Rejoice! Advent Meditations with Mary

Recently, I was blessed to have the opportunity to paint illustrations for Ascension Press. The artwork was for a devotional guide called Rejoice, Advent Meditations with Mary by Fr. Mark Toups. The meditation guide focused on several key stories in the life of Mary leading up to the birth of Christ. The stories were: Gabriel’s annunciation to Mary, Mary’s visit with Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem, and the Holy Family at the nativity. Each composition was a truly prayerful and meaningful experience. 

In addition to the devotional guide paintings, Ascension beautifully made a companion video series. The series is full of meditations and prayers centered around Mary’s story. For the video, I had the opportunity to create digital illustrations to be shown during the prayerful meditations.

It has been an honor to illustrate Mary’s story. I hope you enjoy these special paintings and take a moment to reflect on the story of the Blessed Mother, her faithful husband and the advent of our Lord, Jesus Christ. 

I will be posting more images from this series and giving you my reflections on them soon.

Click HERE to order 

• Prints of my Rejoice paintings 

• The meditation journal & videos 

• Get FREE iPhone background art

And He Shall Purify

8"x10"
Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

An Abstract Expression from Handel's Messiah
And He Shall Purify

And He shall purify the sons of Levi, 
That they may offer unto the Lord an
Offering in righteousness.
(Malachi 3:3)

40 Days: Day 23: Beacons of Resilience

8"x10"
Oil on Panel

Plein air with Palette Knife

Click Here To Purchase

Painting from life is a great way to meditate on the world around you. To notice the colors and the structures in our beautiful world is such a blessing. This final painting from Saint Joseph, Michigan was painted plein air on the beach with freezing temperatures and gusty winds. It was enough to make the effort nothing less than pure adventure. The lighthouse in this painting was the location from where the two previous paintings were made. By this time, the winds had picked up greatly and huge swells crashed against the pier.  I could not help but be impressed by the strength of those structures to withstand such harsh conditions. 

Special thanks to my brother-in-law, my host and invaluable assistant, for blocking the winds from knocking my easel over.  I hope to visit this beautiful place again... preferably in the warmer months.

Radnor Winter

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

My last plein-air painting of the year. And what a way to finish! It's amazing how cold and wind will add loose, expressive strokes to a painting as one hurries to get it done. This was painted at Radnor Lake—a favorite hiking spot for our family. I have learned so much from my plein-air adventures this year. I can't wait to see what new adventures, and lessons,  await in the new year. 

A Walk in the Park

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

One of the paintings for "A Walk in the Park" event at Marcella Vivrette Smith Park, 

Brentwood, on Oct 30 from 1-5 PM.

If you're looking for a nice, short hike, Smith Park in Brentwood, TN has a lot to offer. There is a lot of varying terrain, from open fields to rocky climbs. The portion of the trail painted here was especially nice. It was a loose-gravel limestone path which meandered from a warm sunny overlook down into a minty-cool patch of evergreens. You could feel the temperature drop as you walked though it. All the while, the sun dazzled and danced through the trees.

Smith Park is one of Middle Tennessee's best kept secrets. If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend you give these amazing trails a try.

Tennessee Relic

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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One of the paintings for "A Walk in the Park" event at Marcella Vivrette Smith Park, 

Brentwood, on Oct 30 from 1-5 PM.

On one of the trails, deep into the park, lies the remains of a slave wall. Slave walls are gems of history which can be found all over middle Tennessee. They were property fences land owners had built with slave labor. Many have been restored, for they are important relics of southern history. This one, however, looks untouched—letting nature and time take its toll. 

I actually think this wall tells a more accurate story than any restored walls.  I think it reflects the state of our culture's attitude to African Americans today. Racism and prejudice still exist today, but I believe it continues to crumble slowly over time. Like a scar, this wall is a beautiful sign of healing from a wound we will never forget and remains as an undeniable part of our personal story.

The people who built this wall in the days of slavery are long gone. 

I pray that someday ALL of the walls we build to divide ourselves and oppress others 

will be gone as well. 

I Will Awake the Dawn

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

Click Here To Purchase

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
    for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
    until the destroying storms pass by.

I cry to God Most High,
    to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
 He will send from heaven and save me,
    he will put to shame those who trample on me.
God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness.

