Angel Awards 2012

I just finished coordinating this event.  The purpose was to recognize outstanding volunteer efforts by members of the various arts groups in the greater Lewisville area, many of them were friends and colleagues and an amazing group of talented people.  I am so proud to be a part of the Visual Art League, host of this event for GLAA.  GLAA provides funding for many of the arts groups in the area  . . . and being the project coordinator for this event was a true honor.  Check out their site for how you can be involved and support the arts in our area.

• • The Actors Conservatory Theatre
  • The Colony Playhouse
  • Greater Lewisville Community Theatre
  • LakeCities Ballet Theatre
  • Lakeside Arts Foundation
  • Lewisville Civic Chorale
  • Lewisville Lake Symphony
  • Visual Art League of Lewisville

If you want to stop by the MCL
Grand and see the current show, "Just One Note", the administrative offices and art gallery are open Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m.  My piece in the show is below.  

Miriam's Song
by Cheryl Harris White
Oil on Canvas
16" x 20"

Dripping Autumn

Dripping Autumn
Acrylic and Acrylic Collage on Canvas
20" x 24"
by Cheryl Harris White
$75.00

I'm in love with autumn, and since today is officially the first day of fall, I'm celebrating it by posting this new painting.  I used thick, stripes of texture on the background and it reminded me of rain.  I liked placing the tree off center so we could focus on some of the other colors on the horizon and shadow on the ground more.  The tree, dropping some of it's leaves, looks to me like it is dripping with color, so that is how this painting got it's name.  

A Cross for Eve

A Cross for Eve

Acrylic Collage on Canvas

9 x 12 "

SOLD

Oil painting Garden of the gods in Colorado

Garden Of The Gods in Colorado
by Cheryl Harris White
Oil on Canvas 24" x  20"

Art Exhibition at MCL Grande in Lewisville

I have 3 pieces in the art exhibit currently going on at the MCL Grande Gallery in Lewisville.  ENJOY!

The art I have in the show is pictured below.

Hay Doesn't Have to be Just Yellow

I loved painting these three bales of hay. I liked using a photograph of a painting by Jay Moore, and creating my own  version of it.  Looking closely you can see that purple hills are not just purple, and yellow hay is not just yellow.  They are alive with color.  This is what I love so much about painting. . . To me, it isn't about trying to paint a picture exactly like a photograph, the beauty of it is, you get to choose your colors and re create the scene before you in whatever happy, purple and yellow way you choose to do so. It was a fun study to do for practice and I was very happy with my result.

Three Bales of Hay
by
Cheryl Harris White
Oil on Canvas
20" x 16"

Mosaic Forest, Oil on Canvas, 16" x 20"

This month I have been working on a birch woods scene using oils and a palate knife.  The viewer is in the woods about to come out from the shadows into the bright streaming sunlight.  The  trees glowing with color are a joyful door opening to the golden light bathed meadow beyond.

Mosaic Forest
by Cheryl Harris White
Oil on Canvas
16" x 20"

UNAVAILABLE

Harbor Scene

This is the most recent painting finished at the studio.  It took about 3 sessions and was done with oil on a 24" x 24" canvas using a palate knife.  The photos of my progress are below.  Enjoy!

Sketch, done with a brush and thinned purple paint.

Various shades of blue added for sky and water.

Warm tones added to the faces of the buildings

Bright orange and gold added on roof tops

Harbor Scene Study

Oil on Canvas

24 x 24

UNAVAILABLE

Easter Crosses

Four Easter Crosses... Acrylic Collage on Canvas board.

He Is Your Shepherd

Who is it that is your Shepherd? The Lord! Oh, my friends, what a wonderful announcement! The Lord God of heaven and earth, and Almighty Creator of all things, He who holds the universe in His hand as though it were a very little thing. He is your shepherd, and has charged himself with the care and keeping of you, as a shepherd is charged with the care and keeping of his sheep. If your hearts could really take in this thought you would never have a fear or a care again; for with such a Shepherd how could it be possible for you ever to want any good thing?

- Hannah Whitall Smith -

Evolution of a Landscape; Oil and palate knife

This is just a quick video I put together showing the progression of the painting below.  I LOVED doing this one.  My next painting at the studio will be a sea scape and even a bit more challenging.  Stay tuned for more progress!

Landscape with Poppies Study
Oil on Canvas with Palate Knife
by Cheryl Harris White
24" x 20"
UNAVAILABLE
completed at A Touch Of Paris Studio

But the Lord looks at the HEART

But the LORD looks at the HEART

Journal page inspired by I Samuel 16:7

by Cheryl Harris White

For this page I used a black water color wash, and red and orange oil pastels.  Written on the heart, is the Bible Verse from I Samuel 16:7 and around the outside is my prayer.  I dare you to pray it too and just wait and see what happens.

