Dear Friends,
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever laid under a tree as a child watching the wind blow through the branches?
This morning I got to sleep in which is a rare occasion for me and I enjoyed feeling the dog snuggle up to my right side while the cat snuggled up to my left. I cracked open the curtain to see the wind whipping the branches of the tree just outside of our bedroom window.
It took me back to my childhood when I spent whole days playing under the limbs of the willows in our yard, often watching the movement of the branches in the wind. I loved that time in my life, when I had all the time in the world to daydream and observe everything that caught my fancy. I loved petting caterpillars, building nests for birds out of dried grass clippings and dressing our kittens up in doll clothes.
Whenever I am called back into that innocent world by some smell or sight, I relax and feel the joy of being alive.
I hope that you get transported back into some of your happiest memories by some pleasant trigger sometime soon.
Love, Sue
Friday, February 21, 2014
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Painting Slowly
Dear Friends,
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever thought that you couldn't do something and then found out that you could?
This morning my arm and shoulder hurt a lot from too much painting lately and I thought I would have to rest instead of painting today. But I was excited about my projects and wanted to move forward anyway, so I tried painting very slowly. I was surprised to discover that I was able to paint all day long.
The act of painting slowly was enjoyable to me. Usually I am in a hurry and thinking about the finished project, but today I was with my friends from my art group, so I focused on the conversation and the process of spreading paint onto the canvas.
It felt great to be a slow poke and not feel guilty about it.
I hope that you will also get a chance to savor the process of doing your favorite work in the near future.
Love, Sue
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever thought that you couldn't do something and then found out that you could?
This morning my arm and shoulder hurt a lot from too much painting lately and I thought I would have to rest instead of painting today. But I was excited about my projects and wanted to move forward anyway, so I tried painting very slowly. I was surprised to discover that I was able to paint all day long.
The act of painting slowly was enjoyable to me. Usually I am in a hurry and thinking about the finished project, but today I was with my friends from my art group, so I focused on the conversation and the process of spreading paint onto the canvas.
It felt great to be a slow poke and not feel guilty about it.
I hope that you will also get a chance to savor the process of doing your favorite work in the near future.
Love, Sue
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Blue Bird in Winter
Dear Friends,
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever spotted a blue bird in winter? I saw one yesterday as it crossed my path while I was driving. Joy swelled in my heart!
I always feel God's hand in my life when I see a bluebird. To me it is a sign that God has something special in store for me and today I sold a painting before the oil paint was dry on the canvas!
I have been praying and asking God if it's time to go back to the pulpit as a pastor or if I will be able to make a living with my art ministry. I feel like I got an answer.
I hope that you have a sense of God's presence in your life leading you down the path to the best blessings that God wants to give to you.
Love, Sue
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever spotted a blue bird in winter? I saw one yesterday as it crossed my path while I was driving. Joy swelled in my heart!
I always feel God's hand in my life when I see a bluebird. To me it is a sign that God has something special in store for me and today I sold a painting before the oil paint was dry on the canvas!
I have been praying and asking God if it's time to go back to the pulpit as a pastor or if I will be able to make a living with my art ministry. I feel like I got an answer.
I hope that you have a sense of God's presence in your life leading you down the path to the best blessings that God wants to give to you.
Love, Sue
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
February Thaw
Dear Friends,
God bless you and your loved ones.
How many of you are experiencing crazy weather? Our winter in MI has been so cold and snowy, it leads me to believe that the earth may be changing axis points and Santa will move in next door with the elves to set up a toy shop!
Today was the first day in forever that the temperature rose to above freezing which meant that the deep snow in our yard was perfect for packing. After dinner all five of our teens (4 are foreign exchange students from warm climates) went outdoors with Roger and me to build a snow sculpture of our family.
We now have 7 snow people lined up along the sidewalk to greet our neighbors. Our foreign kids had never played in snow before so it was as if they were little children playing in snow for the first time. What fun!
Love, Sue
God bless you and your loved ones.
How many of you are experiencing crazy weather? Our winter in MI has been so cold and snowy, it leads me to believe that the earth may be changing axis points and Santa will move in next door with the elves to set up a toy shop!
Today was the first day in forever that the temperature rose to above freezing which meant that the deep snow in our yard was perfect for packing. After dinner all five of our teens (4 are foreign exchange students from warm climates) went outdoors with Roger and me to build a snow sculpture of our family.
We now have 7 snow people lined up along the sidewalk to greet our neighbors. Our foreign kids had never played in snow before so it was as if they were little children playing in snow for the first time. What fun!
