ART IN BLOOM

I had a great time, primo location, and met a lot of cool people at ART IN BLOOM at the Omaha Botanical Gardens.
I even sold a few paintings, got a lot of compliments, and a few suggestions, which is what I was lookin' to do.
Got a chance to visit with Jennifer, and with my daughter-in-law Valerie, all things which are a great blessing.
Thanks again for reading.

Omaha Botanical Gardens website

I am so looking forward to August 14 & 15 when my artwork will be displayed at the Lauritzen Gardens here in Omaha. The fun part was finding my website linked to the webpage as a featured local artist. I love being at these events and getting to know other artists, see what they have been doing, creating, selling and just having fun meeting new people who stop by to chat.
If you want to visit the gardens and stop by, I will be somewhere inside the building of the awesome Omaha Botanical Gardens.

http://www.omahabotanicalgardens.org/Visit/Events_and_Exhibits/Art_in_Bloom/

Lauritzen Gardens, Art in Bloom, August 14 & 15

Wow, it has been a year since I was getting ready for my first display of artwork at "Art in Bloom" at the Omaha Botanical Gardens. Now my artwork has been accepted for a second time, this time it will be inside the building away from the rain, wind, thunder, lightning, heat and high humidity, Yea, PTL.
This year my newest medium is a Sharpie pen. My little "Stripes, Spots and Sharpie" jungle animal creations I hope will warm your hearts, and hear your heartfelt praise to your Savior.
OK, I have to let you in on a little secret, my huge dream is to sell copies of my prints in the form of note cards, greeting cards and cool little pictures to hang on the wall of either a little girls room with the jungle theme, or anywhere else you want to hang them.
I was so excited the other day when my card rack display was shipped to my front door. I set all the cards I have ready to go in the display and took a picture. I hope to sell a lot of them at Lauritzen Gardens and the Arts and Crafts show in September at St. Lukes in Omaha. Here is a picture of the display, ready to sell.

Bible Bouquet

Forgot to read my Bible today
The sky was ominous the clouds so gray
My heart doesn’t want to go out and play
There is something standing in the way

The edge of life’s fabric began to fray
Unraveling threads to my dismay
The love of my life is still sick this day
With an affliction that will not go away

Hoping for that fragrant bouquet
Of colorful flowers that can display
A rainbow of encouraging sentiments stay
God’s creation laughs in a brilliant ray

Reading God’s Word it did portray
Where I learned to act and pray
His light will lead me on my way
God promised in His care I’d stay

At Jesus feet my burdens I lay
When from His heart I did stray
Quickly His Word I did then obey
Then I began His praise to say

Rewarded with a radiant bouquet
Mind is clearing with a “Sonlit” display
My eyes on Jesus my thoughts purvey
Joy to my heart, with new vision survey


Psalm 19:7-9 (New International Version)
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.

Psalm 51:11-13 (New International Version)
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalm 5: 7-15, (The MESSAGE)
7-15 Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean,
scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don't look too close for blemishes,
give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don't throw me out with the trash,
or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God;
I'll let loose with your praise.

6/18/10

Stripes, Spots, Splotches and Sharpies

After being inspired by a tattoo tiger that I re-created from someone else's tattoo, thought I would draw my own jungle animals. The results were done with a sharpie felt pen, on typing paper, but it reprints very nicely by photocopying. Something about black and white, looks sharp and clear.
The following animal prints are available at a very reasonable price matted and ready to frame.
a 5"x7" matted print (3.5" x 5" print) is only $3.00, an 8" x 10" print can be framed in a 11"x14" frame once matted, or directly into an 8" x 10" frame, would be only $5.00 each (an extra $2.00 for matting, state size desired and color of matt). They will come with a cardboard backing, and be on photocopy paper.
Free Shipping to anywhere in the USA with purchase of 4 or more images.

Hope you enjoy my new genre as much as I enjoyed creating it.

DJ

This painting and the poetry verse was done for my Granddaughter Brynn's 1st Birthday.

