Ripples in the Rain 24"x24"

24"x24" Oil on Deep-Edged Canvas

with Palette Knife

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Playing in Puddles 24x24: Celebrating the Ordinary

24"x24" Oil 
on Deep Edged Canvas

with Palette Knife

Click Here to Purchase

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.

God in the Storm

9"x12" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife

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Psalm 29

The Voice of God in a Great Storm

A Psalm of David.

1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
    worship the Lord in holy splendor.

3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord, over mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
    and Sirion like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
    the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,
    and strips the forest bare;
    and in his temple all say, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
    the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
11 May the Lord give strength to his people!
    May the Lord bless his people with peace!

In the Rain

6"x6" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

Click HERE to Purchase

30 Paintings in 30 Days: September, 2014—Day 1

Happy Labor Day. While vacationing on the lake, my first entry is a plein air painting in the rain. The rain softened the colors and turned the sky and water into beautiful shades of gray. To paint the rainy gray, I resorted to lessons learned from last September's 30 paintings. One of those days, I painted with a limited "Zorn" palette. I learned how just ivory black and white can make a very nice sky. I can't wait to discover what new things I'll learn from this year's 30 paintings.

Tune in every day this month to see a fresh, new painting. 
Have a great day!

A Storm Rolled In

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife

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Seven Days on 30-A: Day 6

This is one of my favorite paintings. Until now, I have never experienced a stormy day on the beach. It was so much fun to paint. All of the colors drastically changed. The horizon and sky became an abstract of line and shape. Fortunately, our beach house had a covered  porch from which to paint, but I still go wet in the end.  It was a fast and frantic printout, but totally worth it!

Ripples in the Rain

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife

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30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge: January—Day 14.

Today, it rained—all day. Today's painting is a close up of rain on the lake. It is similar to a previous painting from my first attempt at the 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge (see "Playing with Puddles"). Ironically, I painted this piece exactly one year later.

Playing with Puddles

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife

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30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge—Day 13.

Remember my post the other day about the rain going away? Since then, the rain has returned and has not stopped. So for today's painting, I thought, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Today's painting is on reflections in a nearby rain puddle. This is likely the most abstract of my 13 daily paintings so far. It is quite loose and impressionistic. I took the opportunity with this subject to experiment with looser techniques. We can make the best of any situation by looking for the beauty that lies within.

Goodbye Rain

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife

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30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge—Day 11.

It's been raining and drizzling for about two weeks. Today, the front moved on and the sun shined again. This is a painting of our morning sky as the rain clouds retreated. It reminds me that no matter how down we get from long periods of life's "rain," the sun will eventually shine on us again.