Dragon Spunk

During my first visit to China I had a friend on Facebook mention that she saw a painting of a Chinese Dragon in my future. I thought it was a good idea so here is my version of a Chinese Dragon. I chose a pic I had taken while visiting one of the Buddist temples, and used it as inspiration for my own Chinese Dragon.

Originally I was going to really "Jeff" it up with lots of filigree and ornamentation, but when I had the dragon itself painted, and it was time to add the filigree, I decided there is beauty in letting this painting just be itself. I did curl the whiskers, so that will have to be enough "Jeff" for this painting. Sometimes too much is too much and simple is better.

This is the pic I used as inspiration, the painting is done with Acrylic paint, chosen because I didn't want to worry about whether oil paint was dry enough to pack into my suitcase.

Death Knight

I'm almost finished with my "Death Knight" painting. It sort of matches the other painting I (last post). I not sure what to think of this one, but it was fun to paint, I am learning to paint quickly, yet in some areas the paint looks really good, in others it just looks slopped on.

I did this painting of a scene from the Linkin Park video "Numb", I was trying to do a very quick painting going for recognition and emotion.

I guess the gist of this is that I am honing my painting skills and searching for a style I love and can call my own.

Step One

Step One is a journey piece.

I have been through  so much over the last few years, culminating in the literal hell I have experienced over the past months, a hell of the mind as I have struggled against things of which I have no experience.

As I have searched deeply my relationship with God through these trials, the saying which says "When the Lord closes a door, he always opens a window" has come to my mind repeatedly.

I asked many times over, as I watched the door closed, bolted, barred, chained, nailed, welded, and glued, "where is the window, where is the light, will I every find the abyss fleeing before the tiniest light of hope? God are you there?"

Sometimes God expects us to try our faith by allowing us to step into the dark for a few steps before he actually opens the window.

The bride is beginning her journey, she is not looking up at the window which is the goal for which she begins the journey, but rather she begins the ascent without her eyes fixed upon the goal, rather her heart set on achieving the goal, trusting that the steps will lead where she wants to go. This is like the faith I have discovered and strengthened over the last several months.

The Journey begins when we place our trust in the divine and take our first step into the darkness.

Jeff