2017 a year in art

Doodle #109, Going Retro, Reliving the Old Life

| Whitt’s End Art


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

| Whitt’s End Art

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.

Doodle #107, Do You See What I See?

| Whitt’s End Art

Cats are some of the most patient creatures in the world. They can sit for what seems like hours and stare out the window or in the case of my drawing out on the water at who knows what. This reminds me of a game we used to play when I was a kid. We called it Eye Spy. You may remember it. The line goes something like this, “eye spy with my little eye…” Then the rest of the people there had to guess the object or person in your line of sight. The winner got to pick something out we could guess.

In today’s modern world we play a varied form of this game it is called, “Eye Spy with My Little Smart Phone….” Each day thousand of videos filter onto the web of things which are better left out of public view or of incidents where a smart phone would be put to better use by dialing the police. An even better choice would be to help your fellow man instead of filming them at their worst. Philippians’s 2:4, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Of course there is one upside to the modern game of “Eye Spy.” In many instances because of people filming themselves behaving badly the police have enough evidence to make an arrest and give the courts all they need to convict.  So my little piece of advice for today, take it or leave it, is be careful what you put out there because someone may say to you “Eye Spied what you posted in that site.” Till tomorrow enjoy my drawing, “Cats By the Ocean.”

Doodle #106, Easter, Not Chocolate Flavored

| Whitt’s End Art


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.

Doodle #104, A Ladybug Named Francis

| Whitt’s End Art

When I saw the prompt for today was the word ladybug, my mind immediately went to one of my favorite animated characters, Francis, the ladybug from the “A Bug’s Life,” movie. The reason I like the character is because Francis is not what he appears.  He is a tough guy wrapped in a not so tough attire.

Why do I bring this up is because in our society we are often judged by appearances first. If we don’t like what we see, well I’m sure you know what is happens next. The news is full of worst case scenarios of people misjudging someone because of appearances. Even I know first hand the sufferings of being bullied because someone deemed my appearance and demeanor were not up to their standards. It can be a crippling thing to be deemed different all because you do no meet another person’s standards. It can lead to a life time of turmoil.

The Bible says in John  7:24, to , “Stop judging according to outward appearances,” instead look to a person’s heart there you will find the true person. The outside is only window dressing. The inside is where the true person lies.

Doodle #103, America Stuck in the Dessert

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What can said about Americans but that we love our desserts. According to a USA Today article published in 2013 at least, “40% of consumers surveyed say they’re eating desserts after a meal at least twice weekly,” but that number is probably higher.  Why the love for sweets? America seems to have developed a taste for overindulgence for sugar.

I know I am one of those people. As a small child and beyond my mom always told me, “Timmy stop eating all them sweets, it is not good for you.” Now as I age and hindsight being what it is I should have headed her warning.  I, for the last 15 years, am a diabetic. Part of the root cause was eating too much sugary foods and soda. The other part was being to sedentary. Truthfully my doctor told me I would have developed diabetes at some point in my life, but I could have put it off for many more years had I been in better health.

Today’s advice is both Biblical and just that advice. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:27, “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” In other words avoid the sweets and other things bad for you and eat right. Also make sure not to be sedentary and keep moving. I wish I would have sought to be healthier when I was younger maybe I would have been in better health now.

Doodle #102, Bee Smelling The Flowers

| Whitt’s End Art


Bees are important to our ecosystem. They pollinate flowers. They make honey. Still many people see bees as pests.  In the same way we as followers of Jesus can also be considered pests if we are pron to fly around stinging people with our words. As Christian we are meant to be the ones who pollinate the world with love using words like honey. 

It does not mean we condone wrong doing. It means we are not to judge others lest as the bible says, “We will the ones judged.” I have lived a life full of flaws so I always seek to remember those times when I made mistakes. This helps me keep a humble heart which seekers to help others not hinder them.

Doodle #101, Everybody Loves Lemonade ,Even Cats

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I am a Southern boy, born in the south but raised in the north but I still love some of the southern traditions. One of those traditions is sitting on the front porch sipping on a glass of lemonade or sweet tea while you’re casually conversing with your family members or next door neighbors.

Even cats I’ve had in the past will drink lemonade if you leave it sit around long enough. So here’s to a cool glass of lemonade on a hot day, some good conversation with friends, family and neighbors and a warm season spent making memories.

Doodle #100, Always Eat Your Veggies

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I remember as a kid my mom always telling me to, “Eat my veggies or else I was not going to get any dessert.” Then she would proceed to plop down in front of me a salad or other veggies and I would sit there with a scowl on my face think, “I’ve got to eat this stuff. Can’t we just skip right to dessert?”

Her reply was always, “If you eat to much dessert and not enough vegetables you will get big.” Jump ahead quite a few years and I am still struggling with my weight. I used to blame it on my genes. However after loosing some weight and keeping it off by eating right I am sure had I listened to my mom and eaten my vegetables I would not have developed a sweet tooth I would have probably lived a healthier life and not have developed some of the problem related to weight gain.

I don’t know what all this has to do with art but their is a lesson in their somewhere. The Bible does say in Proverbs 1:8, “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.” There are times in our lives when our parents seem like the most clueless people on the planet. Looking back they were not the clueless ones I was for not heading their advice on a number of topics.