Author: Whitt’s End Art

Doodle #115, Nothing is Ever Ugly

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The drawing prompt for today was to draw something ugly but which you still really love. The result is my drawing “The Orange Thing.” I do not know where this object came from nor do I know if it was created by one of my children because the inscribed initials do no belong to one of them. However this object is still dear to my heart because it is a reminder to me that nothing is really ugly if you seek to look for the beauty first.

We are quick to label something or someone ugly just because they do not fit into a preconceived set of unwritten standards. In high school my friends and I were labeled as “ugly” and “inferior” simply because we did not meet the so called “in kids” set of standards for appearance, dress and behavior.  I thought things would change when I became an adult but they didn’t. I discovered that out in the world there are still all kinds of labels and if you don’t fit those labels then you are almost shunned by the so called “in crowd.”

I decided early in life,even before I accepted Jesus into my heart, to always look at a person’s heart instead of what I see. I was not going to be an imitator of past treatments. While some may see that as a weakness I however see it as a sign of strength. Proverbs 31:9 states to,” Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Judging righteously means to look at the heart and not the appearance because it is in the heart where the true person lies. 

Doodle #114, Looking Beyond the Fence

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The task for today was to draw or paint a fence. The end result is my drawing “Me, My Dog and a Fence.”  When I was younger one of my favorite songs was “Signs” by the Five Man Electric Band.  I loved the part of the sing where he complains about people putting up fences to keep people out. Well as a child a fence for me was an opportunity see what was beyond the fence. Peeking through holes,cracks any opening I could find I would try to spy what was beyond the fence. Sadly as an adult I still have a fondness for trying to see what lies behind any fences I come across.

In life I think we do the same. We try look beyond the fence of each day ahead to tomorrow. At times we get so concerned about what is behind the fence we forget to live the life we have on this side of the fence. I know I am going through that right now because of my bought with cancer.  Instead of, as the Bible states letting, “tomorrow worry about itself,” I let my mind wander ahead to the future beyond the fence instead of living in the here and now on this side of the fence. Each day I have to remind myself the fence is not only there to keep things out but to keep things in, as my life should be, kept in the here and now enjoying each day to the fullest.

Doodle #113, Livin’ the Fresh Life

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The word for today was fresh. My doodle for today is entitled, “The Freshness of the Great Outdoors.” When I was a kid my friends and I lived outdoors.  In the summertime from the time we woke up to the time we went to bed we played games out in the fresh air. Oh yeah, we did take breaks to eat and get something to drink but other than that we stayed outdoors. What did we do out in all that fresh air you might ask.

I don’t really know every last detail but we played games like tag, and war and took hikes down along the creek. We picked fresh blackberries and then ate them later with some cream and sugar. We went to the ponds and watched the minnows swim around. Me personally I would hand with my best friend Jeannie and just discuss the future. Well by now you get the picture. Outside in the fresh air of each and every fresh new day we did whatever our little hearts were led to do that day.

It seems today the fresh outdoors has be forgotten by many kids. They would rather hang indoors playing video games or texting on their phones. Friends it seems no longer visit each other in person they just Face Time. I think parents should encourage their children to get outside and do something with their friend, not only for the health benefits but also so they don’t unlearn what it really means to socialize in person.

Doodle #112, What’s In Your Bowl?

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The drawing prompt for today is the word, “bowl.” My doodle is lovingly entitled, “A Bowl Full of Flowers.” A lot of good things come in a bowl, soup, cereal, ice cream, flower and of course life. Yes, you heard me correctly. Most who read my blog know the old phrase, “my plate is too full,” meaning they are doing so much they can’t fit one more thing into their day. Well in years past my personal life as well as my church life felt so full at times that if I didn’t put it all into a bowl instead of on a plate many things would fall off and be forgotten.

Then a friend of mine gave me some good all purpose advice, “You don’t always have to say yes.” I was one of those people who loved and still love to do things for other people. My problem was I couldn’t say no because I felt I was letting the other person down. I would always say yes which meant I would burden myself down with commitments. This led to a full bowl of a life. I finally had to step back for a moment, take a deep breath, and say no to those requests I knew I could not throw into my bowl.

In the end my life became a little less full and a lot less stressed. So my advice to you today is do not over commit. Do what you can do and be satisfied. People will respect you more if explain why you can’t do something then if you commit to something and fail to get the job done. Matthew 5:37, “ Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”

How Do You Draw Thee, Let Me Count the Ways

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I still think when it comes to art I am a little ADD. I like to tinker with so many different mediums there are times I feel like I am as the proverbial saying goes, “A jack of all mediums a master of none.” I in my own opinion need to pick one or two mediums and practice with them until I get proficient in their use, but I just can’t seem to be able to differentiate as to the ones I like the best. Here is the list of the mediums I use.

Drawing pencils, which I use everyday. Drawing pencils for me offer the most simplistic way to render a picture.  I use mostly Faber pencils from HB to F. My favorite pencil to use is the standard #2 HB writing pencil. Where I work you can literally find them on the floor so they are real cheap.

Pens, I also use a lot. I like the flow of ink across the paper, especially a blue ballpoint pen. When to pens I also go cheap. I feel you don’t need to pay a fortune to get a good looking drawing.

