I’ve been meaning to post this for awhile- but I was able to participate in an event at Sandals Church called Imago Dai, where artists came together to use their talents to reflect the image of God as our creator. This was my outcome! 

I always love to paint, I don’t do it half as often as I should, but working with real materials and interacting physically with a piece always leaves me feeling refreshed. 

Something I’ve been learning lately is that we cannot always control our lives. Things happen that we could never predict, we worry if things don’t go as expected, and stress over meaningless details. I’m learning to give up control and surrender my life and allow God to direct my sails. Its not easy- its an every day struggle, but so worth it.

Have a great Easter weekend everyone! 

If your in the Riverside area tomorrow night you should totally join us at Sandals Church for a night of art in all forms! Its gonna be fun! Come to watch, eat, or even participate. I’m gonna be doing a little painting myself and am pretty excited about it. I miss painting and getting out of the computer. Stoked for real life art!

The other day this little girl came out of my sketchbook and onto a canvas.  

The other day I was having what I like to call an “I’m mad at life” day.

So I painted. For no one but me.  I was tired of everyone telling me what to do and having to live the way I thought everyone expected me to be. I removed myself from painting or creating as I normally do.  I tend to think way too hard about what other people want my art to look like.  What other people would like or approve of.   

So I went a little crazy on this piece.  I used whatever medium I felt like using.  I’m talking chocolate syrup, dryer sheets, spray paint, charcoal, and even PAM no stick spray.  It was great.  I even stabbed the canvas with nails just because I felt like it.  At first it was really hard for me to get out of my own head and clear my thoughts about what other people are going to think.  But as I kept going, I came to the point where all I was hearing was the sound of the stroke of the charcoal on the canvas.  I felt connected to my piece.  

It took about a week to dry (the chocolate syrup on there is still sticky) and I am in love.  This piece reminds me to take the time to free my mind.  To get out of the expectations the world has for you and clear your mind.  To get back to the basics.  To do things for no reason but because you feel like it.  

As we grow older I am realizing we have to be intentional about making time for things like this.  It doesn’t come as easy as it did when I was a little girl alone in my little world.  

Take the time today to do something freeing.  Create, explore, take a walk barefoot, dance to your favorite song, sing at the top of your lungs, paint a picture using chocolate syrup!  Don’t think about what other people will think or who you will tell after you do it.  Just be free.  You never know what you will walk away with- it just might turn into something more beautiful than you imagined.