River Life

Although they are few and far between, it's always great when you stumble across water sources in Texas.  Whether it's called a creek, river, stock tank, pond or lake, water is a precious commodity in our state.

This spring, my wife and I were driving through the Hill Country and ran across this river that flows into the Colorado River.  The life along the river is starting to bud and grow, but there's also the contrast of plant life that haven't begun their blooming season.

I'm reminded of the story of Jesus talking to the woman at the well.  He asked for water and she hesitated because it was rare for a Jewish man to ask a Samaritan woman to do anything.  Then Jesus tells her that anyone that drinks this water will get thirsty again, but He offers living water.  His water will never dry up and always quenches our thirst. 

That's great to know for those of us who need a fresh drink of living water.

The Willow Cottage

One of my favorite places on Main Street in Downtown Grapevine is The Willow Cottage. Great place for gifts, cool clothes for Moms and children and they added a Soap Shop next door.  They also sell my art work. If you're ever in the area, stop by and see them at 326 Main St. in Grapevine.

Their site is www.willowcottagegrapevine.com.  Here is some of the work I have for sell there:

Evening Falls

There is nothing more beautiful than a Texas sunset.  As the sun slowly falls from the sky, shadows lengthen on the ground.  But above the ground, the leaf canopy on trees begins to sparkle with light as the sun paints the sky with a pallet of reds, yellows and blues.

Evening Falls8"x8" oil on canvas

"Evening Falls" didn't come from a photo, although most of my work comes from images I capture by camera.  One afternoon in my garage studio,  I was playing around with yellows, blues and reds and this image emerged from my strokes.  I began to contrast the glowing sunset with it's impact on the ground below.  It's always fascinating to watch shadow and light change the lower the sun sets in the horizon.

This painting also encourages me to think of beauty in darkness. There is a lot of darkness around us, but we can be the light of the world and create color and sparkle wherever we are.  I know people who look like they are in darkness all the time.  Their bitterness, sadness and contempt of other people makes them look like ghosts in the shadows.  Other people I know bring light and color when they walk into darkness.  These are people that bless our lives in so many ways. Their fun to be around and they bring goodness and grace to every situation in life.  I hope I'm one of those people.

Family

This has been a great week around our house.  It's rare when our entire family gets together.  From great-grandmothers to our three kids and their families, we have a full house this week.  It's our grand daughter's first time to travel and we love having her with us. I am thankful for the spiritual heritage that has been passed from one generation to the next in my family. We're not perfect, but we tried to build our family centered around the love of Christ and the local church. Whitney and Brian; Mallory and David and Cameron love the Lord and they are passing down a strong spiritual heritage to the next generation.  

Texas Beauty is an 18x24 oil on canvas

With all the action happening at the house, my painting has slowed down. I'm working on my first portrait - one of my Dad from his Army days.  I'm about to give up, but it's been a great learning time for me as a painter.  I hope to finish it soon.

Recently, one of my friends put a photo on Facebook and made a comment that she wished she had a painting of the photograph. I thought it would be fun to try to paint it because I thought it was beautiful. I enjoyed the work because I used a new technique on the trees in the background. 

I think I'm getting better, but I have a long way to go. If you would like to view my art, it's on display at The Willow Cottage at 326 S. Main Street in Grapevine. It's' a great place to stop and visit if you're in the Grapevine area. 

Happy 4th of July!

Dinner for One

Dinner For One is a 16x20 oil on canvas

I'm different from most people in that I don't mind eating alone. I enjoy that time to read, catch up on emails or just watch people. 

I found this Longhorn steer grazing on a property near Willow, TX.  He was relaxed, unfazed by me and focused on chewing the grass.

There is something comforting about watching cattle chewing cud. Cud, for you city folks, is when a portion of food is regurgitated to be chewed again. For cattle and other animals, chewing cud is beneficial to their diets. It seems as if cattle are more relaxed and happy when they chew cud. This painting reminds me of one of my favorite verses:

"Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips, meditate on it both day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:8 NIV). 

When we meditate on scripture, we chew on it, roll it around in our minds and let it penetrate our hearts. Meditating on scripture will relax and refresh us from all the crazy things happening in our world. When I go to bed, I like to listen to scripture on my IPhone (YouVersion). It keeps me from worrying and more centered on the Lord. Take some time with your Bible by reading it, meditating on it and letting God's truth soak into your heart.

The Hill Country

Bluebonnets in Bastrop, TX

A couple of weeks ago, Dedo and I made our periodic trek to the Texas Hill Country.  The spring is the best time to go because the countryside is bursting with blooming bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes, and hundreds of other flowers.  I take pictures with my trusty IPhone and use them to compose paintings.  I've always loved to paint Texas landscapes. You will see these pictures as paintings soon. 

I recently decided to start selling my artwork.  It's always tough for artists to know when the work is good enough to sell.  Based on the advice of my art friends, they say go for it.  

Several of my paintings are displayed at The Willow Cottage in downtown Grapevine, TX (326 S. Main St.)  I'm working on a website to display my paintings as well.  I've excited to give 10% of the proceeds to an organization called Taylor's Gift.  Todd Storch and his organization promote organ donation.  Follow them on   Twitter and Facebook.  

   

Longhorns grazing near Willow, TX.I am 

I am in the process of making several key decisions that will greatly affect my life.  My prayer (and hopefully your prayer) is to follow God's discernment and wisdom as I make these life-changing decisions. I'll let you know when it's appropriate.  In the meantime, I pray that you are well and following after God.

Texas Barn

During my annual photo trip to the Hill Country, I shot a pic of this barn around the Llano area. I love the contrasting colors that an old tin and metal barn can produce. Even the dry grass has color in it.       

There are hundreds of old, boarded-up barns, cattle pens and ranch houses around Texas. The ranching and farming business has been rough because of the economy and drought. It's sad to see these buildings in a state of disrepair.  

Sometimes, I feel like one of these old buildings.  When I get worn down by difficulties in life, I feel run-down , out of touch and worthless.  

The Apostle Paul's advice to the Colossian Christians helps put difficult times in perspective. He reminds them to "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to one peace.  And be thankful." (Col. 3:15)

Even in it's run-down condition, this barn has beauty to it. God feels the same about us.  He sees our value and beauty even when we don't. We need to be thankful for difficulty in order to understand the peace that God gives us. If you're going through a tough time, hang in there. You are a beautiful creation to God,

Texas Barn is a 9x12 watercolor on 140 lb paper.