Take Me Deeper - June Week 3

Where has the time gone?! I honestly can't even remember everything we've done this week! 

June Week 3 - A Father's Love

Of the suggested reading, certain seemed to tug at my heartstrings more...and when I looked up the lyrics for Song for the Prodigals, well, I was in tears! I think there's just so much to relate to there!

Romans 8:15 - For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead the Spirit makes you God's children, and by the Spirit's power we cry out to God, "Father, my Father!"

2 Corinthians 6:18 - I will be your Father and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

1 John 3:1 - See how much the Father has loved us! His love is so great that we are called God's children - and so, in fact, we are. This is why the world does not know us; it has not known God.

Having done the reading, for days I put off even opening Photoshop! I had absolutely no ideas of how to represent the feelings I had! Plus life was throwing some hard stuff at me (still is but I'm feeling stronger about it now!) and that was zapping my creativity. But a few days of that and I was desperate and determined to create something! So I asked for my hand to be guided and opened up Photoshop!

I first thought about using the same kind of image as the past two weeks, but adapting it to show it held within a tear drop...but that didn't work out! So I went back to basics, started with a blank black page (never do that usually!). I had a strong feeling I would be creating an almost abstract piece.

As I played with blending modes and textures, shapes began to appear...and I ended up with something in colours I hadn't expected at all!
Near the end I wanted to add some texture and what I added blew out a lot of the colour over the piece...and I loved the effect! I went back and forth, lol, trying it with and without to see if I should keep the intensity of colour in, but nothing worked better to my eye than how it finished up!

So, here is my piece! Although not specific to family, I think the colours of love within it, the feeling of peace, and the rays almost like arms coming towards us and enveloping all creation speak volumes. After all, I feel it's not just about the humans! The whole of creation is 'family' and should live in harmony and love!
TFL!

Take Me Deeper - May Week 2

The speed with which this week has gone is amazing lol! Having a Bank Holiday on the Monday helped I suspect! If you haven't had a look around His Kingdom Come lately, do pay us a visit! There are lots of new classes and so much inspiration in the gallery, it's a wonderful place to spend some time with a nice cuppa!

For now, here is what I've been creating:

May week 2 - Dwelling in God's Presence

I did the recommended reading and these drew me to them the most:

Romans 14:19 - So then, we must always aim at those things that bring peace and that help to strengthen one another

1 Timothy 6:11 - But you, man of God, avoid all these things. Strive for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

2 Timothy 2:22 - Avoid the passions of youth, and strive for righteousness, faith, love and peace, together with those who with a pure heart call out to the Lord for help.

2 Peter 1:5 - ...do our best to add goodness to your faith, to your goodness add knowledge...

2 Peter 1:10 - So my brothers and sisters, try even harder to make God's call and his choice of you a permanent experience; if you do so, you will never abandon your faith.

I also read Psalm 119 and made the suggested list and perhaps the ones that I felt I wanted to portray in my artwork the most were:
Happiness
Seeing wonderful truths
Pleasure
Receiving strength and wisdom
Will no focus on what is worthless
Will live in perfect freedom
Hope
God will search for us when lost
Will receive constant love and comfort.

Again, I had absolutely no idea of an image when I started. I'd had a vague thought about following on from last week's piece - the image of the 'lonely place', the hills/mountains, but had no idea how to achieve that!

I started with a couple of textures, blended, and then added an image of flowers, which, when blended, created the suggestion of a quite craggy pathway, I thought...one that might be found in hills or mountains. By chance (or not!) this combination of blends produced a little cross shape where I have mine! So I enhanced that a little and added the shadow. I wanted to portray walking along in that lonely place, along the ridge of a hill or mountain, towards the cross...but you can also see the pathway going on past the cross towards the great light.

I then flipped the flower image and used it in the sky area to create some interest there. The bright light is the ultimate destination - the hope, the comfort, the happiness. Yet the pathway is, I hope, one that feels strong and comforting - it will keep us safe and secure. Needing and wanting to keep focused on this pathway - with all its lumps and bumps (our ups and downs when we may need more strength) helps us not to look 'over the edge' and focus on things that are worthless.

So I hope this piece feels as if we have followed the path in last week's piece, up, into the calmness and peace of the hills and mountains, and in that quiet, 'lonely' place, we are surrounded by God's love. He keeps us safe and secure on the right path here. We can be refreshed and feel enriched, ready for whatever life can throw at us! We have so much to gain by focusing on Him and His Word.

TFL!

Bernie x

Take Me Deeper - March Week 3

Well, the strangest thing happened to me after I created this piece, so I'm not going to worry and overthink this!

I started creating this piece today just for fun, as my two daughters were both doing some art inspired by scissor metamorphosis...drawing a pair of scissors and then making them form part of another image. This was then linked to actual metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly...hence my image!!

I hadn't intended doing anything like this at all - the image in my head was much simpler and plainer and less complicated as far as Photoshop goes lol!

Now this morning I'd tried to start my March Week 3 piece and got nowhere, so just gave up.

When I got to the end of this piece, I just 'felt' this should be my March Week 3 piece! That worried me a bit as images like this can make people think of fairies - not anything to do with faith! I was worried what people might think. Then the thought came into my head to read again all the notes I made during my Bible study! So I did! And things started jumping out at me!

The girl looks pensive to me. The first verse I'd read was 1Cor. 2:16 - As the scripture says, "Who knows the mind of the Lord? Who is able to give him advice? We, however, have the mind of Christ." With that light shining onto the girl, it just made me think of the mind of Christ and her mind together.

The next verse I'd read was 1 Cor. 10:12 - Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test,he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out. I imagined that this girl could be facing a test of some kind...yet the landscape suggests she has a 'way out', a path to follow.

After reading several more verses, 1Tim. 2:5-6 jumped out at me - For there is one God, and there is one who brings God and human beings together, the man, Jesus Christ, who gave himself to redeem everyone. Again, the light shining on the girl just feels to me like the human being brought together with God.

I went on to read a few commentaries on various themes, but the one that really grabbed me was this:
Jesus Christ is our mediator, the connection, the bridge between God and us. Spiritual enablement flows from God through Him to us. God's power and God's faithfulness are the issues that are of supreme importance to us in these times. Are we constantly aware that our salvation lies in His hands? He has the power to save.
I like to think the light in the image is spiritual enablement; God's power flowing down upon the girl, bringing salvation.

Another commentary said: In the new creation, the spiritual creation, the sinner is perceived by God as dead and in spiritual darkness. Then God sends forth His spirit to draw the sinner to Christ and to spiritual life and light, making the sinner His child. It is God, by means of His Holy Spirit, who produces the new birth.

The original colours I was creating with were unexpectedly changed when I applied a texture and changed the blend mode. I instantly loved the muted tones, and I think it gives a hint of darkness. The light (the Spirit) coming forth to the girl is drawing her to Christ and into the light (the rays fall onto her, around her, enveloping her as a father might wrap his child in his arms).

So God produces the new birth...and the name of my piece...? Metamorphosis!

So I decided I could be comfortable with this being my piece for March Week 3! I think I've been TOLD!

The girl is a CU font; all the rest of CU brushes and textures!
TFL!
Bernie x

Take Me Deeper - Week 3

Well, what a week is has been! Let's just say that I've been having to focus (my Logos 365 word!) really hard on the Lord lately to cope with everything affecting our family at present! Even down to looking into Home Educating my youngest because of problems with school - something I really hadn't seen becoming a distinct possibility!

Anyway, as I've been waking at 3.15am all week, I've made good use of this quiet time to enjoy reading all the extra suggested passages within the TMD prompt. A pattern seems to be forming now where not a single speck of an image for a piece of art around the prompt will even suggest itself until I've done all the suggested reading...and once I get started with the reading, it's all too easy to carry on past the suggested passages! I'm loving it!!

I loved reading all the extra suggested passages, and the 'feel' of an image around a veil and light and keeping the butterflies started forming! Once the idea had formed in my head, I was a bit concerned about how I would translate that onto the page...but thankfully, Altered Amanda's Studio had just the stash I needed to make the vision come to life!

You can find the Take Me Deeper Project and prompts here. 

For this piece, once I had it laid out as I liked, I lightened part of the veil to give a feeling of reflected light - we will reflect God's glory when we are transformed into His likeness. The lady has lowered eyes - submission - and the veil is coming off (ie doesn't cover her whole face any more), showing an ongoing process, started but not yet complete. The light is there to focus on, and the butterflies leading towards the light signifying the transformation that will come once we are joined with Christ (when the veil is lifted).

I'm enjoying this project so much and finding it such a help when life is throwing so much at us at present! if you haven't already, do come and have a look and join with us! you don't have to do digital art if that's not your thing! Whatever response you feel led to is great! Poetry, paint on paper, mixed media, wood carving, fibre craft...the list goes on! There's loads of inspiration in the TMD gallery at His Kingdom Come...just take a look!

TFL!

Bernie x

Take Me Deeper - Week 2

It's here! The Week 2 Prompt is up - you can join and find it from HERE!!

This is my page....it took a while lol! I had thought to carry on with the same warm colour scheme but that wasn't to be!

The idea in my head was to continue with the butterfly and light theme representing transformation...hence the butterfly here. God's transforming power, 'resting' on the girl, with rays of light all around. The girl is embracing her transformation! She is weak (shown by kneeling) and outside the light are the raindrops representing life's hardships. Focussing on God's light, power and transformation, she is protected from those hardships; helped through them.

Created using papers from Altered Amanda's Studio (Wayfarer kit), plus CU items and I hand drew the girl myself!

It never ceases to amaze me how I can read prompts and have absolutely no image of anything in my mind to create, but then after a day or two thinking and praying about what I have read, my thoughts will be led in a certain direction! The path to this page had several twists and turns lol, and in its details is quite different from how I had envisioned it, and yet, not so different really as a whole! Amazing!

TFL!
Bernie x