Down the Columbia River to Nepal

Along the Columbia River

9" x 12"

Pastel

This scenic view is seven thousand miles away from Nepal and the horrific earthquake that has taken over five thousand lives so far.  Here along the banks of the beautiful Columbia River just outside of Wenatchee, WA one could almost become lulled by that old song...

Row, row, row your boat

Gently down the stream

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,

Life is but a dream.

But for thousands of Nepalese people, life is a sheer, mind-numbing nightmare today.  If you have seen any photos or news coverage of the earthquake disaster, chaos and monumental ruins litter the landscape.  Debris blocks streets everywhere.  Huge piles of building blocks and beams descend like motionless waterfalls to the ground.  Tents abound and people are milling around or lined up for provisions.  Two weeks ago all those bricks were in orderly structures with children's laughter emerging from homes or workers busy at their trade. Those people all had plans, appointments, dreams, and hopes.  Now all lays in devastation and turmoil.  Uncertainty, despair, fear, grief, pain....these are real human emotions being felt by real human beings in a horrible situation right this moment.  

Nepal Earthquake

8.5" x 11"

Graphite Pencil

I composed this drawing to help myself wrap my mind around what I'm thinking and feeling as I listen to the news and see the photos from Nepal.  Thankfully, the rest of the world is responding with humanitarian care and avenues are available for giving to relief efforts.  I encourage you to imagine yourself in that mess as you hear the news and pray for the Nepalese people as they attempt to recover and for relief to swiftly be distributed to all the areas that are in need. 

 That is my hand that I used as a model to lay under that board.  What if that really was my hand there? Or yours?  Sobering thought.  Our daily life routine can change in a heartbeat. We are always one step away from eternity.  What is important really matters...and that is to fully live in the now, living a life of grace and gratefulness, and to be prepared to face eternity.  I know of no better way than by enjoying a relationship with the great Creator God and looking forward to living with Him forever.

Those of you who were following my travels earlier this month back from British Columbia will recognize this photo.  This was what was left of my trailer after my tire decided to descend down the mountain highway on it's own without me.  The scenic Columbia River pastel drawing above was from a photo I took right after my own personal

"earthquake" there outside of Wenatchee, WA.  This incident could have been very disastrous to my life or all my artwork, but thankfully God protected me from all that.  Yes, I did lose my trailer.  That wasn't a joy!  But we live this life in a fallen world where earthquakes and trailer tire incidents are a part of it.  Good and bad happens to all of us.  God is usually the first one to be blamed as to why He didn't stop the bad.  But God is not the one to blame.  Read the book of Genesis and you'll see why.  As for myself, I choose to live my life gratefully and keep in perspective that this life is temporary and eternity is forever.  And someday all disasters, large or small, will not be a part of the equation anymore!!

Be brave and courageous!

From Harlem to Tel Aviv to Omaha

Study of Zebra eye area

4" x 4"

Watercolor

Not only is the plant life around here full of sprouting activity,so also is the cultural life around Omaha.  What a diverse and full week so far, and the week is not over yet!  Sunday night I had the privilege to enjoy the Harlem String Quartet in performance at my church, Dundee Presbyterian.  As usual I was there in the third row, center aisle to sketch away while listening to this grammy award winning group.  Here are the sketch portraits along with the musicians' autographs.  They took pictures of their portraits on their cell phones so they could each have a copy.

And here's a group photo:

Enjoy a few moments of their fabulous skill on this video:

Leaving Harlem in New York City, our next stop finds us in touch with Israel to hear best-selling author, columnist, and journalist Ari Shavit.  

The former Israeli paratrooper gave some perspective on what the Israelis are thinking about the Mideast crisis, U.S.-Israeli relations, and some possible roads to peace in that region.  The lecture was sponsored by the Sokolof Family Foundation and the University of Nebraska-Omaha Schwab Center.  It was held in the new beautiful Temple Israel here in Omaha. 

Have I lost you yet?  The last stop after Israel brings us back for safe landing right in our own backyard here in Omaha.  Er....make that the neighbor's yard.  I really have enjoyed their tulips lined up against the colorful brick wall around their yard.  So I captured their beauty the other day in this little pastel study:

However I think there's more than twolips...I count nineteenlips!  Well, on to the next stop tonight which brings a performance by my nephew Josh in a Loony Tunes version of Romeo and Juliet, and if that's not enough ...you still might be able to catch a lute recital tonight at University of Nebraska-Omaha in honor of Shakespeare Day, the day the famous playwrite was born AND died.  

That wraps things up for this blog post!  Wherever you are, I hope that you enjoy the richness and depth of living life to the full....whether it is in the warm soil of your garden or in the pages of a stimulating book or breathing the fresh air on a jog down the country road.  And don't forget to be thankful that you are alive...and able to do what you do that feeds your soul!

Be brave and courageous!

Hope Plants A Garden

Veggies

9" x 12"

Watercolor

The year's at the spring

And day's at the morn;

Morning's at seven;

The hill-side's dew-pearled;

The lark's on the wing;

The snail's on the thorn:

God's in his heaven---

All's right with the world!

---Robert Browning.

Turn off the news!  Go outside.  Take a deep breath.  Look for awhile at the sky, the distant horizon, the trees, the birds, the garden.  Yes....about the garden.  Every year this season brings out the gardener in many of us.  We are antsy to get those seedlings into the ground or plant those first rows of lettuce, turn over the humus, or feel the rich, moist soil in our fingers.  It takes hope to plant a garden.  You don't see the results right away.  You trust that there will be adequate rain and sun.  You hope that you can stay on top of the weeds, bugs, and four-footed nibblers.  

