Christmas in June and July

(Grandson art) Izzies Dogs

Oh what a journey I have been on these last few weeks. The first month of 2021 was disturbing to say the least. My soul was crushed in many ways. My art and my soul are effected by many things that come across my path in a given day. Each day I am determined to find faith, hope and joy to carry on, even when the world looks so dark.

One of my main aims in life is to bring joy to children through my books and also my fabric designs. The little ones are my heart and soul. Why is that you might ask? Because children amaze me to no end. Case in point, little “Ruby“. I met her and her parents while on my walk yesterday. She was dressed in a sparkling and frilly purple gown. I said to her, “I spy a princess!!!” Her eyes lit up because in her mind she truly was a princess and someone noticed her! (Perhaps she really IS a princess! I love that thought!) Ruby held out a stick and announced, “This is my magic wand!” She was a breath of fresh air and made me laugh!

Earlier in the week I was in a conversation with my granddaughter. She wanted me to tell her a story. I began with, “Once upon a time there was a little girl who was afraid of dogs.” Her eyes got really really big and she announced, “It’s a true story!!!” She was afraid of dogs and thought it was amazing I was telling HER story. It was so funny to see her so shocked that I knew it.

Children are captivating. I can almost see little wheels turning in their heads! They are trusting and pure and joyful and eager to learn. Like little sponges they soak up the world around them. The thought of many of them suffering at our southern border (in the thousands now) or many of them being eliminated through abortion at the whim of a person sitting at a desk both astounds me and angers me. I have been told to, “Stop watching the news. You can’t change the world”… but that feels like a cold answer. Just ignore it? It feels so heartless. In order to retain my sanity I decided to look ahead to see what I might write and illustrate for our wee ones that brings a hopeful message that is loaded with joy….and hopefully one day the little ignored and forgotten ones in the world will be rescued. It is my constant prayer.

But where does Christmas fit in? It has to do with God, my Heavenly Father. In my struggles he brought me a surprise. I had been on Facebook when a free class popped up on how to use Adobe Illustrator to make a pattern. I jumped at the chance. I had been wanting to learn Illustrator in this specific way instead of my go-to, Photoshop. The class was a challenge and when I made my first pattern I was thrilled!! I danced around in front of my husband. He loved the pattern too. The free class was only the tip of what was taught in the full class which would cost a lot more. To my surprise and delight, my husband saw my excitement and agreed it should be something I moved ahead on. This 10 week class has been delightful. It has been “creativity to the fullest” and the other students are so inspiring. I believe one of the students is about 75 years old and chugging away undaunted by age. I LOVE that!! I can, and will, use what I’m learning in my children’s books and fabrics. I even helped my grandson create his first fabric design. (above) He loved it! I am still praying for our country and it’s treatment of children and women at the border and in abortion clinics. Talk is cheap. My action is to keep praying and to use my new skills to make the best books and products I can to bring joy to all their hearts and help brighten our world.

Shiny Objects

Almost everyone has heard of the phrase “Shiny Objects”.  I decided to look it up online. It brought me to a website for entrepreneurs.  The article spoke of SOS, Shiny Object Syndrome, and called it the disease of distraction. I have been distracted many times in my life. (Even this morning!)

When you have Jesus in your life and you take time to listen for Him, the distractions fade and Jesus, the true “Shining Object” of our faith becomes front and center.

I have been a Christian going on 45 years and Jesus has been true to me in every season of life.  Together we have walked down some pretty rough roads. Daily I learn of why I must be completely devoted to him. The closer in relationship with Him that I am, the more the world and its cares fade into peace.  His loves become my loves. His purpose becomes my purpose. He has taken over my house and I have never had such a wonderful house guest. You see, He is completely devoted to me too.  Jesus is my shiny object and I am still captured by his love.

“But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.”  Hebrews 3:6

 

BLOOM

 

Artists live a life of wonder. At times, it’s wondering what to do next. I will not lie, I have been wondering this for the last few months. I am looking for the sweet spot! It’s my favorite place to be in Art. It’s the place where you are working and you don’t want to stop. I think it’s a divine place where God kisses your life with ideas that flow out in a steady stream.

