I painted this for the book about Savannah, Georgia (bulldogs, sports team). But today I’m sharing this because I’m rattled by an experience that happened to me a few hours ago. I was nearly attacked by two large dogs. I was on my patio when they ran at me full tilt, barking aggressively (I know the difference between a bark when dogs are just messing around, and a bark that sounds like a junkyard dog who sees someone jumping over his side of the fence, or a police attack dog on command, etc.).
I yelled “No!” and held my arms out, holding a cardboard box I was planning to take to the recycling as a shield (which they could have torn through in a heartbeat, but they were distracted by it and froze). I screamed, “LEASH YOUR DOG!” to the dogs’ owners.
While the dogs were probably only secondarily distracted, I told my daughter (who was screaming and then echoed “Leash your dog!”) to go inside. She opened the door and we both popped in. My daughter heard the woman say, “they don’t bite”.
I didn’t hear that, but it’s irrelevant. As my husband said, “Everyone thinks their dog won’t bite until it does.” But it really doesn’t matter if they would have bitten me or not, the dogs were aggressive. The dogs locked eyes with me and I felt certain that they were going to attack me. It did NOT seem like just a warning bark, or an “I’m bored and will bark at strangers” bark. It felt like an “I’m going to take a bite out of you” bark. So, even if that were not true, it was clearly AGGRESSIVE and whether or not they would have bitten me if I hadn’t been a quick thinker and remembered my training for when threatened by a dog (never run, stay calm, try to distract their locked-on-you gaze, get away calmly during the window of distraction), is not the point. It was not OK! And they were in our space, near my patio where I was standing legally, whereas they were trespassing with two unleashed aggressive dogs.
They have been frequently trespassing and totally ignoring the signs not to trespass or fish in the lagoon that is behind these houses. Among other things.
I hate confrontations, but the genie is out of the bottle. There is no going back to hoping we can serve out our lease without those people knowing we are frustrated by their rule breaking (they hang out for hours on every major holiday, nice days, weekends, often- and of course it’s quite unpleasant to have them doing this just outside our yard- feels IN our yard, as the space is small). But… Now that I’ve screamed at them “LEASH YOUR DOG!” it’s a game changer, as they now know that we don’t like what they do.
I can’t say anything more about this, in case there’s a legal issue in the future. Just please think good thoughts. I need to be able to enjoy being outside. It keeps me focused on positive things and I’ve worked very hard on my garden. Oh well, these things happen. Life is never perfect. I will bounce back from this, and we’ll deal with whatever happens next. Thank you for listening. It’s not a big problem compared to the world’s horrors, it’s just a terrible day in my little world. The dogs didn’t bite me or my daughter (I think only because we got away!). But I am grateful for that! Today could have been much worse.
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- Electric Guitar Painting – Lighthouse
The author paints on an electric guitar for her husband, inspired by a specific song from Casting Crowns. He requested a lighthouse design, which he loves. While the painting is complete, he now needs to learn to play it. The author plans to perform the song soon and wishes everyone well. - “Who am I”, learning to play Casting Crowns
Did you guess correctly that the white roses design (in my post from earlier today, the painting on my daughter’s pink electric guitar) was inspired by song lyrics from this Casting Crowns song “Who am I”? I hope you can see that my guitar playing is improving! Today’s practice involved a few things. First of all, I find it a bit challenging to play with a capo so far down the neck. But, very important to get comfortable using a capo, otherwise I’ll be limited in what I can play. Second, this song gave me practice with a short intro that repeats as an interlude. I tried playing it at different speeds. I preferred the slower tempo, I sound too manic when I was playing it fast. Third, the song has a strong pattern of chord changes, so there’s good practice in changing the chords in steady rhythm, trying different tempos and creative license. I love Casting Crown’s songs, and “Who am I” is one of my favorites, so that helps. It’s always easier to play with emotion if we connect with the song. If you saw my painting on the electric guitar earlier (I posted that video today), the song lyrics about a flower fading fast was part of the inspiration for the white roses. Life is so short, let’s love while we’re here, and be joyful in spirit, as we never know when this day will be our last. or the last of someone we love. Thank you for being a part of my journey to learn how to play guitar, while also painting on guitars. I’m already feeling the rewards because I’m playing songs that I truly love. I connect so deeply with “Who am I”, such a beautiful song! God bless you and yours, xoxo - Painting on Electric Guitar – White Roses
