Illustration

Daily Drawing #200, Deep Roots Keep You Secure

| Whitt’s End Art

I just read a daily devotion about the sequoia tree and how there enormous root system anchor the tall trees so they do not topple over during a wind storm. On the flip side are trees like the pine trees in my back yard. Their root system is not as deeply rooted into the ground so when the rains and high winds come I worry about the trees toppling over. The Bible says in Proverbs 12:3, that, ” the root of the righteous will never be moved.” In our lives our faith must be rooted like the sequoia tree so when the winds and the rain buffet our lives we will not be shaken or toppled over like the pine tree. It also comes without saying the roots we build with our church families must also be deep so when we need support they are there for us. The title of today’s drawing is of course, “The Deeply Rooted Tree.”

 

 

Daily Drawing #199, Summer, A Time to Enjoy?

| Whitt’s End Art

I must admit again I am not a big fan of the summertime. I used to like summer but only because it meant we got out of school for 3 months. Today, I still get off for the summer because I work for a school district, but now I spend my days off working around the house, mowing grass, painting and a whole lot more. Not the way I would like to enjoy my summers. I would much rather spend some time outside, lounging around on a patio or deck, drinking a cold sweet tea, while conversing with my friends. The title of today’s offering is entitled, “Little Red and Her Cat in the Sunshine.” Little red and her cat are enjoying being outside on a nice summer day. My hope is you’re doing the same. Happy summer to all and to all have a good bright (and sunny summer of fun).

 

 

Daily Drawing #198, Celebrate Your Freedom to Art

| Whitt’s End Art

There are many times as artists where we pigeon hole ourselves into one style or one medium of art. It is what we know so we naturally stick with what we know. As I have progressed through this art challenge I have tried to make sure to delve into new mediums, new styles of art. I have learned to enjoy my freedom to art. Today’s piece, while not as colorful as a Dr Seuss picture is my first attempt at a fantasy landscape. The piece is entitled, “Dilbo in the Wilderness.” I hope to do more drawing in this style in the future. Until tomorrow feel free to art.

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

| Whitt’s End Art

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 #195, Face 2 Face

| Whitt’s End Art

We live in a world which is linked electronically like never before. Young people interact today through tweets, texts, Instagram posts, Face Time chats a few among many choices. Still my favorite way to talk to someone is person to person. Ask my wife she’ll tell you I don’t even like to make phone calls. I have always loved to talk face to face. There is nothing more thrilling than to share a few words or laugh with someone else. To gaze across and sense the other person’s emotions through facial expressions as we talk. This is true conversation. Not a tweet or a text or whatever. God created us to be social beings who rely on fellowship with each in order to live a balanced life. It is time to put down the phones and start talking – face to face.

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 #193, Taking Snapshots in the Wilderness

| Whitt’s End Art

I don’t know about you but I am obsessed with taking pictures. Over the years from my teen years till now I have taken thousands of them. Where they all are now I have some idea. Some were lost in the sands of time, others occupy old dusty photos albums and the rest are stored on a portable hard drive. There are times when I go back and look through some of the photos. Truthfully though most of them I haven’t seen in years. My drawing today is a reminder to us all while it is nice to document our lives with our phones or cameras it is also important to make sure we are not losing out on all the fun while trying to the best picture. I also think if we are going to document our lives it is better to do some videos so when we are gone others will have some reminders they can watch instead of store in a drawer.

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.