The Shoe Tree, Houlton, Maine

 Shoe trees represent the American spirit -

along our highways.

It may begin as casually as one person

tossing his shoes high into the air,

allowing them to hang among the branches.

 It may end there.

With that one pair of shoes.

Or -

it may blossom as person after person

stops traveling long enough

to add their shoes to the tree.

 Historically shoe trees have documented

weddings, baby debuts, graduations, funerals.

Any time family is celebrated.

The shoe tree is a form of remembrance.

 These trees may last generations,

tracing our history by our shoe wear. 

This particular shoe tree is located just outside Houlton, Maine, close to where we live. The branches are loaded down with shoe after shoe after shoe. If you were able to look closer and inspect the shoes, you may notice writing and notes detailing the occasion the shoes were tossed among the branches.  And there are so many pairs and singles just laying on the ground.  Ghosts of shoe wear past. Surely. Hahaha! And we have been trying to find this tree again. We first saw it about a year ago. Well, today was the today. The Maine version of the shoe tree!

The Moose Are Moving Around Again

This morning we were driving in to Houlton and found this lady standing on a side road. (There should be a video just above this.)

 She stayed until a big truck came and scared

her away. Mark said we were about 15 yards from her.

I had my window down and used my cell phone.

I need to leave a real camera in the car.

 She didn't seem concerned with us at all. 

The moose haven't been moving around in the snow.

We were told they couldn't because the snow

was so deep the moose would break their legs.

Mark says she will gain about 200 pounds -

now that she is out and can find food.

 I wish she wouldn't drink mud water.

Hahaha!

But if she didn't, we probably wouldn't

have seen her.

This is the closest we've gotten to one here in Maine.

 Moose are really big animals.

And shortly after this the big Sysco truck came down the road and the moose took off through that yard and back into the woods.  It was great while it lasted! I just love living in Maine!

A Little Zingo

Since my mom passed away two months ago,

I have had a really hard time getting motivated to art.

Drawing/tangling is like pulling teeth.

Making color is a little easier right now.

I can always make color,

BUT

tangling isn't easy.

Zentangle® HQ recently blogged and videoed their granddaughters Indy and Mazzy tangling Zingo.  You can see my rendition of zingo in the tile just above this.  To watch the 7 and 5 year olds make their very own video, click this link. And turn the volume up. Their commentary will leave you smiling.
I probably should have left things alone at this point, but I wanted to push myself and try to draw.

So I added some Printemps and some fiore. Two of my no brainer tangles. I don't know if it helped or hurt, but at least I did something.  Here's hoping this motivation down time comes to an end soon. 

Distress Ink Backgrounds

For a year now I have been seeing all the beautiful

distress ink backgrounds on Facebook.

I decided it was a time to give it a try.

I still have a long way to go,

but here is what I did.

(The colors in this first photo are more true

to the actual colors than what you see in the

photos below. I have no idea why. Sorry.)

Supplies are minimal.

Ranger carries a line of 

Tim Holtz Distress Ink pads,

and the blending tool to spread them with.

Both are inexpensive and you can get them

at pretty much any craft store.

Mine came from Michael's.

 I used some sheets of 4" x 6" paper

that I already had cut.

Hot pressed mixed media paper - I think.

For the first piece, I just pulled the ink pads

across the surface of the paper.

Rubbed them back and forth.

I didn't like the white splotchy areas.

At all.

 This time I used the blending tool.

Seriously, it is as simple as dabbing the

tool onto the ink pad and picking up the color.

Then I just rubbed it in circles on the paper.

I concentrated on full coverage -

no white splotchies -

and tried to blend the colors into each other.

I liked this one much better!

 So I just kept on trying that technique.

Circular motion, rubbing the color gently into

the paper, and blend the edges.

This one worked much better,

though I like the colors in the one before it more.

 I think I got better at blending as I

went along. A lot of success in blending

depends on the colors you choose.

For this one I have something specific in mind. And I think the colors are wonderful!
Yes, I still have lots to learn about using distress inks, and I am going to keep on working at it! Then I am going to tangle on a bunch of them!

He is Risen! Happy Easter!

 Happy Easter from our house in Maine,

to your house and home!

Hallelujah, He is risen!

I found this photo online about three Easters ago 

and I have been using it for my Facebook profile photo.

Since then I have gotten interested in 

Bible journaling and I thought it would be a challenge

to try to paint this in my Bible to remember this

Easter weekend. 

From the crucifixion on the cross, to the tomb, to our risen Lord and Saviour, Jesus is Lord!
My first real 'painting' experiment went really well. I prepped the page first with a clear gesso, I want to still be able to read the scripture through the painting. I used a pencil to sketch the layout, and Schmincke watercolors for the painting. The water made the page ruffly, it has flattened out a good bit overnight. I am sure it will eventually lay flat. I'm told I could iron the page, but I'm afraid to. 
Happy Easter, All! Have a blessed year. We serve a risen Lord!