 I lie down among lions
    that greedily devour human prey;
their teeth are spears and arrows,
    their tongues sharp swords.

 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
    Let your glory be over all the earth.

They set a net for my steps;
    my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my path,
    but they have fallen into it themselves.
 My heart is steadfast, O God,
    my heart is steadfast.
I will sing and make melody.
     Awake, my soul!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn.
 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
 For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens;
    your faithfulness extends to the clouds.

 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
    Let your glory be over all the earth.

Shady Spot and A Place of Renewal and Reflection

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

Click Here to Purchase

Today's post is a shady sycamore painted en plein air for the Chestnut Group art event benefiting the Harpeth River Watershed. 

Painting outdoors is always a renewing experience. But this spot was particularly special for me. This tree lives by a pond on a farm which used to belong to the Christian/Pop singer Amy Grant. Back in the 90s, she hosted regular music/worship events in the barn on her farm. As a college student, I went to a couple of those events. They were very renewing for my faith life at that time. Returning over 20 years later to that same space as a painter gave me a lot to think about. I thought about where I've been and where I am now as both a person of faith and as an artist. I have much to be thankful for. I'm thankful for the gifts of renewing moments. I'm thankful for the gift of art and what it has done for my life. I'm thankful for the simple gifts of shady spots in nature—resting beside still waters. And most importantly, I'm thankful for a loving and patient God who gives all of those gifts and so much more.




You can learn more about the Chestnut Group event "Scenes of the Harpeth" here:

Scenes of the Harpeth

Horsing Around

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

Click Here to Purchase

My youngest daughter has taken up horseback riding lessons. I decided to take the opportunity to use the hour lesson time to work on some quick-draw plein air painting of the other horses in the field.  

I totally underestimated the intelligence of the beautiful animals. As I set up next to the fence, all of the horses came over to watch me construct my french easel. But once I was ready to paint, all of the horses went far down the field to graze out of range from my painting efforts. “No matter.” I thought. “I'll just paint the field and when they come back around, I'll paint the horses in.” But when the time came to paint in the horses, their dinner bell rang and they all galloped out of the field to eat. Fortunately, they soon returned. But instead of grazing in my view, they went to the OTHER far side of the field to graze. I did my best to capture shapes and colors from far away. Once time was up and I packed everything up to leave, I looked up and they were all back in the middle to graze. Touché.

So today's post is the result of my efforts from that day.

Hopefully, next time they will be a little less shy. We shall see.

Worthy Is the Lamb

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing,

“To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might
forever and ever!”

And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Revelation 5:11-14

40 Days: Day 37: The Basin and the Towel

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

And the call is to community

In an upstairs room, a parable
Is just about to come alive
And while they bicker about who's best
With a painful glance, He'll silently rise

Their Savior Servant must show them how
Through the will of the water
And the tenderness of the towel

And the call is to community
The impoverished power that sets the soul free
In humility, to take the vow
That day after day we must take up the basin and the towel

In any ordinary place
On any ordinary day
The parable can live again
When one will kneel and one will yield

Our Saviour Servant must show us how
Through the will of the waterAnd the tenderness of the towel

The space between ourselves sometimes
Is more than the distance between the stars
By the fragile bridge of the Servant's bow
We take up the basin and the towel

And the call is to community
The impoverished power that sets the soul free
In humility, to take the vowThat day after day we must take up the basin and the towel

-Michael Card

-- LISTEN TO THE SONG --

John 13:1-17

40 Days: Day 35: Cleansing the Temple

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves;  and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written,

‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?
    But you have made it a den of robbers.”

And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching.

Mark 11:15-18

Music City Winter / Riverfront Lights

Music City Winter
8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

My first attempt at plein air cityscape painting went pretty good. Although the winter day was not the best of weather, it was a lot of fun to work with all of the different shapes of the Nashville skyline. I painted these with my friends of The Chestnut Group. We will be sharing and selling our paintings for the Cumberland River Compact April 17 and 18. Details are in the attachments below. We painted in a beautiful urban space, just across the Cumberland River, to get a good view of the city. After the sun wend down, I stayed a little longer to get this nocturne quick-draw below.

Riverfront Lights
6"x6" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

There was a reporter there form Nashville Arts Magazine to capture us in action. Read the article here. The painter sitting in the top photo is your's truly.

