My Great Niece Watercolor Portrait

My great niece is so delightful and the moment she

sees a camera aimed at her she goes into beauty queen

poses. This time she didn't see the camera and this very

relaxed and natural image was captured by my brother.

I couldn't wait to try this with watercolors.

Watercolor 11" X14"

Merry Christmas

As you hurry and scurry about taking care

of all those last minute details

-remember Jesus.

He is not only the reason for the season,

but "in Him we live and move and have our being."

Acts 17:28

Have a blessed Christmas

(this is an 8' tall silk banner I painted)

Faith Moves Mountains Silk Flag

I painted several silk flags for fellow worship flaggers

in Abilene. One special order that I really enjoyed

painting was "Faith Moves Mountains"

Stephen and I went to Abilene to deliver the flags

and had the privilege of getting to explore the

highest point in Taylor County. The rocks in the

background were all compressed bits of shell.

This whole area was, at sometime in the past,

under water. Imagine.

Debra and Angel are worshipping intercessors

with a passion to see God's love and power poured

out on the Big Country. Angel and her husband are

the owners of this beautiful, rugged piece of property.

We walked, worshipped, prayed, and spoke

declarations as we carried these 2 flags to the highest

point. It was so awesome. We could see for miles!

They said that the area looks a lot like some of the

places they had seen in Israel.

Thank you, Debbie and Angel for a great morning

in His Presence and allowing me to

"Worship God With All My Art"!

Also, I have added a couple of new pages.

Check out the Silk Flags page.

Dutch Art Gallery "Where Texas Gets Its Color"

It has been an amazing and busy month.

I have been so excited to be able to have

7 watercolors at the Dutch Art Gallery in Dallas,

My sister, Soozy went with me to the artist's reception.

She is so beautiful and so much fun to be with.

 I was a little hesitant to use my camera around all the art.

Didn't want someone to think I was stealing

their ideas. I just took this one of "Pico De Gallo".

 I met many wonderful and gifted artists.

It was such a blessing to get to visit with other artists

about their medium, their inspriation, 

how they got to where they are today,

and their hopes and dreams for the future.

I did not hear any negative comments 

but I did hear lots and lots of encouragment

among the Artists of Texas members.

 Here is Soozy admiring more of the

wonderful works of art.

Thanks to Pam Massar at the Gallery for all the

hard work and promotion for this event!

Thanks for stopping by!

Guadalupe River in the Fall - Watercolor

I just finished this. Landscapes are a bit of

a stretch for me, but I keep trying.

I love all the rocks and the beautiful, orange cypress

tree. I can almost hear the water rippling.

Praising With Paint Workshop

Last weekend I went to Odessa and conducted a

"Praising With Paint" Workshop. The ladies that

participated seemed to have a good time.

 It was a 2 hour event and they used an 8"x10" canvas

panel and acrylics. There was one who had never painted

before and one had a Master's Degree in art,

but there was no sense of competition. 

Our love for Jesus was the common thread.

 My friend, Davina came along for the ride. As they

listened to music and listened to the Lord, she also

listened and wrote as they painted. She didn't see

what they were painting. It was amazing how what

they painted and what she wrote blended. She read

what she wrote in her journal and it really ministered to them.

God is so good!

Yolanda was the hostess for the workshop.

Thank you, Yolanda!

I provided them with a sketch of a dove and a horse

head. They could use those or create whatever was

in their heart.

 Here is a collage of their work.

But remember you are

His work of art!

Ephesians 2:10 "You are His workmanship, created

in Christ Jesus to do good works..."

With All My Art Fine Art Gallery And Studio

Here are before and after photos.

The blisters are almost healed! The wonderful vintage tin ceiling tiles

are revealed and painted brown.

Jim and Soozy came to help and installed

the ceiling fan. What a blessing!

The carpet and tile have been removed.

I had a huge bruise on my hip from leaning into

the machine that peeled the tile up.

Even with the bruise is was so much faster

and easier than chipping it out by hand.

Been there-done that!

Finished concrete! I love it!

Finally moving in.

Move in started only a week after retirement

but we have been working on

the building for a month.

The art is in place. I am still adding pieces.

I have a little work space and a little coffee area.
I put out the "OPEN" sign today.
We had a few customers (Whoo Hoo!)
and even sold a few pieces. Hallelujah!!!
I have a couple of mural commissions that I
will start when the rain is over.

I need to tell you what happened last night.
I was online doing research for an art project.
Something happened with my browser
so I copied the info I had typed into the search bar.
I opened up a new browser window,
pasted the search words, and hit enter.
What came up blew me away.
"Behold, I will do a new thing;
now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I
will even make a way in the wilderness;
and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:19
The whole page was search results for that scripture.
Line after line of that scripture repeated
over and over and over.
It was not what I was searching for,
not even close to what I had typed in,
but it was exactly what I needed to see and hear!
I just began to laugh.
Thank you, Lord, for that message!!!