A lot of things can bar you from this place. Looking in the wrong direction, self doubt, self pity, self self self. Ha! Get the point? You have to get rid of the”self” part. If the sweet spot is divine, then you have to seek out the divine.

A few nights ago I had a dream. My dad was in the dream. Someone had driven him to my house. He slowly came up the steps to my house and said to me, ” Bloom“. In a small whisper he said, “bloom where you are planted”.
Then he was gone.
I woke up knowing the “divine” had spoken to me.
No grinding out ideas, just let the divine IN me out… to make the art I was born to make.

A flower does not worry about the bloom. All the coding for that bloom is IN the seed. It simply drinks up moisture from above and the roots go down and the bloom comes.

So… BLOOM today! You were meant to be like none other.

One Step at a Time!

Have you ever started a new chapter in your life?  Have you ever dared to do something you never did before?  Did you feel launched into it and found yourself in free fall? You are not alone. It happens all the time! Anyone who wants to do something worthwhile in life has to take risks and sometimes those risks lead to even more risks!

When my art career began, I was imagining all the possibilities. I dreamed of success. I created many fun little cartoons and talked about what I wanted to do with them.  Then one day, I ran into a friend who was DOING what I wanted to do.  She shook me!  She said, “Les, you have to go to the N.Y. Stationary Show and you have to go NOW!

I had heard of this show. I had many of my friends online talking about going.  This was back in the late 90’s.  There was something in her voice.  It was more like a command from heaven than a gentle nudging from a friend.  I made up my mind to go!

This was huge for me.  I had only been on an airplane once for a 45 minute flight. I practically sat on the lap of the man sitting next to me… asking him what this bump was and what THAT  bump was!    I decided I better pray about this trip.  I told the Lord that if HE wanted me to do this then he would have to make the way for me.   A few days later someone had put an envelope in my mailbox. It was  $300.00.  Enough for my flight!  It was not long until I was flying across America to New York City.  I met up with my girlfriend and stayed with her uncle and aunt. We took buses, rode trains and cabs.  Once at the show we had to pedal our portfolios. I am NOT a sales person. … but there I was asking people where their art director was and if I might have a minute with them.  Over and over.  Hmmm…. it became a little easier each time.

One last company sat down with me.  They looked through my whole portfolio and asked if I had anything more?  I pulled out one last picture of a little baby.  That was it!  That was the one the art director liked.  She asked me if I had any more and I told her I would email them to her when I got home. You better believe I was sketching babies on the airplane!

This was one of my first “be brave” moments. Over and over the good Lord has taken my by the hand and shown me what to do next.  Some would say, “you are weak if you need help for everything.”  But I say,  I am smart for asking.

I have a few more adventures I am yearning for.  There will come that day, when the dreaming is over, and the bags all packed and ready to GO!

What are you waiting for?  Be Brave!!!!!

A Brand New Day!

It’s a brand new day!  Yesterday was a hair pulling, weird, tweaking, changing, tossing, scratching head kind of day in the studio.  Those days come to all of us. Today started off differently.

I woke up, showered, ate breakfast and let my  little doggies out.  While standing on my steps I heard a noise.  I looked into the tree to see a HUGE something on a branch above me. I kid you not, it was so NOT a squirrel!  I kept thinking it was a racoon!  No?  Then it moved and I could see it was a huge bird!  I slowly walked toward the back door so as not to scare this bird off.  I put my small, rodent sized doggies in the house and hollered for Gary to grab the binoculars.  We walked back outside and found the best vantage point to view this spectacular bird and decided it was a Golden Eagle!  YES!   Just then the birds wings stretched our broadly and it took flight, right before our very eyes.  The wing span was HUGE!   I am still in awe of the sight.  It was then that this word came to me.

“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary.They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:30-31)”

Today will be a GREAT DAY!