We sketch; GOD has the Big Picture

Some want to see my drawing of Mommy as an elephant.  You've got to get the whole story. She asked me to draw an elephant, which I did. THEN she informed me she wanted to write a prayer letter about making typhoon preparations alone and feeling like an elephant when she had to climb the ladder to nail down the shutters (Mommy added that part of the drawing)...and I realized I'd been asked to draw HER!

Here's, not a sketch I drew, but a photo taken when I had my schooling in the U.S. interrupted for health issues and had to come back to Okinawa. My parents made regular clinic visits with me, and Mommy got me on an exercise regimen to get me stabelized.  We didn't know cancer was growing inside her body this whole time, and she met her Savior several months later.

What we saw as only a typhoon may've been God's way of getting mother-daughter to work together; what I thought was illness to get a baby elephant into a mud puddle in the Pacific may've been God's way of getting a mommy elephant and her calf together for their last few months. 

This? A recent 10-min. drawing, NOT of  Mommy, but sketched from a live elephant photo!

HE UNSEALS IT

"And when I had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say..."  that's way too repetitious, I thought. How come? I was working on memory work from Rev. 6:3.

No wonder. It was "HE" had opened the second seal. He, the Lamb. I am not the one Who opens the seals!

It was as if God winked, giving me both a reprimand and relief. Reprimand to not try to take matters into my own hands and try to solve puzzles myself. Relief that in God's good time, HE WILL resolve matters; I just need to leave it to Him.

Today's drawing is of a 5-min. baby deer who probably tried to scamper away on his own...hopefully not too far from his mother, who he'd be pretty helpless without.

Right. It'd be wisest for us to stay close to our Constant Guardian too. Isn't it good to know He stays close to us?

(Oh--I had only 2 mins. for last week's drawing of a sheep; this one was done in 5 mins.)

Do I Look like an ORANGUTAN?!

Memory work said "Behold, a white horse," so I decided to work on timed drawings of horses.

After all, society's leaders are the shining stallions who cross the stage to accolades and cheers, right?

But those "horse seals" were opened by a lamb, weren't they? I did 2,5,and 10-min. drawings of sheep.

After all, it was the Lamb who was worthy, slain; and elders fell down before the Lamb, offering songs, prayer, worship, and adoration...it wasn't to any horse!

That's what God wants, it slowly came to me: not the redeemed in heaven claiming to be perfect saints now, but changed into humbled elders praising the LAMB!

So where was I going to be in all of this? Well, I was probably just...I pulled up a drawing of a little ape doing his best to stay cool by using a leaf for a sunbonnet.

Wait...that's ME? Serves me right for drawing Mommy once as an elephant. You read that post, right?

A GRIPPING LESSON

 "Just a little talk with Jesus makes it right."

That's become one of my favorite song lyrics. Sometimes I wonder why I do anything other than pray. But I forget to do so again and again...

When I started drawing seriously four years ago, I learned, among other things, artists drew with a "football hold" different than the grip used for detailed writing with a pencil. When I learned all the reasons why, I wanted to learn to do it right...but would I be able to switch now, in my 60's, when most students in art school are young, in their 20's or late teens? I looked up to Heaven...no; God wouldn't be interested in something like this! I didn't even bother to pray.

I got out my colored pencils and began doing tutorials designed for other media. Covering that amount of space with pencil (meant for detail work) was exhausting. Was it the third picture? I looked down at my ow hand and realized I'd been holding my pencils with a "football grip" in order to color it in! I looked up and could almost see God smiling.

"You didn't vocalize it, but I heard you anyway," He seemed to say.

"Who teaches like God?" (Job 36:22)

GIANT GUINEA PIGS

"Today was Capybara Day? I wish I'd have known earlier; I would have gotten started sooner and would have gotten my capybara pic finished on time!" I muttered quietly while adding the last touches to my pencil drawing.

"What're you talking about?" the bird in the sketch seemed to quip; "you're just learning to draw animals, aren't you? You didn't know two days ago how to draw a capybara!"

