Paths

We're taking a pause from posting one of our regular whimsical pieces of artwork that are used by manufacturers for various gift items or products.  We love creating those light-hearted designs, but in our studio we're often surrounded by totally different styles of art, and on many occasions, it's a work-in-progress by James Rhodes, the husband of Laura, one of the Velvet Lime Girls.  When he's not busy at Rhodes Design Group, he often slips into the studio, and as he says, "picks up his crayons and starts coloring again".  We like the way he colors and it brings us such inspiration that we wanted to share it with you today.  This piece is not yet signed because it's a work in progress, but those bright-faced daisies in the foreground, that weathered barn, and those billowy clouds just had to be shared with others outside of our studio.  We gave you a peek at some of James' other pieces that grace our studio walls in these posts:  Color of Light and Work of Art in Progress. 

The path in this piece of artwork, with it's grassy mounds of wheat, goldenrod, and bright-faced daisies, waving their tousled heads in the breeze, just seem to whisper over and over to us thoughts about paths. Paths are so important in this life. It's important to choose the right one. When you have Someone to walk with you, guide you and encourage you on your path ...it is a beautiful gift.  Here are just a few of the path promises that have carved themselves onto our hearts lately, like a well-loved path in a grassy field.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path .." Psalm 119:105

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and He will make your paths straight." (or direct your paths) Proverbs 3: 5-6

"The path of the righteous shines brighter and brighter". Proverbs 4:18
To us, those words brighter and brighter always convey the idea of  better and better...and those joyful little daisies in the foreground of this picture just seem to be shouting this...as loud as their little petals will let them.

We'll be writing  more about this grassy path as the work is completed and would love to hear what comes to your mind when you see the grassy path, the barn, the clouds, the green expanse, or that little peek of aquamarine-blue sky in the left hand corner.  Oh, this one is going to be fun to follow!  Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Walking on the paths prepared for us,
The Velvet Lime Girls 

The Color of Light

Lighthouses are slipping into our studio each week.  It's true.  A fresh new one seems to have appeared weekly over the last month.  They've been bringing a little color and light into our studio as we prepare our portfolios for the Surtex show in New York.  These lighthouses, created by Laura's husband, James Rhodes, are quite different from our whimsical, inspiration artwork, and they just seem to fuel our creativity.  We thought we'd share a little of this color and light surrounding us today. So, step into the studio and take a look around with us!

All the lighthouses began with strokes of pigment from Sennelier soft pastels that lie in casual piles along the edges of our studio. Chalky containers holding color, light and life.

At first glance, one might think these simple sticks of earthy substance were just stubby chunks of color. Nice to look at, but not much potential for anything beyond lying in rows.

But in the right hands, these chalky, earthen vessels are transformed into beautiful works of art. 

The soft pastels are quiet reminders of how beautiful our lives can become when we place them into the hands of God.  The master creator will pick us up, regardless of how ordinary we may look lying on the sidelines of life, and transform us into beautiful works of art. His strokes shape us into little earthen vessels that carry His light into the world and spill reflections of His color and life on to everyone around us.

Oh, you can be so beautiful in the right hands.

"Get away with me and you’ll recover your life... Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30

Grateful for the colors surrounding us today,
The Velvet Lime Girls