Hands, Gardens, Snakes and Kittens

This is for my cousin and his soon-to-be wife.

I have recently planted some things.  Although I love my little plot, I'm pretty sure the Lady Catherine would say, "You have a very small garden, madam" [Pride and Prejudice]; but I love it and can't wait to see what happens!  It's my first year doing anything with dirt and growing things and stuff so if just one plant survives then it's a success!

 My Garden.  It's not much... yet!

 Lavenderrrrrrrrr!!!!!

This fella's name is Sneaky Snivellus Sherlock.  He eats Raucous Rough Rattlesnake and his cousin Creepy Kooky Copperhead;  I like him because of this.  He lives in a hole under our house and my cats reeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaally want to eat him.  Padfoot (below) was whining and clawing at the foundation to try to get in the hole.

 Shh!  Don't wake the beast!

D'awwwww...

I love kitties.  I love our new snake Sneaky.  I love painting.  I have just fallen in love with gardening.  I love summer where I get to dig and pull weeds and travel and see friends.  And I don't love poison ivy, but I am thankful to learn a lesson from it.  I'm so excited for my cousin and his gal and how their lives will be mirroring the church's relationship with Christ: Christ died for His bride - woah!

There is a bigger wedding that's going to happen although I don't know when:  Jesus will marry His church; that's anyone who believes that He's the Son of God who died and rose again to pay our death-debt that we couldn't pay.  And that day will be sweeter than the smell of the most luscious garden, more pleasurable than the closest marriage, and even better than the touch of a soft, fluffy kitten belly (I find this one hard to believe).  And the various forms of sorrow that everyone of us has experienced will VANISH FOREVER.  

"I acknowledged my sin to You,

And my iniquity I did not hide;

I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD';

And You forgave the guilt of my sin."

Psalm 32:5

I don't usually have texts that go with my artwork, but honestly, I might start taking this route more often.  To see God's truth in passing, as well as writing it out, helps me remember His promises.

I encourage you to read all of Psalm 32.  It's really yummy.

Happy birthday, Megan Brown!  I don't know if this painting was more for me or for you, because I was in need of a good painting fix.

And can I just say how glad I am that it is Spring and that I can photograph/paint any kind of flower I see? And this wonderful rain has made everything greeeeeeen! Thank you, Jesus!

So... About that whole "I'll post the elephant picture tomorrow" thing: I'm sorry. The mood left me for a while.  So here is the finished product from that.  What makes it really terrible is that I've had the painting done for five weeks and I'm just now posting it.

Drawing Challenge Day 9: An Animal

Drawing Challenge Day 9: An Animal

Today's challenge is a bit underwhelming because it is just the outline of a water color I'll be doing for a friend.  I'll show the finished result of the elephants tomorrow!  I also got in the groove last night/early morning and painted some poppies... Oh man... I've got to get back into the swing of going to bed earlier before I start to go back to work.  No more late night creative surges for me!

Drawing Challenge Day 8: Something Near You

Drawing Challenge Day 8: Something Near You

I was preoccupied tonight with TV - and for good reason(s)!  Reason #1: I don't have cable at my own home, so I took the opportunity at my friend's house.  Reason #2: Someone I went to high school has been on American Idol, Ben Briley, and I've really been wanting to see him perform live.  Reason #3: I am WAY behind on The Walking Dead.

I caught up on The Walking Dead - then interrupted that show to watch American Idol. When Ben Briley didn't make it, I decided to make a molten chocolate mug cake in his honor.  I then proceeded to sad-eat whilst watching the remainder of episode 13 of TWD.

When I squinted, rubbed my eyes, and stepped out of the realm of wonder and back into reality (needless to say) I didn't feel like drawing.  I set my half-eaten chocolate decadence down on the kitchen table; I paced a little, I think... then decided to hunker down and sketch that chocolatey mug.

I raise my mug to you, Ben Briley.  You're a man of many talents.  God already knew what was going to happen tonight and He knows what He's doing with you tomorrow.

And Daryl Dixon, I'd make you a molten chocolate microwave cake ANY day.  With ice cream on top.  And for those of you who don't know me well, I'm kidding.

Drawing Challenge Day 7: A Mood (no face allowed)

This is a rendition of a photograph of my dad and my older brother.  I hope you get a mood out of it!  I know I did; actually I got more than one!

Drawing Challenge Day 6: An Older Person

Drawing Challenge Day 6: An Older Person

I got to sketch one of my best friends tonight.  I didn't think I was actually going to get to do this one today, but we just so happened to be sitting at the kitchen table listening to a podcast, so it worked out wonderfully!  She is beautiful...

Day 5 Drawing Challenge: A Weapon

Those of you who know me well will know why this is my weapon of choice and how I use this weapon.  I was going to do an M-16 rifle, but nah... This is it.