Giant Leap!

Tomorrow is my last day at work.

After 10 years as a purchaser at our local prison,

I am taking early retirement.

We found at little shop just a half block off the square.

It's on the busiest, main street-location, location.

Doesn't look too bad here.But, looks can be deceiving!!!

I will change the sign and the broken front door

is now fixed. It smelled really bad.

Old and closed up, musty, moldy...not now.

The ceiling tile looked like patchwork
and the light fixtures resembled vintage ice trays.
The landlord told us we could do whatever
we wanted to. The ceiling tile and lights are gone,
revealing an embossed tin ceiling underneath
The old carpet and tile is also gone.

I will post more pictures of the progress later.
Be sure and stop back by.

The Mural is Completed

The room is finished.

What great fun it was to paint it! It brought back such wonderful memories.

When my sons were young we listened to the story

on an LP that was played on a child's record player.

We just about wore the grooves out.

Then we graduated to VHS when

Stephen came along and now DVD!

I love the story of good triumphing of evil.

As I painted the scenes I prayed for the children
who would stay in this room (which I am told may
evently have green shag carpet, hamocks, and a tent!!!
That would be too cool!). I prayed that the Lord would
protect their hearts and minds and deliver them from
the traps that the enemy sets for them. I could see
in the snake's eyes how he wants to entice and
lure our children away that he might
squeeze the very life out of them.

And the tiger was up to no good and wanted
to destroy the lad! He was a liar just like the
enemy of our soul. The panther was always
gently leading, guiding, and trying to protect the boy.
After a lot of monkeying around, a great battle
ensued between the tiger and the bear.
The bear fought valiantly and was willing to
lay down own his life to save the boy.
Greater love has no man than that heshould
lay down his life for another. How sad when we
thought that the bear was dead BUT NO!
He was ALIVE.
Now, I am not saying that this was a
gospel story but I love when my Lord
speaks to me thru the simpliest things.
The Love of Jesus is without a doubt
the bare necessity of life!!!

New Mural - WIP - A "Work In Progress"

My friend, Richard commissioned me to

paint a "Jungle" room for his grandkids.

This is great fun. I have loved the characters

of this story for a long time. There will be characters on each wall.

One of his grandsons came into the room while

I was painting. He loved it but had never seen

the movie so didn't know Baloo or Mowgli.

It is such a blessing to be allowed to work

on this kind of project.

I had been working for 2 days and transforming

the room. As I was leaving yesterday, I had a thought

I knew that the neighbors or those

just passing by had no idea about the

changes that were happening inside.

It is like that with us, too.
God does amazing changes on us.
So much of it is on the inside-changing
our heart, our attitudes, our beliefs...
Most of the time it is not real obvious to
the "neighbors" or those just passing by.
He takes such joy in working in and being
a part of our lives. We are a "work in progress".
"We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
to do good works, which God prepared in
advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10
Thanks for stopping by!

Apricot Fried Pies and the Crumbs

A couple of weeks ago I posted

a painting called "Apricots in a Paper Sack".

This morning I finally got around to

making some little fried pies.

I cheated and used

Pillsbury Ready Made Pie Crust.

A cup of coffee and a tasty little treat
Yummy!!!

Our dog, Clyde is a constant companion

anytime I cook. This morning was no different.

He waited patiently at my feet waiting for

an "Oops" to fall in his directions.

Sometimes he nudges me with his nose

just to remind me that he is still waiting.

As I watched Clyde this morning,

the Lord nudged my heart, too.

He reminded me a story in Matthew 15.

There was a Canaanite woman who came to

Jesus and begged him to heal her daughter.

He told her that it was not right to take the

children's bread and toss it to their dogs.

She replied to him, "Yes, Lord! But even the dogs

get to eat the crumbs that fall from the Master's table.

He commended her faith and healed her daughter.

She knew this-

IF THERE IS HEALING IN THE BREAD -

THERE IS HEALING IN THE CRUMBS!

Enjoy every morsel from the Master's table.

Our Flag Is Still There

This is an awesome video about the history
of our STAR SPANGLED BANNER.
Please take the time to watch this and
remember the price.
This could be the reason that we
don't allow our flag to touch the ground.
Have a blessed 4th of July.

Apricots in a Paper Sack - Watercolor

This spring we had abundant rains

and the last cold snap was not cold

enough to kill the young blossoms.

In 16 years this is only the second time

that our apricot tree has produced fruit.

I gathered the fruit just a little bit green and

put it in a brown paper sack to ripen.