Love, Sue
Monday, February 17, 2014
Changing It Up
Dear Friends,
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever heard of intuitive painting? There is an excellent book by Flora Bowley called, "Brave Intuitive Painting" that I followed for a whole year in 2013. My goal was to do a painting a day and it was great fun trying to accomplish that, even though I had to slow down for awhile due to other responsibilities.
Intuitive painting is process oriented and the idea is to paint without planning ahead, to allow the splashes and marks to lead the artist into uncharted territory. I ended up painting images that I never would have done if I were relying on my conscious brain to lead me. It expanded my horizons completely.
Now I am on a different path again this year in 2014. I am creating several different series of paintings that I think will appeal to a wider, more popular audience than what I was reaching before. My process is different. I make plans, do research and draw sketches before I start. I work on a number of canvases at a time filling in backgrounds first and then painting my animals in the foreground.
Today I decided to try to do a single painting and to try to finish it in one sitting. It was such a different way of working, I almost forgot how to do it! Before I finished, I was interrupted and needed to give my kids a ride, but I came close to completing it.
During the process I started painting dandelion leaves in great detail from memory and all of a sudden I was a youth again sitting in the grass tying dandelions into a chain for a necklace. It was a wonderful memory.
The detailed imagery had to go because it wasn't working, but I'm glad for the time I spent doing it and the memory it evoked.
If you get a chance to try some intuitive painting, I highly recommend it. The first thing to remember is that whatever you do is right!
Love, Sue
God bless you and your loved ones.
Have you ever heard of intuitive painting? There is an excellent book by Flora Bowley called, "Brave Intuitive Painting" that I followed for a whole year in 2013. My goal was to do a painting a day and it was great fun trying to accomplish that, even though I had to slow down for awhile due to other responsibilities.
Intuitive painting is process oriented and the idea is to paint without planning ahead, to allow the splashes and marks to lead the artist into uncharted territory. I ended up painting images that I never would have done if I were relying on my conscious brain to lead me. It expanded my horizons completely.
Now I am on a different path again this year in 2014. I am creating several different series of paintings that I think will appeal to a wider, more popular audience than what I was reaching before. My process is different. I make plans, do research and draw sketches before I start. I work on a number of canvases at a time filling in backgrounds first and then painting my animals in the foreground.
Today I decided to try to do a single painting and to try to finish it in one sitting. It was such a different way of working, I almost forgot how to do it! Before I finished, I was interrupted and needed to give my kids a ride, but I came close to completing it.
During the process I started painting dandelion leaves in great detail from memory and all of a sudden I was a youth again sitting in the grass tying dandelions into a chain for a necklace. It was a wonderful memory.
The detailed imagery had to go because it wasn't working, but I'm glad for the time I spent doing it and the memory it evoked.
If you get a chance to try some intuitive painting, I highly recommend it. The first thing to remember is that whatever you do is right!
Love, Sue
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Hello Again!
Dear Friends,
God bless you and your loved ones!
I'm sorry that I left my blog for awhile to make time for my day job, but now I'm back to being a fulltime artist again and have time to connect. Hooray!
Day jobs are great for buying groceries, but nothing satisfies the soul like painting all day long throughout the work week. When I feel the creaminess of the wet paint gliding from my brush onto the canvas I get a thrill that warms my heart, tickles my brain and puts me into contact with divine thought.
I become a co-creator with Christ watching the creation unfold before my eyes. I am a child again, under the willow tree, peeling the bark off from a branch to whittle it into an arrow for my handmade bow. All is right with the world.
Anyone can enter into this state of mind simply by doodling to music. It's restful and relaxing. I hope that you get a chance to experience it soon.
Love, Sue
God bless you and your loved ones!
I'm sorry that I left my blog for awhile to make time for my day job, but now I'm back to being a fulltime artist again and have time to connect. Hooray!
Day jobs are great for buying groceries, but nothing satisfies the soul like painting all day long throughout the work week. When I feel the creaminess of the wet paint gliding from my brush onto the canvas I get a thrill that warms my heart, tickles my brain and puts me into contact with divine thought.
I become a co-creator with Christ watching the creation unfold before my eyes. I am a child again, under the willow tree, peeling the bark off from a branch to whittle it into an arrow for my handmade bow. All is right with the world.
Anyone can enter into this state of mind simply by doodling to music. It's restful and relaxing. I hope that you get a chance to experience it soon.
Love, Sue
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Website
Dear Friends,
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!
Our son created a new website for my art and if you wish to visit it please click on www.suetrowbridgeart.com
Thank you.
Love, Sue
God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries today!
Our son created a new website for my art and if you wish to visit it please click on www.suetrowbridgeart.com
Thank you.
Love, Sue
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