Painting white roses on my daughter’s electric guitar – she wanted me to paint a design inspired by the “John F Kennedy” cut rose bushes that I planted in our front garden (they are very large and pretty when in bloom, and smell beautiful!). The song I’ll be playing next in this blog series about learning how to play the guitar (while also painting on guitars!) has lyrics that mention “a flower quickly fading, here today, gone tomorrow” – maybe you’ve guessed what song it is? That song is also the inspiration for this floral painting. I’ll be playing the mystery song (I know some of you probably guessed it right away, so it’s not much of a mystery to you!) on acoustic guitar, as I don’t know how to play electric yet, and I’d need a left-handed one anyway. By the way: normally I show you the entire painting from start to finish, but my memory card reached its limit, and I was painting away, didn’t even notice, until I was nearly done! Then I popped a different card in and the rest is what’s on the video (GRRR!). But, if you enjoyed this, check out my many other painting videos that show the entire project. - “Desperado”, learning new guitar skills
Learning guitar adventures continue! Today I’m practicing a beginner version of the Eagle’s song “Desperado” that creeps into intermediate level a bit. The chords are familiar, but instead of chords appearing only at the beginning of a lyric (first level beginner), or every few words (second level beginner), the chords sometimes change in the middle of a word (advanced beginner/early intermediate). Changing chords more often, and in more challenging places, means I have to play faster, smoother, and try not to get too rattled while doing it. I love singing this song, so that helps. It’s best to choose songs we know quite well when trying something a bit harder, so we can focus more on learning new skills instead of figuring out the song. If you are also learning how to play guitar, I hope- like me- you are having a ball! And a painting update: We’ve purchased another guitar for me to paint on and we’re picking that up tomorrow, so I’ll be working on that soon. We wait for great bargains on used instruments, and sometimes there really aren’t any good deals. That’s OK, I have plenty of things to work on when waiting. Looks like my next painting adventure will be on an electric guitar. I’ll share it when ready! - Singing & Guitar – “Homesick”
MercyMe’s song “Homesick” evokes profound emotions about loss and hope for reunion with loved ones. The author shares personal struggles with grief and learning guitar, specifically challenging chords and the advantages of finger strumming over using a pick. This method fosters deeper emotional connection, despite some difficulties in speed and sound. - Come to “The Well”, Learning Guitar
“The Well” by Casting Crowns is a great beginner song that encourages players to use a capo and learn new chord positions, helping break reliance on visual cues. It offers opportunities to develop muscle memory, emotion in playing, strumming, dynamics, and engagement. Consistent practice is key to improvement. - Painting on Guitar, Lion and the Lamb
The content outlines the author’s journey of learning guitar and painting designs on guitars. Inspired by the song “How Great is our God,” the author incorporates lyrics into their artwork. They plan to share progress videos and new painted designs related to the songs they’re practicing, encouraging subscriptions from viewers. - “How Great is our God” & Painting on Guitars
The author shares their ongoing journey of learning guitar, highlighting “How Great is Our God” as a beginner-friendly song ideal for practicing strumming at various tempos. They emphasize relaxation with the music and hint at a painting inspired by the song’s lyrics while encouraging followers to subscribe for future updates. - Painting on a Guitar – Eagle and Wings!
The artist shares their first painting on a guitar inspired by the song “Wind Beneath my Wings.” They reflect on their journey as a beginner guitarist while also recalling their painting experience with a ukulele. Despite challenges, they are determined to improve their skills and continue creating art on various instruments. - “Wind Beneath my Wings” & Painting on a Guitar
The post discusses the use of a capo in guitar playing, particularly for beginners attempting advanced songs like “Wind Beneath My Wings”, which the author plays and sings in an embedded YouTube video. The author shares a personal experience about misaligning the capo and emphasizes the importance of mastering basic chords before transitioning to more complex arrangements. Additionally, there’s mention of a new guitar painting project and a note on local wildfires in Savannah, Georgia. - Adventure Continues: My First Painting on a Musical Instrument, Bluebird & Flower on a Ukulele!
