God makes good things grow

This week was my week to paint a piece of art for our church's sermon series. We are reading, The Story by Max Lucado and Randy Frazee.  Each week Metro Church in Winter Springs has allowed any willing soul to create a piece of art to be the visual for the lesson. Not only that but we get to come on stage and talk about why The Lord led us to create our pieces of art! It has been so fun to see what people come up with. I truly appreciate the  gesture of letting go and letting people use their gifts and passions.

Through many ways this past week God has been directing me to see a theme. The message I got loud and clear was that I should plant my seeds and work life's goals and garden hard, yes, but there is more. The second part that I can easily fluff over is the part about waiting expectantly for him to water and bring the fruits. After all he does call himself The Gardener. I love that The Lord uses so many planting, cooking, gardening and fishing analogies. All things that I love ... My kind of guy. Now I just need to find some painting references in the bible. Here was my process ...

My first step was to lightly block in the sky and dirt using the "wet on wet" technique.

Next I started putting in the dark sections of the watering can. Leaving whites of the paper open for highlights.

Here I spent a lot of time on the can using some shading techniques and darkening up the soil.

Here is my watering can model. It is actually for decoration purposes only but I love the real rust! I purchased it years ago at my favorite home store in Sandusky, Ohio, K&K home.

Painted in several layered stages of the spinach leaf sprouts. Letting them dry in between each layer and darkening areas as I went.

The final artwork.