Colors set to music: Stained Glass by Keith Green

I grew up listening to Keith Green's amazing music and much of it has inspired my painting. I am thankful for every note.  Enjoy!

1000 Gifts 881-900 and a Cake

This month Paint On My Walls is officially one year old and to celebrate this blogging milestone, I painted picture of a birthday cake with one candle for my blog.   I just love celebrating milestones.  It gives me such a sense of accomplishment to look back at the beginning of this journey and see how far I have come emotionally, spiritually and creatively.  

There was a time in my life when I really wanted to paint but couldn't even force myself pick up a brush. I wanted to worship God, but couldn't find my voice.  I wanted to live, but felt dead.  I have a story, and part of that story includes a dark journey through depression to a life I could have never known with out God's merciful love toward me.  This is the reason I am writing a list of 1000 gifts.  This is why I paint, and why Paint On My Walls is about celebrating color, light and life.  I celebrate all these things, because there was a time when I couldn't.  So in this post, I sing with paint and say, "Happy Birthday" to Paint On My Walls!

Birthday Cake With One Candle
by Cheryl Harris White
Oil on Canvas Board
9" x 11"

Since I am working with oils and a palate knife this month, that is what I used.  I loved mixing these primary colors until they were just right.  There is actually a little bit of red, blue and yellow in every color you see here, even the white icing on the cake.  I spread the white paint mixture very thick.  It actually felt like I was icing a real cake.  The only difference was, I couldn't like my knife.

My List of 1000 Gifts Continues...

881) Depression
882) Darkness
883) Pain
884) Sadness
885) Tears
886) Sorrow
887) Crushed dreams
888) Rebellion
889) Loss
890) Wishing
891) Hope
892) Acceptance
893) Understanding
894) Humility
895) Naming gifts I am thankful for
896) Contentment
897) Trust
898) Joy
899) Believing
900) Color, Light and Life

Celebrating Love

Water To Wine 
by Cheryl White
Acrylic on Canvas 24" x 36"
Sold 

 Happy Valentines Day!  This is a good day to post my first Water To Wine painting from about 3 or 4 years ago . Water To Wine is a theme I revisited often over the last years.   This was a really fun painting to do and it belongs to the Rauhausers.


I was inspired by the story of  the miracle Jesus performed at the wedding in Cana.  I love the idea of showing the blue water pouring out and turning purple and red as it is flowing down. Layers wine of it curve and flow over the wedding guests and bride and groom as if their cares and worries were being washed away.  This was a celebration after all, and everyone looks happy.


People sometimes skim over this miracle as if it isn't as important as some of the other ones, where blind people receive sight, or the lame are able to walk again.  There was no life or death situation here.  But, in that culture, running out of wine before the end of the wedding celebration would have been a grave humiliation for the host.  I actually like this miracle best, because it shows us that Jesus cared about what we care about.  What a perfect example of love.