The author shares their excitement about painting directly on musical instruments, showcasing their first artwork on a ukulele inspired by song lyrics. A video documents the process, and they hint at future projects, including guitar painting and advancing their guitar skills. They express joy in playing more challenging songs. - “If I Could Turn Back Time”
The author shares their journey of learning guitar, focusing on the song “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher, which introduces the challenging Bm chord. They practice chords in small increments and emphasize mastering them for long-term retention. Additionally, they plan to start painting a ukulele, showcasing creativity outside guitar playing. - Mystery solved – SKINK! An update to my Easter show
The author updates followers about discovering a skink eating strawberries from their garden after expressing excitement about their patch. To protect the strawberries, the author plans to cage the area. They also announce a new YouTube playlist titled “Sharing Life,” featuring videos that reflect personal experiences and artistic inspirations. - EASTER SHOW 2026! Painting, Music, Garden Tour
The show features a personal presentation, including a painting inspired by MercyMe’s song “I Can Only Imagine,” along with guitar performances. The artist shares her gardening journey of transforming a neglected property over four years. The message emphasizes joy in art, music, and nature, and includes wishes for a blessed Easter. - Dust in the Wind, Guitar and Lent
As Holy Week progresses, Lent concludes, leading to Easter celebrations. This period emphasizes reflection and acceptance of life’s changes. The author’s guitar practice with “Dust in the Wind” serves as a metaphor for introspection. Amidst spring’s beauty in Savannah, new art inspired by song lyrics is being created for Easter. - Here I Go Again on my Own
The author shares updates on their guitar oil painting and learning journey, expressing gratitude for family and friends during challenging times. They are tackling more complex guitar songs, including “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake. The author also looks forward to spring and plans to share garden updates soon. - Chords and Paint
The author shares progress on both an oil painting of her guitar and her guitar-playing journey, shown in a video. Initially limited to four chords, she’s now added four more, though struggling with transitioning. She reflects on a song that reminds her of her grandpa and is adjusting to playing while standing. She invites readers to subscribe. - One Day at a Time and Lenten Roses
The writer reflects on a stressful week, including jury duty and personal challenges, while finding solace in the song “One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus.” She shares a video of her singing that song and playing it on guitar, a continuation of her journey to learn how to play. She also shares her own design inspired by Lenten roses from their garden, symbolizing hope and beauty amid life’s hardships. Lent signifies reflection and renewal. - Guitar and painting journey continues with “How Great thou Art”
The author shares their journey of learning guitar and creating a unique cover of a meaningful song, “How Great Thou Art.” A touching experience at a nursing home highlights music’s power, inspiring the author. They also discuss their oil painting progress and interactions with neighborhood birds while singing, emphasizing nature’s beauty. - Guitar and Painting Journey Continues!
If it seems my guitar is a bit out of tune, it probably is. After last week’s unfortunate incident with the broken string, I decided not to try to tune it just before filming for the blog! You might remember that last week I had to play ukulele instead. Today I’m back with new strings and I’m playing the same 4 chords I’ve been doing, a song recommended to beginners “You Raise me Up”. BUT – I’ve been working on other chords and hopefully I’ll share a song with 5 or 6 chords next time! I’m practicing an easier version of the dreaded F chord. I have small hands and might not ever be able to do the advanced F chord. That’s OK, I’m playing for fun. So, I’m making progress, both on learning guitar and on working through a difficult time I’m going through right now. By the way, you might have noticed that my guitar oil painting is coming along, as it is visible in the background of my guitar video. Here’s a current photo of it (still unfinished, planning to do more to it): I’m also getting ready to paint on my first instrument, a ukulele (I’ll try a guitar in the near future, but I want to start on the smaller surface of a less expensive uke first). I’ve decided to look at one of my own bluebird paintings (this is a copy of it printed on a very small canvas compared to the original oil painting, to the right of the ukulele), as reference inspiration for the uke painting, which will also feature bluebirds, similar to these but probably not exactly. Here’s the ukulele project laid out, all ready to paint on: Please don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t already – you’ll get updates in your e-mail. - Ukulele too!
In this blog post, the author shares updates on their journey learning guitar and ukulele alongside painting a guitar. They discuss their approach to chord learning, using color-coded notes and online resources. Despite challenges like breaking a guitar string, they remain determined. The post concludes with a teaser for future updates on their artistic endeavors. - Guitar and painting – New blog series!
