The news channels? Your fears? Your circumstances? The Internet? Social media?

In Revelation 1: 17, John, the Apostle says,
“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

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“Grand Isle Fishermen”

Oil painting by Adele Bower

Now available as a fine art print.

For More Information About This Painting

I confess I’m not a fisherman. I’ve quipped before that I don’t fish because then I would run the risk of catching a fish….actually catching one on the end of my line and I’m not prepared to deal with that. But I do appreciate the love others have for fishing as a sport and certainly appreciate fishing as an industry.

“You will find angling [fishing] to be like the virtue of humility,

which has a calmness of spirit and a world of other blessings attending upon it.”

______Izaak Walton

Howard Chandler Christy was a great illustrator. At one point in his legendary career he illustrated the poem, “An Old Sweetheart of Mine”, by James Whitcomb Riley. The poem with the illustrations was published as a book in 1902. James Whitcomb Riley was an accomplished and famous poet. I don’t know which of these two creative geniuses would have been the most honored to be paired with the other in a book.

“An Old Sweetheart of Mine”

This beautiful book was in our library at home when I was a child and I looked at the illustrations very often, dreaming about what it must be like to have the kind of talent and ability as Mr. Christy. It is now one of my prized possessions. You may go online to see more of Christy’s art; I’m very cautious about posting someone else’s artwork in my blogs, considering the copyright laws. The book is still available on Amazon.

A few years back I was thinking about Christy’s ethereal style and tried my hand at it. I chose to use pastels and my imagination and produced “The Necklace”. Maybe I should write a poem, too.

“The Necklace” A pastel painting by Adele Bower

I learned a long time ago how easily influenced I am by great art. If I see a great painting or sketch I immediately want to try doing it myself……and I spend lots of time doing just that. My guess is it is helpful, but I always came away more impressed than ever with the skill of the one I currently admired the most.

Who knows? Maybe someone day I’ll decide the style I like the most and stick with it.

I first wrote and published “A Great Illustrator”, in August 2015.

It was a dark and stormy night! (I love that line!) Actually, it was true. Severe storm warnings had been issued for the Houston area again and was due to hit our neck of the woods in the wee hours of this morning. Therefore, I was wide awake between 2 and 3:30 waiting and wondering. The storm didn’t hit us until around 8 AM while I was enjoying a cup of hot tea and sweet cornbread for breakfast.

During that hour and one-half of the night, along with my wondering, my mind wandered to thoughts of our new Facebook Group page, “Whatever Is Lovely” and what I wanted to share on it when the sun rose….hopefully.

For a few of you who have been in one of my Bible classes, you’ll say “I’ve heard that before, Adele.” But I know you don’t mind hearing it again:

In my Christian life, nothing has changed me more for the better,

than reading through God’s Word…over and over again.

I thought and wondered why I find it so wonderful to read His Word regularly. Maybe it was the time of night, or the fact that I was fairly relaxed, but the answer came quickly: By reading God’s Holy Word I’m getting to know Him better. That’s it. I’m getting to know Him better every day. What a joy it is.

Feeling pleased that I had answered my own question so quickly, I realized I was almost humming the song, “Getting To Know You” out loud. Oops! Careful there; David is trying to sleep. When I remembered the song is from “The King and I“, I thought, how appropriate…..Jesus is the King of Kings.

The words could not be more fitting about how I feel about our Lord Jesus Christ:

Getting to Know You

Getting to know you
Getting to know all about you
Getting to like you
Getting to hope you like me

Getting to know you
Putting it my way
But nicely
You are precisely
My cup of tea

Getting to know you
Getting to feel free and easy
When I am with you
Getting to know what to say

Haven’t you noticed
Suddenly I’m bright and breezy?
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I’m learning about you
Day by day.

From “The King and I”….Music and Lyrics by Rodgers and Hammerstein

‘Til He Shouts!