After a fews days -

Voila!

First- peel, pit and put some in the freezer.

Next, a painting, of course.

Tomorrow, fried pies.

Apricot fried pies are my favorites fried pies

We thought about cutting down the

tree since year after year it did not bear

fruit but we decided to leave it in hopes

that it would eventually.

It had fruit once before and maybe it would again.

God sees the potential in each of us even when

we are in the barren, unfruitful seasons of our life.

He knows the plans He has for us,

for a hope and a future...

Cherries in a Fiesta Yellow Sugar Bowl

A handful of red, almost black cherries,

a yellow Fiesta sugar bowl, a vintage tablecloth,

and some wonderul morning light --

all the ingredients for new watercolor painting.

My parents are antique dealers and

have blessed me with many wonderful pieces of Fiesta.

The smaller vintage tablecloths and tea towels

have been my newest quest as I visit antique shops.

Old Piano and Old Jar Watercolor

I just entered my first art contest.

This is the painting that I submitted.

The piano is at the

Manhattan Coffee House.

Good Coffee!!! The glass jar, tied with sisal rope

and filled with stones and

Texas wildflowers, was sitting on

a little table by the front door.

I thought the combination would

make an awesome painting.

I was thrilled with how it turned out.
I think I will make limited

edition prints of this one.

I think it also needs a good name.

Any ideas?

King of Glory Hand Painted Silk Flag

One of my silk flag customers

wanted a "King Of Glory" design.

I thought and prayed over many

different concepts -regular crown, crown of thorns,

letters and rays of glory, etc. etc...

Then I remembered!!!

25 years ago I made this very ornate
and heavy fabric banner. I have always loved the
image and the elegance.
This banner has graced many
awesome worship services over 2 decades.

I reproduced the design so I could transfer it to silk.

The outline is made using resist for

the serti technique, a silk painting technique.

I love this technique. It is sort of stained

glass on fabric but staying in the lines

can be tricky. Silk dye can be tricky to control

and sometimes it just doesn't want to mind at all.

I have had some real disappointments with color

going where it's not supposed to go.

It jumps over the resist, another color gets too close

and pulls the original color in a direction the

I did not intend for it to go. I don't like to discard

a project, so I stand back, stretch the creativity

just a bit more and redeem the mess! (That will preach!)

This one was exciting to me!

There were no mishaps! No redos!

And I love it! More than that-

I love HIM - JESUS - MY KNG OF GLORY!

Oh yes, the finished flag (1st image) -

I have added a crown!

Thanks for stopping by!

In The Secret Place

For a little over a year, my good friend Melissa

has been writing a series of articles

about Ruth and Boaz for

New Realms Prophetic .

It is a precious, love-filled work
where she shares the hidden riches

she has discovered “In The Secret Place”,

in the presence of her loving Heavenly Father.

She decided to put the articles together in a book

for Christmas presents for her family.

I was allowed the priviledge

of designing the cover for her.

"In The Secret Place" is an invitation

in to the Holy of Holies by God.

He is a gentleman – He won’t force us to accept

His invitations, but He desires, more than anything,

to have intimate relationship with us so that

we, too, can experience the manifested

presence of God Himself. “We have this

hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,

where Jesus, who went before us,

has entered on our behalf. He has become

a High Priest forever…” Hebrews 6:19-20a and

“He is able to save completely those who come

to God through Him, because He always

lives to intercede for them.” Hebrews 7:25

After some encouragement,

Melissa has decided to make the book

available for purchase. I don't know about you

but as much as I love reading online sometimes

I just want to hold a book in my hands

or make notes in the margins.

Melissa's book can be purchased from

New Realms Prophetic or leave me a comment

with your email and

I will send you more information.

Sword of the Spirit - Finished

Here is the "Sword of the Spirit" finished. I took a bit of time and sharpen the sword...
reworked the flames...

added details to the grip and
a crown of thorns on the pommel.
As I researched the proper names
for the sword parts I discovered ... the part between the blade and the grip

is called the guard. How perfect is that?

ON GUARD!

Here are a few scriptures about being on guard:

1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on your guard;

stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

1 Timothy 6:20 Timothy, guard what has been

entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter

and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge,

1 Timothy 1:14 Guard the good deposit that was

entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the

Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Phillipians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends

all understanding, will guard your hearts

and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Sword of the Spirit - WIP

I started this painting last week.

I love standing in front of a blank canvas

as the music team at our church begins to worship.

I love the challenge of "hearing and seeing"

and then in 30 to 45 minutes letting the brush

and my heart dance to the sounds of praise.The Sword of the Spirit;

it seperates light from dark and

it seperates the spirit and soul.

I finished the painting at home.

I will post the finished work in the days ahead.