I am SO excited for Easter! My heart is overflowing with God's joy, and I hope that by reading this post, you get a taste of His love I feel right now.
Easter is in the spring, yes I know. Normally my favorite seasons are winter then spring, but I have been under the weather for too long to be enjoying the snow!
Lent is a time of preparation; for letting what needs to die, die. For finally removing the old habits that have lingered for far too long. For letting God reign in His rightful place in our hearts.
Lent is most popular with Catholics. While I am not Catholic, I firmly believe in setting aside time to prepare our hearts for such an important holiday.
Christmas is very exciting to me, but Easter more so! (I am sure there are parts of Christianity that are more exciting than others to some people.) To think that a God so loving, powerful, just, and full of grace, would come down in a position even lower than we are, and let us hurt Him so deeply with our sin moves me. It baffles me that God would allow His sinless heart break in two as He poured out His wrath on His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. It also amazes me.
I encourage you to give up something to God this year! Last year I gave up Facebook. This year I'm going a bit further by giving up pretty much everything but Facebook on the computer. Being homeschooled, the internet is a huge part of my life, and I feel that using the computer should be for more important things, like friends and school work. And that is all I am going to keep it to this Lent!
Every time you are tempted, be mindful of His sacrifice, and how much harder it was for God to sacrifice His only Son than it is to sacrifice whatever earthly thing you could ever sacrifice. The Holy Spirit will strengthen you as you progress.
Moving on to a topic more artsy, I tried my luck at photography! I changed my blog banner with some of my photography, and I did so many random things. I'll post most of them! These are unedited, except for the collage.
Boxer's adorable paws. :]
A window in the city around Christmas time!
The big piano in F.A.O. Schwartz!
It was very fun to mess around with my camera. Speaking of photography, you should check out my sisters photography blog, Simply Snapshots! Tiffany is my favorite photographer, so you should really check her out. ;)
I will post some artwork soon; I am currently drawing Mumford and Sons!
I got the great idea from an art friend of mine to start practicing drawing faces from magazines. Luckily we have a drawer full of old ones, so I pulled some out and started looking for some close-up shots with some shadows so I can mess with shading.
I found a picture of Cameron Diaz- unfortunately I do not hold her as a role model in my life, nor would I recommend her to be anyone else's. But her face was angular, it was shadowed, and close up, so I gave it a go!
Yeah... my first try wasn't pretty. I didn't measure the distances between facial features, I didn't pay attention to how the eyes were shaped or the position of the mouth. I drew it on a whim, and I was pleased with it... until I held the photo next to the drawing. But I didn't want to give up, so I decided to start from scratch.
You can see part of the magazine under her face.
This is my second try! Two is the charm, my friends. I measured the distance between her eyes, the length of her nose, and the width of her mouth.I paid attention, I took my time, and this is the result! A BIG lesson to myself to take my time.
God's been teaching me patience lately, so I guess this was appropriate. I've been wanting Him to show me things that I don't think I'm ready to see yet. As long as I continue to pursue Him, in His time I know He will make a way. Who knows, He might open a door I didn't even know was there!
Upped the contrast so you can see the shadows/shading...
As you can see by the picture, I won third place! There were two rounds to the contest. The first was the judges choice; my picture was not picked. The next round was viewers choice, which I won third place in.
The picture now rests happily on my dresser. :)
I won a $20.00 A.I. Friedman gift card! I plan on getting some charcoal and paper, and working on more sketches!
This may be a small victory, but it is indeed a victory. All the glory goes to Jesus; He gave me this talent. I am so thankful that others appreciate it as well! He shows me every day that He appreciates me and my talents, and He longs for me to use them more. I know I can listen to Him more each day about that; this is hard for me to admit, but I don't draw enough!
Lately I've been learning that in the Christian walk, we don't have to work hard for God's approval. Little things every day, God has been showing me that He loves me and approves of me. He loves everyone, following or not. He longs for all of us to be intimate with Him, He wants us to be His friend. He is not against us, He is not a harsh ruler; He is our Daddy. Our heavenly Father. Our Abba.
