Repuposed ART

My very favorite thing about art and being an artist is the transformation of things. It is in the creating!
It can be the clump of clay that gets made into a beautiful piece of pottery, the blank canvas that is transformed into a classic masterpiece or a million pieces or tiny glass blown in to a colorful vase.

It truly is the gift of art that inspires growth and change in so many ways.

I love taking something that may be discarded and giving it new life. I get this from my mom, also an artist, who used to make me hunt with her for flattened pop cans so she could paint different faces or animals on them. She would get inspired by the shape the old, rusty, flattened tin can would make and transform them into little pieces of art. It was very cool and a very 70's kind of thing to do.

For a few years now i have been painting on cabinet door fronts.


 I really love taking the door and turning it into art! I also enjoy working on the versatile hard wood surface. I can paint acrylics directly on the door front, like what you see above, or i can use mixed media layers. I can even pound nails into the piece if i want. Sometimes you just wanna hit something:)

Recently I held a workshop on repurposed assemblage art working on a cabinet door front. The idea was to take personal items from home and assemble them onto the door using mixed media techniques. It was  awesome to see old cabinet doors turn into these amazing pieces of art...

 This artist created a tribute to Grandma and Grandpa

 This artist gave healing to a broken heart

 this piece was made for a first grandbaby

 Commemorating Grandma, this artist used her Grandmother's earring collection!

 This artist used lot's of color and texture, awesome

 Who wouldn't want this in a beach themed room or vacation home?

An old broken doll from childhhood gives this artist her inspiration



All the doors were unique and inspiring as these women opened themselves up to the world of assemblage and repurposed art for the very first time. Two sweet artist had never even done mixed media, they totally blew us all away with thei work!

As women i think we all enjoy making things new and fresh.  It's just in us to make things pretty! We redecorate, cook and bake, sew, we even spend time making ourselves pretty.

What do you REPURPOSE? I would love to know!



Happiness

I really want to like this quote, in fact i want to love it, maybe even live it! But, as I really let it sink in, it falls in the same place as "ignorance is bliss" and "what you don't know won't hurt you" and i'm not sure i like where that path is going.

Some things, i feel i need to go deep with. I need to set boundaries in my life and have the integrity and self control to live within these boundaries. I think that takes wisdom and maturity. I think that takes time.

I can have knowledge and still not be wise.

Wisdom is different than knowledge.

According to our dear friend WEBSTER wisdom means....

1.The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise

             2.The soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of such       

                                     experience, knowledge, and good judgment

             3.The body of knowledge and principles that develops within a specified society or period

           I like number two. I like the word soundness which could also mean faith or peace.

I can't help but think about Galatians 5:22-23 in the bible.... But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Where is the word HAPPINESS? Actually the Bible doesn't use the word HAPPINESS often and when it does it usually refers to serving others to give them happiness, not gain it for ourself.

So back to the question? Is it better to be HAPPY or WISE? Can we both both?? 

I would love to know your thoughts on this.

As usual, i didn't intend to get so deep!

Linking up with the sisters today...

                                                                   

We have a winner!

WE HAVE A WINNER!!
That was quick and so much fun! I couldn't be more thrilled that the sweetest lady and my bloggy friend won...SHUG http://shug-stepsoffaith.blogspot.com/ ! Stop over to visit her and she will quickly touch your heart too, so sweet!
We did go on vacation to the beautiful SMOKEY MOUNTAINS in Gatlinburg Tn. We love it there and my sister in law gave us the use of her time share for Christmas! Best present eveh!!

One last shot of our trip, hiking on the first day...thought this would have given our location away... Thanks to everyone who played along. It is such a Blessing to have a give-away and i will be doing that again for sure!


I wish everyone a safe, Blessed 4th of July celebration!
Happy Birthday America and may God Bless our troops!

guess and get give-away

Thanks for playing along on my give-away! I have never done a give-away before and it is fun!! It's a little tricky for me to pick out the picture clues...wanna make them easier as we go along but not completely give away the location. That wouldn't be any fun!

 Here's what you can win...

8x10" original mixed media art that was inspired by my kids and Psalm 17:8 ...

"Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wing"

Here are the picture clues...

                                                              Here deary, deary, deary.
                                               Apparently, wild dear are super friendly here!

                                                      

                                                         One of the many beautiful views.


Think you know where we went for summer vacation??
 Take a guess in the comment section and the first one that guesses the location, wins! Yeah! I am having way too much fun with this:)


xo, Jill

Guess and Give Away

                                                               8x10" mixed media

Super excited (and kinda nervous) to give away this TRUoriginal!

This original piece of artwork was inspired by my kids and Psalms 17:8,
"Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of the wings"

Followers, all you have to do to win is take a look at the photos and try and guess where my family and I went for our summer vacation. I will post 2 photos per post till we have a winner:)

                                                                Just out and about.

                                                               These were in bloom.

Have fun and thanks for playin:) Linking up up with Jennifer at STUDIO JRU....http://studiojru.com/blog/.

The Day of Forgiveness

                                                              My Dad and Daughter

As a little girl I was never close with my earthly Father. My parents divorced when I was 2 and i simply didn't know the man I called Dad. Unfortunately I spent many years bound in resentment and bitterness over this. I felt unloveable and my bad choices through my teens and early twenties just added fuel to that fire. I blamed way too much on a man who I believe today did the best he could to love me. Today holds a dear place in my heart for so many reasons, it marks the one year anniversary of the day I forgave my Dad. Sitting in church a year ago today, God's mercy washed over my heart and He gave me His eyes to see my Dad as He does and here's how i see my Dad today...

generous, funny, down to earth, a great cook, wonderful smile, creative, broken, hurting, and loves me and my family so dearly.

