Pages

Friday, January 22, 2016

Entertaining Angels Unaware... ?



an alla-prima portrait of the artist' beloved sister 18"x24"
 Oil on Linen the last painting of 2015
'  "Entertaining Angels Unaware" is the next series of paintings
 planned.  Unplanned- Pammy- Entertaining Angels Unaware
  being the first painting in it, and that it was executed alla-prima. 
 Alla Prima, meaning all at once, in regards to its execution. 
Therefore, this painting very impressionistic with looser detail and
 brushwork. Pammy, on her dear life long friends sailboat. 
When asking if they had been updated on Pammy, his wife 
informed me that he had also passed, the same morning as my
 sister.  Two dear souls and a homage to them sailing home.'-K

Entertaining Angels Unaware—is the next series of paintings planned; Unplanned, “Pammy- Entertaining Angels Unaware” being the first in it.
><> Many are the plans of a man’s heart but it is the Lords purposes that prevail. <>< Proverb 18:21

By faith we press on.  In that faith we grow in it, faith, and in strength.  Amazingly our greatest strength we learn – is to let go and trust, not in self, but in God.

><>We ‘press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.’<><(context, chapter 3 of Philippians)
  For God ><>Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20)<><  The King James Version: ‘exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask Him’

My currant struggle so illustrates this truth.  Presently I struggle to SEE; yet, that is a blessing!  Daily I am forced to not only trust –and also press on and do my part.  Yes, I want instant resolve.  Yet, for this ‘fix’- instant is not a part of my cure.  Yes, patience is waning, as I for the umpteenth time read: “Vision Restoration Chart… put away your glasses and read as much of the vision restoration chart as possible… You are retraining the Ciliary muscle… it has become dormant from lack of use.”

That ‘lack of use’ a post surgery cocoon so to speak--- the exceeding more is that little detail ‘put away your glasses’!!  Never would I have imagined that to be possible!  Since the age of twelve, my vision has been corrected.  The hidden blessing is also in what is not a part of my diagnosis—family heredity thwarted –what is not in my diagnosis: no Macular, no broken blood vessel, no Glaucoma.  The ‘no’s
 Far outweigh the daily struggle.  And all of those were feared, as vision diminished in left eye to not being able to read a stop sign with my glasses on! Yes, that other little detail – I am an artist! Great faith didn’t eliminate “I’m scared”!  It is though my perseverance!  And God’s answers are exceedingly more than I could hope for or imagine!  Seeing far, mid range and up close WITHOUT glasses—and with clarity of color that literally makes an artist, or anyone go “wow,” is a gift!  God’s orchestration of provisions beyond anything that “i” could do—are quite miraculous to me too.  Never imagined SEEing to this diagnosis’ degree! A bad—certainly made good.

There has been a lot of that of late—meaning A  bad—certainly made a good.  The tears that come from trying to imagine what could be good about Pammy being the first in my next series of paintings.  A bad—certainly made good to be a painting of my sister, but this way?… alas, again by faith—Joy remains.  As does faith and perseverance illustrate this page in Fine Art Connoisseur. 
Fine Art Connoisseur January February Issue


Each painting illustrates life’s full circle—
Purple Mountains Majesty Above Fields Of Gold”—Mountain top views remain, as the temperatures of our valleys are ever changing …with each harvest, each season.
The ‘planned’ view to paint was inspired by the light hitting the fields of gold.  The urgency to capture the inspiration came when those fields of gold began to be harvested—cut down—and making them green not gold.
Changes in circumstances do not change our inspirations.  They may just be transformed into Godspeed for us – if – by faith we proceed.
Walking by faith, not sight involves a hugely important detail: STEPS:  Especially when you find yourself in a place unimaginably NOT where ‘you’ planned.

I, as write this, turn back to re-read the Word that inspired.  Never did ‘I’ imagine how great would be the struggle to simply SEE the Word in front of me!
Yes, it is a struggle when it’s so hard to do an action, done before automatically and now, it’s a fight and it feels like everything is upside down!!!

><>for we walk by faith not by sight<>< 2Cor 5:7 for context see the chapter.

God’s literal LIVING word, God breathed and relevant to EVERY breath we take in our today’s.

Much of where I am today is not anywhere that i ‘planned’ to be. Yet, it is also exceedingly more than i could hope for or imagine.  It’s not my plan—it’s Godspeed.

I press on…
               By faith
                              Honored and thankful that this page, is possible to share.
God has enabled me to share His gifts and talents in ways ‘i’ never imagined could or would.  Much has been overcome, and even with a mountain top in view; the changing temperature of the valley is too.

Yes, the gold in the fields is cut down for the good—IF harvested!  I look forward to SEEing how the next series of paintings unfold, they have been on my heart to paint for some time now.

><>Many are the Plans of a man’s heart but it is the Lords purposes that prevail.
                                  Indeed—Godspeed
                                           In faith—proceed
                                                         And always press on

I have pondered for a bit now, how much to share—a sixty day time line that included more than any could imagine--  HOPE remains
H onor
O bey
P raise
E xpect
A timeline of an extreme 60 day faith walk, will be a page added at my other hat blog-  and a look of what is ahead shared at my Out and About blog.  Read both at will, when they are up. Hope to get the final posts up by Monday. Editing how it rambles; it does seem Psalm 23 was not only the last painting painted, done for my church before we left on our USAHoneymoon, it has been lived out loud upon our return. 60 days faith walk covers:  Vision, Stroke, Death, Heart Attack, Life, Vision Loss, Heartache, Lung Cancer threat phone call from my Dr.(NO i don't smoke), Moms Birthday, Eye Surgery, Sons 25th Birthday, Lung Biopsy, Second Eye Surgery, Offer on a home, Cancer Lung Biopsy results… oh yeah, Thanksgiving and Christmas in there too. I can’t make ALL this stuff up.  ALL the Good the Bad and the Ugly of it.  Praise the Lord His GODspeed remains steadfast and blankets love and peace tenfold, over us ALL.