Now that I'm realizing this fact, I want to do more for Him, more than ever! It's a beautiful cycle. He is simply lovely. :)
Throughout this school year, I hope to draw and post a lot more!
Hello again! I've missed writing on this blog. Life has been
incredibly busy. It hasn't been too hectic, so I've been really enjoying summer. :) However, I have not had enough time to write on this blog. For that I'm sorry. :(
Where to begin, where to
begin! In the first week of August, I went to Student Life Camp with
my church youth group for 5 days, 4 nights. It was incredible, and God
really touched my heart there in a way I've never felt. He moved me
towards missions, and my heart broke for the poor children that still
need adopting in the organization Compassion International. I know that no matter what I
do, God wants me to help people in all that I do. Of this I am sure.
I
had so much fun with all of my friends as well. I can't say I fully
stepped out of my comfort zone when it comes to sharing my faith, but I
made it a lot further than I would've without camp.
Sleep became priority after camp, as I am recovering
from a cold. It's nothing serious- it is just extremely long lasting!
It's in my ear, my nose, and my throat. A lot of ear drops, tissues, and
popsicles have been used. But praise God; I think I should be over it
in a week!
Fear not! :) The business of life has died down, so
today I was actually *gasp* bored! But the cure was found in my
pastel set I had received as a birthday present.
The finished product!! I am incredibly pleased with it, and let me tell you why; I didn't know it would turn out this way.
My absolute favorite thing when I draw is when I have no idea how it's
going to turn out. I look at a blank piece of paper, I pick out a color,
and I just start. A green strike down the center of the page.
Continuing from there, this was born. There were no high expectations to
live up to; it was just a beautiful exercise of inspiration. There was
no pressure; it was just me being real with myself and the paper in
front of me. I know it sounds crazy, but that's how I see art! I see art
as self expression to the highest degree. Remember to always be real with yourself; what
do you really want to draw?
I
made the pond out of the center of the picture on purpose; I didn't
want that to be the focus. I wanted the overall landscape to be the focus.
I wanted the pure blue sky and shady-green, rolling hills to be the focus. The darker shades of black, grey, blue, and brown are meant to be the foundation to this picture. Just brown dirt on the bottom of this picture was very boring, so I
decided to place the pond there. It is not out of place, but it is not in a focused place. It makes the art more interesting, I think.
These are the large rocks that surround the pond.
I drew these pebbles as kind of an after-thought. I drew them to create a frame around the pond as well as the mountains.
Here are some of the rolling hills.
And here is the completed project!
Here is a different angle/lighting
Here's a close up with flash... that's why there's a creepy shadow there. ;)
This is one of my better pieces, and it is definitely my all time favorite. It's almost like two pictures in one. The top is rolling hills, with a clear sky. The bottom half of the picture looks a little more murky and dark. The rocks are an interesting dividing line as well.
I like how the water is in a deserted-looking ground as well. The pond is small, but not too small and it is sheltered by rocks. It is a perfect place for any animal to take a drink of water. It made me think of Psalm 42, which talks about thirsting for God. Looking up the Psalm, I came across some verses applicable to my picture.
v.1 - As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, Oh God.
v.6 - My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan, the heights of Hermon-- from Mount Mizar.
I got interested and also found Psalm 107:4-9-
4 Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. 5 They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. 6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 7 He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. 8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, 9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
It's good to ask yourself what you want to draw and why. I've been doing that a lot lately. And I've figured out something. Living in a completely imperfect world, it's incredible that in such an ugly, sin-filled place, the world can still hold so much beauty. (Can you imagine how pretty heaven is, if earth in all it's sin looks like this?!) The whole earth is crying out for God to save it, and yet it blossoms into flowers every spring, holds such sunshine in the summer, shows off golden colors in the fall, and glistens with glittery snow every winter. This warms my heart so much, and that's why I love this picture, because it shows so much of God's goodness.