Inside the heart it says... "For the LORD sees not as man sees, For man looks at the outward appearance, But the LORD looks at the HEART." 

I thought today would be an appropriate time to reflect on my list of 1000 gifts.  Each gift on the list records a moment when God showed up in some real way.  What I learned from doing this was, that whether or not I choose to notice or acknowledge God and the good things He does give us every day... He is still there and He is really good.  I've noticed that whenever a horrible catastrophe occurs or and accident happens, people are quick to say, "Where was God when that happened?" or "If God is good, then why this or that?"  or "This isn't fair, why me, I deserve better... etc " I understand this line of thought, because I've been there too, asking the same whining questions, and that thought process lead me to nowhere but pain and anger, depression and frustration.  Writing this list didn't change the bad things that happen in our world.  There was still dying, wars, hunger, tragedies going on, but it changed me.  Instead of focusing on the negatives, it lead me to focus on the many small positive things and grew an attitude of thankfulness inside my heart.  Instead of arguing with God part of the time and doubting He even cared the rest of the time, I was drawn to know Him more.  He does have good things to give us, if we would just quit worrying about what we don't have, and focus on what He is doing and trust Him, we would all see. I learned that God cares and He shows us in a million different ways a day, invisible ways that most people never see.  I've been lucky enough to simply notice 1,000 of them and I feel blessed.  

Sow with Tears, Reap with Joy 1000 Gifts 981 - 1000

Reap with Joy
Journal Page inspired by Psalms 126:5-6
by Cheryl Harris White

I loved how this one turned out.  I found this picture in a magazine and matched the colors from the background with water color.  Then I used black water color and tilted my sketchbook up to let them run.  On the left I listed things that bring tears and on the right listed things that bring Joy. . . 

My List of 1000 Gifts Continued....

981) Watching Caleb's team play baseball with Barbara and Tommy                                                                                 

982) Sunshine on the weekend

983) Courtney's confidence in her decisions

984) Caleb's determination 

985) A comfy reading chair in my art studio

986) A great night of discussion with my book study group
987) More ideas than I have time to paint

988) Courtney's beautiful singing

989) True friends

990) Caleb's high five

991) Learning something new every time I go to art class

992) Flowers growing in our yard

993) Taking a stand for what I believe is right

994) A 30 minute nap at lunch time today

995) Character when faced with a difficult choice

996) Resolve to change for the better

997) Purpose at work

998) Spiritual Direction

999) Significance in Christ

1000) Looking at the life I have and feeling an overwhelming sense of awe, gratefulness, and joy.

A Little Rain Must Fall

A Little Rain Must Fall 

Journal Page in water color

by Cheryl Harris White

This was easy.  I drew five swirly circles with ink.  Then filled each one with a splotch of matching water color and tilted up my notebook and let the paint drip down to make the stems.  A wash of green for grass and greyish blue for sky and I was done.

He keeps my tears in a bottle and 1000 Gifts 961 - 980

Tears in a bottle
Journal Page inspired by Psalm 56:8
by Cheryl Harris White

This one is kind of deep, so I'll let you all wade through it yourselves.  I did the bottles and cup with water color crayons, the background is a combination of oil pastel and collage of torn paper.  

My List of 1000 Gifts Continued....

961) Hot cleansing tears

962) Grief so I better understand the sorrows of others

963) Knowing My sorrows do matter

964) Knowing that joy comes in the morning

965) and it is all the sweeter then

966) Psalm 56:8
967) Being a mom

968) Being free

969) Seeing plans come to fruition

970) Watering the flowers

971) Drinking in nature's beauty

972) The sound of life in the trees

973) The smell of earth

974) The sun

975) Being life giving

976) Bits of paper and glue telling a story

977) Laughing with friends old and new

978) Each numbered day unwasted

979) Photographs 

980) Worms, because if they are there I know it's good dirt

Seeing with the eyes of God

Seeing with the EYES of GOD

Journal page inspired by Romans 5:8

by Cheryl Harris White

  

If I am a SHEEP and 1000 Gifts 941-960

If I am a sheep
Journal Page Collage
inspired by Isaiah 53:6
by Cheryl Harris White

I thought this turned out really cool.  That's all I'll say about this one... and here is some more of my list! ALMOST to 1000!

941) Waking from a delicious sleep

942) Bulbs

943) Pansies

944) The first pink rose of the season

945) Work

946) Rest
947) Grass

948) Isaiah

949) Being loved

950) Belonging

951) Father and son talking 

952) A gorgeous day outside

953) Goals

954) My family working as a team

955) Hot water

956) Digging and planting in good dirt

957) Water in the bird bath

958) Flowers in the earth

959) Geraniums

960) Sore muscles