True. I'd practiced drawing birds in the online Drawing Lessons, but that didn't show me how to draw capybaras. Then, in Lesson 2, I'd had to draw quite a few horses and human figures...but again, no capybaras.

But an empty spot of 14 mins.' Timed Drawings had been made up by sketching guinea pigs. Today, I saw a video explaining how the capybara was a relative of the guinea pig. (If you think about it, the capybara is a giant guinea pig!) Doesn't that mean even while I was doing the timed sketches, and completely unaware of what I was going to be doing today, God was preparing me for it by having me draw guinea pigs?

"before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." (Isa.65:24)

THAT WAS SUNDAY EVENING...

In yesterday's blog, I mentioned shelves had been cleared to make room for my art supplies, and they'd joined the other Japanese books in my stepmother's study. One of those books was by a quadriplegic artist, Tomihiro Hoshino. I began skimming it, since one of his books was featured as our church book of the month, but I found I couldn't put it down. The book tells how he was paralyzed from the neck down when injured while

teaching junior high gymnastics. Should he just die? But then he learns to paint with his mouth and shares delicate floral drawings and heart-searching poetry touching countless lives. I laughed and cried through the whole book. Yes, the entire thing! I'd read it from cover to cover!

And I didn't realize Sunday night, an online notice would show that Tomihiro Hoshino, after God had used him to bless millions with his drawings and inspirational poems, was finally Home. Alongside his photograph was one of his watercolor cherries, and below it, in his "mouthwriting": "What I do may be small. But if I can give thanks in it, it's big."

I suppose it can be doing a mundane task OR it can be accepting a meaningless tragedy, like life without the use of your limbs. I hope I'll be able to say "Thank You", whichever that may be. (Honestly, June?)

Okay. Lord, you know I don't have the heart to say that readily; so please work there to change me, ok?

Tomihiro leaves behind a wife...no, they didn't have any children!

EXCESS BAGGAGE

"You really need to let that go June."

I was clearing out papers again and came across something I'd held onto for years, something which served no other purpose than to nurse wounds of a wrong committed against me. I couldn't get rid of it for some reason--the sinner in me felt good to taste the bitterness time and time again, I suppose.

I thought of how it was like Joseph saving his ropes selling him into slavery--he wouldn't have done that--saved the ropes, I mean. He had named his firstborn, Manasseh, or "God caused me to forget my past toil". I resolutely, finally, threw my painful reminder away.

There. The next paper I looked at...was a short thank-you letter. How nice. I'll keep this! Wait--I felt a little jab in my back. I know people talk about how letters like this are good for when you're feeling down, but isn't that 

what the Holy Spirit is for if you're really a child of God? In actuality, can't having something like this be a needless source of pride?

Maybe for others, that's not a problem, but that's the whisper that came to me. I needed to get rid of this just as much as the first piece of paper. Okay Lord; I guess You know what You're doing. With a sigh, into the "circular file" it went.

Daddy's Lloyd-Jones commentaries and books have been transferred to the shelf with photographs, and other shelves have been cleared to make room for my art supplies. Most of the Japanese books were taken to my stepmother's study.

Oh--a 5-min. duck, 10-min. jellyfish, 20-min. tiger fish were recent timed drawings. They just wouldn't sit still, so I asked them to help with today's post.

TIMED DRAWINGS

"Timed Drawings". I can't stand the 2-minute things. It's supposed to be an exercise to teach your eye and mind to hunt for important things and just jot them down on the paper. In 2 minutes, you really can't get anything down other than the bare essence. Maybe those in art school who have drawn all their lives can manage to make respectable drawings, but this was the best I could do...see? my pelican ended up without his signature pouch lip! Have you ever seen such a pelican?

You feel like you can breathe in a 5-minute drawing, and a 10-minute drawing, you almost feel like you can draw a masterpiece...only, you KNOW I wasn't born with that kind of natural talent.

Actually, I don't know if even Rembrandt or Van Gogh would've created their works of art in 10 minutes.

