drawing

Daily Drawing #197, Are You Prepared?

| Whitt’s End Art

Over the course of my lifetime I have had various occupations. I have worked as retail managers, in factories and currently in a local school district. As I look back at my various jobs I think the worst place I ever was employed worked was at a fast food restaurant. I only worked there for one year but I learned a lot about dealing with irate customers as well as employees who don’t take there job seriously. You haven’t lived until you try to calm down an irate customer because of an unwanted piece of cheese or a couple of misplaced pickles on a sandwich you didn’t have anything to do with creating.

Still I look back at these times and realize how much they prepared me for later positions I have had in life. In all of life we need to look at our current employment, or training (as in sports) and think about about how much we are being prepared for what comes next in life. So take the time to prepare yourself by working hard to learn and grow. It will pay off later in life.

Daily Drawing #196, Count It All As Joy

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If your life is like mine there are periods of time when life feels anything but joyful. Still God calls us in James 1:2 to, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.” This means no matter what happens in life we are to call it joyful. Really? God says, yes. If you have an illness don’t dwell on it but look to God to give you comfort and peace throughout the trial. My joy and your joy comes from knowing God is always there for us and as 2 Corinthians 1:4 insures us God is the one, “who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” Our joy in life comes from helping others who are going get through the same storms we are weathering. It is hard to look for joy in times of trouble or sorrow but it can be found when your heart is in the right place.

 

Daily Drawing #194, Seeing Eye to Eye is Sometimes Hard to Do

| Whitt’s End Art

There are times I like to draw things just to draw them. This is one of those times. I just thought the picture of the cat and mouse was interesting. Here are two creatures a cats and mouse who are not normally close friends. In fact most of the time a cat will play with a mouse, by play I mean bat it around and around, until it is ready to finish the mouse off. In the picture the cat and mouse seem to be conversing with each other. Maybe just  asking each other, “How are you doing on this fine day?” To which they’d both reply, “Fine,” before going a little deeper into their comings and goings since they last met. This little meeting also got me to thinking what if we could all look at each other and see through the supposed differences which keep us apart instead of playing cat and mouse games with each other. Here’s to letting God’s love shine through in all circumstances and all our interactions with the people we meet each day.

Daily Drawing #192, Time to Cat-ch A Break

| Whitt’s End Art

My favorite part of this drawing challenge is I never know what I am going to draw. Sure I use prompts but sometimes, like today, I just draw whatever comes to mind. The drawing for today is entitled “Trying to Cat-ch a Break.” it is modeled off of the old Popeye cartoons where Wimpy always asks :I’ll pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” In the Bible God tells us in, Proverbs 21:13 ESV, “Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.”

What does this have to do with my drawing? The answer is simple. We are called to care for those who can’t care for themselves. If this means buying someone a meal, then that is what God calls us to provide. The one thing I am reluctant to do is to hand someone money only because I don’t know what they will use the money to buy.  Instead I would give them a grocery card, or take them to an agency where they can receive the deeper help they need. The life of a follower of Jesus is all about giving.

Daily Drawing #190, Create A Good Character, Read the Book

| Whitt’s End Art

As an artist one of my favorite things to do is create a character. In this one the goal was to create a fantasy portrait. I used an old magazine ad to get my characters hair and hat and then drew in the face. She is meant to be an half elf character from a rough novel I wrote years ago. While I like the picture I am also reminded in order to build our character we can either seek our many self help books on the topic at the library or else choose the one book which has character building advice throughout the pages. The book of course is the Bible. Just reading the book of Proverbs can offer you life advice for each area of your life and that is just one book in the Bible. So go and get your Bible, open it up and start reading. The best time for getting your character drawn is now.

Daily Drawing  #189, When in Doubt, Take A Hike

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The prompt for today was the word, “solitude.” You wouldn’t know it if you saw me but I am a very introverted person so at times I enjoy my solitude and what better way to get alone but to take a hike. A short walk along a trail, a quiet road, along the beach or any place in nature is a reminder of the Creator as His creation unfolds before you. Just gazing at His workmanship helps my doubts slip away so  mind can be free of the worries of the day. Alone time, on a hike, can also give you time to converse with God. Yes I said converse, not in just prayer but also by talking to God who the Bible tells us is, “close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me” (Psalms 23:4 NLT.)

Daily Drawing #188, You Take the Beach Dear, I’ll Have the Boardwalk

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Since my drawing a couple of days ago was the beach I returned today with my little girl and cat at the boardwalk. Growing up I lived forty five minutes from Seaside Park, NJ so I spent some time on the boardwalk. My favorite time to be there was in September when the crowds were gone but the shops and arcades were still open. These were the days before we became recluses playing our games in the phone or a gaming system. I loved the sounds of the arcade, bells clanging, coins going in the slots and much more.I miss those days. Today when I go to the boardwalk in just doesn’t have the same appeal. It is overcrowded and overpriced. In life I guess we must always hold onto our memories because just like everything else they may fade with the passing of time.

 

Daily Drawing #187, Watch Your Reflection

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The title of today’s drawing is, “Little Things Can Have A Big Reflection.” The way we live is a reflection of what we believe. As an artist my drawings are a reflection of how much time I put into my craft. The more I practice and draw the better my drawings will be a reflection of my abilities. The same is true of life the more we spend time studying and learning about God and serving Him in big and small ways the more our lives will be a reflection of his love. The challenge for today was to illustrate a famous quote. I chose the one under the lady bug drawing. It is my quote and a reminder to myself about how I need to live each day as a good reflection.

Daily Drawing #186, Sun, Sand and Seashells…Uggh

| Whitt’s End Art

The challenge for today was to draw something that had to do with sand. The first thing which came to mind was the beach. The second was Moses and the Israelites wandering in the wilderness. I can’t fathom wandering in the desert for forty years. An hour on the beach and I am done. While my wife is basking in the sun I prefer to wander in and out of thrift stores or see the local sites.

The gist of today’s message is this, we are all different. We have different likes, tastes, and things we like. Instead of complaining and whining when we are asked to do something we don’t like, embrace the differences and realize there will be times when you want to do something another person won’t like. There will also be times when they are going to be called on to embrace and do something they don’t like, something which you want. I am not talking about immoral activities. I am talking about daily life. For instance I go to the beach, because my wife loves the beach. The Bible says a true friend, “loves at all times.”