Christianity

4-28-12 The painting titled “None Other Name” was created from an image we saw in France.  It is 11”x14” Oil/Linen.  The way I am presently paint is I first create puddles of colors with a palette knife.  I have a glass topped palette table.  The picture of the table is to the right.  As the painting progresses, I begin to reach into more than one puddle so that the painting become color connected.  I try to make sure that I repeat certain colors throughout the painting.

This painting was hard for me to do.  How do you do justice in showing the sacrifice God made for us?  There is talk of Christ being a way and not the way and that all paths lead to Heaven.  I say to those who believe there are other ways to heaven, “Why did Jesus Christ, the Son of God, come to earth and die for us?”  He died that we might live.  He paid the price for our sins.  He was the perfect sacrifice.  He provided justice for us all out of His love of us.  Think about it, the Creator suffered and died for his Creation because He loves us that much.  What if Jesus was taken out of the picture?  Who is going to save us?  Do we think we are good enough to save yourself?  Do we know of anyone who or anything that can save us?

4-19-12 Wet Paint titled “Sleep Well.”  Many years ago at an art workshop we were instructed to paint shapes and not things and then they will become things.  I remember not liking that idea at the time.  I have believed it since then.  However, I keep in mind what my end result should be.  This is a painting where I am thinking more shapes than things with some impressionism thrown in the mix.

Sleep and rest is important to all of us.  We know when we don’t get rest it makes things harder to accomplish.  I pray we trust in the Lord and sleep well.

3-29-12 In regard to the painting titled “Too Many Lions”, I painted additional layers of
paint after the first layer of paint dried.  I speed up the process of drying by using a medium of GALKYD LITE and odorless mineral spirits.  I was a watercolorist for 20 years before I started using acrylic and then oil.  Two things I learned with watercolor which  also applies to oil are as follows
 
  •Don’t play in the paint with different colors.  It may look colorful when wet but will turn to mud when it dries.
  •The following day your painting will look duller in color and lighter in value.
  •Layering can be a beautiful thing if you let the underneath color show through in places.

As to my Christian faith, the title of the painting says a lot to me.   There are too many lions in our world.  Saying that I realize that I am saved by grace, which is a thankful, praise God thing.  One of the Scriptures says of lions:

“2 She obeys no one, 
she accepts no correction. 
She does not trust in the LORD, 
she does not draw near to her God. 
3 Her officials within her 
are roaring lions; 
her rulers are evening wolves, 
who leave nothing for the morning. 
4 Her prophets are unprincipled; 
they are treacherous people. 
Her priests profane the sanctuary 
and do violence to the law” (Zephaniah 3:2-4; NIV).

3-7-12 The painting titled “Life” was created from images we saw in the Lake District of England.  It is a beautiful and peaceful place.  The painting makes me think of things in the Bible: the tree of life, living water, the shepherd and the sheep, green pastures and peace.  As to the painting techniques: edges of shapes usually cool and soften as they go away from you.  As to the greens, my wife in the past saw so many greens where I just saw green.  There are so many greens!  The intense green was done mainly with Viridian and Lemon Yellow.  The other greens were probably various mixtures using Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Yellow, Viridian, Lemon Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Alizarin Crimson, Transparent Oxide Red and Titanium White.  On a side note, Viridian mixed with Yellow Ochre and white makes a cool green like sage in the desert.

2-13-12 The Painting “The Good Book” was taken from an image we saw at a friend’s cabin.  The Bible on the stand was added.  For years my Bible was mostly a Sunday thing until I totally turned my life over to the Lord.  To really know the Lord we need to spend more time with Him in prayer and reading His Word.    As to the painting, I repeated the blue in the blanket with the arm of the couch in the corner.  Repeat is one of the principles of design.  I had to vary the colors of the browns in order for them to separate from each other.  As to the value scheme, it was a small dark, large mid-tone and medium light value.  See the value picture.   It is good to think in terms of papa bear, mama bear and baby bear amounts.

2-7-2012 The painting, “Sound The Trumpets” makes me think of a friend in the past who was dying.  Our pastor was visiting with him at that time and our friend wanted to go home to die.  Our pastor said, “You are going home.”  Our friend said he knew.  Our pastor said, “No you are really going home.”  Our friend said, “Sound the Trumpet.”  As to the painting it came from an image my wife and I saw in Boxley Valley about an hour East of where we live.  The Trumpeter Swans have been reintroduced to the area.  They are a beautiful bird and I understand that they get their name for the trumpet sound they make although I have not heard it yet.  Notice in the painting the conflict in direction of the paint strokes, the warm areas against the cool areas and the different pointers that lead you to the main swan.

1-18-12 I called the fall tree “Look Up.”  My wife has glaucoma and one fall day I took her to the eye doctor when her eye pressure was high.  We had just parked in the doctor’s parking lot and my mind was on her and I was worried.  Suddenly my wife said, “Look at that beautiful tree.”  There right in front of us was a tree in fall foliage.  We need to remember to “Look Up” and see what God is eternally creating.

1-2-2012 The painting “Quiet Time” was painted from an image that I saw at a friend’s log cabin.  The cabin is a get-away place for them.   We all need a quiet time, I think.  My wife thought maybe the image was from Europe because of the tea cup.  I think often of the wonderful people we met in Europe.  It is sad that they live so far away.  I pray that someday we will all be together in Heaven as God’s family when there will be eternal joy.  
As to the painting process, I learned that sometimes details in a painting do not always need to be so detailed but we just need a few paint strokes suggestions.  If you go to www.greenhousegallery.com , click artists, click: David A. Leffel, click: view sold works, click: “Amber, Blue and Clementines”, click: view high resolution image, you will see the tea pot designs are only suggestions but appear in the painting to be detailed.   
I hope you have a wonderful New Year.  I would enjoy hearing from you when you get a chance.

