Self-portrait. I am practicing portraits from memory. I'm not satisfied with the eyes of this "Selfie", oh and the neck is too thin, but the rest is okay-ish?
In barren wintermonths you may start to wonder if spring will ever come again. Yes it does. Plants already have done their preparations. Life will be on earth till the sun dies down, people might not. Nature has it's ways, but those might not involve humans per se.
Sower and the Seed
This painting illustrates the parable “The Sower and the Seed,” a teaching of Jesus
recorded in the book of Matthew chapter 13. The four hearts in the sky represent four
different responses of those who hear the Gospel message.
The heart on the lower left represents those who have heard the gospel but reject it.
The devil then comes and takes it away from their hearts. This is illustrated by the
crows flying away with the seed that fell on the road side.
The second heart on the upper left side of the sky represents those who receive the
gospel message with joy, but it doesn’t take root in their faith, and their faith is temporal, falling away when trials or affliction come their way because of the gospel. This
is illustrated by a grape vine withering away in the heat of the day due to a lack of a
deep root system.
The heart in the upper right corner of the sky represents those who received the gospel
and believe, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the
word, and it becomes unfruitful. This is illustrated by the grapevine being choked out
by a purple, flower-bearing, climbing, strangling vine called, morning glory.
These vines produce pretty flowers, but they are an organic farmer’s enemy because
they will choke out his crops. I learned this firsthand in organic farming when I was a
missionary for a couple of summers.
The heart in the lower right corner of the sky represents those who hear, believe, and
are committed to living for the gospel, so they produce much fruit. This is illustrated
by a healthy, strong, fruit-bearing grapevine. The tilled field represents the world that
God has prepared to receive the Gospel message. The sower represents all Christians
that are commanded to go into the world and proclaim the gospel message. The seed
being thrown by the sower represents the gospel message going out to the world.
The seed bag has written on it, “The Word Seed Co.”
(October 28, 2017)
"The rumor that Elory Andara, the firstborn of her parents, a descendant of one of the most powerful magic wielders of the continent, didn't have the Gift spread quickly, but it wasn't entirely true. Elory did have magic, but it was weak, almost non-existent. No matter how many times she tried, no matter how much she struggled, she could cast nothing but a weak spark."
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An illustration for a personal project
I am continuing to try to paint without outlining in pen first - just starting with a pencil sketch. I used this awesome photo as reference: https://www.pexels.com/photo/chimpanzee-sitting-on-gray-stone-in-closeup-photography-during-daytime-33787/
This is a painting I made trying to capture the simple beauty of a bird on a frozen tree. On a deeper level, this can symbolize appreacting the small moments in life, like the beauty of a bird on a snowy branch.
Shadows follow but I will move on! I have PTSD, so I am tormented by my past. Anxious for what's behind me. But I won't let that stop me! I may have "Lead in my shoes" (Dutch "Lood in mijn schoenen"), sometimes feel empty while on other times I am red from anger, nothing will stop me moving on. There will be temporary throwbacks, progress is not linear, but I will get there. I won't drown in self-pity this time.
