I believe one of the many things that bring glory to God is beauty. Of course beauty is from His hand; it is His idea. It is part of who He is. Beauty surrounds us… from the very small design of a snow flake to the awesome and vast landscapes and the wildlife that inhabit those landscapes, to the billions of spiral galaxies and the incomprehensible expanse of the universe. God is a God of beauty.
Therefore, I view painting as an attempt to point to the
beauty God has created. Art that brings Him glory can be viewed as a simple reminder
of His glory.
The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Psalm 19:1
This brings me to the subject of this post… a limited palette. I started out thinking I needed 20 tube colors to do the task at hand. The more the merrier was my motto for several years. But, I have stepped off that thought process and cut those colors down to three various combinations of primary colors. (usually).
Limiting the palette does not limit the results that are
possible. When I started experimenting with a limited palette several years
ago, I originally thought the results would
be as it’s name implies, very limited. However, the opposite seems to be true. Limiting
the palette actually solves some of the problems inherent to painting. Right out of the shoot, a limited palette brings
color harmony to a painting. It also fine tunes the color mixing process. Not
to mention it simplifies the whole painting process.
After experimenting with several limited palettes the past few years, I recently I tried a limited palette of Cobalt Blue, Cadmium Yellow Light (which I have used in other limited palette combinations) and Grumbacher Red. If you wonder why Grumbacher Red, let me tell you I choose this particular red because of a deep philosophical journey…. It was all I had at the time and was too broke to buy any other 😊 The tube I found is very old, and I believe Grumbacher Red is no longer made. Other reds come close.
This is a limited palette of primaries, and of coarse it
alters all colors mixed from it. Cobalt blue is not a strong, deep blue like
Ultramarine Blue, so to strengthen the dark values I also added Gamblin’s
Chromatic Black. When I try a new limited palette, I try to paint several
paintings from the palette to make sure I have my feet good and wet in the
colors. Below are examples of three paintings from this limited palette.
Down Time, 12 x 24 Oil on canvas
This first work is called “Down Time”, and is a 12 x 24 oil on canvas. The reference photo was one I shot while traveling across the Southeast corner of Colorado. I loved the late evening setting of this forgotten place. It was laying quietly beside a small two lane road, as if it was pondering the many years that had passed since the earth beneath it and it’s individual members had seen the activity of the living.
And let’s face it, there is just something intriguing about
old trucks. Maybe this is just a guy thing, I don’t know. But trucks are cool,
and old trucks have earned the right to be heard, or seen, whatever the case
may be.
Another truck….
This truck was sitting under the shade trees of a back street of Breckenridge, Texas. I found the subject very interesting and full of mystery. The stories this truck could tell. This work in on canvas as well, using Cobalt Blue, Grumbacher Red and Cadmium Yellow Light.
GMC – 10 x 20 Oil on canvas
This final example of this particular limited palette also
features a truck, as well as a couple old cars and a horse. All resting at the
end of a day up in Jack county, Texas.
Day’s End, 16 x 20 Oil on panel
The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22
The older I get the more I am amazed at the true meaning of the Christmas celebration. As we are soon to be launched into the inconceivable year of 2020 (sounds like the title of a Sci-Fi movie), the Christmas season our culture celebrates seems to be adrift in a vast ocean of meaninglessness. Christmas has lost its bearings; Also lost is the Story of Christmas. That Story is truly the greatest story ever told. It’s the story of light shinning into darkness.
C.S. Lewis had a God-given talent that allowed him to describe an old, familiar “thing” in a new and intriguing way. Like an artist with a brush, Lewis painted with well crafted words and revealed many truths that some had overlooked. In his classic book, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, we find these words spoken by Mr. Tumnus, one of Lewis’s characters in the story, as he was describing the land of Narnia as it lay under the spell of the White Witch:
“It is winter in Narnia,” said Mr. Tumnus, “and has been for ever so long…. always winter, but never Christmas.”
Still image from the 2005 movie The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Mr. Tumnus talks to Lucy about Narnia.
Those few words actually describe the world in which we find ourselves…a fallen world where it is “Always winter, but never Christmas”. Just watch the news for five minutes. Fighting, murder, lawsuits, on and on it goes. “Always winter but never Christmas”.
In “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, Aslan the Lion comes back to the world of Narnia after a long absence and the winter begins to fades away and Christmas returns; Captives are set free from the bondage of the White Witch. Lewis’ lion, Aslan, was a picture of Christ and the freedom Aslan brought to Narnia mirrors that freedom that Christ brought 2000 years ago. This is the story of Christmas.
