Be Satisfied. Praying with a pen in hand!

I so often pray with a pen in my hand.  It just flows that way.  So, I am praying that you might grow closer to Christ, honestly ask questions, joyfully say thank you, whole heartedly praying for others, while creating.  I do this all of the time.  But, let me first say it can become addicting.  Become addicted to growing close to God, reading, praying.  Don’t let the process of art get in the way.  It is NOT about the final product or what people think about it.  I just personally love moving my fingers, and it is a great time to focus on God as well.  Some people pray while running, matching socks, or unloading the dishwasher.    This is one way I do it…

Today, I'm using the devotions on www.shereadstruth.com as a starting block!

      

Read Day 1.  Print it out. Read. Doodle. Draw.  Circle words that pop out. Pray. Tear up the page.  Glue it down in your sketchbook or journal.

Then.  Write. Pray.  Be sloppy. Or be neat. What do you think the Gospel is?  It it complicated to you?  Has it become too simple?  Does it affect you? Are you scared?   Pray for each other.  To be open to learning and growing and encouraging each other.

Change pens. Read Psalm 63.  Write it. Pray it.  Doodle it.  Think about it.  There is a lot here.  

Draw some circles or squares on your page.  Pick a few words from the passage.  And repeat them as you are drawing them.  Lord, help me to be satisfied in you.  Lord help me be satisfied in you.  Lord, help me to be satisfied in you.  Or, whatever you prayer is.  Pray it as you doodle that.

You can repeat this over and over again.  Focus on the words in your heart and mind.  And, not as much on the techniques and lines and patterns.

Lastly, pick a few “truths” from what you read….and write them larger.  Or, illustrate them.  I chose, “Search, and be satisfied.”  That is my prayer  for you Mallory, Becca, Angelica and Sierra.  The world is dry, full of lies and junk, and chaos, and temptations, and questions.  I pray that you will be truly satisfied in the truths that God gives us.  And, that this is where you will go. Over and over and over again.

Praying for you my artsy gals and anyone else that might randomly join us!

Doodle. Word. Photo. Fun.

I have become lost in my own little world.  Obsessed.  Loving creating, again!  And, eager for you to do it with me!  I want to show you how to play.  How to create, with whatever material you have.  For me, it is for something fun to do with the kids on these cold days inside. A way to preserve memories, and get me off of the computer.

This is page is church doodles, layered with paint, and a photo.  The right side I think needs a little bit more, but Pax painted the dots...so I don't want to cover it up!  It was kind of fun to paint over all of the text.  A great way to pray, or vent, then cover it up and let it go!

High school friends were the highlight of this week! A birthday, a mural, and yummy cupcakes!  I'm trying to print the pictures I post....so, that was what I printed this week!

Date night owl!  The picture on the right is of a cool chair I saw on a DATE with my hubby.  So, that was the picture I used.  The "challenge" of this week was a doodle border.  It didn't quite happen.  But, I had fun with "ditto" spray paint, stencils, collaging, drawing, and a photo!

Doodles. Photos. And an envelope!  

Above page finished!

Little hands stamping, before he smeared the stamp pad all over his hand!

Good company! These two have had fun creating art too!  Wait till you see the book CZ has started..... love. love. love.

Altered art with an envelope

This week's challenge is to incorporate an envelope into you planner. There was no "fun mail" to work with this week. So, I used a Verizon Bill envelope.  You know, when you are using junk mail for art, it makes you think.  I think about materials I use, waste, if I'm being a good consumer, responsible, yada-yada.  I love the "self-talk" that goes along with creating art.  It is truly an experience, not just "art."

I used coupon cutting as a time to collage, have a paper ball fight (that was FUN) and to create.

 

A trip to Lowes = photo op. And, more materials to use.

I will say, I am THROWING JUNK away with each challenge. I am not keeping a pile of junk/papers that I "might" want later.  Either glue it down, now.  Or, throw it away!

Ta-da.  Not quite finished. But, I'm having fun.  I need to glue some pictures to the left side and doodle a little more.  I want to use this envelope as a place to keep snail-mail going "out."  Everyone loves getting mail, and birthday cards.  I hope to do better with this.  I also used a Christmas Card envelope that was sent "back to sender" because I had the wrong address.  The wrong address is an address that I really need to get right and send an encouraging note to them!

I added another envelope back in another section.  I want to use this section as a place to write little reminders about CZ.  One for Pax coming soon.

If you have questions, or need tips, send me a message on the ART SHACK fb page. I"m glad to help.  Art is fun, you should try it!

2014, JOIN IN!

2014 is full speed now. 

And, I have a goal. I'm excited.  Actually, I have a few. but for right now, I am trying to learn to create new habits with my artistic brain.  I HAVE to create, record, write, photograph.  Always have.  And, I LOVE to.  But, my ideas and plans and dreams and doodles sometimes run my life.  I have to create some new habits with my artist brain.

While sucked into Pinterest I found a cool  challenge that I will allow me to:  

       Put PEN ON PAPER!  
            KEEP UP WITH MEMORIES!! 
                    Give me a Goal of organizing & printing photos weekly?!
                              Pray while creating!
                                      KEEP up with my to-do list!
                                                            And, I'm so happy this has fallen into place! 

The Documented Life Challenge created by  http://arttothe5th.squarespace.com/ is giving weekly challenges all to be created in a planner. So fun!!  Each Sunday they post a new challenge...and of course I'm adapting them as I want to.  Here is my planner that I had not been using, that is now coming back to life!  Oh, to love many things.  What a blessing and a curse Mr. Van Gough.  Just gotta not let this become obsessive, like all things fun.

Week one: (was supposed to be a view of your door).  Mine was the view on my counter.  Candle burning.  Dinner cooking.  Balls being thrown (thanks Pax).  CZ chatting.  How fun to create art while life is happening.  Pax has been asking to do art since then!  

I'm going to try and incorporate a FEW pictures each week.  But, this is mainly to MAKE me QUICKLY organize them on my computer.  It would be SO nice at the end of the year to have favorite pictures from each week in ONE SMALL FOLDER.  Ya'll I have 1,000's each month.  I have a problem.  Hope this helps!

Week two: This challenge was supposed to be a "selfie."  (Thanks Mallory on the link to the great fb article on "dying to the selfie.")  This is how I want to see and be seen.  "Free in Christ."    Life is hard, challenging, frustrating.  But, through my faith and hope in Christ, I am free.  Free to create.  Free to hope.  Free to love others.  This pictures capture a sick Pax and a sassy Charlotte.  It is good to print cell phone pictures frequently to be reminded of how much better the "real camera" pictures are.

Two weeks down in 2014. 

Real life: filled with the flu and flooding. 

Artsy life: filled with prayer, color, and fresh ideas.

I'm excited about this challenge. And, it has been fun seeing the other creations on-line.

Goes to show there are lots of folks looking to create, needing direction and the boost of joy creating gives you.  Can I just also throw in here...God is the ultimate creator. Creating all! And I think He gives lots of us the desire to create, that we have to action!


** I won't have long posts each week.  But, check back to see the progress.