Mysterious Face -Paint Party Friday

When I was in Fifth Grade, our teacher, Mrs. Young, gave each student a piece of black paper and some chalk for an art project.  I still remember the feeling I had as I smoothed the chalk into places of light and shadow.  It was as though I knew exactly what to do.  I still remember the pure joy of creating that face.  My teacher was astounded.

Looking at the drawing--I see I used a fan of pencil lines drawn up from the center of the bottom of the page.  I drew across those lines, to place chin, mouth, nose and eyes.

Mumsie loved it so well, she framed it and hung it in the stairwell.  There it hung years.  Then, almost 15 years ago, Mumsie gave the drawing to me.

When I took it out of its frame to scan it into the computer, I noticed what looked like tears trickling down from his eyes...if you enlarge the drawing, you can see where they seeped through the chalk.  I have no explanation how that would have happened.  None.  The back of the frame was taped into place...

Some have suggested the tears might be a chemical reaction between the construction paper and chalk.  However, if that were the case, the entire drawing would have been affected.  According to my research, colored construction paper and chalk do not chemically react to one another, even with age.

So, as unlikely as it may seem, this person I drew as a little girl, might have shed tears inside the frame during the time it hung in Mum's stairwell...that would be sometime between 1969 and 2003... I love the fact that miracles do still happen!

Blessings and peace to all of you dear ones.  Thank you for dropping by--your visits are such a joy to me.  Happy Paint Party Friday!

Face in the Clouds

This is a cloud painting I did in January 2012--little realizing what heartache the coming year held in its grasp.  This painting reminded me of one of the Psalms of King David.

God, You are my God;

I shall seek You earnestly;

My soul thirsts for You,

I yearn for You in a dry and weary land

Where there is no water.

Thus I have beheld You in the sanctuary

To see Your power and Your glory.

Because Your loving kindness is better than life,

My lips will praise You,

So I will bless You as long as I live.

I will lift up my hands in Your name.

...For You have been my help

And in the shadow of Your wings

My soul clings to You;

Your right hand upholds me.

~ Psalm 63:1-5, 7 

A Psalm of David

When there is nothing left to hang onto...

God is there.

I have felt melancholy at times...a little lost.  I am sure it has a lot to do with Dad's death.  I was my Daddy's girl always.  Tears seem close to the surface especially in the evenings.  How grateful I am to God--He holds me safe beneath the soft shadow of His wings.  His Shadow overshadows life's shadows.

I wanted to share the original cloud picture from which I created the painting above.  You can see it below.

 As you can see--I didn't have to do much enhancement of what was already there.

I'm putting this up for Guest Heart Thursday--as there are several hearts to be found.

For more heart art, photography and altogether fabulous heart stuff from around the world, visit Clytie at Random Hearts for Guest Heart Thursday.
 

Look Up -Guest Heart Thursday

This is a doodle from earlier this year.  Of course, you can see this is the dear girl who's face I love to draw.  There is a heart hidden in this drawing.  Can you find it?

Happy Guest Heart Thursday!

For more heart art, photography and altogether fabulous heart stuff from around the world, visit Clytie at Random Hearts for Guest Heart Thursday.
 

His Smile -Guest Heart Thursday

I remember the first time I saw my husband.  I was sitting at a table (Clytie was there--do you remember, Sissy?) filled with friends at Sunshine Pizza Parlor.  He came in out of a rainstorm.  He wore a red plaid shirt and his cheeks were ruddy with the cold.  His clear blue eyes sparkled with humor.  He had gone to Seattle on his motorcycle.  He saw his roommate's car outside the restaurant and came in to greet his buddy.  He sat at the end of the table next to me.  I remember greeting him for the first time.  He had such attractive dimples when he smiled.

Alan says he fell in love with my smile the moment he saw me.  I thought he was kinda cute, but didn't think anymore about it.  He told me he knew right then he thought he'd found the girl of his dreams--and he wasn't going to look any further.  He worked hard to win my heart.  I have never regretted choosing this wonderful man as my Beloved husband.  We have had such an adventure together.  Good, bad, incredible, amazing, sad, happy, hilarious, sometimes difficult--but what a wonderful adventure. 

I'm still in shock.  Monday we learned that my beloved husband has cancer.  We go to the doctor's office on Monday to discover what our options are.  I do not know what the future will be, but I do know Who holds the future in His hands. My prayer is that our adventure will continue for many more years.

"'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for good and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.'"  

Jeremiah 29:11-13  There are a few hearts hidden in this drawing, but also--as you read above, there is much about hearts in these words of hope, too--I am so grateful for God's heart of love for Alan and me as we go through this fearful time.  I am also grateful to each of you who pray and send warm loving thoughts our way. 

For more heart art, photography and altogether fabulous heart stuff from around the world, visit Clytie at Random Hearts for Guest Heart Thursday!
 

Face of Light - Weekend Reflections

This is the first time I've entered one of my organic art pieces in Weekend Reflections.  This was so special, I wanted to share it.

