water fowl and many other creatures God created for mankind to enjoy find their home at the Fort Worth Nature Center.
The group of artist I was a part of all set up on the shore line of Lake Worth, which borders the Nature Center. We were kind of like “ducks in a row” as we each painted the beauty that lay before us. I have never seen the great multitude of water lily’s that were spread out over almost the entire surface of the lake. To add to the visual treat, they were blooming and flowers were like lights lighting up the expanse of green across the water. Each artist had a unique approach to the beauty that lay before us. It was a great morning for painting, until the heat begin to climb to over 100 degrees. But by then, the group of artist had one by one vanished back into the hustle and bustle of life.
12 x 9 Plein Air Oil on panel titled “Consider the Lilies”, painted on location at the Fort Worth Nature Center
The month of May brought a blessing to both me and my wife in the form of a 4 day stay at the Haddock Center. The Center has an awesome Artist in Residence program, and we can’t express our gratitude enough to Gerald and Diane Haddock for the awesome stay at the Center.
(The thoughts and opinions below are my own, and do not reflect the view of the Haddock Center)
Stanhope Forbes
The tag line for the Haddock Center is “An Approachable Fine Art Museum” and we discovered this to be true. The Museum focuses on artists of the Newlyn School of Cornwall, England, especially Stanhope Alexander Forbes. Stanhope Forbes was a British artist (1857 – 1947) and a founding member of the Newlyn school of painters. The works of Stanhope Forbes hanging at the Haddock Center are truly incredible and I enjoyed exploring every aspect of his originals. I was not familiar with Stanhope Forbes until my visit to the center, but I have to say that after spending several days studying his work at the Center, he is one of my new favorite artists.
My wife and I’s stay was very restful and relaxing, and I also got some painting time in. Since the Center sits high above Eagle Mountain Lake north of Fort Worth, Texas, my wife and I spent the evenings sitting on the docks watching the sun set over the lake. I spent the days painting in the beautiful gardens and well-kept grounds of the Center. Every evening, after the sun set and darkness gently enveloped the lake, I found it quiet refreshing to have the luxury of climbing the many stairs back up from the shoreline to the Center and sitting in front of one of Stanhope Forbes masterpieces and studying the values and colors of his paintings from another century. As well as being in awe of his work, I was also trying to solve a problem I was having with the painting I had spent the day working on.
The New Mount by Stanhope Forbes
Detail of “The New Mount” by Stanhope Forbes
Also available to visiting artists are many incredible art books, each highlighting some of the finest paintings of the past two centuries. I also stumbled across a small book at the center titled “What is Art” by Leo Tolstoy. I read a few pages in the evenings and found it very interesting to say the least. (Later after arriving back home, I listened to the entire audio book).
Some of Leo Tolstoy’s thoughts on art I found intriguing and fascinating and I agreed with a portion of his views on art. But, did find we differed in some other aspects of our individual world views, which time will not permit to address here. His book did stimulate me to work through and focus my own ideas of what exactly “Art” is.
When I view a painting like “The New Mount” by Stanhope Forbes, once I took in the sheer beauty of the work, it seemed to create a desire in me for something that was just out of my grasp. A world that SHOULD be, but is not. A longing for another place, where there is no destruction, death, where wasp don’t sting and snakes don’t bite and every morning is a perfect spring day. I believe art takes us to such places, awaking in us an unmet desire; beautiful art can stimulate our thoughts for heaven.
C.S. Lewis had a unique gift for breaking down a complex idea into a simple thought. The quote below from Mere Christianity communicates the thought well:
“Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise […] If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
“Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same.”
Art, like music and writing, can point to that “other country.”
“…but just as it is written: “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the human heart, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” Corinthians 2:9
The Hiding Place, 9 x 12 oil on panel, painting on location at The Haddock Center
Autumn Art Walk • Chandor Gardens • October 16, 2021 12 noon til 4 p.m. • Weatherford, Texas Come by and say hello!
