Beautiful Mystery

Beautiful Mystery

Last week, on a visit to a nearby forest area, as the sun was sinking low in the west, it lit up the landscape with a beautiful mysterious golden light that also brought out the lavenders in the tree tops. 

It was indeed breath taking. 

And the watery reflections were another element made more mysterious by the light. 

I was able to capture it and make several thumbnail sketches. 

How can paint do justice to this beauty? 

How can paint capture the glory of golden light and its effects? 

Such moments are reminders that as artists we only attempt to interpret the glory of God's creation. 

He is the Master Artist. 

These are the first steps in the process of a new work, which I believe will be a diptych: 

1.  See the beauty and absorb it
2. Sketch it - trying to grasp its grandeur
3.  Find wonder and delight in observing and recording it

What Inspires You?

What beauty awaits the patient eye.
Quiet wandering ~ observation ~ a listening ear.

Taking time in a busy day to slow down, to visit the world of Creation, 

to allow the path to lead along twists and turns.

Inspiration can be found in the soft ripple,

a burst of color, 

the call of a bird

As the sun filters between the leaves and gives a last golden glow, 

inspiration is born

and I imagine what my paint brush might produce 

What inspires you?  How will you interpret beauty? 

This is the perpetual question the artist must answer!  

To absorb, to breathe in the colors and shapes and movement of the natural world,

to edit it, to rearrange it when needed, and to maintain its qualities of wonder.

To capture beauty and interpret it in colorful strokes of pigment. 

Leave a reply below ~ what is it that inspires your artist's spirit? 

Changing Seasons - Seasons of Change

It is a gray, rain drenched morning- easy to think of staying in bed - of hibernating another few hours.  But.... there is beauty to be found, and even on this gray day - the Creator's whispers to be heard for attentive ears.  

Moments to savor this morning:  A cup of tea, warm pumpkin muffins (with chocolate chips - because everything is better with chocolate!), butter, of course! And a journal of Grace Notes ...a chronicle of small (easily missed) moments of grace given as gifts from the hands of God. 

What does this have to do with art, you may ask! 

Everything!!... Taking time to notice, to listen, to take wonder in, to give thanks for....all of this must be part of the artist's life and practice.  These are moments when wonder and joy inform our  hearts. When ideas take shape.  And when we begin to understand the love with which our world was created and is daily sustained. This is when we may hear the whispers of God when we take time to listen.

I have a small journal I've named Grace Notes for these  moments - and every time I add an entry, I am reminded how important this is and how easily in the daily demands of life it is to neglect to give thanks - or even to take notice of the small beauties of the world around me. 

On this fall day this is my entry: 

Falling Leaves

From green in its many shades and varieties, the colors change.

Green becomes yellow gold, or orange, or red. 

A blaze of rich beauty burning brightly. 

And then the mantle of color drops or is swept by the wind to carpet the earth.

A final generosity before all is bare and winter's chill sets in. 

Fall is a flourish...of color - bright and beautiful, gracing our steps.  

 

So, even in seasons of change, how delightful it is to notice beauty and give thanks for our Creator's small gifts. These things represent and reflect who He is.    I, too, sense I'm in a season of change. So,  I'm looking for small beauties and lovely reminders that I'm being graced by His kind and loving Presence. 

Take a moment and notice!  Leave a comment below to tell me what you have discovered! 

Sunflower Trilogy

 

Sunflower Trilogy - Tiny Triptych
5x17" (the 3 combined)  Oil on canvas
©Helen Read






SOLD

This is a Throwback Thursday Post!

These 3 have been on a long term loan and now are back with me.   

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I love sunflowers!

First of all, they remind me of summer - and I love summer!

But I also love their shape and their habit - sun followers - sun reflectors! 

Have you ever seen a field of sunflowers with the sun setting behind them? 

Beautiful ~ golden glory. 

I would love to send a bit of summer to you! 

A year ago.... and once again, Fall arrives

Autumn - Lake Ellyn,  8x10" Oil on canvas
© Helen Read

Last year about this time, I was finishing this painting!   So, I'm posting it again... it's that time of year again.  Fall is starting to make itself known!   It's a beautiful time of year as we see the last of all the green for awhile, exchanged for colors of golds and reds.