The “Guitar and Painting” blog series starts today, featuring the author’s journey in learning guitar and creating artwork inspired by it. After switching to a left-handed guitar, she is enjoying the process, despite only mastering four chords. The series will document both her musical and artistic growth while sharing personal experiences. - NEW Angels and Church Painting “Christmas at Southside”
I finished my new 2025 Christmas painting LIVE in Savannah, Georgia on December 14. Below are photos of the event and a 4 minute video of how the painting “Christmas at Southside” came together before the show, followed by live footage of the parts I finished during the program. I’ll also explain in this blog what the painting means (from my perspective, as the artist. To you, it may mean something else; feel free to interpret it in a way that is special and unique to you personally). The parts I finished live are these: light in the sky, light in the angel’s candle, light in the church window, and finally- during the last notes of the song- light in the cross on the church steeple (spire). The entire painting was done in only black and white, except for those final additions of light at the end which was a mix of white and yellow. The light in the sky (above image) was added live, as was the light in the candle, window, and cross in the image below. ABOUT THIS PAINTING “Christmas at Southside” oil painting was inspired by a photograph that Pastor Kevin Barron took of our church during a rare January snowstorm in the deep south of Savannah, Georgia, and by my experience of what it feels like to worship with my church family (represented by angels). In my painting, you see angels in various roles and forms of worship. The deep emotions we feel are both individual and collective, as we gather together as the church of Christ. According to the Bible, angels didn’t really have wings, but because most people know that a being is meant to be an angel if they have wings, I painted them with wings. The wings are white not only because of tradition, but to remind us of doves (peace, messengers of God, and most importantly the Holy Spirit). The painting story: God’s Light (represented by the light added to the dark sky) is sent down to earth through his Son (represented by the cross on top of the church), and through the Holy Spirit (the dove-like winged angel bringing the candle lit by the Holy Spirit). The angel on mission is carrying a light to the church (Christians everywhere in the world), while other angels are in acts of worship: singing, praying, yearning for God (the angel to the right of the one delivering the candle stretches a hand, longing to see God). I hope that all who view my painting can see themselves and their special people in the body language and expressions of the angels. Worship is so personal and unique, and yet, when we worship together, we feel the love, peace, and joy in such a powerful and overwhelming way. I painted the figure on the top right to loosely resemble myself and how I feel when I sing in the choir, while the angel below with outstretched hands reminds me of my dear friend who sings next to me. But, personally, my favorite is the one I call the “yearning angel”. I deliberately left her and the messenger angel in an unfinished state, to be more unworldly and less human. To learn more about my art and view over 200 oil paintings online, with videos to watch me paint (free), please continue exploring my site here at NatalieBuskeThomas.com. Most of my paintings are done at home, then I finish them live if I have an event. Also, please share my art with others. I am grateful to paint for you. MERRY CHRISTMAS! Love and blessings, Natalie Note: the Christmas program was wonderful (see two photo highlights below), with an orchestra and choir (I sing high soprano, except for during the song that I was painting to). I didn’t include the live audio feed for copyright reasons. The music I used in my video instead are instrumental compositions from Megiss “Epic Angel Story” and JuliusH “Enchanting Christmas Carol with Shepherd Flute and Humming Angel Choir” from Pixabay. Thank you for your delightful work! Never miss a new painting, subscribe in the box above (no ads, just automatically sends you notifications when I post something new, unsubscribe anytime). Also, explore my past blog posts. - Exclusive Sneak Peek: 2025 Christmas Oil Painting Event
Coming soon! December 14th I’ll finish my 2025 Christmas painting live during a special music program! If you live near Savannah, Georgia (or willing to travel), and want more information on the time/location of this event, please contact me. See below for a sneak peek of two small sections of the 4 feet by 5 feet oil painting. Half of the painting will be hidden from view until the rise of the song “Heaven’s Greatest Gift” (appears midway through the program), when I’ll remove the panel and reveal what’s underneath, and add the finishing touches to that part also. This event will be livestreamed. With an orchestra and many exciting on-stage happenings, it may be difficult to get footage of the whole thing. Try to attend in person if you can! And please find me after the show, I’d love to chat with you! Wishing all of you a beautiful Advent season. God bless and keep you, and your family. Above photos are of two sections of my 2025 Christmas painting. “Yearning Angel” (left) and “Male Praying Angel” (right) are part of a large 4 feet by 5 feet oil painting. - New Painting – “Cassie Reading”
Oil painting of my daughter Cassie – she loves books and reading, and would like to work as a librarian one day. See the short 2 minute time lapse video below to watch me paint this art. This painting will be added to “People and Places” vol 2, part of my ongoing series of painting books. Enter your email address in the box above if you’d like to be notified of new paintings. We do not sell your address or interact with you, this is an automated service that you can cancel at any time (you’ll get an email when Natalie posts something new to her blog on this site). - New Painting “Bluebirds”
Watch me paint this in the short minute & a half time-lapse video below. The video begins with the first layer already done (I call it “blocking” when I paint all of the elements of the painting and then later build upon it with texture and details). This painting was a 2 session painting and took me about 2 hours to paint in real time, painted on two separate days. We get a lot of bluebirds in our yard ever since we added the food they like (called “bluebird nuggets”). And then, after we added a birdhouse they had many babies- about three or four each nesting session, which has been about three times a year. I’m not sure if these juvenile birds are all from the same bluebird couple or not, but with their frequent nesting it means about ten bluebird babies a year, so far! I painted this bluebird pair from a photograph I took of them in our tree. They are so interactive with us and ever-present that we think of them as our birdie friends. I will include this project in my Birds and Animals book series, but I really just wanted to paint it for myself because I love these colorful and sweet birds. - New Painting – “The Stone is Rolled Away” – Easter LIVE!
