Guest Bathroom Status

"Guidance"
by Wendy White

While painting theater scenery and sets, I was encouraged by my sister-in-law Wendy White, an amazing artist in Vail,Colorado to try some acrylic pieces, painting with just a palate knife. She is such an inspiration to me and so gifted. Wendy's work can be seen at http://wendywhitestudio.com/ . She gave me this painting to the right in 2005 titled, "Guidance" inspired by Isaiah 58:11.  On the back she wrote, "And the Lord will continually guide you...And you will be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters do not fail."  It is hanging  on the first wall you see when you enter my house, in my living room.


My first attempt at this type of painting was the Mary Did You Know painting posted previously (2 days back).  I tried making the lines come onto the canvas from one direction, do something or become part of the picture, and go off in another.  I liked the style, and splattering and layering the colors was a lot of fun. I wasn't happy with the composition though, and the small mistakes began to really bother me.  If you look at it long enough, you will see the crooked lines and maybe notice some things wrong with it, and maybe you won't, but the problems I saw with the lines really nagged at me.  I went ahead and hung it up in my guest bathroom, but knew someday I would need to go back and fix it.

My guest bathroom is the room in my house where I hang paintings that I am not really thrilled about.  You will never see one of Wendy's paintings in there, that's for sure. Those walls are reserved for pieces I don't want to look at every day. A painting with guest bathroom status is kind of like a "time out" for art work.  If you ever come to visit, and need to use the bathroom, you'll have to look at them while you are in there...and I'm so sorry.  Right now there are 3 paintings hanging in there that have been demoted to the walls of the guest bathroom, and their future is very uncertain.  Anyway, Mary Did You Know hung in there for about a year or more. One day I was so frustrated with a few things I kept noticing in the painting, that I just painted over the entire thing! Yes, I did, and now it's gone forever except for the photo of it.


I began to wonder if I should just stick to painting scenery.

Theater Scenery - Actors Conservatory

The Actors Conservatory Theater in Lewisville is where my kids began acting. I painted sets there between 2006 and 2008 for their productions.  The backdrops were all between 9 and 12 ft high and approx 40 ft wide.  It was a huge undertaking before each show, to get the scene painted on time, but I really enjoyed covering the wall with a scene that would set the stage for each show.  I used ordinary interior flat house paint and a really tall ladder!  My favorite scene was Wind In The Willows, which is not in the movie, but photos are on the Theater Scenery page.  More info about the Actors Conservatory can be found at http://getintotheact.org/.  Credit for the large panoramic photos goes to Joyces Photography http://www.joycesphotography.com/  

Mary Did You Know

Mary Did You Know?
by Cheryl White
Acrylic on Canvas, 24" x 36"
No Longer Available

I painted this one next. Mary Did You Know?  This is Mary and Jesus obviously.  I'm a mother, and thinking about her life just amazes me.  This captures the moment Jesus would be telling her good bye before he left home and began his public ministry which would ultimately lead to His crucifixion. He knew the price of what was coming, but still chose to do it... because He loved us.  

I know this moment between them isn't written in the Bible, but I decided to paint my version of what it would look like if it did.  

I begin with paint on my walls.

I have paint on my walls. Everyone has paint on their walls, I suppose.  My home has walls painted several different colors and our front room is washed in a nice pale sunny yellow, but that's not the kind of paint I'm talking about here.  The yellow room is my studio where I set up an easel and just paint, large canvases with acrylic paint mostly.  The walls are full of paintings I've finished and partially finished and paintings done by other artists as well.  And, in the corner near my easel, there are splatters of color that did not make their way onto a canvas.  Green, blue and red little spots that eventually should  be covered up with the fresh sunny yellow to match the rest of the walls, someday. But for now, there is still paint on my wall. I've decided to leave it there because I like it. I see it and it says to me, "go ahead and paint some more...you already have paint on your wall. "  If I cleaned it up, it would seem like I'm not free to make a mess.  Not a good feeling for an artist. But, putting paint on a wall is a very good feeling.  My goal with this blog is to share that with you. Enjoy the paint on my walls.

For His Glory

For His Glory
by Cheryl White
Acrylic on Canvas 17" x  22"
First Place, Denton State Fair 2006
Division C, Acrylic Media

For His Glory inspired by the architecture of Antonio Gaudi in Barcelona, Spain.  


After gorging myself with a feast for the eyes on Gaudi's unique, creative and bold use of color, pattern and style, my heart was drawn to our glorious creator, God in heaven, Lord of heaven and earth.  To me, this painting is a gentle reminder that nothing we create in our finite human abilities can truly purely glorify God.. but, if that is not at least our goal, then all is in vain.  It is not what we do or do not do that fails to glorify God... It is who we are.  


As an artist I can try my best to glorify Him, with futile results . . .  As His child, I have hope of ultimate success.