Easter Eve

1. The Old Rugged Cross
   George Bennard, 1913
   
   
   On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
   The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
   And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
   For a world of lost sinners was slain.
   • Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
     Has a wondrous attraction for me;
2. For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
   To bear it to dark Calvary.
3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
   A wondrous beauty I see,
   For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
   To pardon and sanctify me.
4. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
   Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
   Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,
   Where His glory forever I’ll share.

• So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
  Till my trophies at last I lay down;
  I will cling to the old rugged cross,
  And exchange it someday for a crown.
  
  
  Art supplies: gelatos, sponge, Golden Fluid Acrylic,
  and Artists' Acrylic Clear Gesso.

Thursday at the Cross - Maryland

Power of the Cross

Stuart Townsend and Keith Getty 

Oh, to see the dawn Of the darkest day:

Christ on the road to Calvary.

Tried by sinful men,

Torn and beaten, then

Nailed to a cross of wood.

This, the power of the cross:

Christ became sin for us,

Took the blame, bore the wrath:

We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain

Written on Your face

Bearing the awesome weight of sin;

Every bitter thought,

Every evil deed

Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees,

Now the ground beneath

Quakes as its Maker bows His head.

Curtain torn in two,

Dead are raised to life;

'Finished!' the victory cry.

Oh, to see my name

Written in the wounds,

For through Your suffering I am free.

Death is crushed to death,

Life is mine to live,

Won through Your selfless love.

This, the power of the cross:

Son of God, slain for us.

What a love! What a cost!

We stand forgiven at the cross.

This series of photos show the

Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church

in Silver Springs, Maryland. 

 What a beautiful facility of all wood and

lovely grounds full of spring time flowers and growth!

 There was a lot of attention to detail. 

 I believe these are pink dogwood blooms.

But I could totally be wrong. 

 Yeah.  No idea.

Just a few more days until Easter, the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and King. 

Wednesday at the Cross - Louisiana

It's About the Cross by the Ball Brothers
It's not just about the manger where the baby lay, it's not all about the angels who sang for him that day. It's not just about the shepherds or the bright and shining star, it's not all about the wisemen who travelled from afar. It's about the cross. It's about my sin. It's about how Jesus came to be born once so that we could be born again. It's about the stone that was rolled away so that you and I could have real life someday. It's about the cross. It's about the cross. It's not all about the good things in this life I've done. Its not all about the treasures or the trophies that I've won. Its not about the righteousness that I've found within. Its about His precious blood that save me from my sin.
The beginning of the story is wonderful and great, but it's the ending that can save you and that's why we celebrate. It's about the cross. It's about my sin. It's about how Jesus came to be born once so that we could be born again. It's about God's love nailed to a tree. It's about every drop of blood that flowed from Him, when it should have been me. It's about the stone that was rolled away so that you and I could have real life someday. It's about the cross. It's about the cross. I took this photo at the  Hope Haven Garden Memory in  Gonzalez, Louisiana. 

Tuesday at the Cross - Ontario

At the Cross by Chris Tomlin

There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies,

There's a place where streams of grace flow deep and wide.

Where all the love I've ever found,

Comes like a flood,

Comes flowing down.

At the cross

At the cross

I surrender my life.

I'm in awe of You

I'm in awe of You

Where Your love ran red

and my sin washed white.

I owe all to You

I owe all to You Jesus.

There's a place where sin and shame are powerless.

Where my heart has peace with God and forgiveness.

Where all the love I've ever found.

Comes like a flood,

Comes flowing down.

At the cross

At the cross

I surrender my life.

I'm in awe of You

I'm in awe of You

Where Your love ran red

and my sin washed white.

I owe all to You

I owe all to You Jesus.

I took today's photo a couple years ago at

Calvary Baptist Church

in Midland, Ontario, Canada.

Easter is Coming - Florida

Counting down to Easter Sunday. When I think about Easter, I think about the cross. And Jesus. On the cross. And then risen. And I am so thankful that He made that sacrifice for me.
Each day this week,  I hope to post one of the cross photos I've shot around the country. This particular cross is from Highland Baptist Church in Lawtey, Florida. 

More Spirography

 A couple posts back I showed you some art 

that I am calling

Spirography!

Easy in concept.

Not so easy to pull off as your little spirograph

wheels slip and slide all over the place.

 I finally got up the nerve to try it again.

Hahahaha!

Not even kidding!

I am pretty happy with the two pieces above.

I will probably go back later and add more to each.

At this point I was afraid of messing them up.

 So. How does one do spirography?

I should have taken an earlier photo,

but this is when I remembered.

I used a new pen called a Pilot Precise V5 -

basically a cross between a gel pen and a micron - 

and traced a couple disks from my spirograph set,

then started adding some loops.

I basically decided if I was holding off for perfection,

I would never be able to complete one.

 One way to fix some of those messed up ends

is to add some thickening of the lines on

those points.

See that turquoise speck sticking out in space

on the left hand side?

 I covered it up with a purple line 

that I had to decide what to do with.

Hahahaha!

 So I added those lines to every section

and aura-ed them.

That means to add another line that mimics it.

Then I filled in those sections with purple. I went around all the edges and blended in the little lines that stuck out here and there. And called it done. Not hard to do with a little imagination and some determination.
Spirography! It's the art term of the week here at The Creator's Leaf!