We were getting ready to work on an addition to the back of my parent's home.  Chilly raindrops tumbled through the air in pockets of splashing cold.  Then suddenly the sun came out.  It peeked at us from between the branches of the trees.  Later I realized there was a face--a face made of light...perhaps an angel watching over us, as we worked.

Above you see this lovely shining face, with delicate fir needle earrings, as I first glimpsed her through the lens of my camera.

For more wonderful reflections from around the world, be sure to visit James at Weekend Reflections.

Chief Joseph in the Clouds

I showed this cloud painting to a friend of mine awhile back.  I had thought this fellow looked a bit like George Washington.  But she thought, instead, that this man looked like an Indian Chief.  Of course, I  thought of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Tribe.

Dad recently told me we are related to the Nez Perce Indians.  I feel honored to know Native American blood runs in my veins.  I have always felt a connection to Chief Joseph.  He was a noble man who fought hard for his people in a time of great change and transition.

In most of the photos and drawings I found of Chief Joseph, there is a profound sadness in his eyes.  When I read his story and the story of the Nez Perce peoples I understand why such deep grief is reflected there.

Above you see him as I first saw him in the clouds.  He is smiling.  That idea makes my heart happy.

Floatin' Face

The sun came out to play for a few days.  What fun to see this fellow's funny face floating over the backyard fence!

Above you see this Floatin' Face as he first appeared.

Face Man

Most of us have seen faces in the clouds. As a very young girl, I remember days when my brothers, sisters, cousins and I, would lie on our backs in the middle of a summer field of tall grass, watching the clouds form overhead.

As an adult I still love to watch clouds. I never tire of looking.  One late summer day as I walked along the mint fields near where I live, I was amazed to photograph this vividly shaped face wafting over the gentle green hills.

Above you see this Face Man as I first saw him.  I sure didn't have to do a lot of work to enhance what was already in place!

I was thinking of the faces of all the people I know. Each person has a special identity--their own face through which they see the world. As we live our lives, our faces change with time. As time passes, our faces reflect the lives we live.

God longs to shine His face of beauty and glory into the lives of those who love Him. As our hearts glow with inner radiance, the ravages of life, or age seem to soften and slough away, leaving the only His beauteous peace beaming from our faces.

So, my special gift to you on this lovely Spring morning is this verse: The Lord bless you, and keep you, the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace. [The Bible, Numbers 6:24-29]

Melancholy

It was a gentle face I found in the clouds that day. The lines of his mouth and eyes were striking. I felt a great tenderness.

Above you see this kind, Melancholy man, as I first saw him.

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DADDY UPDATE: Dad went to the neurosurgeon for his checkup. Though the bones in his neck have made progress healing, he must wait for a CAT scan and those results before the surgeon will allow Dad to take the brace off. He's allowed to have it off three-four times per week to eat and rest. Please continue to pray for Dad's fractured neck bones to heal. Dad is frustrated and unhappy--please pray that God will give him distracting spots of joy throughout each day.

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Thank you so much for all your prayers, love and concern.

Vivid

This is another pen and ink of one of my favorite people to draw. Her face is incredibly vivid. Hence the name of this drawing.


Daddy Update: To offset the effects of the heat wave, we have moved Dad and Mom to our home. Dad is getting stronger every day. We have a small air conditioner in the living room which we are using to keep Dad cool. It is supposed to be 103 today, which is dangerous for a person of Dad's age, especially with his severe injuries. Next week I will be driving dad to an appointment with the plastic surgeon. It looks like he'll need some grafts done to cover part of the open area of the wound.

Thank you again for all your good thoughts and prayers. THANK YOU!!! Please keep praying for Dad's continued healing.

Exquisite

Last night I was enthralled as the clouds flowed like pink feathers across the skies. First a dragon, then a woman riding a swan. I saw so many beautious things. This morning I painted a cloud painting from one of the exquisite faces I caught with my camera.

Below is the original cloud as I saw it.

DADDY UPDATE: Dad is still doing well, but is now having some severe panic attacks where he is afraid and thinks he is going to die. It is worse in the evening and at night. Mom thinks it is something called Sundowner's Syndrome. These frightening attacks seem to have their roots in memories from his time in WW2 when he was a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany. It may be a result of his meds, they will re-evaluate this today and hopefully he will not have these fearful moments. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers.

Enigma

I caught a mysterious face in the clouds this afternoon. It was amazing to see how well-formed his eyes and face were even before I began painting. I haven't quite figured this fellow out. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter. (grin)

Below is the original cloud formation I caught on camera.

Glow Face

I often see faces in the skies. Here I have desaturated the original photo, to better show the glowing face I found in the clouds on a soft spring day.

Here below you see the original cloud. You can clearly see the definition of nose, hair, eyes and chin!

Manly Man Tree

As you can see, this photograph by my beloved sister Clytie is AMAZING! You can see why I gasped in amazement. I didn't have to paint much--it was all there to begin with!

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You can find Clytie's wise and humorous insights along with her wonderful photographs at http://clytie-randomstuff.blogspot.com/