12-26-11 The painting “Lead Me” 24”x36” is a larger canvas than I normally use.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and has a very wonderful New Year.  But for some it may have been a troublesome Christmas.  For any who are going through troubled times or may go through troubled times in the New Year, I pray that we do not forget to count our eternal blessings and trust in God’s eternal good.  All will be thankful in the end. Please read the Scripture in the scroll above.  Like someone said once in prayer, “Don’t let the devil take away your joy.”  I pray we have a Holy Spirit filled awesome year because it is one.

12-10-11  Christmas is almost upon us.  I hope and pray no one forgets the true mean of Christmas.  Our Savior was born, Christ Jesus.  Praise God.

10-9-11 Wet Paint:  Oil/Linen, Title “A Place of Gold”.  This image is taken from Mueller Park in Colorado.  I remember feeling so close to God in that park and wishing I could just go out and paint.  The damaged bark of the lower trunks of the Aspen caused by the Elk chewing on the bark really made you sense their presence.  It was such a quiet, beautiful and peaceful place.  Of course I pumped up the color again of this particular painting.  Maybe it is surreal but I enjoyed doing it.  I hope the painting puts you in that place.

9-28-11

“8’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’ 9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,11 which said: ‘Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea’” (Revelations 8-11; NIV).

The following words are repeated to all the churches. I believe God also speaks to us individually through the messages to the churches. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelations 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:22; NIV).

9-12-11 The old, old buildings of Europe just fascinate me.  I wonder about the people who lived there over the years and the lives they lived.  This is one of the stories that fascinated me.  Of course it is color enhanced.  I know this painting color is far out, but it made me think of a sunset I saw years ago.  I never saw one so colorful before or since.  Our God is an awesome, creative God.  There is no way that we, as artists, can creative like that, but we enjoy seeing His creation and feel blessed to create.

8-29-11 Wet Paint: Title: Lean On Me.  I am thankful for God’s discipline and also for His big shoulders.

8-16-11 The painting titled “A Deep Breath.”  One of the principles of design is Balance.  I remember a picture once that showed a seesaw with a big black box on one end and a little bright red box on the other yet the seesaw appeared in balance.  It seems in this world we need to take time to appreciate God’s creation.  We need to stop and take “A Deep Breath.”

8-14-11 Painting title “Just Peachy.”   It is amazing the number of colors in a peach.  I bought some peaches recently because someone wanted them in a painting.   The more you look at what God created the more you see.  I know I have said that before, but it is an awesome thing to take time to look closer.  When we hurry through life and hurry through painting, the less we appreciate what God is doing and what God has made.

8-6-11
The painting “In The Garden” was started outdoors several weeks ago but completed in the studio.  As hot as it has been, it did not seem hot painting in this garden in the shade of the trees.  I was painting with the wonderful people of the Plein Air Painters of the Ozarks.  It was amazing how a garden could be so beautiful in the heat and drought even with a sprinkler system.  There was so much to paint in that garden.  This is only a part of that peaceful place.

Jeremiah 31:11-13

New International Version (NIV)

11 For the LORD will deliver Jacob
   and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they.
12 They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;
   they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD—
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,
   the young of the flocks and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,
   and they will sorrow no more.
13 Then young women will dance and be glad,
   young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into gladness;
   I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.

7-26-11 I just finished this painting of The Little Shepherd Boy.  When I painted it, I did not notice till I was well into the painting that the little boy was holding a stick.  Shepherds have a staff, but he is a little shepherd you know.  All of us as shepherds need the Lord to grow and care for others.  We also have a need for God’s shepherds.

7-6-11 The painting "Time for Rest" was started as a plein air painting.  I was with a friend north of Eureka Springs.  It was such a restful scene.

6-19-11 Title of painting: “Never Done” acrylic/linen panel.  In order to appreciate what God has created requires us to observing more closely.  As I remember in the past I read where someone said paint, now paint it again and now paint it again.   I have noticed lately the slower in saying I am done with a painting the more can be seen.  Of course you are never really done.   Reading the Bible is somewhat the same way.  The more we continue to prayerfully read God’s Word the more can be seen and heard that He wants us to see or hear at the time.  It is an every word thing and we are never done.

4-23-11 Tomorrow is Easter.  We were in England with our daughter and son in law when I saw the image for painting On A Tree.  I am thankful God has led me to paint.  It overwhelms me when I think that God died for me, for us all.   He did not have to do it.  I would be very hard for us to suffer greatly and die for someone, but God who created us came to earth and died for us.  It was by His choice that Jesus suffered and died because he loves us.  That really is overwhelming.

1-15-11 Painting is just something I have peace in doing.  It is like the scene in the painting Rich Man’s Swing that I saw and painted.  I love the out of doors having worked outdoors most of my life.  God’s creation is something to behold when we take time to do.  I believe the good Lord teaches me through my wife to be more observant of my surroundings.  (By the way, we will be married 50 years this month.)  She is always amazed and saying excitedly, “Did you see that.”  This morning she said, “Did you see the geese.”  Then she said she saw the reflection in our kitchen window of geese flying in a V formation over our house.  However, I also know that peace with God in a troubled world is an eternal understanding of things.  That type of peace can only come from God when we totally give our lives to him.

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“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12; KJV)