9″ x 9″, acrylic on hardboard, a view in Peaceful Valley, Spokane, WA. Painted on location 10/8/09.
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As I left the office yesterday I decided to stop by Peaceful Valley and do another river painting. I am really enjoying these little river studies.Just keep putting one foot in front of the other is about the only advice I could ever give someone who wanted to be a painter. Just keep putting it down, good, bad, pure, hokey, contrived, honest, it doesn’t matter, NOTHING matters except that you simply keep going! If you put your whole heart into your efforts (and only you know what that means), you cannot fail.
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The race is never to the swift and strong … but to that determined soul who was too dumb to give up!
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I have been reading lately some of Florence Scovel Shinn’s writings online. Here is a link. “The game of life and how to play it” is a wonderful treatment. So many little nuggets of wisdom here, this is profound thought that you can just skim over once in a while and let the Lord drop a little hidden manna into your heart!
Here is an excerpt that I liked this morning:
“In the twinkling of an eye,” man’s release will come when he realizes there is no power in evil.
The material world will fade away, and the fourth dimensional world, the “World of the Wondrous,” will swing into manifestation.
“And I saw a new heaven, and a new earth—and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away.”
Lately the recurring voice from heaven to me is very simple, keep putting one foot in front of the other, seek always what is good in yourself and in others. See the positive in every situation. Which is a challenge in these times as there is so much negative in the air. But keep practicing seeing the good and you will become stronger at it over time. The Lord speaks to us in very simple, basic terms, much of our “imagined” thoughts from God may be simply our subconscious regurgitating some teachings from bygone years. Always listen for that “recurring” voice in your heart, a guiding softness that establishes your goings. His voice is ever gentle, never condemning or harsh, always supportive, always encouraging, always love. The voices of judgment and destruction are not of Him, but derive from man’s own misguided carnal thinking (the fruit of totkogae). You can always tell the difference between life and death, so it should be in your heart, God’s voice will always be one of LIFE and never death. Health and never sickness. Prosperity and ample supply for every need, and never lack.
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I find in my painting lately a new-found appreciation of the briefest note, it seems more than that simplicity is unwarranted. Better to paint 10 humble paintings in a day, each of which are quick notes and jottings, than 1 majestic painting with every detail and niggle figured out.
An art that celebrates the fleeting nature of life, that reflects this sentiment, is important. I think my penny painting approach is really helping me, I am enjoying seeing what people like and then letting that knowledge guide me effortlessly as I keep painting. I once would have railed against such approaches, but finally I see what a pleasure it is to let people affirm at the lowest possible level (a penny!), what is wanted, what is helping. And as I have not set some arbitrary price point at which a painting “must” sell, then I am set free from my own conceptions of value, and die in the arms of my customers. Now they are helping to chart my path, they become my city.
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In chasing your dream, don’t be surprised at the adversity that will come your way! This is simply the Father “testing” you by fire to strengthen you and solidify like concrete your desire.
People today give up too easily. Never give up! I don’t care if your art (or whatever you have set as your goal) feels hopeless and aimless, and you are near to vomiting at the slightest sight of your work, DON’T GIVE UP, but instead throw yourself into the very cesspool of disgust that you feel and create shameless works within that place! GOD LOVES THIS and will move Heaven and Earth to come to your aid, just DON’T STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING!
We often feel like we have to start “changing things” or experiment more to find our true path, but I have found that this seldom really solves the root issues. The only real need is to simply stay at what you started out to do! There is the blessing, simply abide in the promise of God (like Abraham), keep giving glory to God in spite of how you feel within, or what your art looks like, none of that matters, all that matters is that you believe! Even if your body appears “dead”, even if your work feels contrived, repetitive, repulsive perhaps!, none of this matters, these are simply little tests to find out if you can stomach the journey.
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