We caught a glimpse of this “Christmas Story” in action this past October in Dallas, Texas. When Amber Guyger was convicted of murder for killing Botham Jean, Botham’s younger brother, Brandt, ask Judge Tammy Kemp if he could hug Amber Guyger. The Judge agreed and as Brandt was hugging Amber, he told her he forgave her. He said he was able to do this because of Christ. The Judge then stepped down from the bench, the place of power and authority, and told her God would forgive her and she then gave Amber her personal Bible. This is Christmas. This is what God did for us. He stepped into this universe, took off His robes of royalty and became flesh to redeem us.
right: Brandt Juan hugs Amber Guyger • middle: Judge Tammy Kemp assures Amber Guyger that God will forgive and tells her to read from John 3:16.
One of my many favorite Christmas songs is “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”. This song was written 500 years ago and English has shifted a bit since then. The title, which is repeated many times in the verses of the song, actually means “God keep you mighty, Gentlemen”. But my point here is the lyrics of one of the verses:
Remember, Christ, our Savior Was born on Christmas day To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray….
Years ago I did some freelance illustration work for several publications. One publication wanted an illustration of Jesus in a manger (which was most likely a trough hewn in stone) with a lantern casting a shadow of the Cross over the infant’s face. Not your usual “warm and fuzzy” Christmas image, but the illustration did illustrate the truth of Christmas.
Watercolor (Luma Dyes) on illustration board by Steve Miller
The reality is that Christ came as a baby for one purpose: To go to the cross, to save mankind from sin. Matthew 1:23 says:
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Think about that…”God with us”. God actually stepped into the time-space universe to be with us. Check out what John 1:1-2 says:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”
And then on down in verse 14 it says:
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
The Word came to Bethlehem 2000 years ago. But that was only the beginning of this Salvation that has been offered to us. It was completed on the cross. Christ came, lived, and died on the cross, and then was raised from the grave to set us free from our bondage to sin. The result of this Christmas story is that we are made “right” in God’s eyes, and then we begin to live out this life in a different way. Free from judgement, free from being controlled by our sin nature.
That is the Christmas Story. That is Christmas. Moving from darkness to light, from bondage to freedom. The last verse of that old Christmas song goes like this:
Now to the Lord sing praises, All you within this place, And with true love and brotherhood – Each other now embrace; This holy tide of Christmas – All other doth deface. O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Once we embrace Christ, once we believe the gospel, we are righteous in God’s eyes and His spirit empowers us to truly love those around us. That is what you saw in that Texas courtroom.
I hope you have a great Christmas Season and remember the awesome Christmas story that begin in a manger, in a little Judean town one dark night.
I understand that the 4th of July is all about hamburgers, hot dogs and fireworks. And ice cream. Ice cream is one of the most awesome foods ever created. But let me get back to the task at hand.
It is always good to remember the good, solid things in life and history. I want to remember some of those things and a few of the artist who were there at the founding of the country. The very thing we celebrate on the 4th of July.
John Trumbull was an artist who was a soldier in the American Revolution. He sketches provided a visual record of the war. He painted this large work which is presently hanging in the Capitol Rotunda called “Declaration of Independence” in 1817. The vast majority of the men portrayed in this painting governed their lives around the scriptures.
It seems that with a simple reading of the words that came out of the founders mouths about their view of the world and the birth of this nation, you come away with the truth that most of these wise men who risk all had a deep belief in the Bible and the God of these Holy Scriptures.
Below are JUST A FEW quotes from a few of those brilliant men.
Thomas Jefferson – Signer of the Declaration of Independence; Diplomat; Governor of Virginia; Secretary of State; Third President of the United States
“I am a real Christian – that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ. “
“I am a Christian in the only sense in which He wished anyone to be: sincerely attached to His doctrines in preference to all others. “
John Quincy Adams – Sixth President of the United States; Diplomat; Secretary of State; U.S. Senator; U.S. Representative
In the chain of human events, the birthday of
the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior. The
Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government upon the
first precepts of Christianity.
John Adams – Signer of the Declaration of Independence; Judge; Diplomat; One of Two signers of the Bill of Rights; Second President of the United States
The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.
Suppose a nation in some distant region should
take the Bible for their only law book and every member should regulate his
conduct by the precepts there exhibited. . . . What a Eutopia – what a Paradise
would this region be!
George Washington – Judge; Member of the Continental Congress; Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army; President of the Constitutional Convention; First President of the United States; “Father of His Country”
You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are.
I now make it my earnest prayer that God would… most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of the mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion.
Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, 1851
Jonathan Trumbull – Judge; Legislator; Governor of Connecticut; Confidant of George Wachington and called “Brother Jonathan” by him
The examples of holy men teach us that we should seek Him with fasting and prayer, with penitent confession of our sins, and hope in His mercy through Jesus Christ the Great Redeemer.
