my first *official* painting titled "Winter Solace". I painted this one of my OC when I was feeling down. We all know how it feels during the winter months... dark, gloomy, and a good portion of us suffer from seasonal depression. But sometimes, we just have to take it in and be thankful for how far we've come, and how much we have yet to experience. I painted this to remind myself and others that there's always the calm after the storm, no matter how intense your storm may be. It's okay to not be okay.
They rode in silence as the sandy dunes passed them by. There was a storm brewing at the horizon. They did not know what destiny had in store for them next. All they had was themselves to rely on. They needed no one, they were independent.
4 year old Henry engaged fully with thick applications of watercolor and oil pastels. He said it was a stormy sea with a small boat. This was at the onset of the pandemic, when we were all a bit uncertain and confined to our homes. I was reminded of an insight by Kierkegaard written in the early 1800s: “When the sailor is out on the sea and everything is changing around him, as the waves are continually being born and dying, he does not stare into the depths of these, since they vary. He looks up at the stars. And why? Because they are faithful – as they stand now, they stood for the patriarchs, and will stand for coming generations. By what means then does he conquer changing conditions? Through the eternal: By means of the eternal, one can conquer the future, because the eternal is the foundation of the future.”
This pen-and-ink illustration was done for the cover of a church statement of faith.
I named this illustration Foundation of America because I believe this country was
founded by Christians who had strong faith in the God of the Bible, and through
faith, prayer, and sacrifice, the patriots overcame the mighty British military. By the
hand of God, a new nation was born: the United States of America. When the United
States was filled with God-fearing people, God raised the country to be a super power,
and the world envied the United States and flocked to her shores, the land of freedom
and opportunity.
Now this country has forgotten the God who gave birth to her and now is setting
up new idols to worship: idols of wood, stone, metals that do not hear or see or
care. Because the United States has forgotten God, it has been plagued with storms,
tornadoes, floods, droughts and her enemies are waging war with her, waiting to
celebrate her fall.
It is my hope and prayer that people who love this country will return to honoring God
and return to giving Him thanks for all the great works He has done for this nation
and turn from our sins and follow God by obeying His Word: the Holy Bible. That
God will remove His hand of judgment and His blessing may return to our country.
This church was fist built in 1890 and is still being used as a church. It is in Norristown,
Pennsylvania. This was the first Bible-believing church I attended when I became a
Christian.
(October 28, 2017)
the chesnut tree (‘Kastanie’), that gave name to this pub, or, more precise, the substitute, that was planted some 20 years ago, after the old tree fell in a storm. quite big already
Against the weight of a storm-dark sky, tender stems lean forward—some bending, some breaking, some still reaching.
They hold their fire at the tips, waiting to bloom, waiting to burn, waiting to belong to light.
Perhaps this is all of us:
stretching through shadows,
searching for the thin, golden line that divides earth from eternity.
"You flee my dream come the morning
Your scent - berries tart, lilac sweet
To dream of raven locks entwisted, stormy
Of violet eyes, glistening as you weep"
#blackcappedchickadee Facts
A bird almost universally considered “cute” thanks to its oversized round head, tiny body, and curiosity about everything, including humans. The chickadee’s black cap and bib; white cheeks; gray back, wings, and tail; and whitish underside with buffy sides are distinctive. Its habit of investigating people and everything else in its home territory, and quickness to discover bird feeders, make it one of the first birds most people learn. Want to know more check out this link https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/overview
Beginning.
Tom loved storms. He would wear stormclouds as fancy collars and pretend to be the King of France.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQRCNG2hL6D/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Sometimes the worst days just get us ready for the best days.....don’t stay in the bad weather too long. It’s just a storm that comes and goes with time. #Embracingnightmares