Pen and Ink

Daily Drawing #214, Try To Be A Windmill

| Whitt’s End Art

 

I know what you’re thinking. The title of today’s drawing sounds a little odd, “Try to be a Windmill.” The drawing was inspired by the prompt word, “wood,” combined with this definition of a windmill as found on Wikipedia, “A windmill is a mill that converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. I think we as followers of Jesus are like windmills. Each days God, through the Holy Spirit breathes into our sails, His breathe which gives us the energy not only to get through the day but also so we can be a blessing to others.

In 1 Thessalonians 1:5 Paul has this to say about the power of the Gospel and the power God gives to us, “for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.” So if you feel like your not being the windmill you should pray to God to breathe more on your sails to give you a burst of energy. He will come through, He is always faithful.

 

Daily Drawing #182, Livin’ the Fantasy Life

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One thing I like about being an artist is when my pencil goes to paper what was one a fantasy in my mind suddenly takes shape. Truthfully it almost never comes out as I envision the piece. Another thing I like about art is the ability to create something out of this world in the true fantasy realm like today’s drawing. “Little Fairy in the Woods.” This is not a finished piece because I am just now working out the details of turning something I can see in my mind into a real image. I have cartooned before but creating a more detailed image is harder. Well I have a half a year to go.

While on on the subject of fantasy. I hear from many about the fantasy world of Heaven. When I hear people speak that way I am saddened. Heaven is not a fantasy. It is a reality and some day when I face to face with Jesus I will be both awe struck, a little fearful but filled with joy when I hear the words, “Welcome good and faithful servant.”  So look to fantasy and whim to create your art but remember Heaven is for real and hopefully someday I will meet up with other artist and we can have a wonderful time creating and worshiping together.

Daily Drawing #174, Examine Your Nature

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The title my drawing, “Examine Your Nature,” has a dual meaning. The first part is my call for everyone reading this is to take the time to get out and take a walk. God created a beautiful world around us that we need to take the time to see. I love nature (today’s prompt) well except when I have to mow and weed nature. Still landscapes and flowers are two of my favorite things to sketch and paint. After all as Dante Alghieri states, “Nature is the art of God.”

The second meaning is about examining your own nature. The Bible tells us in that we need to always examine ourselves because, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32.  It is only when we step aside and look at what is truly inside, our internal nature can we see the areas that we need to ask God to help us clean up and make right.

Daily Drawing #172, Warning! Letters Can Lead to Words

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I have discovered in my lifetime that letters when put together can lead to words. Shocking right? It was to me tomorrow the way the letters are assembled is entirely up to you but be warned letters formed into the wrong words can be harmful. The Bible warns us in Proverbs 12:18, “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” So the next time you’re forming your letters into words, choose wisely.

Daily Drawng #143, Hot Times Need A Cool Breeze

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I just realized I did a variation on the his picture before. This one is entitled, “Hot Times, Cool Breeze.” I am not a beach person, my wife, well it is hard to get her to leave. She loves the sea shore, the sand the ocean. Need I go on? While I am not a sandy beach person there is one thing however I do like about the shore, the ocean breeze. After a blazing hot day at the shore, driving up and down the highway looking in all the thrift stores, there is nothing like sitting by the ocean with breeze blowing in off the ocean. The cool air washes away the heat of the the day making you feel refreshed.

I often think of Sunday morning church in the same way. After a long week in the hot sun of a daily work week in our hectic world there is nothing like the cool breeze of a church service. The music, the fellowship, the sermon, the worship wash over you giving you a refreshed feeling like sitting on the beach at night. All is calm, all is bright.

 

Daily Drawing #142, An Upside Down World

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The drawing for today is entitled, “Upside Down Glasses.” The inspiration for the drawing came from this guy I used to run into where my mom worked. It was boarding house with a little bar attached. The guy was able to put a coaster on top of a glass filled with a liquid, flip it over and pull the coaster away without any liquid seeping out around the rim. No matter how many times I tried to replicate his trick I would spill some of whatever was in the glass. Of course the people who worked there didn’t like his trick because they would have to remove the glass and wipe up the liquid.

There is a verse in Isaiah 29:16 which says:

“You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker,
    “He did not make me”;
or the thing formed say of him who formed it,
    “He has no understanding”?

Isaiah is talking here about our relationship with God. Like the glasses turned upside down we sometimes look at our relationship with God from the wrong perspective. We think God is there to do our bidding while we were put on this Earth to seek His will for our lives. I for one ask God every day what it is He needs me to do on that particular day. It is not wrong to give your petitions to the Lord but we must be careful not see God from the bottom up instead of from the top down. We live our live in a vertical relationship with God and must always be diligent to remember who made who.

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 #106, Easter, Not Chocolate Flavored

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Growing up Easter for me was a time of chocolate bunnies and candy. It was a time of rabbits and chicks. Sure I knew about the connection between Easter and Jesus. I had heard the story of the resurrection and how Jesus still lives today. The problem for me was at the time it was just fanciful stories told to me by what I referred to as Bible thumpers. Those thespians who spun tales of woe in order to get me to behave.

You see me parents grew up around church but never imparted any what I will call outright “Bible knowledge” to me. My mom, however taught me biblical principles growing up. Things she learned from her parents like love your neighbor, treat others as you want to be treated among other truths. I learned but it really didn’t know where the wisdom came from, until I was in my twenties and received Jesus into my heart.

Now many years later I look at what Easter has become and have to ask as my rabbit friends ask “whatever happened to the true meaning of Easter?” From the cross to the grave, three days later He arose.

Playing in Puddles, Doodle #95

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puddle

Remember all the times as a kid when we played in puddles. The rain pouring down around us as we splashed and splashed about until we were soaked. Puddles were my inspiration for my doodle, “Boy In the Puddle,” Looking back I still don’t understand the fascination with kicking and splashing in the water but it was fun at the time. Today, I am not a playing in the water kind of person, that is my wife. My wife loves the beach. Me, however I love the thrifts shops at the beach and the gathering of family.

Puddles in rain storms no longer hold the fascination for me as they did when I was a child. Like the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:11 as we get older we, ” put the ways of childhood behind.” Which is a little sad because in order to feel young mentally we need to hold onto part of our childhood

I look back on those times dancing in the puddles with fondness. Thinking back to those days makes me realize it was not really the puddles which were fun it was spending time with my friends. The joy came from time well spent. The same is true today. Friends and fellowship with them is still needed in life to make it more enjoyable. A life spent alone is an empty life. We were designed to spend time with each other. Proverbs 27:17 states, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man (or woman) sharpens another.” So spend some time this week with family and friends doing something fun and childlike you’ll all be better off. Till the next doodle.