Surrounded By Angels

I've been living with these four angels for the last month. I hate to part with my sweet companions, but as of Monday they will be out of my sunroom and living at Judy's shop. Feel free to drop by the shop Mondays - Thursdays or email me anytime to talk paintings.

Take a look... each painting is ready to bless your home or a friend's or for a memorable Easter gift.

Going to Meet with God
8x10
framed
$115
Ps 42: 1-2 … My soul thirsts for God
for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?

Hold Me Close
5x7 framed
$75
And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18: 5

Guard Your Heart
5x7
framed
$75
Prov 4: 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Come With Me
8x10
framed
$115
Mark 6: 31 …come with me by yourselves
to a quiet place and get some rest.

I'm taking commissions for March and April - angels, pears and lemons.
After Easter I will start on a new series of baby bunnies and lambs. It is titled Enter In Like A Child and based on Luke 18: 17, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
This must be the year for babies - I have ten on my prayer list at the moment!
Until next time, blessings to you!

I'm Back!

Where has the time gone! I promise you that I will update more often and I promise myself that I will never go this long again with paintbrushes and canvasses packed away. For the last month I've had a pen in hand, not a paintbrush!

Now I'm back! I had one commission in January titled Go Quickly and Tell. The verse is Matthew 28: 5-7 - The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid for I know that you are looking for Jesus... go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you'...

The painting depicts a special friend of mine and her two daughters, one in college and one in high school. All three listen intently to the Lord - not just in the painting but in real life. All three look for Jesus' guidance and instruction and opportunities to tell His Good News. Both daughters will move away in the next months and year but the painting is to remind them that Jesus has already gone ahead of wherever their travels will take them. I love this family and they have been angels to me, pointing me to Jesus with their love, vulnerability, words and walk.

Speaking of angels, more to come! I have 4 angel paintings in the process and they should be finished in March. I'm teaching a class at the Huntsville Museum of Art on Thursday night March 17, 5 - 8 pm and I understand there are a few spots left. The class is called Art with a Twist and we will be doing a 12x16 acrylic angel painting to take home that night. Thanks to my angel mentor, Leslie Lockhart, who is going on a spring break trip and recommended me to teach the class for her. Call the Museum for details - 535-4350/201 & talk to Jenny.

I hope to back soon with pictures of finished paintings. Blessings to all!

Packed Away for the Holidays

Hi sweet friends,

I've been busy painting and wanted to show you a few new ones before I pack up my paints and palette for the holidays. I'm taking commissions for January, but for the next month cooking, shopping and decorating have taken over my life! Yours too, I safely assume.

It is still the season for pears and I've completed a wedding gift and a commission...




A Perfect Pair
8x10
Colossians 1: 10







Abundant Blessing
6x12, wrapped canvas

thanks M.A.F.!

I absolutely love this verse... Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your life. Luke 6: 38

And one more little lamb for a precious new baby...


Dear to the Shepherd
8x10 on board
I am the Good Shepherd. John 10:11




Two Christmas gifts...

I took a class from the master, Leslie Lockhart, and tried my hand with her angels. This is for an angel in my life, but shhhhh, don't tell...

Angels
16x20
Jeremiah 6:16



and this is for my son - no worries, he'd never look at this site...
Strength in Solitude
8x10
and I guess my all-time life verse, Exodus 24:30... Little by little, I will drive them out before you until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.

And finally, when I pick back up my paints in January, this is what I'll be doing... a series on angels. I've been inspired by Leslie Lockhart's angels, Gina Hurry's angels, and cemetary angels.



This is my favorite - isn't she beautiful! She is just laying her heart out to God. I can't wait to paint her! Can you imagine the wonderful Bible verses I'm going to discover for this new series.

Hope you all have safe, blessed and abundant holidays. I pray your hearts overflow with love for Christ.

A Season of Pears and Pairs

I've been buying pears, cooking with pears, eating pears, thinking pears - and painting pears! All because we used pears as the theme for my son's recent rehearsal dinner...

Do you know those wonderful small pears called seckel pears? I have no idea how they taste, but they are incredible to decorate with and to paint!
Here are our table arrangements and my favorite, the head table arrangement with the quail, lanterns and pears. I wish I could take credit but the inspiration came from two friends, Lee & Elaine. After I had seen pear preserves as a wedding favor in a magazine, they took the idea and ran with it.

And yes, I copied the idea and used pear preserves as placecards at the dinner. Aren't they adorable!

Many thanks to Tricia, the best cook in Mississippi!

A long way of getting around to saying that I've been painting pears for two weeks! These are not for sale but I thought you might like to see seckel pears on canvas.

Pears and Pairs

5x5 wrapped canvas
Colossians 1: 6

A Season for Seckels

12x6

my new favorite verse -

I Thessalonians 2: 8

A Perfect Pair

8x10

Colossians 1:10

Just looked at my calendar and I'm amazed I have two days to paint this week! I'll keep you posted as to what my next 'season' will be...

Welcome to Blessings in Brushstrokes

Hello friends!

Welcome to Blessings in Brushstrokes - my new blog for art chit chat and painting news!

I have the awesome privilege of announcing that I now have a few (4 to be exact) of my paintings for sale at a shop! My dear friend, Judy, has given me wall space in her shop, Design Guild. Thank you, Judy!

Design Guild is on the southwest corner of Pratt and Washington and is open 10-4, Monday - Thursday. Feel free to stop in and take a look.

Why the name Blessings in Brushstrokes?

Because with each painting I select just the right Bible verse, one that speaks to me, and I find a way to hide it in the painting. For instance, the painting of lemons and the blue bowl is titled, Waiting for Lemonade. If you were able look closely at the top left lemon in the bowl, you would barely see Matt 7:20. That's the verse. Then, on the back of the painting I write the entire verse - Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. That's how it works - my little way of attaching a blessing to each painting!

Take a look at the four for sale...

Waiting for Lemonade

12x6, unframed, Matt 7:20

$135

SOLD!

What Will He Make?

8x10, framed, Ps 27:14




$145

Morning Hope

8x10, framed, Ps 33:22




$145

and for babies... since I'm in the wonderful season of babies...

Baby Bunny

9x6, wrapped canvas,

Luke 18: 15-16

$95

if you look closely you can see the verse written with a palette knife in the paint under the bunny...

I can't resist showing you two others for babies...

this one,

Bunny Scraps,

hangs in Weston Trefry's nursery

and this one,

Jesus' Little Lambie,
is for Baby Sarah Grace Rowe.

I wish you could see this most delicate color of pink...

Which reminds me of two things...

One, I apologize for my photos. I've definitely got to improve in that area and Molly says she will help me.

Two, I'll be happy to accept commissions. Just email me at swm0804@bellsouth.net

I'll be back in a few to show you what I'm doing with pears...