“Cozy Cafe” 

8″ x 8″ oil painting on museum quality panel. Artist: Adele Bower

Doing a painting is interesting. First I have an idea for a painting. Then I plan it; the colors I will use, the size panel as a surface, maybe even the title……..in no time at all I have created in my imagination my greatest painting EVER.  I think, “This will be my big breakthrough, I’ll be famous, I’ll be contacted to teach workshops, hold TV interviews, offered a big time gallery showing.” You know….the usual. Soon I can’t wait to get started.

First things first…..I select the size of panel (a basic necessity….you MUST have a surface to paint on). I find references to suit my idea……a photo of flowers, umbrellas, chairs, trees and make a quick sketch on the panel, using a light pigment or a pastel pencil. Very good. ” This is going to be a great painting”, I say to myself. “I’ll start right now”. It’s about 5 in the evening and I’m tired, but….I’m so excited.

I should know better. While in art school often it was necessary to work on my homework assignment well into the night. The next morning as I packed up my portfolio to go to class, I noticed what a truly bad job I had done on that assignment; it even had smudged fingerprints around the edges. Too late, time to go.

But this evening it would be different….this idea is too great to wait. So I got started.

After painting for over an hour I was so disgusted , I seriously considered giving up painting altogether, then taking up basket weaving or making ceramic ash trays, but I have dozens of baskets already and I don’t smoke. I cleaned up the palette, washed my brushes, and stomped into the den to watch TV and complain.

 Morning comes. I fed the cats, made a hearty breakfast for my husband and I (sweet cornbread and hot tea…. coffee for him). I threw some clothes in the washer, brushed my hair and teeth and promised myself to get dressed as soon as I get the first color layer down. Still in my PJs, I finished it. Better!

I’m glad I started up again.  I don’t think there is much of a market for baskets or ceramic ash trays……..is there?

I’ll definitely let you know when the galleries and TV hosts begin to call.

For Information about the Original Painting of “Cozy Cafe”

For Information about Fine Art Prints of “Cozy Cafe”

Have you ever been in a real outhouse? I have, and so has my husband…..way back when. One of the vivid memories of my Grandparents home in Galveston County, Tesxas was their outhouse………. in cold weather. That impression stuck in my memory. Now every time I go into our pretty, star-themed “powder room” right off our kitchen in the winter (for Houston that means it’s way down to 60 degrees outside), the powder room is cold. For some strange reason our builder did not put heat in that room.

Isn’t this an art related blog? What does my outhouse have to do with art?  The first thing you see when entering our outhouse is the window. I designed it and had a company install it with stained glass overlay. See, that’s art, isn’t it? I love our cats and adorable cat frames (with stars on them), so what a perfect place to display them!

I also like snowmen and I have a fairly nice collection of them. This little guy was purchased for us by our daughter-in-law one Christmas in Disney World. He has stars on him, so he made the cut and stays there year round, keeping guard over my star-shaped wire basket of stars from Pier One. Above it all is a postcard from the Vatican, yes, in Rome, sent to me by a friend while she was visiting there. (However, no stars.) The beautiful golden cross was also a gift. Sitting on the left on the shelf is a stack of shiny, gold gift boxes (with stars), all tied up with a wide ribbon covered with stars, with two sparkly stars dangling from the bow.

Hanging from a fragrant bouquet of dried eucalyptus is yet another star. And of course, the soap dispenser is decorated with stars.

Right now I’m working on a sign to hang on the door to our powder room. I’ll use this patriotic star which was a gift from a good friend. She had visited the outhouse before and noticed a theme. Very observant of her. I think I managed to write “star” a dozen times in this blog. I like stars.

O Sacred Head

O sacred head, now wounded,
with grief and shame weighed down,
now scornfully surrounded
with thorns, your only crown.
O sacred head, what glory
and blessing you have known!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I claim you as my own.

My Lord, what you did suffer
was all for sinner’s gain;
mine, mine was the transgression,
but yours the deadly pain.
So here I kneel, my Savior,
for I deserve your place;
look on me with thy favor
and save me by your grace.

