America the Beautiful

I should have been posting here as this piece was being created.
I had many posts on Facebook as it was being put together.
So I'll just put a few pics up here and then be sure and watch the video at the end.

Here is a series of pictures showing one of the panels as it is being put together.

Each section of the piece is 3'x3' so the completed piece is a little over 6'x6'

(because of the framing around each section)

Here's a little picture video of my friends, Tim and Michael as they help me install the piece.

Psalm 8 - What Is Man?

I painted this for our annual Art Festival. Our choir sang a beautiful anthem with a Psalm 8 text "The Majesty and Glory of Your Name" for the Sunday morning of the festival.

Psalm 8
1 LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?

Road to Emmaus in the UK

This is a post from Facebook from March of this year.

Father Pastore in the UK has asked to use my "Road to Emmaus" painting in a retreat he's leading. It is taking place around the time of Pentecost. There will be times of meditation and my painting and others - I think - will be there as one of the "meditation aides." 
I think I said that correctly.

Psalm 1 Tree

This is not the finished painting. Not sure why I haven't updated it. It ended up better than this. 

Psalm 1:

1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, 

Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 

2

 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates 

day and night. 

3 He will be like a tree firmly planted 

by streams of water, 

Which yields its fruit 

in its season 

And its leaf does not wither; 

And in whatever he does, he prospers. 

A Psalm a Day

I'm reading a Psalm a Day in 2017 and then blogging about it. You can read about that here Psalm Challenge

A few years ago a friend told me about an artist that is painting his way through the Psalms. His paintings are beautiful. (I'll see if I can find that info again and I'll share it here.) Many of his paintings are abstract and he would probably need to explain why a particular Psalm is represented in that particular painting. But I really like the idea. I would LOVE to paint something each day for whatever Psalm I've read that day. but realistically I know that it will be extremely difficult to paint something every day.

But I AM going to try to paint something every week - something inspired by one of the Psalms that I've read that week.

So I'm not challenging myself to a Psalm a Day painting, but I am going to try a Psalm a Week painting. I'm sure that encouraging words from my friends will help me meet this challenge. :-) Hmmmm, maybe some little ACEOs would make it possible for more than one painting a week.
"What is an ACEO?" you may ask. From Google "ACEO stands for Art Card Originals and Editions. They are kissin' cousins of ATC's or Art Trading Cards. Both are by definition cards of artwork measuring 2.5 x 3.5 inches, the same as a standard playing card."

 Ebay's take on ACEOs

Here are two ACEOs from a few years ago.

Hickory Point (the view out my window at home)

Colorado Sunrise

The challenge begins January 1, 2017.

Yellow Roses

My lovely wife loves yellow roses.

I painted this picture to put in an art auction to raise money for missions. But after I finished it I decided that I should give it to Cheryl since she likes yellow roses so much.

I thought I had some pictures of the work in progress to put on here, but I don't see them on my computer. So I'll just put up the finished product.

It's acrylic on 16x20 canvas.

Photographed in the gazebo for some natural light

Abstract Art for Missions

I don't like putting titles on abstract art. I think that limits others' interpretations. 

I say that now because of this painting.

I've had several people tell me what they think it is: a black hole, a galaxy, a solar system, a whirlpool in the mud, the pull of sin.

And then they say, "What is it?" and expect me to tell them if they were right or if I had some other idea behind it. I think they would be very disappointed to know that sometimes a person just creates art and that there isn't a definitive answer of "what" it is.

But they say that art - good art - elicits a response from its viewers. I personally don't care what you decide this painting represents as long as you like it and spend a little time studying it. It can have some very deep meanings. :-)

Here's a closeup of a part of it.

I don't think that you can tell from the pictures, but there are three or four different kinds of gold paint on it. Some of the gold is a glaze that only shows when you look at it from the side instead of straight on. It's one of the things I like about it. 

The bright gold is gold leaf.

The only way to get my big easel to hold this painting is with the top down. I'm glad we had some good weather in April for "top down."

Oh. And the mission part? This painting was in our Silent Auction - Art for Missions at Hilldale Baptist Church in Clarksville, TN. 

The final bid on this painting was $175. 

All went to help our mission team going to Portugal.