Principally and first of all, I bequeath my soul to God the Creator and giver thereof, and my body to the earth to be buried in a decent Christian burial, in firm belief that I shall receive the same again at the general resurrection through the power of Almighty God, and hope of eternal life and happiness through the merits of my dear Redeemer Jesus Christ
Alexander Hamilton (guy on the $10 bill)- Revolutionary General; Signer of the Constitution; Author of the Federalist Papers; Secretary of the Treasury
During the 24 hours he lived after his duel with Aaron Burr in which Alexander Hamilton was mortally wounded, the Rev. J.M. Mason recalled this:
Portrait of Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull
[General Hamilton said] “I went to the field determined not to take his life.” He repeated his disavowal of all intention to hurt Mr. Burr; the anguish of his mind in recollecting what had passed; and his humble hope of forgiveness from his God. I recurred to the topic of the Divine compassion; the freedom of pardon in the Redeemer Jesus to perishing sinners. “That grace, my dear General, which brings salvation, is rich, rich” – “Yes,” interrupted he, “it is rich grace.” “And on that grace,” continued I, “a sinner has the highest encouragement to repose his confidence, because it is tendered to him upon the surest foundation; the Scripture testifying that we have redemption through the blood of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins according to the richness of His grace.” Here the General, letting go my hand, which he had held from the moment I sat down at his bed side, clasped his hands together, and, looking up towards Heaven, said, with emphasis, “I have a tender reliance on the mercy of the Almighty, through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Samuel Adams – Signer of the Declaration of Independence; “Father of the American Revolution” Ratifier of the U.S. Constitution; Governor of Massachesetts
The name of the Lord (says the Scripture) is a strong tower; thither the righteous flee and are safe [Proverbs 18:10]. Let us secure His favor and He will lead us through the journey of this life and at length receive us to a better.
I . . . [rely] upon the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins.
Samuel Adams called on the
State of Massachusetts to pray that…
the peaceful and glorious reign of our Divine Redeemer may be known and enjoyed throughout the whole family of mankind.
we may with one heart and voice humbly implore His gracious and free pardon through Jesus Christ, supplicating His Divine aid . . . [and] above all to cause the religion of Jesus Christ, in its true spirit, to spread far and wide till the whole earth shall be filled with His glory.
with true contrition of heart to confess their sins to God and implore forgiveness through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior.
American Impressionist painter, Frederick Childe Hassam, painted “Fourth of July, 1916”
Daniel Webster – U.S. Senator; Secretary of State; “Defender of the Constitution”
The Christian religion – its general principles – must ever be regarded among us as the foundation of civil society.
The Bible is a book… which teaches man his own individual responsibility, his own dignity, and his equality with his fellow man.
Whatever makes men good Christians, makes them good citizens.
John Witherspoon – Signer of the Declaration of Independence; Ratifier of the U.S. Constitution; President of Princeton
I shall now conclude my discourse by preaching this Savior to all who hear me, and entreating you in the most earnest manner to believe in Jesus Christ; for “there is no salvation in any other” [Acts 4:12].
The evidence that many of the founders had and lived out a biblical world view is overwhelming. It should call us back to the solid foundation of our country. I hope you have a great and awesome 4th of July.
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” Psalm 19:1
Photo Donna Miller
This is also true of all creation, and this fact was never
more apparent to me than it was this spring down near the town of Ennis, Texas.
Pete Quaid
Through an invitation of a painter friend, Pete Quaid, we were able to set up our easels and paint on one of the most beautiful pieces of land in this part of Texas. The iconic Texas Blue Bonnets and the Indian Paint Brushes were incredible. Since blue and orange are complimentary colors, when you see them mixed together across the landscape, it is truly stunning. Seeing this visual buffet of color was almost like seeing the lights of Christmas as a kid for the first time.
I thought “this landscape must be God’s canvas, and the wildflowers
are His living pigment. The images He paints should make us all stand in awe of
His creative power and majesty.
Bonnets & Brushes, 9 x 12 Plein Air oil on panel (Steve Miller) This painting will be in the Paint Historic Waxahachie Show -Reception May 24, 2019
When you think about it, it’s kind of crazy, and yes even arrogant
to stand in a place like that with a blank canvas or panel, a few colors squeezed
out of tubes and think that there is a chance of capturing a piece of its
majesty. But we try it any way, perhaps because we are created in His image and
therefore must create, no matter how poor our attempt.
After a few hours on my first painting, I knew I’d have to return and paint another, and another. I went back to that place three more times, working on a total of three small paintings. Because I was enjoying the handy-works of God on “perfect” spring days, the time there seemed “magical”. It was kind of like the earth and its beauty was created for a purpose just like this.
Every day that has passed since I last painted at that location,
the flowers have diminished, their beauty weakened. The grasses are gaining
enough height to begin to cover the flowers, and I noticed the Indian Paint Brushes
that were once brilliant oranges and yellows, like fire on the hills, were
dulled and their life seemed to be draining back into the Texas soil. This
cycle plays out every year and it reminds me of the brevity of this life. It is
God’s warning to us, illustrated every spring across Texas- “The grass withers,
the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8 Our time
here has a “shelf-life”, and it’s not very long.