Watch the video below to see this oil painting come to life. The first part of the video shows what Natalie painted before Easter. Stay tuned after the final photos from Part 1 (stone blocking tomb) appear. The rest of the video (stone is rolled away) is LIVE footage. Natalie finished this painting during a powerful worship service held in Savannah, Georgia on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025. If you are interested in attending a future event, please contact Natalie for details about the location and time. “The Stone is Rolled Away” Easter painting 2025 video to watch Natalie paint this (above), images of painting (below) - New Painting! Easter 2025
This is a 2 part oil painting. On Good Friday, as I post this, the stone is at the door of the tomb. Come back on Easter when the stone is rolled away live! If you live near Savannah, Georgia, USA, or are willing to travel, the event is free and open to the public. Bring your family for a powerful morning of worship (contact me for further details). This is how the painting looks so far – Watch me paint part 1 of “The Stone is Rolled Away”: I’ll finish this painting live during the last song of the Easter service. An updated video will be posted here as soon as possible, so don’t forget to check back to see how the story ends! May you have a quiet reflective weekend as we await Sunday’s joyful greeting “HE IS RISEN!” Risen, indeed. God bless you and your family, this day and always. - New Nativity Christmas Painting 2024!
Experience the true meaning of Christmas in a special way – Watch me paint this Nativity scene, with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the wisemen and shepherds, and animals (5 minute time lapse video below). See the painting come alive before your eyes. Stay until the ending, when I add to the painting during the LIVE performance of “Behold!”, a joyful and wonderful Christmas program held in Savannah, Georgia on December 8, 2024: More photos of my new nativity Christmas painting 2024: After angels are added (as well as the star of Bethlehem and golden accents around the candle and baby Jesus’ head): Please share my art with anyone you think will like seeing it. May you enjoy the season of Advent and have a blessed and joyous Christmas! Subscribe below to receive an e-mail notification when I add something new to this site (free, no ads, your contact info is not shared). - Book 3 is out! People & Places
Book info on Amazon: “25 oil paintings in full color feature primarily Savannah, Georgia (fountain at Forsyth Park, lighthouse near Tybee Island, Savannah square and more) but also imaginary landscapes and inspirational stories by Christian artist Natalie Buske Thomas. Natalie talks about the techniques she used to paint these works, stories behind the paintings, and personal background into what motivates and inspires her to paint. All of the paintings re-appear in the back of the book for you to cut out and frame, make craft projects out of, or use as greeting cards.” Stay tuned- book 4 in my “25 Oil Paintings” series will come out later this month. Each book in the series features 25 paintings, so with this third book the count is at 75 published paintings. Book 4 will bring the tally to 100. I expect at least two more books after that (six books in total, 150 works), and then the progress will slow down as I paint new work. But the series will continue when I reach 25 new paintings again and again. My lifetime goal is 1,000 paintings! As always, new paintings will appear here first, while the oils are still wet on the canvas. All painting videos, free online art classes, and my blog are also here. Please subscribe to be notified when I’ve posted something new. Thank you for being a part of my journey! - New Painting – Autumn Trees
Short 2 minute video (above) to watch me paint “Autumn Trees” – see the change of seasons happen! - 2nd New Book in Series Out!
This is book 2 in the series “25 Oil Paintings by artist Natalie Buske Thomas“. Each book contains stories and painting techniques, plus a gift supplement of all 25 paintings that can be cut from the book to use as 5 x 7 frame-able prints, or as craft projects such as DIY greeting cards. Book 3 will be released soon! - My New Book is Out!