Brynn, for your 1st Birthday

Brynn, second baby brought balance to the pair

Beautiful, delicate, blessed with darker hair

Bashful but assured the littlest child compare

Brilliant she watches others learning to beware

Butterflies emerge with wings colorful affair

Balance and vibrant hovering in the air

Blossoming from her bouquet she will declare

Boundless energy entertains all without a care

Birthday here in February so many more to fare

Busy being active life’s cupboard never bare

Blushing, laughing flashing the grin she wears

Blessings from God who loves her is our prayer

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12

Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place. 1 Chronicles 16:27

This painting was done for my Granddaughter Avery's 1st Birthday. The card that I wrote with a special verse just for her (and Mommy and Daddy since she cannot read yet).

Avery, Happy 1st Birthday

Avery the first to be born that day

Adorable and healthy just as we pray

Absolutely awesome and our fears did allay

Always God’s best, born without delay

Anniversary 1 is February 2, her birthday display

Aroma of sweetness our fragrant bouquet

Arrangements of flowers celebrate and convey

All our hearts are happy, hooray, hooray

Aviary is where hummingbirds take flight

Alluring spirit soaring to lofty height

Attitude and laughter always a delight

Active articulate and shining and so bright

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26

So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:21

I have been taking Apple classes, and they have been great about teaching me new stuff. If you have a chance to buy a Mac I do recommend them.

On Sunday I invited many friends to an Art Exhibit/ Open House to see my latest ideas. Luckily I have about 10 friends, most of them already have one of my paintings in their house, but two of them were interested in commissioning a new painting, cool eh? Several of them gave me suggestions as to where I could put some of my note cards and try to sell them. That is what I really enjoy doing, writing poetry, customizing special verses for special occasions such as weddings, graduations, new babies, and birthdays. That is my next project to get onto my web page. How to order a personal custom greeting card.

Here is an example of one of my poetic greetings, hope you enjoy and feel God's mercy washing over you, protecting you every day.

Protection Prayer

May God grant you someone to love every day

May He guide your conversation in every way

May your life count for God so He will say

Well done faithful servant, is what I pray

May your face radiate Gods grace, let it shine

As He molds, mends and forms may you align

Bringing forth purity may the Potter refine

Your faith into a sweet sacrifice, His design

May the Refiner’s fire burn off imperfection

Gleaming with His Son’s Holy reflection

His arms surrounding you with His protection

As God loves you into a new direction

1 Peter 1:7
These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

In the Beginning A New Blog

My Daughter has done a wonderful job of writing her blog. Her entries are interesting, informative and humorous, her language is poetic, her heart devoted to her children and husband, and of course her photos of my grandchildren are superb. She adds stories, and photos on a regular basis. Lori has inspired me to get my blog in gear, and my mind dusted off, and my typing fingers limbered up and ready to write. I would like to start being a regular contributor to my own blog that I started last year, so here goes:

My heart belongs to God my Savior, my family and my passion for painting and poetry. I want to proclaim God's handiwork through my art work, and if someone can be encouraged to follow Christ at a deeper more spiritual level, I would feel my purpose for life would be accomplished.
My story starts when I was 5 years old and felt the divine pull of my heartstrings to accept the truth that I had been taught in my home and Sunday School class, that God loved me and wanted me to accept his precious gift to me, his Son Jesus. After many years of faith and doubt being interespersed with obedience and sinful disobedience and distance from God, I turned 50 years old. It was then that I had an epiphany, while spending 2 hours on my knees, pleading with God to show His face. All the verses, chapters, the entire book of the Bible is true. So many times I would read God's Holy Words and try to dissect it, root out the negative, and discredit what was the truth, and it only led to frustration. Once my mind was devoted to reading God's Word looking for looking for treasures and nuggets of knowledge that could be used in my daily walk, it became a delight to read the Bible, a passion to seek His words of wisdom, a challenge to try to be obedient to His will for my life. I was praying in earnest about my love for watercolor painting becoming an obsession, and I needed to know if it is God's will that I continue to paint and someday earn a living doing it. I can truly say God gave me a sense of confirmation that I should continue to pursue my love for art and poetry. So since it is God's will, he will provide as I start my new journey as a Heart fully created artist for the Lord.
Let me start by giving you some Bible verses from God's Word that deal with hearts, fully created by God.

Colossians 2:2-3 (New International Version)
My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

1 Kings 8:61
But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Psalm 106:2
Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare his praise?

Later I will go on to some of my paintings and explain why I painted, and wrote the poetry behind them. We will see if anyone has read this far.
Thanks for reading,
DJ Bates