Study in Oranges

9" x 12"

Watercolor

So, too, in life, we go about our endeavors.  We hope that what we are doing is meaningful and will be of benefit to others.  We go on, inspite of what the news is raging about, inspite of war, horrible atrocities, and uncertain futures.  Countless times in history the power of one or the small to make an incredible impact on others for the good occurs.  Plant seeds this week in the garden of life that will leave a lasting legacy for those who follow...that they will see beauty, goodness, and truth.  And believe.  So that they will take a strong hold of life and be encouraged to build on your legacy, and go beyond.  

Here's a song titled "Hymn to Hope" by the group Secret Garden:

Be brave and courageous!

How to Get Royally Lost

Keep On Climbing

8" x 8"

Watercolor of my son Joe

Have you ever "found" yourself lost?  Then you can relate to my story.  Last night after nearing the end of a 10 hour drive from Butte, Montana to Scottsbluff, Nebraska I lost the trail....the Oregon Trail.  Which is right where I should have been...smack-dab in the middle of where all those ancient pioneer Conestoga wagons passed through.  I had successfully navigated busy cities like Seattle and Spokane on this trip, but somehow couldn't find my son Joe's and daughter-in-law Crystal's home.  It wasn't like I haven't been here before, either.  They live in the small town of Gering which is on the south part of the city of Scottsbluff.  I entered the outskirts of Scottsbluff coming in from the direction of Torrington, Wyoming at 8 p.m.  I thought to myself..."This is good.  You have made it in good time."  NOT!!  An hour later I drove up in front of their home.  What was the problem?  As I lay in bed last night trying to get the "driving-all-day-on-the-road-buzz" out of my head, I reflected on what went wrong.  And it applies metaphorically to all aspects of life.  Here goes:

1.  Be tired.

 When you are not at your best, the percentages for bad decisions go up.  Being rested enables you to be more on top of your game.  You bring a better perspective to the picture and can see more clearly the options and the choices you need to make.

2.  Do it in the dark.

Not a good idea!  All the other times that I have approached the beautiful Scottsbluff valley and the magnificent bluffs, it was daylight.  The very familiar and striking landmarks of Dome Rock and Scotts Bluff can be seen from miles away.  But....make it all go away in the darkness and sight direction is not an option.  Nothing looked familiar to me last night.  The more I tried to figure out where I was, the worse it got.  Gering is only 7 miles away from Scottsbluff.  The more I drove, the more I was heading down the highway towards Ogallala, NE.  So I turned back and eventually reached my kids' home.  In life we get our sense of direction from the landmarks of values and wisdom.  I have found God's Word to be my main landmark for guidance and direction in life.  It is so important to not be drifting through life in the dark, trying to figure out where you need to be going.  

3.  Make assumptions.

When I travel, I check on Google Maps for what routes to best take and what exits I need to be looking for.  Doing this all ahead of time helps to prevent missed turns and lost time.  I did this for all the big cities like Seattle.  So I assumed I could handle the Scottsbluff/Gering scene.  NOPE!  I didn't have my routes in my head....just assumed I could figure it out and not allowing for attempting to do that in the dark.  Like the Boy Scout motto says...."Always be prepared!"  I could have saved myself an hour of drive time at the end of a   l   o   n   g 

day's drive if I had not assumed I knew what I really didn't know.  The same goes for life...are you making choices based on what you assume to be true?  Or are you really delving into those choices and considering evidence for the best choice?  One choice that will matter for all eternity is what place Jesus Christ will have in your life.  I'd consider that one very carefully.  

I am one day away from being back home at my studio in Omaha, Nebraska.  It has been an amazing trip full of adventures, both good and difficult.  I can't wait to get to work on portraying some of the beauty I have seen.  Here's a few beautiful scenes:

Be brave and courageous!

Last Words

Purple Thistle

7" x 5"

Pastel

The last words that people say before dying carry a lot of weight, as it often reveals richness or poverty of soul within that individual.  This is what is considered Holy Week for many around the world as we remember the last supper of Christ with His disciples, and the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord.  So what were the last words of Christ as He was hanging on the cross dying?  Actually the last words of Christ are seven statements He made during those long hours on the cross.

The Three Crosses

Rembrandt

 The church has meditated on these through the centuries, as well as famous composers like Joseph Haydn.  Tonight I am looking forward to attending a string quartet performance of Hadyn's Seven Last Words of Christ.  The performers will be violinist Calvin Dyck (Concertmaster for the Vancouver Island Symphony), violinist Sonja Hindmarsh, violist Beth Nickel, and Lee Duckles (former principal cellist for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra).  Haydn considered this piece to be his greatest achievement.  The piece focuses on the gravity of tragedy and on hope and redemption.  Here is a link to parts of this meditation:

Art has a wonderful way of conveying what is deep, powerful, and rich in life.  And especially so for this tremendously significant Holy Week remembering of Christ's passionate love and suffering for us.  I find many of the movies about Christ's life coming up short of the horrendous reality He suffered.  But Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of Christ" is one of the best for portraying that historic event.  Here is a part edited to highlight the seven last sayings of Christ:

Nothing can ever come close to the actual suffering of Christ for us, as He not only suffered a torturous physical death, but also being our sin in our place as He endured God's wrath and separation from God.  He was both our sin and the perfect holy sacrificial Lamb of God at the same time.  Bring on the composer Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" in response to all this!  I hope you can sink deep into the truth of what God has done for you in this very special weekend and look forward with hope for all that Christ's resurrection and conquering death means, both now and for the future!  

Speaking of last things...this week is my last week to be up here in beautiful British Columbia.  Next week will find me wending my way back across the mountain states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming to Omaha, Nebraska.  Time to get back to classes and studio work!

Be brave and courageous!