Artist Life

The Climax is Not the End, Doodle #89

| Whitt’s End Art

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I admit today’s doodle is not really a doodle it is an acrylic painting I am currently working. The painting fit in better with today’s prompt the word climax, which of course means the end. The climax of any story is the moment when the lot line reaches the final act which should tie the whole story together. In art there is also a climax when we step back from a piece of art and say aha, we’re done or are we?

The piece above entitled, “Winter Pine Tree,” is not a finished piece of art. I still have to do some work to complete the tree. I first looked at the picture and thought I was done but still felt like there was more to do to finish the picture. The problem I have with my paintings is I feel like I never reach the point where I can put the painting aside as a finished painting. Many of these unfinished works, at least unfinished in my eyes, I look at years down the road and am amazed at how well they look.

As always I have a life message for you. As I reach the climax years of my life there are times I look back at my life and think I am done. There is nothing more for me to complete. Then like a work of art in progress I look at may life and think there are a few more brush strokes which can be added to the painting. This is why the title of this doodle is, The Climax is Not the End” is because we must never view our lives as finished because there is always something out there to be done.

View in the Window, Doodle #82

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Today’s prompt was the word transparency. I settled on the offered doodle “View in the Window,” because a commercial reminded me of one of my former cat’s favorite pastimes, looking out of the window. I often wondered what fascinating sights out the window kept the cat there for hours at a time.

I am also reminded of the number of times I have looked out through the same window at my neighbors going about there daily business wondering about their lives. In the old days when I was a child up to my young adult years neighbors hung around with each other, talking over the concerns of life or just sharing a little laughter. It seems times have changed.

I have talked to many people like me who do not share much time with their neighbors or don’t even know the least little bit about them. Perhaps it is time to step out from behind our windows and get out there and talk to the neighbors.

The Joy of it All, Doodle #81

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Joy can be found in many places in life. I find joy in creating art like today’s offering, “Lollipop Flowers” which is a silly drawing meant to create a smile.  However the most joy I get in life is helping others.I am an Ed Assistant in a urban school district. At this point in my life it is not the ideal job to have looking towards retirement but I love helping the students in my class.

It brings great joy to my heart when I help just one of my students learn something new. In life

A Strange and Wonderful Feline, Doodle #73

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When I was young I had a lot of cats. Most of my cats were of the grey and brown tabby variety. I also had some whose coats resembled tortoise shells, LaPerms I think they’re called. The variety of cats I owned seemed endless except I don’t think I ever owned a Siamese cat. I still love cats more than I do dogs. Sorry to all those dog people out there.

While I had a lot of cats growing up there is one cat which stands out as my favorite, my Manx. I don’t remember the cat’s name but I do remember the cat had the tortoise shell look with brown around one eye. Why did I like this cat more than the others?  It was that the cat stood out from the others. It had an exotic look which stood out from all the rest. If you don’t know a Manx has no tail but a little stub kind of like a Lynx.

My Manx was a cool looking cat. I don’t know where the cat came from. How I ended up owning the cat or as cat people a cat kind of owns you, but I loved the cat and it’s look. The cat was set apart from the other cats. Thinking back to the Manx it is a reminder to me in my life as a believer of Jesus the Christ I must stand out from others, not because I think I’m better but because of the love I have for others.

As followers of Jesus we must show the love of Jesus to all. Not the ones of we select to give our love to but to all.The Bible says in Luke 6:31, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” If you treat others like crap don’t expect them to treat you like a kind person. Cats are interesting creatures they can sense those people who like truthfully like them. I have news for you so can people. So don’t be hypocritical in you love, be truthful in order to be fruitful.

A Sign of Warmth, Doodle #72

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I live in the greater northeast and am looking forward to warm weather returning so I can take my sketchbook and hit the road to make some drawings. Sorry to all you skiers but I have been looking for the first signs spring is on its way like flowers peeking through the soil and the robin’s return. Today my wife saw the first robin this year.Woo who warmth and sunshine are on their way back.

I learned long ago, like the robin is a sign spring is on its way bringing the warmth, people are looking for signs in your life to validates the claims you make about yourself. This is true about your faith as much as many other areas of life. People can spot a fake a mile away.  Proverbs 28:18 says, “Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.” While this verse is technically not about being a warm person it is a part of living a life of integrity.

My mother instilled in me a long time ago the need to show warmth to others in everything I say as well being generous in all I do. I may not have a lot of money but I do have a lot I can give. You never know who you touch in life so you must always be who you are not who you feel people want.

 

A Line at Work, Doodle #67

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Artists look at perspective two ways. The first is using a two dimensional surface to create a three dimensional picture viewed from a particular point in space. The second way an artist uses perspective is by creating pieces of art influenced by an internal point of view (perspective).

Using these two points of perspective an artist is free to create a piece as elaborate or as simple as they would like. Perspective is also a part of life where we see a few line as in my piece “A Line at Work,” and think we know what the whole picture is about. Many times we are wrong. While my doodle is obviously a man… there is still a lot missing like color,depth and where he is working.  What you see is not the whole picture only one little piece.

Since our external view of the world is influenced by our internal perspective we must be careful not to make snap judgments about what we see based on what we think we know.. The Bible says in Proverbs 25:8, “Don’t jump to conclusions-there may be a perfectly good explanation for what you just saw.”

So the next time you see something strange don’t judge the situation strictly by what you see. Take the time to find out the truth.

A Look At Yourself, Doodle #65

| Whitt’s End Art

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The dictionary defines reflection as

  • 1. the throwing back by a body or surface of light, heat, or sound without absorbing it.
  • 2. sending back, throwing back, casting back2. serious thought or consideration:

I chose to do a combination drawing of both. My self portrait is both a reflection as done in a mirror but it also a time for me to think back to earlier days in my life

We all tend to look back at our life and play the what if game. What if I had done this or that, but we can’t “what if” our past lives we must always deal with the “what is” part of life, working through what is happening now. There is no changing the past there is only preparing for the present and the future.

In an art life as well as the rest of life we must not worry about what we did but focus on our new creations and our new days.The Bible says “Forget the former things; Do not dwell on the past,” Isaiah 43:8.

Old Woman and A Guitar, Doodle #63

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The themes for today’s doodle was something musical. Like all the other es the idea for what to draw is open to inspiration. I came across a free to draw picture on Something to Draw.com of the woman pictured playing her guitar. While the piece  is not a perfect reproduction of the picture it is a reminder to us all that no matter how old you are you are never to old to learn something new.

A Man and A Violin, Doodle #62

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The prompt for today was saturation which could have led me in a lot of drawing  directions. The first thing which popped into my head was a picture featuring water. After all I live near a river and figured I could do a location doodle. To bland. I then pondered about what else saturates besides water. Somehow I ended up thinking about mu and all the concerts I ever attended. The music saturates the air with sound. The picture I drew was actually inspired by my days in junior high playing the viola.

I still love the sounds of a string instrument. One of my favorite musicians is the fiddle player from the Celtic Women. I  love the way her performance takes over the stage. Our lives need to be like that of a musician. Whatever we do in life needs to be a beautiful sounds which saturates others with joy.