YELLOW BUTTERFLY

Almost forgot to show you what these yellow butterflies look like. They came out super early and made me really happy. I was thinking it was still too cold, since the mallards, who are winter birds, are still here, warm-weather living things wouldn't be making their appearance yet.

But last week, I saw my first yellow butterflies!

Last year, I'd tried my hand at acrylic painting and drawn my first butterfly. But when I painted the background, I got the shade wrong. Instead of a softer salmon-like hue for a background for a yellow insect, I mistakenly used a bright orange, so decided to do the butterfly in a neutral white after all--yellow would "fight" the loud orange and make the eyes hurt.

But when I went back to the park, it seemed the yellow butterfly was disappointed with the news, uncharacteristically came fluttering really close, so close I could almost touch him--only dragonflies let me get that close--as if to say, "There: NOW can you paint me, and paint me as I really am: YELLOW?"

I had to work into the night to do it, but he seemed happy when I showed it to him the next day.

Aren't you glad God accepts us as we really are...even if we ARE YELLER? Yeah, I know that means something a little different.

1% Inspiration... 99% Perspi... 99%Pepsi...99%Practice!

Why do some people have the idea if you're born artistic, drawing comes easy, and you don't have to study or work hard at it, altho' talented musicians practice 6 hours a day? Art is given no more worth than a fun hobby.

This was my first try at serious painting. Yeah; I didn't know trees could get pregnant until I tried painting them--this is what they looked like.

I decided to try watercolor, but then paint for the treetop leaves soaked into the paper and almost completely covered the sky. I checked, and quality brushes, paper, paints were more necessary for watercolor than other mediums. (I'm embarrassed. This is not an original, but one of those tutorials you follow the instructor stroke-by-stroke. I knew nothing about watercolors so had no other choice.)

I had to practice; there was no question about it! So I decided to work hours on brush control, studied elements of composition and the fundamentals of light, structure, color, did scientific research on the objects drawn.

And my artwork began changing slowly! Yesss! My acrylic trees didn't look pregnant anymore--in fact, my acrylic paintings began to look like the painting at the bottom of the page:

No one likes to have what little he may have, hold dear, and work hard for treated lightly, called merely "must be nice". 

But God bestows talent, and like saving Grace, He then asks us to work it out. I will go on enjoying His gift as much as I can. (And, hopefully, He will show me how to continue using it to please Him as well.) Whether or not my effort to make that blessing greater is or is not recognized by other humans cannot really lessen that enjoyment--unless I choose to dwell on it, that is.