Charcoal renderings of Chandor Gardens…available at the Autumn Art Walk, October 16
Plein air setup at Chandor Gardens
A few weeks ago I was blessed to setup my plein air easel and paint in a beautiful and well designed garden. Stone paths, fountains and koi ponds made the painting experience a peaceful treat. The garden was Chandor Gardens in Weatherford, Texas. This little known gem is tucked away in a neighborhood near downtown Weatherford. I had been there painting another time years ago, but I never paid much attention to the fascinating history of the gardens until this particular visit. More on the history in a bit.
First, I’d like to mention that I find the fact that the scriptures mention gardens in various ways to be very interesting, and at times comforting. A window into the goodness of God and the beauty He has created. Gardens can be a place of refreshing and rest.
Gardens have been around since the beginning….And God said,
Boundries, oil on panel, available
“Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. “
Genesis 1:11 – 12
The first job of the first man and women was to take care of a Garden.
“Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.”
Genesis 2:15
When I was painting at Chandor Gardens, I couldn’t help but think of Solomon, the wisest man who lived, who enjoyed creating and cultivating gardens and parks.
“I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; 5 I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6 I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. ”
Ecclesiastes 2:4-6
Tree Planted by the Waters, 12 x 9 Oil on panel, available
Douglas Chandor and his portrait of Winston Churchill
But back to the history of Chandor Gardens. As another generation says, “who knew” that the Gardens were built by an English born artist named Douglas Chandor. Chandor married a Weatherford woman named Ina Kuteman Hill and moved to Weatherford and built the gardens around 1936. The artist later added a studio and house on the grounds. Chandor painted portraits of many notable figures of the day including Edward, Duke of Windsor, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Sara Delano Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, and Queen Elizabeth II. Another notable figure Douglas Chandor painted was Winston Churchill, who actually came to the Weatherford studio to sit for the portrait. Churchill commissioned the portrait in 1946. You can see additional information and a short video of the Chandor-Churchill sitting HERE.
Winston Churchill has always been an interesting subject for me. Besides being in the Military, a politician and the Prime Minister of England, he was also an Artist, painting over 500 paintings in his lifetime. He played a critical role in saving the world from Hitler, as well as squeezing out some oil colors to create beautiful paintings on canvas.
One of Winston Churchill’s little-known quotes goes like this:
“Just to paint is great fun. The colours are lovely to look at and delicious to squeeze out. Matching them, however crudely, with what you see is fascinating and absolutely absorbing.”
Winston Churchill
Churchill came on the world scene at a critical time in history. I believe he was used by God to alter the course of history. Today we are at another critical point in world history, and especially here in America. We are watching our freedom’s being stripped away every day. There is an alarming disregard for the God who created us and His instruction as found in scriptures. I find that we are lacking courageous leadership both in this country and across the globe. Churchill was one of those courageous voices in a day when there was darkness covering the world.
Portrait of Winston Churchill by English born, Weatherford artist Douglas Chandor
Churchill had a unique insight…not perfect, but unique and one with grains of wisdom. He said:
“You can always count on Americans to do the right thing – after they’ve tried everything else.”
Winston Churchill
Most of what our current administration is doing now is “everything else”. The thought process is what comes from a morally bankrupt population, void of wisdom, and even lacking very basic common sense.
“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”
Winston Churchill
Socialism… the gospel of envy. I think he is dead on here. Coveting is one of the roots of many attitudes and behavior’s that lead to breaking God’s law. When you “Love your neighbor as yourself”, you don’t covet. Coveting what your neighbor has or dwelling on what you don’t have is at the core of socialism.
I am continually amazed at the accuracy and power of God’s word found in the Bible. It is never out-of-date, never needs propped up and never false. It remains true no matter what goes on in our culture and society. Its purpose is to direct us as a light directs and reveals our path in the dark of night.
