I am a firm there is a lot of truth to a line in an old children’s song which says, “Be careful little eyes what you see…” The reason the eyes are truthfully the gateway to the soul. What we choose to look at is who we become in our hearts. Jesus said, “It is not what goes into a man which defiles him it is what comes from inside the man…” The eyes are the first line of what goes into our hearts. So be careful what you choose to look at because it becomes part of what is stored on your brain.
It is the end of another year, it is also the end of my 365 Drawing Challenge. It is also the dawn of a New Year and the continuation of my 1001 Drawing Challenge. I decide to turn my 365 Drawings Challenge into a 1001 Drawings Challenge because I have developed a love for drawing illustrations and want to continue to develop my talents as an artist and an illustrator. I call on everyone reading this to challenge yourself to try something new in the coming New Year and stick to it for a whole year. So until my next post stay safe and have a Happy New Year.
While on Christmas break from my job I have found myself doing something I haven’t done in a long time-reading. I have made my way through two books of fiction and several non fiction art books. One of my goals for next year is to spend more time reading books on drawing illustrations. The reason, many of my friends tell me they like a lot of my more simplistic illustrations. Let me know what you think.
Well I guess winter has finally come to Pennsylvania. The temperatures have dropped and the wind chills make me say, “baby it’s cold outside.” Sooner no maybe later the outside decorations will have to come down but for now I think I’m going to stay in and draw. Sounds like a good plan to me. Well from my family to your have a good end of 2017 and a happy beginning to 2018. Yes I know I still have two more drawing for the end of the year but I just wanted to get in an early greeting.
It is hard to believe another Christmas season has come an gone. Now we turn our attention to the coming New year. Now is a time to rest and reflect on all the things God has done for us the year before. Sure there may have been some sad times, some times we’d love to forget all about but there has also been many good times. The time which bring great joy to the heart and a smile to our faces. Still it is always wise to remember that in good or bad times God is always there right alongside you helping guide you through the tough times and rejoicing with you in the good times.
The Christmas season is behind us and the New Year is fast approaching. During Christmas we focus on the manger scene of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus but there is one question I still have, “Did Mary remember what the angel told her about her new born son?” That one day He would be the Savior of the world.” Some years Mary and some of Jesus’ brothers come to speak to him and try to convince him to come home with them. It seems Mary has forgotten to that fateful night when the angel visited her and told her about Jesus. The answer to me is no but like the disciples she just didn’t grasp what was going on until after the resurrection of Jesus. It is easy for us to see what is going on some 2000 years later but for us it would have been different if we would have been walking with Jesus.
Well it is Christmas day and all the gifts have been unwrapped, The kids are now busily playing with their gifts…no wait they aren’t playing with their gifts they’re playing with the boxes and bows…oh my. All that money spent on gifts and the kids find the box flaps more interesting than the $60..00 toy. Now may be the time to reevaluate what you get for your kids next year. Maybe some boxes lovingly wrapped? I don’t know but there is plenty of time to think about it next year.
Tis the season to watch all the Christmas specials like the Grinch pictured here and all the Christmas movies like the ones shown on the Hallmark Channel, the Up Network and others. Each Christmas season brings one of my favorite Christmas specials “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” In the show Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang search for the true meaning of Christmas.
Charlie Brown’s job is to bring back a Christmas tree. The tree he buys is a small sad looking tree and when he puts a red ornament on it the tree bends over to which Charlie Brown yells, “I killed the tree.” This leads me to the underlying message of the while story. No it is not the birth of Jesus, that is the main message the underlying message is this…Don’t get caught up in first appearances. We always judge on what we see but maybe with a little more time and discernment we might discover the beauty we missed at first glance.
The one thing I have never had the opportunity to do this time of year is sit by a warm cozy fire on Christmas Eve while somebody reads Twas the Night Before Christmas. I don’t why but the idea appeals to me very much. There is something about having friends around you, the glow of the fire that puts you in the Christmas mood. At this time of year we try to package the joy of the season in boxes with paper and ribbons. Perishable items which may or may not wear out before the end of the year. The enjoyment Christmas is found however in the little details, Those moments in time which create memories which don’t wear out. So one thing to do this year is to slow down and enjoy the season.
The Ugly Artist 