Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Wonder of Christmas




It was Christmas. The rehearsal was in full swing. Mary sat demurely contemplating the plastic doll, trying to pretend it was the same as the year before, when she had a real baby to love and hold. The shepherds, 3 younger boys came up the aisle. One walked slow and solemn, the others full of glee.

They came and knelt, and the solemn one knelt and assumed the prayerful attitude one sees on classic Christmas cards. The other two crowded forward eagerly and reached out to touch the doll. As soon as he saw this, the first boy began to signal frantically. That wasn't how things were done.

but Mary sat and pondered these things in her heart. The two had come with joy and eager wonder. Had the original ones come with such?

This is an hour's work on an index card and I'm afraid it's not the best. I'd like to have worked on it more, but other things await. Someday, though, I'll try again, and perhaps again, until I can hopefully capture the joy and wonder of those two as they pressed forwards to see the "baby."

Monday, September 28, 2009

Top 3 excuses for not doing art homework


""I had to make supper and that included picking the beans and then ..."

"We had a sudden influx of peaches and they had to be cut for drying and we have four driers and no one wanted to help and..."

"Horses suddenly appeared in my backyard"

I don't officially have homework for art, but my afternoon was interrupted by horses appearing in my backyard.

Filled with wonder and delight, I went out to see them, to see if I could get a glimpse of any identifying marks, and to hopefully figure out a way to encourage them to stay.

I was about 10 feet away when I realized it might have been wise to bring something to halter the horses if I managed to actually get close to them. This in itself was a little doubtful as they looked to be stallions.

Still, if I could... A cursory glance around showed little. There was a thin orange twine nearby, but it looked like it would be uncomfortable for the horse. As I debated, I slowly pulled at it, and meeting resistance nixed the idea at once.

I then pulled up some grass. Perhaps they would take something from my hand.
by now, our next door neighbours, (N.1) had shown up, as well as more children. I grew a little nervous as to how the horses would react to so many strangers.
Then the dog belonging to N.1 also finally got around to noticing that there were strange creatures in the yard next to hers, and began barking.

That, and perhaps my close presence, was a little too much for the horses. One of them decided to amble off towards the road. "All for one," the rest followed, although the last horse came first to me, and took the grass I proffered.

He then let me walk along beside him, holding his mane. I began to debate as to whether or not I should try to mount the horse. It had been three years since I had last done so. I was afraid of spooking him further. At the same time, they were heading off, and I didn't know how much I could keep up with them if they decided to go faster.

It was at that point the group of children and N.1 thought that perhaps loud noise would scare them away from the road. The horses reacted by going faster. I tried quickly to mount, failed, and ran along, grasping the mane. As they broke out into a trot, I let go, afraid I would fall else.

At this point I began to run alongside. A neighbour who works across the street and has horses had been called (N.2). I knew that the horses needed some sort of supervision. So I ran, feet slapping on the rough tarmac.
A neighbour (N.3) along the street called out, "lovely horses." Shooting past her, I answered, "Yes, ma'am."

Then N.2 caught up with us in a little cart. He was trying to herd them around just as a mini-van came around the corner. The horses spooked even more, and broke into a run.

I quickly dropped behind, and fearing I could do little, started walking back. I stopped to talk with N.3, who told me the horses had indeed come from the direction they were now running in.

Seeing N.1 drive by in his Rabbit, I took off to try and tell him the news. He stopped, let me in, and we drove to find that the cart had gotten caught in a ditch and the horses had stopped next to a retired chicken farmer and his field.

Another neighbour (N.4) had driven in after talking to N.2, and was keeping watch.

I went slowly up and tried to make friends again. N.2. told me to try and open the gate nearby. It proved to be padlocked with a rusty lock. So, I stood there, trying to keep them calm. They let me stand among them, and feed them a little, and pet them, but largely ignored me.

N.2, went and talked to the chicken farmer, and found out that there was another gate open around the barn. He asked me to try and lead them. That didn't work so much.
Then the one who had led the others towards the road (perhaps the mastermind of the breakout?) decided to move. He went around the barn and straight into the pasture of his own accord, leading the other "Musketeers."

After they settled a bit, N. 2 asked me to check the fence for apertures. Sure enough there was one on the far corner, where termites had felled a couple of fence posts. So I took up guard and watched them from a distance.

In the meantime, N.2 went off with N.1 and his son to try to find the owner. While they were gone, neighbours of the chicken farmer (N.5), came over with some boards and nails, and propped up the fence posts.

It wasn't long before they returned with the news that they thought they had found the owner, at work, but being notified by his father.

Horses secured, owner found, we went home.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

A spoonful of fun makes the chores go quickly

Sometimes all one needs to make work fun is a companion and a little imagination.

My 7-year-old brother and I were taking care of the morning's batch of green beans. He was washing, and I was stringing. At first work went normal.
He rubbed the beans and placed them into the bowl for me to string.

Then things got interesting. I think the beans first started missing the bowl and landing into the sink.
Then they were on the sink.
Soon he was laughing, and soon almost every bean was jumping. I kept insisting they were not Mexican Jumping beans, but he only laughed and the beans kept jumping.

Most made it into the bowl. A few landed in the dishes still unloaded. One even landed in the potato bag!

Afterwards, as we sat down to eat lunch, I doodled a bean on the back of junk mail.
My brother liked it, so I later added some color:

\
Jumping bean cousin ready for mischief


(We won't mention the time I talked my siblings into throwing the washing into the tree rather than on the clothes line)

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Joy comes in the morning



All was still. The tears were gone, leaving a quiet emptiness. Slowly she began to read again.

The words thrust home bring quiet wonder with them. For the moment, joy reigned.



This was just a quick little painting on an index card.

Initially I thought that this picture was just one of delight, even though while I painted her eyes, I thought she looked sad. The more I looked at her eyes however, the more it looked like she had indeed been crying, but had been reminded of God's goodness.

Not in a superficial way, but in a way that reached the depth of her being, so that for a moment "crying slept softly with joy" (Miller).

Saturday, September 19, 2009

A Colorado tree



I drew this while taking a break from the moving deer. I think the strange object floating above the tree is an attempt at an ear.

Sorry things have been a bit sporadic since I've come back.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

A growing wonder through sketching


I must admit, I wasn't quite sure what to make of mule deer when I saw them up close. I liked their ears, - but they were so different from our white-tail deer here on the east coast (never mind the little African deer I used to see in zoos).





Then they stayed and stayed and stayed. So I grabbed my sketch book and began to draw.




I now have several pages worth of little bits, perhaps studies, of the deer. And as I drew I began to really see them.

I began to appreciate how God had designed them and to see their beauty. It was a wonderful hour.

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