PRAYER FOR BEIRUT

This was inspired by a photo in TIME magazine. I am profoundly saddened by the things going on in the Middle East on all sides and indeed by all warfare. There is a prayer written in gold and silver colored pencil embedded in the composition that doesn't show up in the photo.

MORNING MIRACLE

What a reminder of how wonderfully constructed all the parts of creation are! I don't think I've ever seen such a tightly woven spider web. Amazing! It took my husband noticing it in the morning sun to see it. Let all creation praise the Lord! This could be a song in the Perek Shirah- chapter of songs series but it might take more skill and patience than I've got!

PERFERVID

My nephew, Karl, used this as his word of the day on his website. If you haven't been to this site, check it out. There's a great poem about summer that you should read aloud on the main page.

http://www.englishrules.com/wotd/2006/perfervid.php

"perfervid07.24.06

extremely or extravagantly eager; impassioned or zealous

My aunt Ginny suggested that I use "fervid" for a word of the day. I think it's a great word, pefectly suitable for the word of the day, but I like "perfervid" even more. "

A commenter on wet canvas (www.wetcanvas.com) referred to my artistic expression as fervid. That took me aback until I realized that he was right! I suggested the word to Karl and he took it up a notch! I like perfervid better too!

PEREK SHIRAH 1 + 2

Perek Shirah literally means 'chapter of song' in Hebrew and is the title of a book allegedly by King David enumerating the ways the natural world speaks of God's attributes. For me it's the title of a series which illustrates various emotions and ideas that could be sung.

These two compositions (on the reverse of the milkweed paper), have similar compositions~ really! They use the same 'scale and notes' to sing a different song!

MILKWEED 1 + 2

These paintings have languished in a drawer for over twenty years. I just did another two paintings on the back side. I'll post those next.

THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED

This rendition of the final resurrection is a recent work on a piece of paper I started painting on twenty something years ago! I had the stones and openings on there but it's been languishing in a cabinet waiting for these additions! I didn't know what it needed but one day it just occurred to me to add these crowds of the 'elect'.

GATHERED TOGETHER 9

This is the last in that series. There are new things in the works.

GATHERED TOGETHER 7 + 8

Two more in the series.

GATHERED TOGETHER 5 + 6

Another set from the gathered together series. To me gt6 has a prison feel to it and reminds me of people who are having their lives changed behind prison walls by meeting God there. God bless that work!

CAMP TOSEBO POSTCARD

It's been a while since I raved about Camp Tosebo in Manistee. This is a postcard I designed for the camp. what a great place!!! Check out www.tosebo.com

Look at the May archives of the blog to see more pictures.

CELESTIAL TIMING #2 + #3

These are reminders to number our days and use them as we should and also to accept God's timing for things in our lives that we'd like to change.

St. Francis' serenity prayer would work here. "LORD, help me to change the things I can, the courage to accept those things I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference"

FOCUS 2 + 3

I just finished the companions of the untitled post from July 8. I'm calling them FOCUS. They've got a mysterious quality to them. The photos don't show them well because there's pearlescent medium over them that gets captivated by the bright lights. They're very textural and active.

GATHERED TOGETHER #3 + 4

I am reminded of something Annie Dillard wrote about worship. (Of course, I can't find the exact passage just now.) She was visiting a small rural church and was struck by the profundity of worship and of the power of the creator of the universe. She said something to the effect that if we truly had a clue about the awesomeness and majesty of God we'd all be quaking in the pews wearing seat belts and crash helmets! That might be a good way to approach the Lord. Paul says something about working out our devotion with fear and trembling.

COMMUNITY OF PRAYER #4

This is the fourth in this series of prayer communities. I'm putting a lot of pieces on the site today because I just photographed a stack of work. Some of the areas are pearlescent and that doesn't show up very well. These pieces are very layered with paint, ink, oil pastel and colored pencil. The horizontal format is very calming and enjoyable to work on.

Here's a great quote by Susan Rothenberg about her work: Some of the pictures are truly mysterious to me.. which is why I so often say publicly that I don’t know or don’t care what they’re really about. And yet I can also say that the paintings are prayers.

To that I say, Amen, sister!

This is the final version on this. I changed a few things. Time to move on!

GATHERED TOGETHER #1 + 2

This is part of a series of congregations of people gathered together in Christian worship. I'd like to think that one of the prayers offered is for peace in the Middle East. God have mercy, Lord hear our prayer.

COMMUNION

Around the table.

COMMUNITY OF PRAYER

I'm thinking of various titles for these. I feel a prayer community.

COMMUNION OF THE SAINTS

Another in the series. They are meditations about community
and prayer and the plans God has for this world. Also, a celebration
of the way things fit together.

FINISHED

Finished. The name hasn't come to me yet.

WORK IN PROGRESS

work in progress ~ posting the finished piece soon

ONE, TWO, THREE

Here's another layered piece. I'm not sure it's going to stay this way, but it can stay this way for a while.

But, 'one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready and four to GO ~' This piece was a conduit to the new direction my work is taking, so it's special from that aspect.

UNTITLED PIECE

I hate to resort to UNTITLED as a name for a piece, but this one is - at least so far. The layering and depth are something I like a lot about this piece and the limited palette. When I do name it, it will have to be something mysterious, maybe SOMETHING MYSTERIOUS! There are two more related pieces in the works, maybe the title will reveal itself through them.

HIGGAION #1

In the Psalms, Higgaion is a word that means murmuring of the harp, or instrumental interlude, or meditation. That is what abstract compositions are to me ~ a place to rest while sorting out the day.

BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH

This is still a WIP - a Work In Progress, but it's getting close to the finish line.

CELESTIAL TIMING

This piece was started twenty years ago! It bears some slight resemblance to where it started. Moon, stars, planets aligned, God's plan for the days of our lives- it's a meditation on all of that.

IN THE BEGINNING

Another of the new series.