Day 4 Drawing Challenge: Draw something in 87 seconds.

Day 4 Drawing Challenge: Draw something in 87 seconds.

I was going to do a STILL LIFE of my cat, then he ran away... So here's the final product... I had a video to prove that it actually was 87 seconds long, but I couldn't find a way to upload it.

I feel like I'm posting mediocrity with just this one picture... But I'd rather not try to do another one or post something more thought-out just because this product didn't meet my liking.  This one was what came out.  So for better or worse, here I am vulnerable before you with my little piece of art.  

It reminds me that my Heavenly Father looks down at it loves it.  I think if He had/has a refrigerator, it'd definitely be on it.

Don't get me wrong, though: God loves time and talent and a product produced from hard work, too; but there will be time enough for that later.

Drawing Challenge Day 3: Sport - Swimming

Drawing Challenge Day 3: Sport - Swimming

My friends Allison and Ben gave me the challenge to try to convey the water droplets in swimming.  This dude's name is Daniel Bell, and this picture of him just happened to catch my eye whilst searching for a swimming picture on Google.  I don't really know much about him, but the picture itself is amazing; as are his swimming abilities, too, I assume.  You go, Daniel Bell!

30-Day Drawing Challenge: Body Part

Day 2: Body Part - Hand.

My friend Krista and I went out for a stroll on this beautiful day.  I decided to draw Krista's hand holding baby Gwynn; then she drew me with Gwynn; then I drew one of Gwynn's toys!

The third time's a charm!

30-day drawing challenge: a Self Portrait

So I've decided to do a 30-day drawing challenge, starting with a self-portrait.  I took a picture and free-hand drew it.  I believe I sketched and erased 20 times... Eh!  My steps in drawing my face started with, "I'm gonna make a line that pretty much looks like my top eyelid... Yeah, that's good... then my nose... (Compares to picture) oh WOW! My eyes are not that big and my nose isn't that long.  Humph... (Erase erase erase)." Rinse and repeat. After a while I was like... Gooood enough! Because I got tired.

Flowers!

Flowers!

I got inspired by Brazilian artist Fabiola Cembranelli!  Take a look at his work here: http://fcembranelli.blogspot.com

I love doing loose works... It's against my personality to be loose... I like to get into the tiny details, but that can really mess up a watercolor like this, being too minute.

Taco Soup

Taco Soup: when outside its 4 degrees, and inside it's 212 degrees

It is a lower sodium recipe, with 450 mg of sodium and 250 calories per 16 oz.

ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
2 tbsp wine (optional)
1 onion, chopped
3 (or 4 or 5) cloves minced garlic 
1 box (32 0z) plus 1 can (14 oz) low sodium beef broth (totals to 46 oz)
2 cans no salt added 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes

2 tsp dry ranch seasoning mix
2 tsp taco seasoning mix
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp table sugar/ 1 packet of Splenda (more or less to cut acidity/heat)

36 oz (3 small bags) of whatever frozen veggies you like
1 jalapeño pepper (optional)
1 chipotle pepper (optional)

instructions:

1. In a dutch oven or large pot brown the beef. 
2. Add the wine and scrape the meat that's stuck to the bottom; this step isn't necessary, but 
it helps with clean-up later; for more information on cooking with wine, see this site: Cooking with Wine.  
3. Add the onions for 5 minutes with the wine and beef. Side note: if you already know how spicy you want your soup to be, put in your peppers in now; the flavor will be more incorporated in the soup). 
4. Then put in minced garlic, constantly stirring or the garlic will burn, for 1 minute. With not a moment to lose, add in the 14 oz CAN of beef broth (or honestly the can of whatever is closest to you), then you can chill out knowing you won't have a burnt garlic soup.  
5. You can dump in the rest of the beef broth and diced tomatoes after that. 

6. Put in all of the other seasonings (you can change the ratios to your taste).

7. Bring dat thang to a boil, then let it simmer for at least 30 minutes, MEANWHILE....

8. Cut up your spicy peppers and put those in.  If you're like me, you know you like 
spicy food, but you really don't know HOW spicy you like it. So chop some up, put a little in, stir it up, wait a minute, then taste. Repeat until your satisfied. Skip this step if you're like, "Psh, I added my 5 ghost peppers in with my onions and beef in the first steps."

9. Depending on your spiciness level, add the sweetener (more if very spicy, less if no-so-spicy)

10. Dump in your frozen veggies at the end, bring back up to a boil, then immediately turn off your stove and close the lid.

Put your favorite junk on the top. I prefer everything: sour cream, avocado, tortilla chips, cheese, fresh cilantro/parsley (if I have it).