14 x 11 Plein Air oil on panel (Steve Miller) This painting will be in the Paint Historic Waxahachie Show -Reception May 24, 2019
When I think about the fleeting beauty of this natural world,
a world that has been racked by sin and its influence, I am amazed by God’s
grace to us. He still pours out His kindness to us, some of which can be seen
across the landscape. This display every spring begs the question – If this
world, even with Its curse of sin, can display such beauty, how much more will
the beauty of Heaven be?
Here is a clue: The last half of I Corinthians 2:9 says “No
eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared
for those who love Him.”
We can’t even imagine the beauty there in heaven. And, He
has made it available through the blood of Christ to all who believe.
The wildflowers there must truly be out of this world 😊
(special thanks to Jim for allowing myself and several other artist to paint on the property)
Recently, the Ellis County Art Association (a group I am a member of) ask me to demo the method and technique that I use while painting in oils. I am always a bit apprehensive when I agree to do a painting demo. The reason is two-fold. First is this: the cold reality begins to set in that I have so much to learn about painting. It’s been a long journey with many miles to go. It’s hard to ignore all the things I don’t know while sharing what I do know.
The second I am apprehensive about is this: I have attended several painting demos and the truth of the matter is that they can be boring… like watching grass grow boring. Because of that, I’m afraid someone will fall into sweet slumber during the demo and topple off their chair and hurt themselves. (smile) It could get ugly quick.
Ellis County Art Association Monthly Meeting
However, during this particular demo the latter did not happen, at least to my knowledge. But I did remain a bit anxious as I worked my way through the painting as it revealed the many areas in the process where I remain weak.
The subject I selected to paint was located in east Tennessee, outside a little place called Pikesville, which is not far from Dayton, Tennessee, of the Scopes Monkey Trial fame.
12 x 9 oil on gessoed paper
While driving through the beautiful county side of that area we came across a couple buildings; one was a barn, the other a small shed. Both were sporting the classic attire of that region, which was bright “barn red” paint. The visual impact of these red out buildings against the backdrop of the varying shades of emerald green demanded some kind of attention. I shot photos, drove back by and shot some more photos, with the intent to eventually capture the sense of place in an oil painting or two.
During this same trip, my son, my wife and sister-in-law visited the Fall Creek Falls park, also in the area. I had my plein air gear so we all carried a piece and all important snacks and such and climbed down the crazy side of the canyon style ravine, holding onto a cable. Once at the bottom, we were rewarded by the beautiful Fall Creek Falls. I sat up my easel and paint a couple hours before joining the other in the cold, clear mountain stream and the base of the falls.
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
I really like a good change of weather. I like to see a cold winter storm blow in, snow and ice are refreshing in my opinion. And the cold days really help us to appreciate the warm days of spring.
Can You See Me? Photo by Donna Miller
A few days after this past Christmas just a few weeks ago, my wife and I escaped the big city and ran for the wide open spaces of the Texas Panhandle. I know, that location doesn’t seem very exotic or romantic or have much anybody would want to go to. But we actually love it. The people are few and far between and the mule deer are abundant. Its a great time to enjoy what God has created, chill out (which we really did with a wind-chill of 19) and refresh from the madness of the city.
Since the panhandle is so sparsely populated, especially in the area around Cap Rock Canyon, there are not a lot of choices in places to stay the night. We stayed in Turkey (home of Bob Wills) in an old, almost 100 year old hotel which was an experience in itself. Turkey is about 10 miles from Cap Rock Canyon which was our final destination. It’s a beautiful place full of wildlife and the painting possibilities are endless.
Three White-tails… photo by Donna Miller
I took my easel with a goal to set up and paint three small paintings. My wife took her camera and lens looking for that unique “wow” shot that sometimes presents itself if you look hard enough. But it was cold. We could have done cold, but the wind was blowing like a lost hurricane that wondered up from the coast.
Driving and shooting photos was an easy out… just couldn’t make myself drag that easel out in the wind.
As we drove around the canyon area my wife was able to shoot some awesome photos of mule and white-tailed deer. We came across several groups of does who were being escorted, or I guess “courted” by a single buck who would always be reluctant to leave the does.
The formation in the background is called Cap Rock Point.
Finally I couldn’t bear heading home without setting up and attempting a painting. I figured I could paint a couple of hours before the cold wind really got to me. Ok, wasnt’ the best plan I have had but I did set up and sqeeze out some paint and stuck with it the next two hours. As I mentioned, the wind-chill was 19 degrees and and by the time I finished I was chilled to the bone. Although the cold did effect what I wanted to do on the canvas, I still enjoyed the painting process. Below is the frigid result.
12 x 9 Oil on panel – Cap Rock Point
For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land.
Over the years I have shot many photos to use as reference for paintings. In search for one particular photos recently, I came across another I had forgotten about. It was a snow scene I shot one winter here in Texas. I always loved the photo but had never created a painting based on it. So, I decided to remedy that issue and painted the work below titled “Let It Snow”.
