I can say I am at that place. So for me I sit at my easel and paint, and paint, and paint. As I was working on the sunflower part of my painting I started to think about the issues I am dealing with and how to “deal” with them.

Maybe it was the color that I was working with or the fumes, but I began to realize that sunflowers are interesting plants.

They follow the sun from morning until night. One theory is that they follow the sun because they grow first on the west side of their stem which turns them towards the sun, and then at night all the energy grows the east side of the stem. They repeat this everyday until their end and in doing so create a beautifully complex design. A spiral where each floret is oriented toward the next by the golden angle. The number of left spirals and the number of right spirals are successive Fibonacci numbers. Which I know as the divine proportion, or golden ratio. Which is perhaps why it makes artist want to paint them. My favorite artist painted a lot of them, I think it is safe to say he was tormented with out a doubt.

Then I realized I was spending way too much time thinking about sunflowers and why they follow the sun and how they relate to the divine proportion and how many sunflowers did Van Gogh paint again… 7 but who is counting right and decided to refocus on the painting.

In that time (probably shorter than writing this post) however, I realized I need to focus on the light more and work on some things each day. To work on the west and then the east and strive for being less tormented. Sunflowers deal with the elements, yet they still are bright and full of life. Until a three year old rips them out of the ground.

I love how WordPress handles all my needs for my site. Since I work on the web all day, I just want a simple site where I can display my artwork and place content quickly. WordPress gives me the opportunity to also design templates and plugins to customize the site.

So now time to put down the keyboard and pickup the paint brush.

Well…I was asked to. Now I probably know every song by him. Pretty much my whole life this man was in the spotlight and a household name. Love him, or hate him you can not deny he was very talented and changed the entire music industry, next to Elvis. I must admit some songs I enjoy, I never cared for his personal life, always thought he was very strange, maybe that much talent makes someone that way.

So I was asked to do a portrait for a friend’s child who really loves his music and him.

I thought black and white would fit the mood in this portrait. So I worked with a palette of 5 basic colors. I am not sure why but I love to paint in black and white. I had to work with photos which was a challenge because photos never give you what real life can. I prefer either live or photos I take so I can have the lighting and pose the way I want it. I took no money for the portrait, it was a gift and I hope the owner will enjoy it while listening to her favorite singer.

So I noticed that it is now the end of June and I have not touched a paint brush in several months. I am writing this down to remind me the next time I visit my site and wonder…. wow still no new art.

I have been taking lots of photos during this time of non painting. Hoping that something will inspire me to pick up a brush other than for my teeth. My daughter on the other hand has been inspired to create in the bathtub. She is showing me that creating is a joyful event and shouldn’t be daunting. Maybe I should take a bath…

Finally.

I have finished this painting. Took a lot of work from where it started, but the painting turned out how I wanted.

Now I just need to let it dry and choose a frame. A larger image is available in the Portraits gallery.

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Not because of all the gifts, but the one gift that we can truly never repay. Since we are called to be thankful, I am thankful for that gift above all things. I am also thankful for my family and their health.

I am also very thankful for my wife, whom puts up with me 365 days a year and 24 hours a day. She also knows I love my art and encourages me to do so.

This year she gave to me a Jullian Easel, a wonderful gift for any artist. I have never painted outside, unless you count finger paints when I was a kid. So since I love to paint the outdoors, it will be great to actually paint outside! Of course at 9 degrees, I think I will wait until spring.

So what better thing to do than to paint the picture and surprise my mother for her birthday with it. I thought I could complete this small 8″x8″ painting in a few days. I forgot how picky I am so that did not happen. So my mother was presented with an almost finished painting for her birthday.

But I have finally finished and I can not wait to present it to her.

Words do not do justice in what this day has meant. There are no more tears of pain and sorrow, but of joy and hope. I am always, amazed at God’s grace and mercy. I looked to the cross in that dark moment years ago and tried to remember that Jesus went through pain and death and that He also conquered it that day so all could live in light.

Today has shown me again the wonders of God and His eternal love.

Now I have another one of God’s creation to paint on canvas! Amen!