Delays, Blackouts, and No Internet Connections

"Tickles from God" 24 x 18 acrylic canvas

Yes, I’m “On the Road Again” and my blog is late because sometimes I’m stranded where there is no Wi-Fi or online connections. Family concerns and adorable grandchildren have called me away. I hope you’ll stick with me until I return in a few days.

Before we left, we watched the All-Star baseball game on television between the National and American Leagues. We had to. It was in Minneapolis our long time home and the place where we met. Like fools we searched the bleachers for family and friends, an almost impossible fete. Don’t get me wrong. We love Fort Myers. But in our heart of hearts we’re always searching for home.

Meet another young girl and fellow artist who is always thinking of home. When Akiane was born in 1994 she came “trailing clouds of glory,” as Wordsworth gemmed, “from God who is our home.”

Even at the age of two she spoke of light-filled people, friendly faces, and colorful beauty not seen on this earth. To express her thoughts and feelings to her mother, she painted and drew portraits and landscapes that can be seen on her web site. Those memories which most of us forget at birth, seemed to stay with Akiane.

"First Daffodil" acrylic on canvas

Her portrait of Jesus was selected by another young boy who was featured in the book and movie “Heaven is for Real.” When his parents asked him what Jesus looked like and showed him the familiar pictures that most churches use, he said “No.” every time.

When he saw the painting of Jesus that Akiane had painted clear across the globe, he said: “That’s him. That’s Jesus.”

Was the boy coached? You’ll have to read the book or view the movie to judge for yourself. But as far as Akiane goes, the impossibility of that happening is near impossible. Akiane’s mother was an atheist. She thought her daughter was having dreams or using her big imagination.

Over the years, because of her daughter’s conviction and God-given talents, she became a believer in Christ.

 Currently, Akiane’s work can be seen online and at Mardel. Here is a link to her gallery:  http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/prodigy.html 

Don't skip the video at the end... it really is a "must see".!  

"Looking Outward" mixed media, real window/glass, acrylic canvas behind

Darkness is the absence of light; in contrast, light brings a painting to life!

Here the body of Christ forms a cross; the light creates contrast between the earthly and the heavenly realms.

A recent study of adults and children worldwide showed that what they fear most is darkness. This seems to be an inborn fear. For Christians this makes sense since they believe the light of Christ is given to every person who is born. Believers hunger and thirst for light in much the same way that all living things reach for the light.

A seedling pushes through the dark earth in search of the life-giving light of the sun that will nourish it and feed it as it grows. Even the lowest of animal forms seek out light for warmth. On any given morning in Florida, my sidewalk may be filled with lizards that crawl out of their dark havens to warm themselves in the light.

Snakes slither from their dark holes in much the same way. They become intoxicated and lethargic as they drink in the warmth of the sun seemingly blinded by the brightness. You can walk by them and they barely notice

.

Darkness is the absence of light. Since children fear what they cannot see, darkness allows their imaginations to run wild. Maurice Sendak illustrates this best in his children’s book: “Where the Wild Things Are” Sendak has taken what we all fear (the darkness) and allowed his character Morris to conquer his fears and put them to rest.

Darkness provides a contrast that makes the value of light seem brighter and whiter. This play of light and shadow is what makes a painting interesting.

Darkness is often used as a reference to evil, and good is portrayed as light. Darkness can also be seductive and intriguing. It is more difficult to ignore sin and temptation in the darkness. We are deceived into thinking that darkness somehow hides or “covers” our sin. Light reveals and exposes truth and evil. No wonder we run from the light when we feel guilty or “bad.” No wonder people, especially children, fear darkness because it leads us into the unknown and may cause us to do bad things.

How artists handle the forces of good and evil, of dark and light sometimes reveals their own belief system.

PETER PAUL RUBENS - MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS

Painted in 1611, Massacre of the Innocents is Rubens' interpretation of Herod's order to kill every young male in Bethlehem, as recounted in the Gospel of Matthew. Featuring nude men ripping babies out of the arms of their mothers and then murdering the children in front of them, the painting is certainly not for the squeamish.

Read the full text here: http://mentalfloss.com/article/31477/13-disturbing-pieces-art-history#ixzz2lDGtIVez 

The darkness of the background makes the foreground flowers seem even brighter.

Innocence lost -- Gone were the Good Old Days

"He Lives" 16 x 20 acrylic on canvas

I came from a small town where doors were left unlocked, people waved and chatted over fences, and children were allowed to roam the streets at will. In winter, I walked a few miles across town to ice skate, returning in the dark of night, never worrying about the shadows or the fruits of my overzealous imagination.

My innocence was shattered one evening at a movie theater. The woman who sat next to me called my attention to a stranger’s arm that dangled over the back of his seat.

 “You’d better watch him,” she said in a hateful tone. “You never know what they’ll do.” She pulled her purse close to her, keeping it a safe distance from the stranger’s limp hand.

To this day, I don’t remember the movie. I was terrified the whole time, checking the foreigner’s hand, making sure he didn’t touch me. Had he done something to the woman, I wondered?  Was she upset because he was different; an Iranian student, a foreigner to our town?

It was dark when I left the theater. I usually skipped home, knowing my mother would have supper waiting. Attending a movie, walking home alone at night had never bothered me before; but that evening, everything changed.

 I heard footsteps clicking behind me. When I turned, it was the man in the theater. Fear overtook me, the fear born of one woman’s hatred and my own insecurity. I walked as fast as I could. When I quickened my pace, he quickened his, or so it seemed.

I reached the safety of home several yards ahead of him. He took no notice, but continued his nightly walk, likely returning to his own apartment. But if he had gained on me, what then? Prejudice breeds fear.

So does the influx of strangers and the changing dynamics of a diverse and growing population. That year a baby sitter returning home from a job was murdered on her own front porch and time stopped. Our safe structured world was shattered.  People started locking doors. Parents were more cautious about letting their children go out at night. Our town changed. The whole world changed.

The culprit was a young man, a troublemaker who had recently come to live with his aunt and uncle.  Bouncing from one home to another, he finally landed in a place that offered hope and love. He hadn’t meant to killer her. He only wanted to talk to her, perhaps kiss her, but her frightened screams wouldn’t stop. He covered her mouth a little too long, and then it was too late. He fled in fear.

The town not only mourned the girl, but the sad young man who never had a chance. Foreigners, who first drew suspicion, breathed a sigh of relief and went back to minding their own business. Others covered up their misplaced blame with excuses, and life was never the same.