It is only the Master Artist Who says "Let there be Light" and instantly forms a bow of colors across the sky; sprays a dark velvet canopy with glittering lights then gives them names. It doesn't take him 10 minutes to have streaks of silver electricity pierce the canvas of the universe accompanied by echoes of rolling thunder. Original beauty? Have you ever seen the sunset, waterfall, wildflowers, designs on birds and fish, marveled at the snow, ice, insects?

The other day, when I finished ten 2-min. scrawls, four 5-min. sketches, and two 10 min. drawings--in other words, I'd been working for an hour--it felt good to take a snack break. I had a slice of banana bread Chiaki Garner sent over for my birthday. My Creator can say "Let there be Life" and breathe it into being instantly, but I hear He gives parents 9 months' preparation time.

Why I want Gustav Dore's Pictures

Recently, I got a hold of a "Collector's Set" of some black-and-white Bible Story Illustrations by a Master Artist. A part of me wanted to give it as a gift to an artist friend who I knew thought highly of this Master Artist. But...

She would know no more than the item's artistic worth, I realized. She wouldn't be able to see the Bible characters and think:

JOSEPH had his brothers turn on him and send him off to foreign soil, yet God used it to save their lives in the end.

Can we not have our faith strengthened, when we see Gustav dore's pictures, altho' we can make no sense of circumstances today, that the God of Heaven is in control of all our tomorrows?

Rahab (mother of BOAZ, husband of Moabitess Ruth), was a prostitute, yet God chose her to become part of the Messianic line! How many children today, born into broken families with drunken fathers who abuse addict mothers or have to live in hiding from bill collectors and do not know a drop of sanity or stability growing up could see these illustrations and think there would be a ray of hope for them too?

SAMSON was a playboy by no means godly, exemplary, or disciplined, yet he wanted, deep down, to live for God, and God knew that.  JONAH was an insubordinate, bitter servant, yet God used them because HE LOVES and is Merciful. Can any child of God, in viewing these reprints, think himself too sinful for God to use for His Purposes? After seeing these, the question wasn't who we are, but WHAT GOD IS.

The God Who was able to bring a little rhinestone to me (yesterday's post) could bring this "Collector's" set to my artist friend if He really wanted her to get it.

He'd brought it before my eyes. He wanted me to get it, don't you think? So I cut off some of the top and bottom of the pictures and made my own wallpaper. Do you recognize the two pics from the Gospels?

ART...MEANS TO A BEAUTIFUL END

You may've noticed for about a month now, I've really slowed down posting blogs.

The biggest reason is because I've been spending much of my time at a site for artists. I'd been viewing their videos and lurking about their website for years. Yes, it's the group that showed how to make a book with the coptic stitch/how to make a zine/how to make a meandering book; like the staff people, I too chose color and animal for a self-icon and called myself teal turtle; I tried doing many of the projects called "Art Dares" at home; more.

In March, I took the plunge and became a member. This drawing? Called a "blind contour", it is made keeping the eyes on the subject being drawn, not once looking down at the paper or drawing utensil. The professor giving drawing advice really does look much better than this!

I thot I would be in my element having found a group of people with whom I could connect on something I loved so much--art. But I realized in a few hours, art had been just the way for me to express what I really valued. 

What actually thrilled my heart and filled my mind was God's Love for me, and if in any way, I could comunicate that...yes, THROUGH THE MEANS OF ART, I wanted to do so! I like to write. But I realized I had the insatiable urge to convey God's life through words! Sure, I could play around with music, but if through nice sound I could get God's joy into others' hearts, I so wanted to do that--those things went hand in hand.

I'd drawn my earliest pictures testifying to that. As timid as a turtle, loving art fervently, founded on the Word...but I purposely drew everything floating because I didn't want anything to be seen as anchored to this earth.

Keep your eyes on Jesus, not once on this earth or on drawing art sites, I gotta remember. It may feel like senseless scribbling right now, but all will be made clear One Day.