The fact that God can use my hands, my fingers, to create art that showcases His glory astounds me as well. I am so blessed, and am so filled with His love whenever I see His handiwork. My personal favorite is the sky. :)
Speaking of the sky, this song has inspired me a lot lately. Not to mention it's been running through my head so much!
When I'm feeling all alone With so far to go The signs that know we're on this road Are guiding me home When the night is closing in Is falling on my skin Oh God, will you come close
You light, light, light up the sky You light up the sky to show me that you are with me And I, I, I can't deny No I can't deny that you are right here with me You've opened my eyes So I can see you all around me You light, light, light up the sky You light up the sky to show me that you are with me
When stars are hiding in the clouds I don't feel them shining When I can't see beyond my doubt The silver lining When I've almost reached the end Like a flood you're rushing in Your love is rushing in (your love is rushing in)
You light, light, light up the sky You light up the sky to show me that you are with me And I, I, I can't deny No I can't deny that you are right here with me You've opened my eyes So I can see you all around me You light, light, light up the sky You light up the sky to show me that you are with me
So I'll run straight to your arms You're the bright and morning sun To show your love there's nothing you won't do (nothing you won't do)
You light, light, light up the sky You light up the sky to show me that you are with me And I, I, I can't deny No I can't deny that you are right here with me You've opened my eyes So I can see you all around me You light, light, light up the sky You light up the sky to show me that you are with me
(Oooh, oh , oh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh That you are with me Oooh, oh , oh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh That you are with me Oooh, oh , oh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh)
I was recently inspired to draw a portrait. I wanted the face to be simple and my drawing to be accurate. I wanted to have fun with the detail as well. This was the result!
This is the part I need to focus on next time
There are a few minor details that need tweaking. I am very pleased with her hair, but towards the bottom of the picture it looks less lifelike. I think I made her face a bit too narrow, but it is hardly noticeable. I feel like I captured the overall expression of Taylor Swift. I have received several compliments on it from family and friends. :)
What I am learning how to do is fix those tweaks before I begin shading and to be very patient!
The inspiration came when I pulled up an old picture I had of Taylor Swift on my computer. She is certainly a young woman I admire. She holds a high standard of love and doesn't want to find "just anyone" to date. She wants to find the one. She should be a role model for every teenager wanting to find love.
There is an art contest coming up in the Mamaroneck Library.
When I do get the chance to go there and enter, this will be my entry.
Taylor Swift is not just a "celebrity" to me (nor is she more than that
to me.) She is a beautiful young woman. Like I said, she holds high standards for love that
I think more people should hold (not to mention her singing is
beautiful). It makes you wonder if she has ever experienced God's crazy
love.
When you experience God's love, you don't want to find "just anyone" to be in a relationship with. God's love is the purest, most beautiful kind of love. It makes you view love in a completely different way. It flows through you; straight to the core of who you are. More importantly, His love overflows out of you and blesses other people. When His love overflows from you, you might bring more people to Him than you think.
In Christ,
The Artistic Believer
P.S. I just made a Twitter! Follow me, and I'll follow you! I also made a Facebook page. Like? :)
Recently I posted a post showing my baby self portrait I drew. Now I will show you a picture of my recent self portrait. Click to improve the quality:
2012
2011
The picture to the left is my recent portrait and the one to the right is one I drew last year. (Yes, I had the same hair style!! What else is funny, I look like I'm wearing the same shirt, too! :)) The differences are remarkable. It is encouraging to see. The details of the face are more prominent, the shirt has more details, and I actually added some shadows.
This was done by a window in a mirror. Because it was done in a mirror, the face isn't 100% accurate, but the details are still strongly prominent, which I like.