Description on my book’s Amazon page: “25 oil paintings featuring birds and animals by Christian artist Natalie Buske Thomas are shown in full color. Natalie talks about the techniques she used to paint these works, stories behind the paintings, and personal background into what motivates and inspires her to paint. All of the paintings re-appear in the back of the book for you to cut out and frame, make craft projects out of, or use as greeting cards.” I received my proof copy and I love it! I’m so proud of this book. I hope you love it too. If you’ve been on this journey with me for a while, you’ll recognize stories and techniques I’ve talked about here on the blog, but there are also a few new sections that I wrote just for this book. The paper quality is very nice- it’ll work well when cutting out the pages from the back supplement to frame or use in craft projects. The print quality and color is excellent! I’m very happy with this book and already working on the next one in the series “Faith: 25 Oil Paintings by artist Natalie Buske Thomas”. It should come together quickly since the paintings for it are already done. I’ll announce it here on the blog when it’s published. Buy the book! - “Realism or Impressionism?”
How about BOTH? In this next installment of my blog series “Spiritual Painting and Technique” (see previous: Post 1 “Give and Take Away“, Post 2 “From the Inside Out“, Post 3 “Gimmick or Honest?“) I’ll share my painting style that combines both realism and impressionism into the same composition. Then I’ll wrap up with a spiritual metaphor about how life is about facts and logic, as well as abstract concepts like faith. This series of paintings (above photo), used as illustrations for children’s book “Bird Days”, is a good example of merging realism with impressionism. Let’s take a closer look at my cardinals painting first: In the above painting of a pair of cardinals in a tree, the birds themselves are detailed and true to life, painted with precision and small brush strokes, based on the factual anatomy of the birds: realism. Whereas the tree is painted with loose, big, strokes that are easily seen when observing the painting, carrying more emotion than detail: impressionism. Both realism and impressionism originated with artists painting everyday life situations, and modern day artists like me carry on that tradition to this day. Birds in trees is a common sight. How everyday life is applied to canvas comes down to style. Impressionism often focuses on the highlights, movement, and energy of a subject, whereas realism is usually flatter and more subdued. The combination of the two is a good example of the duality of life, which is also a common part of everyday living. Life is about opposing themes, such as life and death, happiness and grief, peace and turmoil, order and chaos. You can observe the same method of combining realism and impressionism in the above image of my painting of a hummingbird. Notice how the bird is realistically detailed while the landscape is impressionistic. The hummingbird almost looks like a nature drawing to illustrate a book about bird facts, whereas the parts depicting the flowers and grass are heavily textured and so loosely represented that we can’t even tell what type of flowers they are. In this last example, the bluebird contains many more details than the surrounding landscape. The impressionism style focuses on the rolling highlights of the grasses, making it look like the grass is moving like waves of the ocean. The purples and reds of the vegetation behind the grass look different in texture, an illusion created by variations in color and by alternating different brush strokes. There is a contrasting energy between the quiet bird who looks lost in thought and the active landscape around him. Now we’re at the point in the blog post where we ponder my painting technique as a spiritual metaphor. Imagine your life as a pair of parallel train tracks, with one train going one direction and the other going the opposite way. At times the trains are moving at the same speed, other times not. Sometimes one train is going a farther distance from the other. Let’s now imagine that the trains are sometimes synced to move in the same direction alongside each other, and in a few rare occasions it seems as if the two trains are moving at the same speed, headed to the same destination, perfectly in time with each other. I like the train metaphor and I think of it often, assigning different symbolic meanings to the trains depending on the conversation. For this blog post, the trains represent our logical, factual, “realism” side of life on one track and our emotional, spiritual, “impressionistic” side of life on the other. Sometimes these two aspects of our lives move far away from each other in what may feel like a hopeless disconnect. We may see our reality train and our faith train traveling in opposite directions, faster and faster, further and further apart. Other times we may feel as if our reality and faith are in perfect alignment, traveling in the same direction at the same time. We can think of my painting style as a similar metaphor. Reality and faith, rather than trains on a track, are represented as realism and impressionism, colors, brush strokes, details or lack thereof, movement, and composition. It’s well with our soul when our life’s canvas is a peaceful balance of both the logical and the spiritual. For without clear eyes about what is, we don’t see truth. But without hope, we cannot handle the truth that we can plainly see, nor can we believe in the truth that we can’t see without faith. Without logic, we can’t justify faith, as there is no reality to validate it with. And yet without faith, there is no justification of truth, as there is no validation of it as having any substance, any meaning. Realism without spiritualism is a bit like the philosophical question about a tree falling down in the woods. If no one is around to hear it go down, does it make noise? Facts