Colored and Watercolor pencils, These are the newest additions to my stable of mediums. My colored pencil of choice is the Prismacolor colored pencil. I love the way the colors flow across the page and the ease of use. I prefer the harder colored pencils to the softer ones. The harder ones hold the point longer and need less sharpening. As for watercolor pencils right now I am using a set I get at the local craft store on sale.

Hard Chalk Pastels, use to be my favorite way to render a picture. These days I have gravitated away from chalk pastels though I still use them for highlights in some of my pictures. The problem for me with chalk pastels is not the colors. I love the color palette they pro, uce. Their only drawback is the messiness they produce with all the rubbing and the blowing off of the powder. They of course their is the fixative you have to use each time.

Acrylic and Watercolor Paints, I lumped these two together because they both can be used straight out of the tubes or diluted with water. While my use of watercolors had been limited to some of the paints which come in the pads, I have also used some colors right out of the tube. Watercolors still mystify me, especially washes, so right now I limit their use. Acrylics I love, and use them a lot in my pictures. Right now the only drawback for me is getting those fine little details in my painting so will sometimes use markers or colored pencils to fill in the details.

So you can see I dabble in a lot of mediums, there are still some I have lying around the house like crayons and oil pastels which I have yet to dabble. I still feel a little ADD but I guess being an artist is experimenting and trying a number of different ways to create an image. I have even started to use a little digital editing in my pictures.

Doodle #111, Fan the Flame in Your Heart

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In each of us burns a flame. At times the flame is a small spark but at other times when we draw close to God or find something we are passionate about the flame burns brightly. I have discovered however, as I grow older the flame seems to be growing a little dimmer. It is not because I feel any less close to God or that I don’t have the passion to do His work.  This website was created to put the drawing and illustrations I create out there for others to see but also to proclaim God and His word.

No, the problem with my flame growing dimmer has to do with my feelings of being a useful member of society. I once was able to do anything I put my mind to do, but I no longer seem to the have the oomph to do those tasks. I know it is a part of getting older but it still seems a little disheartening.  For all us baby boomers out there who are feeling the same way try to do as I’m doing take up a challenge you’re passionate about and get at it to the best of your ability.

I am also putting out the call to anyone who reads this blog, if you know of a ministry I can do from home please let me know.

Doodle #110, Love the Place Where You Sit

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In my lifetime I have sat behind desks in a few chairs at different jobs. Some of the jobs were just jobs, others I’ve loved especially the one at my art desk. I have created many paintings and drawings sitting in that chair, some which you see here each day.

My whole point to this post can be summed up in an old saying, “In order to love what you do, do what you love.” In other words don’t just get a job, get a career doing something you really enjoy, no make that something you love doing. If I had to do one thing over in my life I would not have gotten a job as an artist. I would have probably set my sights on a career as an architect.  An architect is an artist who uses his/her creativity to design building and or landscaping.

The only reason I would not choose fine arts as a career would be the fear it would take some of the joy out of creating. Then again maybe not because being a cartoonist would be a true joy. The main point of all this is again to pick a career path where you don’t feel like you’re working but you feel like are an integral part of the place where you sit.

By the way the current doodle, “Love Where You Sit,” is a loose drawing of me sitting at my current job. I hope oyu enjoy.

Doodle #109, Going Retro, Reliving the Old Life

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American’s it seems are into the retro life. What is now old has become the new trend. People flock to antique dealers and the such to by vintage items in order to decorate their homes like their parents and grandparents. Still others, especially baby boomers , buy cars meant to look like cars from the 60’s and 70’s.  I often wonder why.

Is it because they want to recapture some of the best moments of their past life? Maybe, maybe not. I think all the fascination with the past is because we don’t want to grow older. Buying up items we once owned, or driving cars from the past or which look like cars from the past help us hold into our youth. I know I don’t want to grow old either but their is nothing I can do to stop it or slow my aging down.

Buying up the stuff I used to own in my youth will not turn back the clock it will be just more stuff as my daughter in law says, “she will have to get rid off when my wife and I are gone.” Instead I must prepare myself for the last phase of my life by doing what I can to keep myself mentally and physically fit. I plan on spending the time I have left, traveling, drawing and doing all I can for others. It is what I have been called by God to do and plan to do it to the best of my abilities.

My drawing today is an homage to the good ole days. The title is “Pink Poodle Skirt and a Coke.”

Doodle #108, Down By The Water

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The prompt word for the day was the word, “water.” Even though I am not a beach person the first thing to pop in my mind was the ocean. I grew up taking my family summer vacations in the mountains of my home state West Virginia. I can remember going to Wildwood, New Jersey once as a child. After that I never returned ocean side until I could drive myself there.

I didn’t go to the beach for the crowds, sun or sand. In fact I didn’t usually go to the beach in the summer, I went during the off season. I liked to do what my friend and I are doing in the picture above, sit and listen to the waves and marvel at the great wonder that is the ocean. Since growing up and having a family of my own I have been to the beach many times, even though it is not my favorite place to vacation. The thing I still love about the beach today is the sound of the surf and the many marvelous finds lying in the sand. Not the people, but the tumbled stones driftwood and many photo ops for art.

I encourage anyone who has the time to go an walk along the beach, on a trail, someplace. It is very relaxing and helps take your mind off of what is going on in this thing we call life. God’s creation brings comfort.