Trumpet

7"x5" Oil on Canvas

with Palette Knife

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As I mentioned in my last post, all of my kids chose to play brass instruments in school band. Both my oldest and youngest chose to play trumpet. Trumpets are undeniably bold instruments and are as essential as drums for marching band. 

So here is my ode to the trumpet.

I Will Awake the Dawn

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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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.

Sforzando

6"x6" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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BAM! Here is the next post in my music abstract series. 
Sforzando means "with sudden emphasis." 
Hope this adds a little excitement to your day.


The series will be on display and for sale during 
The Frankin Art Scene 
at Shuffs Music, 118 Third Avenue North, Franklin, TN
on September 2 from 6 to 9 p.m.

Adagio

5"x7" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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The forth post on a series of abstracts based on music is called "Adagio."  It means "slow and leisurely." For this one, I listened to Beethoven's Adagio Cantabile (from Sonata Panthétique No 8, op 13)

There are more music inspired abstract compositions to come. Stay tuned.

The series will be on display and for sale during 
The Frankin Art Scene 
at Shuffs Music, 118 Third Avenue North, Franklin, TN
on September 2 from 6 to 9 p.m.

Allegro

6"x6" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

Click Here to Purchase

This is the second post on a series of abstracts based on music.  
Allegro means "lively, brisk and rapid." I used a lot of warm colors on this one to convey the burning muscles and the instruments' heated friction when playing fast.

There are more music inspired abstract compositions to come. Stay tuned.


The series will be on display and for sale during 
The Frankin Art Scene 
at Shuffs Music, 118 Third Avenue North, Franklin, TN
on September 2 from 6 to 9 p.m.

Shady Spot and A Place of Renewal and Reflection

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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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

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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.

40 Days: Day 36: On the Willows We Hung up Our Harps

6"x6" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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By the rivers of Babylon— there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion.On the willows there we hung up our harps.For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

Psalm 137: 1-3

40 Days: Day 29: I Am the Way

6"x6" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

Click Here to Purchase

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

40 Days: Day 26: I Am the Good Shepherd

6"x6" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

Click Here to Purchase

““I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

John 10:11-18

40 Days: Day 25: I Am the Gate

6"x6" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

Available

“I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.”

John 10:9

40 Days: Day 11: Isaiah 61

11"x14" Oil on Deep Edged Canvas

with Palette Knife
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Isaiah 61: 1-2

The Good News of Deliverance

1 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
    to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and release to the prisoners;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;

Tulip Blaze

18"x24" Oil on Deep-Edged Canvas

with Palette Knife

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Autumn Retreat

20"x24" Oil on Deep-Edged Canvas

with Palette Knife

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Time for a break. I have forgotten that the tradition of Lenten discipline allows for beaks—specifically on Sundays which are considered "Mini-Easters." Grace abounds—even in Lent. 

Since I forgot to take a break last Sunday, my posts are a day off. Therefore, I will be taking a break from the "40 Days" posts for the next two days to get everything back on track. Otherwise, I'll be all finished before Holy Week even starts, and we just can't have that. But don't worry, I have plenty of new paintings to share during the break. Here is a serene fall painting to enjoy.

40 Days: Day 6: Evensong I

3"x3" Oil on Canvas

with Palette Knife

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May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7

40 Days: Day 3: Let There Be Light

5"x7" Acrylic on Canvas

Available

Last fall, I visited our local Synagogue. During one of the prayers, there was a line about God creating light. There was a footnote on the page that explained that the line is more accurately translated as a "mixing" of light—as a painter would mix color. As an artist, I just loved that image of God mixing the cosmos like colors on a palette. It is also a beautiful way of thinking about the Incarnation—the Light of the World mixing into the lives of humanity. And what does that mean for us when Christ tells us that WE are light to the world?

For this meditation, I played with simple black and white acrylic—starting with the black and mixing in the light with a brush. 

40 Days: Day 2: Luke 18:9-14

6"x6" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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Luke 18:9-14New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Cozumel & Clouds

12x16

Oil on Canvas

Available

As the temperatures continue to drop, 
I'm keeping a caribbean state of mind 
with this memory for Cozumel.

Lavender

11x14

Oil on Canvas

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Starting the new year off with a touch of spring. 

Playing in Puddles 24x24: Celebrating the Ordinary

24"x24" Oil 
on Deep Edged Canvas

with Palette Knife

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The church calendar is deep into the season of Ordinary Time. It is the longest season of the church year, turning into Advent in the fall. Some congregations go off the lectionary script and study biblical texts of their own choosing. Many congregations feel the lack of full sanctuaries due to  people being out on summer vacations. It can be a long season indeed, and let's face it, Ordinary Time isn't a very exciting name either. But rather than slouch in a summer slump, I invite you to embrace a new awareness of the ordinary.

Ordinary things are what make the church great. Warm smiles, concerned hugs, conversations of the week's events. They are all beautiful expressions of grace. And the world is full of beautiful "ordinary" moments, if you stop to see them. Jesus asks us to "consider the lilies of the field" and "the birds of the air" as reminders of God's beautiful creation and the extent of God's provisional grace. 

As a painter, I enjoy finding the beauty in ordinary things. This painting is a larger take on an abstract I painted a while ago. The painting is based on reflections in a water puddle in a school parking lot after a heavy spring rain. It doesn't get any more ordinary than that. But looking at the reflections in such a simple thing, there is a color palette of infinite beauty and grace. 

So take some time to enjoy the ordinary in you life—and be thankful.