I came across a few verses in Isaiah that describe our current government here in the once blessed United States:
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”
Isaiah 5:20
The Bible says many times that God is calling out to us to turn from our way, which falls short of His glory (sin) and follow Him. The word repentance, which is often considered to be one of those 25 cent “religious” words, means just that – turning around from the direction we are going and going the other direction. Or in this writing, turning from our selfish selves and turning to God, through Christ. It’s the simple Gospel.
Again, in Isaiah it says:
“Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”
A few months back, I believe it was March, I entered a post called Appalachian Memories, which highlighted some recent works created after a trip back “east of the Mississippi” to Blue Ridge, Georgia and east Tennessee. I made mention in that post that part of the trip was a “celebration of a life well lived”. That life was Donna’s aunt, Clara Lee Hooper. Clara Lee was one of the beautiful people that shined the “light of Christ” day after day as she lived her life there in the Appalachian Mountains of North Georgia. She left a legacy of life. She also left a hole in Donna and I’s life that will never be filled on this earth.
Clara Lee, Charcoal on Yupo
Clara Lee’s family ask if I could do some kind of artwork to honor her. Death comes uninvited and is always unplanned. Good photos of Clara Lee were scarce, and I found it difficult to create a portrait from what we had, but it was all we had. Due to the low-res nature of the images, I thought a charcoal would be the best approach to this. I have been experimenting with charcoal on gessoed Yupo paper, so this is the media I choose. I hope the end result is a likeness that honors her.
During the time I spent working with this charcoal piece, many thoughts ran through my head. The brevity of life has a way of burning off the unnecessary elements of our existence. My thoughts ran continually to the life Clara Lee is now living, in the presence of Christ. What does she see? Are there smells and crazy unseen colors? What’s it like to experience pure, unsullied Joy?
Then my thoughts would turn to my wife and Clara Lee’s children, husband and grandchildren. They are walking a bitter-sweet road of pain and joy. The pain, because as the apostle Paul says in I Corinthians 15:26, death is an enemy. Death rips those we love from our presence, altering life as we have known it. But the sweetness and joy come because Jesus defeated that enemy called death when He died and rose again. Jesus said that for those who die in Him, death is not the end. There is life, even if we die.
At the grave side of the brother of Mary and Martha, Lazarus, when Mary and Martha were grieving the passing of their brother, Jesus made a simple, short statement to Martha – “Your brother will rise again.”
Wow! That changes everything.
It’s like a crack of light in the thick, suffocating darkness. A ray of hope in the gut-wrenching grief that tries to drown out hope. And then Jesus continues, like the second swing of the hammer that is driving a nail deep into the wood:
He tells Martha – “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in Me and believes in Me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” John 11:25-26
It’s not just that Jesus can “bring back to life” the dead, Jesus IS LIFE itself. Jesus has never lied (nor can He), never lost a battle, never seen a body He can’t raise. Jesus is Life.
At the risk of being redundant, that changes everything.
I will end this post with Donna’s words about her aunt Clara Lee:
“It does change everything!
But the here and now is so hard. We weep… but not as those that have no hope.
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13
“Everyone needs an Aunt Clara Lee” is something Steve and I said all the time. Every time she did something special, remembered something, or I received a phone call or text totally out of the blue to say she loved us.. She was so full of life, joy and love. She loved her Lord, family and friends with a love that comes from being loved and forgiven by Jesus Christ.
The hole she left will remain until we see her again face to face, when our Lord calls us home. Oh what a day of rejoicing that will be!
The reality is: the next breath is not promised to any of us. Let’s love as Christ loved, forgive as we have been forgiven and be about His business until He calls us home.”
Art on the Square in Waxahachie is the location for a 2-Day Workshop July 22 and 23, 2021. in Waxahachie, Texas. This workshop is titled “Painting Essentials” and will focus on three foundations of oil painting, and really, creating art in general: Composition, Value and Color. Learning or strengthening these three pillars of visual expression helps reach the workshop goal of creating well composed, harmonious paintings that express your “story”. I will also spend a short amount of time discussing the use of digital photography reference to compose paintings. CLICK HERE for more information or to REGISTER.
