The Story of the Pink Flower
By Adele Bower

I draw and paint a lot. I even doodle. My old, tattered Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary says: doodle n: an aimless scribble, design, or sketch. I’m not insulted. That definition does apply to some of my artwork. I like most mediums including charcoal, pen and ink, colored pencils, markers, oils, acrylics, watercolors, whatever suits me that day. My latest medium is the computer.

One day while doodling in my computer paint program, I sketched a little pink flower. I didn’t have a plan or purpose for this work of art, just having fun. Right away it became important to me. I wasn’t sure why I liked it so much, so I saved it into my artwork file. Occasionally I came across the pink flower sketch and again sensed a special attachment to it. It looked so small and insignificant. It was just a quick little sketch.

I love flowers and work to keep some in our flowerbeds and in pots on the patio. Often I find a tiny little flower growing wild in our flowerbed. Fully grown, it is no taller than one-half an inch, including the stem. The blossom is the size of a grain of rice and is a beautiful, delicate pink. I thank the Lord for His incredible creativity and attention to detail. I know there are better examples of teeny, tiny things the Lord has created, but I don’t usually see those during my day.

Days and months went by as the Lord taught me more about the kind of relationship He wants to share with me. A theme kept appearing: The Lord Jesus Christ is the great God and Creator of the universe and I’m just one insignificant person for whom He gave His life. Now that’s grace. He is ever-present, ever faithful, ever-loving, ever-everything I’ve ever needed or will ever need.

During this time, I recalled a poem from high school English literature class:

The Rhodora-On Being asked, Whence is the flower?
By Ralph Waldo Emerson

“In May, when sea-winds pierced our solitudes,
I found the fresh Rhodora in the woods,
Spreading its leafless blooms in a damp nook,
To please the desert and the sluggish brook.
The purple petals, fallen in the pool,
Made the black water with their beauty gay;
Here might the red-bird come his plumes to cool,
And court the flower that cheapens his array.
Rhodora! If the sages ask thee why
This charm is wasted on the earth and sky,
Tell them, dear, that if eyes were made for seeing,
Then beauty is its own excuse for being:
Why thou wert there, O rival of the rose!
I never thought to ask, I never knew:
But, in my simple ignorance, suppose
The self-same Power that brought me there brought you.”

There it was, the answer to my attachment to the pink flower sketch. God had created the little wild flower, so small, so seemingly insignificant, yet beautiful. Whether recognized and celebrated by anyone, the tiny flower is its own excuse for being. The self-same Power created me, saved me and daily blesses me with all spiritual blessings. I feel a kinship with the little pink flower. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians dispels all feelings of insignificance for the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.”_________Ephesians 2:10

Feel the kinship……you are prepared….create!

I’m sad to say that I heard jealously in the extreme at the art show I entered this weekend. That is so wrong! It has continued over the past few days right here in my little studio. Oh, no, not from other artists or friends….no, no, no….but from my three other paintings I entered in the show. You see, only one of my four paintings won a ribbon; the other three did not. The complaints of the three losers have been aggravated by the ongoing,  smug attitude of the painting that won a ribbon, “Southwestern Kitsch”.

First Honorable Mention, Professional Division (Acrylic or Oil Category)

 Sibling rivalry is never pretty and often unreasonable. I’ve tried to explain to the other three paintings that there will always be another show to enter; art is subjective; judges are only human; “Southwestern Kitsch” was smaller and thereby garnered sympathy; but no….the whining continues. I’m going to put the “winner” in my art closet, turn off the light, and shut the door. Maybe that will help. We’ll see. If the “losers” continue to whine they will go into the other art closet, lights out, door shut.

As for me, the artist, I appreciate the ribbon…..and don’t play favorites; I liked all my entries.  There was a lot of very beautiful art at the show and I’m grateful for the recognition. Now the painting qualifies to compete in the Lone Star Art Guild annual convention at the Woodlands Waterway Hotel and Convention Center in the summer in The Woodlands, Texas. PLEASE keep that quiet or the whining and bragging will start all over again.

On a happier note, before the art show started my husband, daughter and I enjoyed a picnic outside the venue, under the trees and next to the tennis courts there at Kingwood Country club . Tennis was my obsession for over twenty-five years at that club. ( I even have a tournament trophy!) Ladies were playing right on the other side of a very high fence. I had just commented to David and Karen, that “Good tennis players rarely hit a ball over the fence”, when a ball came flying over the fence and bounced off my head. No kidding! (Not to worry…it had bounced once….and didn’t hurt at all.) I had fun teasing the worried ladies.

Back to the art show and my oh-so-selfish paintings; If you would like to see the “losers” (they can’t hear me!) just go to my website. http://www.artbyadelebower.com and click on Paintings on the navigation bar at the top. They are titled “Boutique”, “Aloe Vera and Friends” and “Texas Colors”. I’ll tell them you loved them.

“Art is a jealous mistress”_____Ralph Waldo Emerson

(I’ve always wondered what that means!)

Back to work. Wish me peace and quiet. The closets are close-by.

Yes, I’ll  admit I’m a show-off. When it comes to my art (or our Grandchildren) I’m a hopeless, unrepentant show-off. But, think about it; do you know an artist anywhere who works hard at her craft then hides it in a closet? Okay, maybe you do know someone like that, but it’s not me.

I remember when my Father would complete a painting he would bring it into the living room, place it in a prominent place and summon all of us to come see and admire his latest masterpiece. He was proud of his work. Of course, he had a gallery or two that represented him, so the painting would soon be off to the gallery or sold before it got there.

My point is, I come by it naturally…being a show-off, I mean. I can only hope I’ve inherited a little of his enormous talent, but mostly, I want some of his self-discipline, focus and determination. I’m learning.

I’m excited to have two venues to show-off some of my artwork:

1. The Kingwood Branch of the Harris County Public Library

“Featured Artist” for the entire month of April 2014

I’m exhibiting 15 paintings, in the Library Foyer, right inside the front door.

AND

2. The Lake Houston Area Artists

 Spring Art Sale and Competition

Saturday, April 12, 2014 in the Pavilion of the Kingwood Country Club.

12 Noon until 4 PM…a come & go event!

There is no charge and it is open to the public.

I’m exhibiting 4 paintings in this show.

Back to work…after all I’ll need some new artwork to show-off at my next show!

Visit my website, http://www.artbyadelebower.com