What Is Normal?

As she added another event to her Outlook calendar, she shifted her priorities in her mind. What would she have to give up to fit this in? Her mind easily wandered to all she’s been wanting to accomplish, but just hasn’t had the time. She thought, “I just haven’t had consistent time in my art [...]

Decompression

For almost two years, my family has been preparing and serving meals each Friday at VERONICA’s Voice. This past Friday was our last day. God had been leading me to reevaluate our service this summer, and once school began for us, the answer was obvious. It was time to stop.
I really have mixed emotions about [...]

Balance again

Balance is a continuous theme in my life. Probably because life is not stagnant. I love change, but always have a difficult time finding the new balance in change.
I had a rough summer. My husband was gone for long periods for much of his work. My empathy for single mothers rose significantly. As I balanced life [...]

Sabbatical

I’m taking time off to listen and observe. God is calling…
amanda ∞

Art Journal Randomness

I’ve been enjoying the new art studio. Some of these pages were done there, some in a coffee shop. Tonight I had the thrill of spilling a bottle of blue ink all over the journal, but besides the immediate freak out in trying to keep it from running further, I’ve accepted the [...]

Manipulation vs. giving

My son was born with an abundantly generous heart. This week we had a wonderful time together. We gave the ultimate gift of time to each other. Yesterday we decided to go back to You Say Tomato so he could have just one more piece of cake. This time I told him he had to [...]

Demons transformed

Yes, I read a stack of books at a time. I just got done with One Hundred Demons by Lynda Barry. What an excellent book. I was inspired.

At the end of the book Lynda challenges the reader to draw their own demons. Although it was not intentional, while I was working on my art journal, [...]

Been waitin’

As my son says, “I can’t wait ’til soon.” Well, soon arrived today.
This began:
 I’ve been painting backgrounds in preparation. I’m trying out a Moleskine sketch book as an art journal, and so far just love the way the pages feel and behave as I prepare them.
My husband is away making money so I can buy [...]

Contradiction revisited

Since a recent assignment in The Artist’s Way, I’ve been pondering the truth behind the mantra, “Treating myself like a precious object will make me strong.” Being a student of Jesus Christ, my first reaction was that this mantra was not Biblical. The Scripture “let him deny himself” immediately came to mind. But experientially I have [...]

Blackbird Full Circle

Page in my altered hymnal 11/02/07:

Beatles song learned by my son on guitar this past couple weeks:

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn [...]

Contradiction?

Last week’s assignment from The Artist’s Way included writing and hanging this mantra:
 
So is the mantra a contradiction to this:
Matthew 16:24-26 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (25) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and [...]

the Right Side of My Brain

I’ve desired to know how to draw for years. After several tries with “learn to draw or sketch” books with instructions and suggestions, I’ve finally decided that The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain was worth the time investment it would take to read. It is more than a “learn to draw” [...]

Les Miserable on ?Contentment?

Another favorite passage from Les Miserables:

Jean Valjean  Book First XVI: “There are people who ask nothing more; living beings who, having blue sky, say: “it is enough!” dreamers absorbed in marvel, drawing from idolatry of nature an indifference to good and evil, contemplators of the cosmos radiantly diverted from man, who do not understand how [...]

Light Box

So I recently opened my own Etsy shop. In order to do this, I had to photograph my rings.

After viewing the photos on my Etsy shop, my husband went to his shop and quickly made me a Light Box covered in silk and gave me some instructions on taking photos.

So today, I tried again. The silk [...]

Sharing, but not the germs

I’m still not well, not well at all. I have blogged some lovely posts in my head, but have not the energy to type them out. But I’d thought I’d share a couple favorite blog entries that I’ve read lately. Enjoy.
Amusing me some more
the moleskine song and other journaling goodness
amanda ∞