Early Autumn Walk

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

for A Hear for Warner Parks Exhibit
SOLD

Plein air painting is always a joy in Warner Parks. Here is one I made last fall. It will be in "A Hear for Warner Parks" show and sale Feb 13-15. Portions of the proceeds benefit the parks. On the day I painted this serene, leave-covered path, an class of elementary children came by. I loved hearing their thoughts about what I was doing. Below are some behind-the-scene shots from that day.

Rooted

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

for the Friends of Warner Parks exhibit
SOLD

30 Paintings in 30 Days: January, 2015—Day 22 

Plein air painting with the Chestnut Group today. This beech tree is from a protected property nicknamed "Valley of the Big Trees."

About a dozen of us walked single file into the valley, our feet crunching on the stiff, frozen leaves. Our faces were already feeling the bite of the cold winter air. Some painters were well prepared with pouchade boxes neatly tucked into backpacks. I was hiking my trusty french easel with hacked back-pack strap attachments and a loud, but very functional TJ Max bag full of gear. 

Our guide told us stories of interest as we journeyed through. She told us how the land we were entering had been left mostly untouched for the better part of a century. She showed us places of interest— like where four species of trees were growing from the same mound of earth. She shared how they revere the fallen trees just as much as the living ones. The fallen trees become a new haven for other inhabitants of the forest.

The painters each found their places of interest from which to paint. I went the farthest into the valley to find this beautiful Beech tree. Its massive roots spread out for a distance of about 8 to 10 feet. They looked like giant fingers gripping into the side of the hill. Behind it, another tree had previously fallen and and broke apart on the back of the mighty Beech.  At first glance, the Beach just seemed to be shades of gray. But after spending some time looking at it, I discovered a rich palette of greens, pinks and blues. I knew this was the tree whose story I had come to paint today.

I set up my easel on the hillside. And a steep hillside it was. There was no level place to stand. As I painted, the winter cold was getting the upper hand one me. My paints felt thicker the joints of my fingers were getting stiff. My back was getting sore from the incline. But this is what plein air painting is all about. It's an adventure every time, and a opportunity to better understand nature. So, I pressed on. I loved every second of it!

As light began to fall behind the valley, we packed up and hiked back out of the forest. I felt privileged to have been a witness of such a sacred place. I felt thankful for my colleagues and the efforts of The Chestnut Group for arranging this unique opportunity. I made some new friends in those woods that day—and one very, very old friend—Mr. Beach.

Painters in the Valley of Big Trees

Reference photo… just in case I don't get finished.

In-progress photo

(After) The Baptism of Jesus

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

30 Paintings in 30 Days: January, 2015—Day 10

This weekend, many christians will reflect on the baptism of Jesus. So I thought I'd do a little reflection of Jesus and baptism. This painting is based on the story according to the Gospel of Mark:

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

The painting is an exploration of the latter part of the story. After Jesus was baptized, and the spectacle of the Holy Spirit, what happens next is quite like a parable. After the baptism, there were no celebrations, no baptismal certificates, no luncheons with family and friends. After Jesus' baptism, the Holy Spirit (who had just come down like a dove and rested on Jesus) lead him into the wilderness for 40 days of solitude and fasting. 

This painting depicts that moment where Jesus steps out of the water and walks off the stage, soaking wet, with only the Spirit to guide him. If we really think about our life after baptism, Jesus' experience doesn't seem all that uncommon. After we are baptized, there is still a life of suffering, journeying, temptation and uncertainty. But, like Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit as our companion and guide. Together with the Spirit, we face the wilderness head on.—walking wet with the water of our calling. 

The Sower

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

30 Paintings in 30 Days: January, 2015—Day 6

Today's painting is another illumination. This time the subject is Jesus' parable of The Sower.  

"A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold."

We tend to reflect on what kinds of soil we are. But recently, I've been thinking about the Sower. The Sower doesn't worry about getting ALL of the seed into the good soil. The seed is liberally thrown about everywhere. Once distributed, nature takes care of the rest. Jesus tells this parable to his Disciples, I think, to prepare them for ministry. We should spread grace the same way God gives us grace—to all—not just those who appear to be worthy.

So this painting's view of the Sower is from the ground up—for we are indeed the soil. What we see from that vantage point is a prodigal Sower, joyfully throwing seeds of grace to all the world.