Gallery Feature: Feathered Fauna “Red-Breasted Nuthatch”

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acrylic, Art, artist, Feathered Fauna, Painting, red-breasted nuthatch, Wendy Brydge, wildlife painting

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, then you know I’m a Northern girl. So when it comes to birds, I do see a good variety of breeds, but nothing too exotic.

The last Gallery Feature in my Feathered Fauna bird series was the Baltimore Oriole. They’re a beautiful, flashy bird, but alas, there are none in Northern Ontario.

So for my next painting, I decided to look a bit closer to home.

Enter the pint-size, pretentious pontiff of the Northern forest: The red-breasted nuthatch.

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Forgiveness

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Art, Bible, christianity, forgiveness, God, Jesus, Painting, religion, Sunday Scripture

Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

~ Isaiah 55:6-7

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

~ Isaiah 43:25

Let There Be Art! My New Twitter Account

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Art, ArtistsOfBeauty Dominus Venustas, follow, new account, Painting, Twitter, WendyLovesJesus

One night, a girl had a dream. She dreamed of a Twitter account that was nothing but art. Every painting and sculpture correctly attributed (and if possible, dated), with the most high-quality image available. The girl searched and searched the entire Twitterverse for such an account, but much to her disappointment, none could be found.

So finally the girl decided, “If I can’t find what I’m looking for… I’ll make it myself.”

And so, on January 22, 2017, my second Twitter page, @ArtistsOfBeauty, was created.

Dominus Venustas is Latin for “masters of beauty” — the @username I wanted for this new account. Both @DominusVenustas AND @MastersOfBeauty was already taken. *sighs* Of course.

But, c’est la vie! I could still use Dominus Venustas for the account title, and I decided on @ArtistsOfBeauty for the username. Not exactly what I wanted, but it does the job.

Gallery Feature: “Northern Leopard Frog”

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Art, commission, Feathered Fauna, northern leopard frog, Painting, wildlife artist, wildlife painting

I’ve been a commission artist now for 12 years. Right out of high school, I jumped head-long into the art world, and haven’t looked back since.

When you make a career out of creating art that people ask for (as opposed to an artist who paints pieces and then offers them for sale — “if you see something you like, please buy it”), you try to be proficient in everything. You also have to learn how to anticipate, observe, and gather information.

Made-to-order paintings are both exciting and nerve-wracking. As the artist, I enjoy the surprise of each new commission (what will I be asked to paint this time?), but I also worry that the client won’t share in my vision for the finished piece. Even when clients say they don’t know what they want, that’s usually not the case. You may not even be aware that you already have an image in your head, but trust me, it’s there, and part of my job is to coax it out of you.

The Lord, Our Refuge In the Day of Disaster

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Bible, christianity, God, Jesus, refuge, Sunday Scripture

~ Jeremiah 17:1-18 ~

“Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool, inscribed with a flint point, on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars. Even their children remember their altars and Asherah poles beside the spreading trees and on the high hills. My mountain in the land and your wealth and all your treasures I will give away as plunder, together with your high places, because of sin throughout your country. Through your own fault you will lose the inheritance I gave you. I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for you have kindled my anger, and it will burn forever.”

Design Toscano: “Write a Review” Contest

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contest, Design Toscano, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, sculpture, St. Francis of Assisi, thankful, Vatican Lions

Artist and art historian Giorgio Vasari once said: “Anyone who has seen Michelangelo’s David has no need to see anything else by another sculptor, living or dead.”

I absolutely agree with this 110%. David is one of the most finely sculpted statues in the world, and a personal favourite of this artist. And when I first laid eyes on a magazine ad featuring the beautiful Design Toscano desktop-size replica David statue back in 2005, I knew that I had to have him.

Someday…

Fast-forward 11 years to a day last fall — I saw it listed on Amazon at a price I could afford. It was still a splurge, but one that I was more than happy to make.

The Design Toscano Twitter account was nice enough to reply:

Fast-forward again to January 30, 2017. I spied this on Design Toscano’s Twitter page:

Weighing the Cost

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Bible, eternity, Lazarus and the rich man, soul

Gabriel Metsu, “Lazarus and the Rich Man”

The next time you’re tempted to want more, remember this verse. Sometimes having everything really means having nothing. In life, everything is a compromise. If you want this, you’ll have to sacrifice that. We must always ask ourselves, “What am I willing to give up?”

Love & Marriage

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Bible, bride, love, marriage, Sunday Scripture, wedding

Last Saturday, one of my oldest and dearest friends got married! So what better topic for this month’s Sunday Scripture post than marriage and what the Bible has to say about it?

Today’s post is fondly dedicated to newlyweds Megan & Tim. ♥

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

~ Ephesians 4:2-3

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

~ Colossians 3:18-19

B-Grade Horror: Better Isn’t Always Best, But Sometimes More Is More

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Army of Darkness, B-Grade Horror, Bruce Campbell, Evil Dead 2, horror films, Ray Harryhausen, The Evil Dead, Vincent Price

You’ve heard the phrase, “It’s so bad, it’s good”? Or “He’s so ugly, he’s cute”? Well, that’s exactly how I like my horror movies: So bad, they’re good.

With the 2016-17 television season pretty much over for the summer, I’ve found myself with more time to watch movies. Wanting something scary and fun, I decided I would revisit some ’80s cult classic horror: Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead” trilogy.

The first film, “The Evil Dead” premiered in 1981. Its sequel, “Evil Dead 2” came six years later in 1987. The final film, “Army of Darkness” closed out the series in 1992.

The Lord Is With Us

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Art, comfort, Jesus, Peter Paul Rubens, Raphael, refuge, Sunday Scripture, trust

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

~ Psalm 46:1-3

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

~ Isaiah 41:10