In this part of Texas our evergreen trees are very limited. No spruce, no firs. You can’t go out and cut a native “Christmas Tree”, unless it’s a cedar. And they are not the best evergreens to use for that purpose. The tree in the foreground of this painting is a cedar. During the time I was working on this painting, I was reminded of another tree from the past.
Let it Snow, 14 x 11 Oil on Panel by Steve Miller
It must have been about 1970. It was a cold day in north Georgia and Christmas was approaching rather quickly. My family and I had traveled to Lafayette, Georgia to visit my grandpa on my dad’s side of the family. I remember the warm house, (usually too warm), the various smells of breakfast that lingered, and the linoleum floor and Naugahyde couch and chair. Like many of our grandparents’ houses, it had it’s unique ambiance and well-worn sense of place.
One of the first things I noticed was that there was no Christmas Tree. My “Grandpa Miller” was not known for embracing the “warm and fuzzy” things of Christmas. I think he loved Christmas as well as anyone; He just didn’t spend time making things look like Christmas. Maybe because they had come through the depression and life had simply not been an easy road, but sparse and lean, visually speaking, seemed as good to him as lavish and well decorated.
I’m not really sure how the Christmas decoration responsibilities were assigned, but I do believe it was my Grandpa’s lot to take care of the tree. His choice of trees was something you had to see. They were usually something he cut down after a five-minute search in the woods that surrounded his house. It might be a four-foot, ratty looking cedar tree or a very small pine tree that looked like a limb cut from a larger tree. Some of grandpa’s Christmas trees would have made the notorious “Charlie Brown” Christmas tree look rather luxurious. But as I mentioned, this Christmas season the living room lacked even the poorest of trees.
Charlie Brown Christmas Tree
Since I was looking for an escape from the boredom of the household goings on, and to escape the accumulating heat in the house that was only going to get worse, I assigned myself the task of heading out into the country side to find and cut a tree. In my mind, my tree would be an awesome upgrade from the sad tree’s grandpa was gifted at finding and incorporating into the Christmas celebrations.
Armed with Grandpa’s bow saw, I set out on the quest. The first leg of the journey was to go down the hill towards my Uncle Red’s old homestead, which was about a quarter mile or so from my Grandpa’s house. I think I was told to look for a tree on Uncle Red’s land and not cut someone else’s tree. An act of treachery I had been guilty of in the past. Problem was I was not a surveyor at the age of 12 or so, and I found no obvious boundaries for Uncle Red’s land. I figured if I could see it and walk on it, it must be his.
One of Norman Rockwell’s many Christmas Illustrations
Having roamed around the creek bottoms (Uncle Red’s land backed up to a wide creek where we would swim in the summer) and finding nothing I deemed good enough to replace my Grandpa’s Charlie Brown tree, I walked on down the road to a bridge, which was the only place to cross the creek. After crossing the bridge, I walked the eighth mile or so back towards Red’s house, but now I was on the opposite side of the creek and Uncle Red’s house, and of course the road back to Grandpa’s house. But when you are 12, logistics mean nothing. After wandering around a bit, I finally laid my eyes on “the Tree”. Even though it was not the optimum species of trees that make it to the Christmas tree farms and sold in the various cities and towns, it was in my opinion the best shaped cedar tree I had ever seen. I imagined it in Grandpa’s living room all decorated and emitting the awesome Christmas ambiance that was missing.
With all these warm and fuzzy thoughts bouncing around in my head, I proceeded with my self-imposed mission. I used the bow saw and cut the tree. Once cut, reality and the before missing logistics begin so nudge its way into my overly optimistic brain. I now realized that I had some walking to do to get my “perfect” tree back down to the bridge, across the creek and up the hill to the barren living room. Compromise means to settle a dispute my making a concession between the two opposing sides. This was the first compromise I had to make to get the tree back to Grandpa’s house. To avoid walking all the way back down the field to the bridge and then back up to Uncle Red’s house, which was still a good quarter mile from the top of the hill where Grandpa’s house was, I decided to cross the creek at a shallow place below Uncle Red’s house. The “Crossing” was a shallow place that allowed folks would drive their cars right down into the creek and wash their cars in the warm days of summer. It was now a few days before Christmas in north Georgia and the temperature was a bit on the cold side. But I had to cross, had to get the “perfect” tree back up the hill and restore Christmas to Grandpa’s house. I removed my shoes and socks, and with saw, shoes and socks in tow, I dragged the tree across the creek and up the bank on the other side, saving a lot of backtracking to the bridge. Once I put my socks and shoes back on my now freezing feet, I started up the last leg of the trip, dragging the perfect tree on the rough asphalt back up the quarter mile hill to it’s final destination.