What language shall I borrow
to thank you, dearest Friend,
for this, your dying sorrow,
your pity without end?
Lord, make me yours forever,
a loyal servant true,
and let me never, never
outlive my love to you.

___________________________________

“Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” John 19:30

‘Til He Shouts!

The poem “O Sacred Head”, is attributed to Paul Gerhardt, 1656.

(I first published “On Good Friday”  on Good Friday, 2015. )

“Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey-riding on a donkey’s colt.’ “ Matthew 21:5

Tears

On that day…..the day we call Palm Sunday…..the Lord Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem on a small donkey. As the ecstatic crowd welcomed Him thinking He was the one who would free them from their suffering under a cruel and harsh rule, He wept.

“As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes.'”Luke 19:41-42

The Greek word for weep is ἔκλαυσεν…meaning to weep aloud, expressing uncontainable, audible grief (“audible weeping”). He was sobbing; those around Him could have heard Him but the crowds were cheering.

Our Lord shed tears of grief and sorrow as He rode the small donkey into Jerusalem that day. He had been rejected by His own people; He grieved for what they would soon suffer and set them aside as His representatives until a time in the future far from that day.

Triumph

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war. ” Revelation 19:11

“On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” Revelation 19: 16

Yes, Jesus Christ is coming again and in complete victory and triumph. He will not be shedding tears. As the King of Glory, He will be riding a white horse….not a small donkey. He will establish His everlasting kingdom.

Wishing you a blessed Palm Sunday with praise to Him.

‘Til He shouts!

1 Thessalonians 4:16

(“Tears and Triumph” was first published in March 2015)

Art by Adele Bower #DreamLovePaint workshop. Not for sale.

9″ x 12″ oil on gessobord (museum quality panel)

I love the phrase, “After-Glow”. It describes perfectly how I feel after being immersed in Dreama Perry’s wonderful online oil workshop, DreamLovePaint, the past weeks. I feel the glow.

Through my years and years of doing art of many varieties, my goal was always the outcome; the “outcome” then was either an A from my college or art school instructor or later a check for my work as a in-house studio artist or freelance illustrator. I held fast to that goal….until……Dreama changed everything. Bless her…it only took six weeks of lecturing me. Or I should say “admonishing” me. She is a gentle, but very persuasive teacher. But nothing captures my attention or makes me more willing to listen, than the excellence of the work of the instructor. Excellent is the most fitting word for Dreama’s work, lectures, inspiration and training.

“In Athens”, 6″ x 6″ oil on gessobord ) museum quality panel. Art by Adele Bower

It would be difficult to relate the process that changed my “goal”, but easy to pinpoint its origin….Dreama’s teaching about finding joy in the doing of art, and not on the outcome or goal.

That sounds simple doesn’t it? Just change your mind. It is NOT simple at all, at least, it was not simple for me. With all my Sanguine personality traits I also have a wide streak of practicality; I must have a purpose and a goal for how I spend my time. The only problem with that viewpoint is it’s just not fun at all and I must have fun, if at all possible, in everything I do.

I’ll sum up my “Glow”:

I now have more fun in the doing of my art.

I no longer focus on any goal, other than joy in the doing of my art.

It is inevitable that skill and artistic beauty will follow.

One thousand, six hundred and sixty-eight pages of God’s Word….completed………one day at a time. This is my 7th time to read all the way through the Bible. I will begin again on January 1. Thank you, Lord, for making it possible. I do not claim that reading through the Bible is all I need to grow in the Lord; far from it. But for me it is a basic, fundamental foundation.

“For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Hebrews 4:12

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16

When I’m tempted to quit I remember the verse in 2 Timothy above and ask myself; “Do I need teaching, do I need rebuking, do I need correcting, do I need training in righteousness?”  Yes. Back to the Bible.

‘Til He Shouts!

1 Thessalonians 4:16