What I don't like about this picture is the shadow on the shirt- it is too dark compared to the rest of the photo. I think the nose could've been narrower on top and wider on the bottom. The eyes are a bit large as well. Other than these minor things, I think this is a major improvement to last year. I'm excited to see how this will improve in 2013!
Next, I'll show you some of my water color paintings! Stay tuned! :)
It is the hour to rend thy chains, The blossom time of souls. ~Katherine Lee Bates
Easter is definitely my favorite holiday. It's in the springtime(!). It's a time of rebirth and new life. The plants peek up from the soil, the trees sprout leaves, and we can (finally!) stop wearing all those coats, hats, and gloves. Yes, we are still in the middle of Lent, but with the warm winter and early springs coming our way, I can't help but feel that Easter is here now.
Once a year, we remember Jesus; His death and His resurrection, but I believe Easter is more than once a year. Easter is a time for burying our fleshly desires into the tomb, and rising above them to meet our glorious destiny. It's a time for nailing ever passion and desire to the cross of His crucifixion. God has a plan for our lives, and it does not involve temptation, sadness, and sin.
Ephesians 2:10 - For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Lent is a time for pondering. It is a time for remembering who Christ was and is. It's a time to mourn over His death, but rejoice for the resurrection. It's a time to reflect on our Christian walk.
The sacrifice of God's only son saves us all. His love goes deep. Think, even for just a moment, about God's amazing sacrifice and "how deep the Father's love for us" truly is. It will change how we look at life forever.
I have been sketching since I began school. It has always been fun for me; to try and capture what I want to draw, whether it's people or objects. Objects have won out for a while now. (see the doll above I drew back in 2010.)
However, I've found people are so much more rewarding to draw. People have certain features on them that makes them different from the rest, and you need to capture every line and shadow just right in order to achieve that. That's what makes it so fun! It's good to have that kind of challenge.
What helps me is to make a practice sketch. First, I draw a sketch like I normally do. I look over my sketch and the person. Then, in teaching myself, I draw arrows to point to areas I need to pay more attention to next time on the practice sketch. I found I need to get the facial features in the middle of the face, and a smoother mouth. I refer to this drawing now for future reference. This helped for a more even face, like this one:
Above is a picture is one of the first sketches of people I've made, back in the beginning of 2011. (Hermione Granger!!) I didn't have the tips and knowledge of art that I have now, so I will post another one to show any improvements or decrements I've made. (Stay tuned! :)) My greatest tip for sketching any person is to take their picture, and then draw from the picture. Obviously a person isn't going to stay perfectly still. This will solve that, plus give you a better idea of what you're working with. I hope you enjoyed the tips I gave as well as sharing my own challenges. If you have any more questions, feel free to comment! I will post recent sketches and drawings soon.
Welcome to my blog! This is my first blog post. Yay! My name is Brianna. I am fourteen years old and am in my first year of high school. I live with my parents and my older sister. I also have an adorable rabbit named Boxer. He will be turning six this coming April. I am a harpist and am very interested in the arts.
I am teaching myself how to sketch and paint. Right now, I am experimenting with certain kinds of art, but have found no exact medium I prefer over another. With a lot of ideas and determination, I am going to have nothing stop me from becoming the woman God wants me to be. I want to break the stereo-type of the typical teenager. I want to inspire everyone, young and old, with my art work and music.
I am my strongest critic, I believe. My biggest wish for my art work is not that it will become famous some day, but rather that it will set free the inspiration within me all the while inspiring others in some small way. Feedback would be greatly appreciated from people other than myself and family (whether it's pleasing or aggravating. ;)). I am still new in the arts, and will continue to get better, so any input is welcome.
The picture on the top of this post is my self portrait I drew last year. I hope to share past, recent, and future art creations weekly with everyone! If you like what I have written, want to see another painting or sketch, or just have a question, feel free to comment below.
My prayer for this blog is that my art would be like a mirror, reflecting to Someone greater. I pray you will see God in all of my posts, and that He will use me to bless you in the small way I am able.
