Search This Blog

Monday, October 31, 2011

Compelled to Rescue



I was recently invited to be part of a collaborative journal project. There are 5 of us artists from around the US who will be trading art journals for a year in a circuit. We each chose our own format and theme. Then, at the end of the year, we will each get our original journals back with everyone's artistic contributions in them.

My theme is grace. I choose to use recycled CDs as my format and my 'journal' is a fabric case I made to carry the finished CDs.

When I was working on this piece, I was doing some research on the chinese character for grace (which you can see in the piece). While searching, I found this description:

“Why is a mature man confined in a cell or enclosure? The answer forms the character
(the top box part of the character) which means ‘cause’ or ‘reason.’ The sight of such a confined man may excite pity in the heart (the bottom part of the character), and if this feeling leads one to liberate him, that is grace - the result of tempering reason with sentiment.”

I was struck by this description of grace. It gave me a richer picture of God’s grace to me: that He saw me confined in my cell and was moved. He was compelled to rescue me.

Then He did.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Circle Journal Project




A couple years ago, I and five other artists collaborated in a circle journal project. Each of us chose a color for a journal. We then sent our journals to another artist in the circle and each worked in each other's journals. It was a wonderful project and a thrill to get a new journal each month to create in. You can see my completed journal by using the link below.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/30827009@N06/sets/72157627372203326/

Saturday, April 30, 2011

The Isaiah Project- Part 12: A Well-Watered Garden




I was struck with this passage of Isaiah 58 because I have been describing my life as a well-watered garden the past few months. My first 8 years in Durango held much heartache. Even though I know that, in the dry places, the roots grow deeper, it was still very difficult. The past couple years have brought unexpected healing and joy (not to mention a tattoo because of it all) and I truly feel like my life has become a garden.

"And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail." (Isaiah 58:11)

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Anne's Book







This book was created in celebration of our dear friend Anne. Anne passed away suddenly when I was pregnant with my daughter, 10 years ago tomorrow. We named our daughter Kacey Anne after her. I got to know Anne because her husband Pat was the Jr. High Youth Pastor at our church and I was working as a leader with the kids. Anne and I led a small group of girls together. It's difficult for me to put into words the woman Anne was. It was like she lived on a different realm than the rest of us, yet was fully engaged and involved in our lives. Her whole perspective and attitude in life was on a higher level. Perhaps you can capture what I'm trying to say by the book that was created for her husband Pat, in celebration of Anne.

I contacted several of Pat and Anne's friends and asked them to send me quotes about Anne. I then used an old hymnal to creatively assemble the words. Here are a few of them.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Table of Characters




My husband got me a blank table (ok, I know all tables are inherently 'blank') for my birthday a couple years ago. I just finished the revisions on it - and created a table of characters. These are all characters from our favorite children's books. There are 23 books represented. 100 bucks to anyone who can name them all! (Just kidding about the $$$!)

If it were your choice, what characters would you put on a table? Just curious!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Isaiah Project - Part 11: Basically, the love of God


I had fun with this one for Valentine's Day coming up. It is based on Isaiah 41:10 which says:

Do not fear, for I am with you
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God
I will strengthen you, Surely I will help you
Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

This one had a mind of its own. I almost scrapped the whole thing and painted over with gesso, but I used restraint and tried to go with it.

Happy Valentine's Day, Monday and forever.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

The Isaiah Project - Part 10: Let Every Valley Be Lifted Up


I am studying Isaiah 40 these two weeks. I love this chapter which is full of comfort. I can't helping thinking of Handel's Messiah. Apparently Handel loved this passage as well.

The text on the page is from Isaiah 40:3-5: "A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley; Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Isaiah Project - Part 9: The Shaking of an Olive Tree




"For thus it will be in the midst of the earth among the peoples,
As the shaking of an olive tree,
As the gleanings when the grape harvest is over."
Isaiah 24:13

I've been meaning to do an entry in this book each week, but I got behind! I hope to continue more consistently in this new year. This entry is about the remnant.