without interpretation are a soundless tree, or a tree whose noise doesn’t matter. Beyond the dynamic of logic and faith, my paintings carry personal spiritual significance that combines the realistic portrayal of an actual bird with the concept of what a bird might mean to us individually and spiritually. Here is an excerpt that I wrote about my cardinal painting from my book “50 Oil Paintings Inspired by my Christian Faith”: “Cardinals have a special meaning for me that relates to my dad. Dad died from cancer at age thirty-seven. My grandmother was convinced that he visited her as a cardinal. At the time, this was an out-there idea for Mom and I to believe in, but a pattern of cardinal sightings began to emerge. Especially during milestones or other significant days of high emotion, a cardinal would appear seemingly out of nowhere. I began to think of cardinal sightings as Dad letting me know he sees our joys and pain. His spirit lives on, and love is forever. I hear from many people that they too have experienced a spiritual connection with cardinals that brings comfort and peace, relating to the loss of a loved one.” Revelation 21:4“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Of note is the part where I mention “I hear from many people that they too have experienced a spiritual connection with cardinals…” In this way the realism (a recognizable realistic bird) impacts the spiritual (how people feel about the bird). This takes us to a deeper level from the painting techniques of realism and impressionism, and brings us to the actual real paint on the canvas combined with the thoughts, feelings, and impressions of the person viewing the painting. And if people share their impressions with me, we move beyond the canvas and are now engaged beyond the painting, beyond the paints. So when we bring this to a level beyond the painting style, realism refers to the paint itself and impressionism is the impact the painting has on the viewer. That’s not a standard definition for realism or impressionism, but I hope that looking at those familiar terms in a different way has been interesting for you, perhaps even healing. We are complicated beings, we humans. Even when the world is chaotic, our reality train and our faith train don’t stay far apart forever. Take heart and stay strong. The trains will align again in time. Or imagine my bird paintings- reality and faith exist on the same canvas. One doesn’t cancel the other, both are powerful and beautiful. We see many of the same things as we journey through life together. God bless you and keep you, and give you peace. - “Gimmick or Honest?”
In this third post of my blog series “Spiritual Painting and Technique”, I’m sharing with you the method I used to rehearse for my live Easter painting. First I’ll talk about the art, and then I’ll apply it to spirituality and faith. If you’ve not read the first two blog posts yet, you can catch up here: Post 1 “Give and Take Away“, Post 2 “From the Inside Out“ Normally I don’t practice my art before I paint. I don’t sketch things out or plan anything in great detail. I don’t want my art to become like a magic trick or a gimmick. With enough repetition, people can learn to copy the techniques of an original artist, much like singers can copy the style and songs of original artists to perform professional covers or amateur karaoke. Why would I turn my art into a gimmick that puts myself into the role of copying my own style? Why not create something new and different with every blank canvas? Isn’t that more authentic, more honest, and more purposeful? Isn’t creating fresh art what separates arts from crafts? Would any fine restaurant serve a cake made from a boxed mix? I feel that my art should be made “from scratch”, not from a formula. And that’s usually how I paint. However, what if my painting is meant to be done in under six minutes during a live setting on Easter morning? I gave this some thought and I realized that I needed to knock that chip off my shoulder about methods turning into gimmicks. What was more honest in this situation: honoring my commitment to a quality presentation by rehearsing my act, or stubbornly refusing to practice? When I paint live it’s performance art and a form of public speaking. I can leave some of what I do to spontaneous response, but it’s disrespectful to show up unrehearsed when people have put their trust in me to deliver something of quality for a special event. So, for this event I rehearsed what I was going to do (see the dove images at the top of this blog post). Fortunately, I only needed to paint the final element of the large painting, and I kept that element very simple (a dove with a basic shape), something that I could paint well within the time frame. This allowed me extra time for the unexpected to occur (starting later than my cue, dropping my paintbrush, a technical glitch with the music, distractions in the audience, etc.). If I finished quickly, I could always add a few extra brush strokes, but I knew it was unlikely that I’d not get it done within the six minutes if my element was simple. And I was right, the dove was simple and I finished it early enough to add extra brush strokes. I wondered if I should paint a more complicated element next time, but then again, that could be a mistake if something unexpected happened in the live setting. It was a good idea to keep it simple and create a formula. I planned easy-to-memorize steps for how to paint the dove and then I rehearsed it to the music I would be painting to during the event. I made sure I got the timing down and had time leftover. This turned out to be a good idea, since I did miss my cue when painting live. I expected my time lapse video to play ahead of my painting, but something else was played instead and I didn’t know when that would end. There was a slight pause between when I recognized my cue and when I started painting. But I had plenty of built-in time, and this was not a problem. It illustrates how important