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.
I am a reader of books. Over the years I’ve discovered the book is many times better than the movie. In the case of the Bible it is a coworker said to me a “a book to read and treasured word for word. A book to be read every chance we get.” She also said the, “Bible needs to be consumed.” I don’t disagree with her on either statement. The Bible is a book that is only effective in changing live when it is read and studied on a consistent basis and you don’t have to be a preacher. The Bible is God’s wisdom for each and every one.
All my life I have loved to read, non-fiction, fiction, what ever I could get my hands on. Of course my favorite thing to read nowadays is the Bible but I still read many other kinds of books. However, in the school I work in I have seen and alarming trend in the youth of today. They don’t like to read unless it is a text or social media post. They balk any suggestions of reading and complain big time when they are forced to read. However inside of books their are many adventures waiting, a lot of information to learn and in the Bible all the wisdom of God. My advice is to encourage your children to read and if you don’t already pick up a novel or two and go on a grand adventure.Most importantly if you don’t already pick up the Bible and see what wisdom God has for you.
Today’s drawing was done with one thing in mind, “Folk Art.” I live in the Lancaster, PA area which as an artist makes me very interested in the genre known as folk art. I used to think folk art was restricted to those interesting landscapes done without any thought to perspective. Recently however I have found folk art has many forms and subject matter. The title of today’s drawing is “Folk Art Cats #1.” It was done in colored pencils instead of acrylic paints. By the title you can gather there will be more folk art cat pictures coming. Cats have become one of my favorite subject matters.
The drawing word prompt for today is, “background.” The title of my drawing is, “Black Cat in the Snow.” We live in a superficial society where everything is taken at face value. If we see what is right in front of our face and like what we see then it is okay in our book. There is an old adage that says, “You can’t judge a book by it’s cover. Literal translation, the details are not always obvious and are sometimes hidden in the background somewhere.
Throughout my lifetime, mystery novels have always been one of my favorite reads. Out of all the detectives in those novels my favorite detective has always been Sherlock Holmes. He is the master of observation. There is no detail he does not see those which are obvious and those found in the background. We need to be like Sherlock Holmes, no not detectives but people who look to the background and learn all the facts before we make a decision. The says in Proverbs 18:17, “The first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and examines him.” Learn to examine everything in life and you will make wise decisions leading to less hassles in life.
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.
The Drawing Lesson by Mark Crilley. Little description: Read This Comic and Start Drawing Today For the first time ever, drawing instructor and graphic novelist Mark Crilley brings his easy-to-follow artistic instruction to aspiring artists in the form of a comic book, providing you with a one-of-a-kind how-to experience. In The Drawing Lesson, you’ll meet David—a young […]
The Ugly Artist 