FUDE ART WANNABES

When my children were little and had to study Japanese calligraphy in school, it was not one of their favorite subjects. I secretly envied them because I've felt an attraction to using the fude brush.  I'd heard about Sumie-E, an old art discipline of scribes of the Orient, and I found myself charmed by its emphasis on simple lines. I'd wondered often if I could dabble in it, since I lived in Japan now.

But writing with that brush and ink, well, that was something my children disliked, I could see it was not something they would have the slightest desire to teach me.

I gave up the idea--thought I'd go back to doing "normal" art--techniques of the proper use of the fude brush really requires the personal instruction--whereas I could get plenty of other art teaching online.

My artist crow friend at the park, Ble Currie de Sans suggested I try "Kanji Art"; maybe it would be simpler than "Sumi-E" since I already knew some kanji?

Last year, gave me a chance to try it. Friends from Africa had a baby and named it "Tendo". I'm sure they'd want their child to know the "Heavenly Way" as well as to make known it known all his life, so I chose those 2 kanji characters for his name. I haven't studied any proper "shuji" (Japanese calligraphy), here is my first attempt at "Kanji Art".

Unfortunately, neither picture for today's post are done with fude brush; I need a teacher to show me how to use it properly.

MOMMY AND DRAWING

When I was in primary, I'd found some 3"x5" index cards on the floor at home, and since the backs were still unused, I'd scribbled pictures on them. Mommy had found them and had tacked them up onto the large family bulletin board that ran along the hallway.

I know many parents encourage their children's creative talents by putting things up on the refrigerator door, but this was a little different. It made me smile when I saw the prayer letters that made it up on the bulletin board had my illustrations (I told you about the ladder-climbing elephant, Dec.20,'22)! Some were "cartoon" prayer letters; others were my "An MK's Summer" letter to our home church pastor.

I don't know why I thought my Mom wouldn't be interested in my art. Probably because my sisters were gifted in music, and they...and my mother were top students, it just intimidated me to think about anything else.

But a few years ago, when I began sketching a teabag, its string seemed to curl protectively around the small tag.

JUST KEEP ON KEEPING ON

May of 2021. My first try at serious drawing was a frog. I got so tired drawing even just the frog; I knew I couldn't finish it. But I didn't want to just throw it away after working so hard, so I cut out construction paper for the leaf & photographed the frog on a blue jacket cloth background instead of drawing the pond.

The next year, I remember seeing several tadpole-turned frogs at Step Creek and not knowing exactly which one to draw.

One of them saw me and chased the others away. It seemed like his smile said, "See? I took care of your problem!" Then he posed stock still under the leaves along the edge of the creek, seeming to know I would then draw a picture of him.

My problem in Far End Pond 2023 was the exact opposite. I couldn't see the frog where the mellow sound came from. But he croaked consistently, persistently, faithfully, in the same place under those flat, round, green leaves in the pond whenever I went to that corner of the park. So I sketched the leaves!

The Croaker drawn this year? I decided to sketch the leaf and water this time. But I wanted to add a water lily too--a white one? a pink one? So I decided to sketch a white one with pink shading. Can you tell that's a water lily?

There are bound to be difficulties, irritations, questions, as we live for the Lord, but as the frogs have been showing us, God can always make a way for us; we just keep on singing.

THAT "TIDBIT"...

When my daughter gave me my first grandchild, Kinya and I were asked to go over to help out about three times a week.

The background? I wanted to draw a flower garden but didn't know how so just cut out the sketch of the baby and plopped it on my Bible cover. Well, of course I felt prayers he would find life in the Word.

I found that picture of "Pearly" and took just the pink gladiolas she pointed to with her tail. And I gave it to the young parents, congratulating them for their new arrival. They told me the picture was perfect, since they wouldn't have to worry about pollen and insects as if I'd given living plants.

Not only that. Naoki, my son-in-law, liked the flowers so much, he right away double-stick-taped them to the baby's crib musical mobile motor, and it fit just right.

I could almost hear Pearly saying with approval, "Looks purrrfect!"

I'd started serious drawing in May, and that was June, just one month later. I'm sure Naoki had no idea what a big encouragment he'd been.