Merry Christmas by Dainish painter Viggo Johansen (1851-1935
Even though gravity was a very helpful friend when I started this odyssey from the top of the hill, it was now a foe, and a very unkind one at that. In fact it was very malicious to a 12-year-old dragging the perfect tree back up the hill to be enjoyed by all. The other thing about gravity is that it is quick to betray folks who are gullible. A couple of hours earlier It had lured me down the hill in complete ease. Now it offered only growing resistance as I made my way back up the hill. It added unexpected weight to my perfect tree with each step.
Being a bit hard-headed, I stuck with it and finally arrived at the treeless house in the wood on top of the hill. I could imagine the chorus of praise as all the inhabitants of the house laid eyes on my perfect tree. The younger inhabitants of that treeless house were no doubt elated to see a Christmas tree and excited to decorate it, as well as bask in the Christmas season with a perfect Christmas tree. But the older ones, those who could reason, which is to say that “it was not their first rodeo”, just stood and looked at my perfect tree with some unexpected expressions on their faces. Then came the words. I can’t remember the words exactly, but they bounced around in my head being edited by reality and mixed with expectation. “Your perfect tree will not fit through the door of the house, and if it would fit through the door, we don’t have a 15-foot ceiling…What were you thinking?”
That awesome “perfect” tree, sitting in the rural country side under the north Georgia sky, didn’t look all that big. I mean really, what was a 12-year-old to compare it to? My perfect tree was dwarfed under the winter sky, sitting in a large field boarded by 100-foot-tall popular and pine trees. My problem was that I lacked some information and my perspective was off. Even though I was trying to help, with the right motives, I wasn’t seeing this situation correctly and my judgement was way off.
This mis-judgement was easily remedied. The experienced folks stepped in an offered one simple solution – cut the tree in HALF. Yes, half. That’s how far off my judgement was. So the top half of the “perfect tree” made it onto the living room of the treeless house and all was well this Christmas season.
And truth is, our entire lives can be spent dragging our “perfect Christmas tree” up a hill, only to find out when we stand before a holy God that it was all mis-guided. Our perspective was off. We lacked information we really needed. We need “truth”. We need guidance and logistics.
This is the reason why I love Christmas. God the Son stepped into our time-space universe with truth, with redemption, offering new life in Himself. The Bible says “So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” John 1:14
Don’t forget that Christmas only began in the manger. It was finished at the cross. This is Christmas. Our lives are full of what the Bible calls “falling short of His glory”. The abbreviated version of this “falling short of His glory” is captured in the word sin. Christ carried a tree up a hill in Jerusalem, died and was raised from that grave in order to set free those who believe and trust Him. “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
This Christmas may your perspective be grounded in the reality of the incarnation and the cross.
Pastel Society of the Southwest 2018 National Show Reception & Demo
Recently I was blessed to have a pastel work, The Cross, accepted into the 2018 National Show sponsored by the Pastel Society of the Southwest. The show is hanging at the Grapevine Convention & Visitor’s Center at the Tower Gallery in Grapevine, Texas until October 31, 2018.
The Cross, soft pastel on ampersand pastel board, 18 x 24
The awards reception is this Sunday afternoon at 2:00 (October 7, 2018). This reception is a bit unlike other receptions in that nationally recognized award-winning artist Diane Rappisi will be demonstrating pastel painting before the awards are announced. Diane judged this year’s competition.
If you find yourself in Grapevine this coming Sunday afternoon, stop by and check it out. The address is 636 South Main Street, Grapevine, Texas.
Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau headquarters building, the Grand and Tower Galleries
One of the art organizations I am a member of, the Irving Art Association, has made one of their gallery spaces available to me to exhibit a selection of my work. There will be over 40 works hanging from July 28 thru September 28th. Most of the work is available to purchase.
• Meet & Greet Show Reception •
August 12, 2018 from 2 pm til 4 pm at the Jaycee Park Center for the Arts, 1975 Puritan Drive, Irving, Texas 75061. Gallery hours are listed below.
This exhibition is a record of a “Journey”. The artwork tells many stories as it expresses the beauty of an awesome creation that God has made. I am inspired by people, landscapes and wildlife, pretty much all that we find in this universe, because it all is the Creator’s handiwork. Even in a fallen world the beauty is incredible. The way light and shadow moulds and reveals a landscape or a face or figure; The way the light warms and cools the subject revealing beauty and intrigue – this is what helps create the drama of the story being told through the art on this journey. It is these smaller stories that tell a greater, larger story of the presence of God in our world.
I work two ways in both Oil and Soft Pastels: Plein Air and Studio work. The Plein Air experience is a great teacher. I get outside in the “open air” and paint as often as I can. Grabbing the essence of a scene that is unfiltered and unchanged by a photograph is a great way to learn more about painting. The awesomely designed human eye is capable of seeing much more than the camera lens. This allows for more depth in both perception and execution of a painting. But, due to limitations of time and subject availability, studio work is a necessity. Therefore, I have to use photography to complete many works. Digital photography is a huge asset when using photos as reference. They can be manipulated and adjusted in a way to get closer to what the eye sees in person. With the use of digital photos, coupled with plein air work, I am able to create studio works with greater depth and values.