it is to be rehearsed. (you can watch me paint this here) Now it’s time for the part of the blog post when we look at my painting method as a spiritual metaphor. Are our lifestyle actions a gimmick or honest? When we engage with people do we parrot hallow greetings devoid of any sincerity, not expecting or wanting a real response? Do we call out “How are you” while not waiting for an answer? Are our exchanges with others a social gimmick? Or, do we use formulaic phrases that are easy to memorize, steps we can rehearse, and things we can say in a short time frame (just like when I practiced the dove so that I could do it quickly under live conditions), so that we are prepared for a quality and special connection? Sometimes when we copy the social customs and polite exchanges it’s not a thoughtless social gimmick, but a rehearsal, an honest effort to engage with people in a productive, meaningful way. The same can be said for studying our faith in a series of trained steps, copying what others have done, or setting our own routine that can easily be copied by others. Perhaps we read books, listen to music, go for a walk in nature, pray, go to church, attend community groups, or serve as a volunteer. These things could become a formula to teach others how to develop their faith, how to connect better to other people, and how to become closer to God. Does this mean that practicing our faith is a gimmick? Well, I think it can be. It depends on the motive for doing it. We can copy the steps to become closer to God and never achieve it if our heart isn’t in it. Or, we can see our faith formula as a method for rehearsing, for practicing to be ready for a quality and special experience. It’s all about the honesty in our motivation. In this world of so much dishonesty, theater, marketing, and full blown deception, it’s difficult not to feel discouraged, cynical, and depressed. What can help is to live honestly ourselves, choosing to be mindfully authentic. Maybe we bake a cake from scratch even though it would be quicker and easier to make a box mix, sing our own lyrics, or we paint something new without following a plan. When we greet someone, we go off the social script and say something unexpected. Whenever we put something real out there, we counter the fake. The act of doing something real creates honesty. And for those times when it’s important to rehearse, honesty is in the motivation. Practicing what we preach is often as important as the preaching. People watch us when we don’t even realize it. The method matters, the rehearsal matters. Authenticity is a heart issue. It is less important what steps (if any) we follow, and more important our motive for doing so. - “From the Inside Out”
This second blog post of my new series “Spiritual Painting and Technique” will cover my method of painting from the inside out. If you missed the first post of the series, click here to catch up. This 2+ minute video “Bear” is a good example of what I mean by painting from the inside out. I didn’t sketch or lay out the composition in any way. I put my paintbrush in the center of the canvas and painted the heart of the subject first. This is not what artists typically do, as most painters work the entire composition in a planned way. My style is to dive right into the most important part of the painting and then build the rest of it from there. This second example “Dancer in a Floral Forest” is a bit different because the center of the composition isn’t as clear. The heart of the painting could be thought of as the dancer, even though the subject is positioned off center toward the right. I chose to treat the forest as the life force of the painting and my “inside out” method meant that I painted the trees first and then built the rest of the painting around them. But overall, my method is the same: painting the center first and then working the outside areas. Now how do we apply today’s painting technique to a spiritual metaphor? Imagine our lives as a blank canvas, that’s a common metaphor and easy to apply to ourselves. Next, imagine that the parts of our lives that we value the most are in the center. Do we try to plan the whole composition and start by working all parts of the painting as a whole, sketching, fretting and spending a lot of time on the unimportant outer areas first? Maybe we’re nervous about not getting what we most want, so we procrastinate working on the things that we most value. We instead become distracted by the less important things, the outer areas instead of the heart of our lives. We might think that by working from the outside in, by the time we reach the center we’ll be better prepared. And yes, that might be true, but it’s also possible that the passion of what could have been has dimmed. We may have missed our opportunity. By the time we get to the heart of it all, the plan may have changed. Maybe time has run out and the center never gets finished. Working from the “inside out” in painting means having courage to take risks. I could make fewer mistakes if I sketch my compositions and work the lesser parts before diving into the center, but creating art through structure and formula may dim the passion. Will my art have the same vibrancy or will the energy wane? Working from the “inside out” in life can be the same. It means having courage to take risks. We may make fewer mistakes if we stick to a plan and work the lesser important aspects of our lives first, before diving in to the things that we care about the most. But delaying our life’s purpose may dim the passion and the energy may wane. Perhaps what we are called to do will never happen, and the people we were meant to love will never feel the fullness of our joy. Even if painting from the inside out doesn’t appeal to you, I hope that you will consider LIVING from the inside out. Every day we are alive is a blessing. Let us not waste a single minute. Dive into the center. Subscribe to this blog to receive a notification when there’s something new:
