Art is a universal language. What an experience it is to learn to capture an object or event on paper in your own way. But what is better than being an artist? Teaching other artists! I remember that a reporter once wanted to run an article on my work—but now I have the opportunity to be the reporter and I have a lot to report about Jonathan and David!

Jonathan has the valuable character quality of diligence.

Every other Tuesday, we try delving a little deeper into the different techniques of chalk art. We watched Ding Teuling’s videos and started practicing on the easel that Grandpa made for us to use years ago when we came from Manassas to do chalk talks in Salem. As Jonathan and I work together, it grants a particular fulfilment to pass on what I’ve learned from Matthew Bowman and so many others.

David often encourages me with his enthusiastic spirit.

For James’ birthday, David and I looked off of a stamp to draw a strikingly-colored bufflehead on a new placemat. You should have seen James when he pulled it from the gift bag and saw it for the first time!

One of the tricks of the trade that David used was drawing a grid that helped him enlarge the tiny picture on the stamp. He agrees too that actually turning a picture upside down and copying it that way is a very useful tactic. It helps you draw exactly what you see and not what you think you see.

God bless you also with diligence and perception. Maybe you will have the chance to try some of these rewarding techniques. Most of all, may all our work glorify Him as we remember to do it “wholeheartedly, as unto the Lord”.

DILIGENCE

      Visualizing each task as a special assignment from the Lord
                 and using all my energy to accomplish it