NEW GALLERY HOURS:
Sunday – 1:00 p.m. til 5:00 p.m.
Closed Monday
Wednesday thru Friday – 1:00 p.m. til 5:00 p.m.
Closed Saturday
6 x 12 Plein Air oil on panel titled “Down River” – SMiller
Memorial Day, 2018, found my wife and I and two close friends on the Pease River in the south eastern part of the Texas panhandle. I have always loved this area ever since my artist friend, Pete Quaid, introduced me to it several years ago. The Texas panhandle has its own unique beauty.
Photo: Pease River Overlook
My wife and I visit the Pease River to get away from the congested and hectic city life. I work on trying to improve painting skills, and she to walk the river bed in search of that “wow” photo. (DonnaMillerPhotos.com) The Pease River is a shallow, wide river that is more sand then water. It is made up of three tributaries that combine forces just west of the location we were in.
Although the majority of the river is 4 to 6 inches deep, flowing over a cool bed of sand, there are pockets that apparently are home to some large fish.
We saw a 3 foot spotted gar that had apparently been washed out of its “hole” during an overnight rain storm up river. I have seen video of decent sized, largemouth bass and a variety of sun fish that also call the river home.
The area I love to paint is a few miles upstream from the location where Cynthia Parker was “rescued” in December of 1860. Cynthia was abducted in 1836 when Fort Parker was attacked by Caddo, Comanche and Kiowa. Members of Cynthia’s family were killed, and 4 others were taken captive during what was called the Fort Parker Massacre. Cynthia lived with the Comanche’s for nearly 35 years, marrying a young chief named Peta Nocoma, who she had three children with. One of Cynthia’s sons, Quanah, was appointed as principal chief of the entire Comanche nation by the Federal government, and he also gained wealth as a rancher. The Texas town of Quanah was named after him.
The Pease River area is also full of wildlife – deer, hogs, bobcats, snakes, roadrunners, owls and kingfishers just to name a few. While I am painting, my wife sets out on little “photo adventures” – walking up and down the sandy river bed shooting photos of various things she comes across. On this outing she came across a nesting Great Horned Owl, which had a wing span of about 4 feet.
She also shot photos of a roadrunner that was hanging around the cabin we stayed in and a kingfisher hunting its breakfast in the river. While she wanders the river bed with her camera, Pete Quaid and I set up and paint. Pete was thinking ahead this trip and brought and set up an awning to ease the heat of the sun. Excellent idea.
I painted three small paintings, which, as always, were a challenge. But as they say, “nothing ventured, nothing gained”, so I do my best to welcome the learning experience.
When I am out in areas like this, I tend to ponder many things. Visuals are a huge part of the communication in the Bible, and the Pease River area is rich with imagery that continually turns my thoughts back to scripture and the “real” things of this life.
Psalm 19:1 says “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” When I look out over the vast landscape of the Pease River valley, I see that “glory” mentioned in Psalm 19. I also see the curse of the fall of man, way back in Genesis. The land can be harsh. Stickers, heat, rattlesnakes and any numbers of creature and plants that bite, sting and stick. Romans 8 says that “For the creation was subjected to futility…” and that “we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth…”
12 x 9 plein air oil on panel titled Sculpture Garden – SMiller
Mixed in with the beauty of the seemingly adversarial landscape, you can see this groaning and futility. However, as they say in the infomercials on TV “but wait, there is more…” When I look out on the southern panhandle that the Pease River cuts its way through, I also see God’s Grace. Winding like a snake through the cliffs and hills is life giving water. An oasis in the desert. God supplies water in a parched land. The Bible uses language like “dry”, “parched” and “thirsty” to describe life without Him.
Psalm 68:6 says this: “God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land. “
Enter God’s mercy and grace. “For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.” Psalm 107:9
9 x 12 Plein air oil on panel titled “Four Wheeling” -SMiller
Jesus continued this imagery in the New Testament while talking to the woman at the well in John 4:13 and 14 “Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” Jesus is the “Water” in a dry land. The Water that quenches the spiritual thirst. This illustration is also seen again in Revelation 22:17 “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.”
Although I do hope to learn a bit about painting every time I go out on a paint outing, I also love how God speaks through His creation… the visual lessons mentioned in scripture. All because He loves us and wants us to come and drink of the “Water of Life”.
The man to whom God gave an incredible amount of wisdom once said:
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.” Ecclesiastes 9:10
There are many vocations that are “hands-on”. Building, cultivating to name a couple. And Art is another one of those “hands-on” endeavors. When I read the words “Whatever your hands find to do…” I think of the paint brush and perhaps a stick of pastel. I think about those words often… it’s a call to diligence, to industry and it also is a bit sobering. It’s interesting how our “hands” find different things to do in this life. We have gifts and abilities and hopefully can turn those into industry, and “do them with all our might.”
In the arena of visual arts, Fine Art in particular, it can be hard to measure the progress, especially in times of economic challenge. So, to help me focus, I enter a few shows and competitions every year. I will admit that I really dislike most of these shows; they can be “abusive” (grin) and fickle. But, in the long haul they may provide a window into what needs to improve, which may lead to a coarse correction. This year I entered several shows, and will enter a couple more soon. Two of the competitions I recently entered were the 13th Annual Paint Historic Waxahachie Plein Air Competition in Waxahachie, Texas, and the Richardson Civic Art Society’s 52nd Annual Regional Juried Art Exhibition. I was blessed to win first place in the Plein Air event, with a piece titled the Blue Door, selected by Juror John Cook.
Blue Door is 12 x 9, Oil on panel, painted on location in Waxahachie, Texas
“Weathered”, (below) a pastel piece on Ampersand Pastel Board, won 1st in Pastels at the Richardson Civic Art Society’s 52nd Annual Juried Art Exhibition and Sale, an honor that I am very grateful for. Even though the very same works may fail to even get in the next show, it is refreshing to receive an award for the “Work of my hands”.
Weathered, 24 x 18 Soft Pastel on Ampersand Pastel Board
We all meet many people, and our paths come across many places – people with stories, places with history. When I see these interesting people and places…they scream to be painted. Most never make it off the “to do” list. A while back I was in a Texas prison on a ministry event and was able to shoot some photos of some of the men who were locked up. One of the men I shot had some interesting tattoos on his face and arms. But the one that grabbed my attention right out of the shoot was a cross on his forehead. What does that mean? What did it mean to him? What was his story?
Being fascinated and intrigued with the look of this young man, I decided to work out a composition and create a soft pastel work on Ampersand pastel board of this guy. The piece is called “The Cross”. It has won a couple of awards, the latest was the “VAST Board of Directors’ Award” at the 2018 Visual Arts Society of Texas 12th Annual 125-Mile Visual Arts Exhibition in Denton, Texas.
When I have time to work through the problems, I like a challenge, and the tats’ and skin tones of this subject proved to be a challenge indeed. Soft pastel on a sanded surface is probably not the best surface to create this kind of artwork. The tattoos require a certain level of detail, and the sanded surface wars against creating detail, but I love pastels on sanded surface.
I usually begin pastel work with roughing in shapes with hard pastels (NuPastels), trying to cover the entire surface with color, keeping in mind the values. I then take a rough hog hair brush and some paint thinner and brush the thinner into the soft pastel pigment, which creates a watercolor like look. This becomes the under-painting.
Close-up of thinner washes that show through from the pastel and thinner wash.
Next fresh layers of various pastels are added (Sennelier, Schmincke, Unison, Terry Ludwig), building up layer on layer until the final work is complete. Some of the “underpainting” stage is left as is, brush marks and runs and all. This adds a bit of contrast and variation in texture, which I tend to like.
The Cross, soft pastel on ampersand pastel board, 18 x 24
I love to get my fingers in the soft pigment as well, blending and moving the layered pastels around until I hopefully get something I can walk away from. This work is 18 x 24, framed under museum glass.
I named this piece “The Cross” because this is what grabbed me first. The symbol that is the cross has been around for a while. The crucifixion of Christ on a wooden cross outside Jerusalem has marked our world to this day. The several thousands of years that were before the crucifixion of Christ are numbered in reverse, counting down to “the Cross” (B.C meaning “before Christ”) Since the time of the crucifixion, the years are marked by A.D. (A.D. stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for “year of our Lord,” and it means the number of years since the birth of Jesus Christ) How did that happen? Why is our world marked so by this one event? The Cross was not simply a random event in history. The Cross changed everything. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says this:
“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
While working on this piece, I took some artistic license to tell the story of the Cross. Even though I don’t know anything about my subject and his relation to the cross, I have seen this Cross story play out in the lives of many who are locked up, as well as those in the free world. I altered one tattoo to read “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, which is what Jesus called one of the Greatest Commandments. Truth is, if we follow that command of Jesus, the prisons would be empty, the divorce courts would be out of business, families would be together, and life would look different. The power to love our neighbor as ourselves comes about through the Cross of Christ. The Bible says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Cor. 5:17) I have seen many men in prison become new people by the power of the cross. Note the Bible on inmate’s bunk. When a life is given to Christ, the scriptures become alive and begin to alter the path of a person.
That’s the beauty of the Cross, the beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ…We have new life when we put all our trust in Him, and redemption that He brought about by His death and resurrection. Once before His crucifixion, Jesus was teaching a group of folks, and He quoted from Isaiah, which talked about Himself.
“THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” (Luke 4:18, 19)
That is why Christ came and died on an old cross. He came to set us free from sin and its bondage, whether we are free or locked up. “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:8
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