Last week I recieved a letter from my Dad saying all the words I had wished for so long he would say to me, almost a year to the date of my forgiving him. The amazing thing about that letter is I didn't feel how I thought I would feel about recieving it. I thought it would make me feel some how justified in my pain for all those years, kinda like I deserved to feel like that...bitter and angry. But it didn't make me feel deserving at all, it made me feel just the opposite, it made me feel unworthy of God's mercy and it made me feel sad for my Dad not having a friendship with Jesus. God calls us all to be OAKS OF RIGHTOUSNESS, A SPLENDER FOR HIS GLORY and I knew in my unforgiveness i had not been that for God. He asks us to forgive our enemies and here I held onto unforgiveness like a security blanket.

As I sat in church today, filled with gratitude, all I could think of was my Dad and just how much God loves us all. I thought about how God has filled me up so completely that, in Him, I have been made new and His mercy gives me beauty for my ashes. And I thought about God's generosity to me, giving me my Husband, my Priest, and my Father in Law. I no longer have an absent dad...I have FIVE FATHERS! God is Good!

                                                          My Husband, my Best Friend

The man who taught me love, patience, and trust. You are my Heaven on Earth! I admire, respect, and adore you and the kind Father you are to our babies. I have learned so much from you, love of my life. xo

 I'm always amazed at what comes out of me on this little blog of mine. I never mean to go deep yet somehow I always end up here. My prayer for you, if you are holding onto unforgivness in any way, is that you would lay it at the feet of Jesus. That He would do for you what He did for me.... give you His eyes so that you could see your enemy that way God does....broken.

 "Unforgiveness takes delight in our fear, as it binds our wings and pushes us off the cliff of dispair."

 Come back this week to play "Guess Where", my silly version of Where's Waldo and win a fun prize:)

 Linking up with Jen and my sisters at http://findingheaventoday.blogspot.com/, stop on over.

Love Song - Adele

Close your eyes....breath deep....look into the eyes of your Lord as He reaches His hand out to you...take it.








whenever i'm alone with you
you make me feel like i am home again
 whenever i'm alone with you
 you make me feel like i am whole again
whenever i'm alone with you
 you make me feel like i am young again
whenever i'm alone with you
 you make me feel like i am fun again
 however far away
 i will always love you
however long i stay
 i will always love you
whatever words i say
 i will always love you
i will always love you
 whenever i'm alone with you
 you make me feel like i am free again
whenever i'm alone with you
you make me feel like i am clean again
 however far away
 i will always love you
however long i stay
i will always love you
whatever words i say
 i will always love you
 i will always love you
 lyrics by The Cure. (fitting because yes He is...The Cure:)

 Isaiah 61:1-3
"The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion -- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory."

 Oh how He loves us!

Where's Waldo...

If you have tween kids you probably remember the WHERE'S WALDO books. Loved them as I sat with the kids and we all tried to be the first one to find the goofy looking Waldo character. Well....that's kinds been my life lately! Friends keep asking WHERE'S JILL? Blog buddies check in periodically to see if I'm ok and most of the phone messages from family members begin something like this, "I know you've been busy lately but when you get a chance can you give me a quick call?" That's the worst :( First let me say THANK YOU for the "just checking on you" emails I received. It still amazes me that God has put you in my life. It amazes me that you would even care what a mess like me would have to say over on this little ole' blog of mine. It has been a truly Blessed month for me and my family, full of ups and downs. The ups~

• Co-chairing my church's SPRING GALA with my hubby. Lot's of hard work but we raised some much needed funds with a great community of people. God is trying so hard to make us a great team....we're gettin there .

I was invited to attend the Surtex show in NYC by a friend who is a licensed artist. I learned SO much about the licensing art world. Fair to say the good, the bad, and the ugly! Not sure if this is my path but I'm open to the possibilities. NYC was very cool to visit for the first time as an adult.

these guys were having too much fun!

catwalk at the Surtex show
and Time Square
and Central Park

*************************Blessed to witness many Baptisms this last month, 8 to be exact! Not too sure why God allowed me to be at the right place at the right time but sure does put life into perspective when you watch so many come to Jesus through this sacrament. Holy WOW!

Attended Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral while in NYC

***********************************************************

• The ending of many activities for the kids...soccer, acting class that ended with a play, spring musical and of course the end of a school year!

Yeeha! Welcome Summer:)
My sweet kiddos..Lauren is the mad scientist, Cooper is the goalie!

• An exciting opportunity to wholesale with my very favorite local boutique. They have several locations and tons of foot traffic. I have been biding my time and waiting til the right opportunity came up to begin wholesaling...could this be it? I'll keep you posted.

TRU workshops and ATC swaps! I am so thrilled that my workshops have blossomed into a place of creative support and love. It has taken me 2 years to finally see the fruits of this journey and God has been more than faithful to me. I am inspired by the women who join me on this journey and am in awe of the art they are creating . ********* TRUly inspiring women!

• Putting my health on the list again, I'm exercising everyday, taking my vitamins, drinking more water, and enjoying whole, clean foods. Lost 10 Lbs! Not brave enough to post a picture here.
• Getting my house organized. I know, i've been talking about doing this forever and i'm finally working it out! Again, not brave enough to post a picture...not of my messy closets!

The downs~ Missed my nephews 1st Communion because of my trip to Surtex. Computer officially crashed! This was more than a downer! Just yesterday we finally got all my contacts and documents loaded and this has been a day to day process. This was a very difficult thing to give to God as a real part of my life lies in this little laptop. My work, my photographs, and my contacts all sat untouched for weeks at a time as we struggled to find a solution to my computer problem. Finally the big black screen of nothing. Had to bite the bullet and just get a new machine, my mother board had died. I do not wish that on my worst enemy so as a friend my only advice is...shut your computer completely down each night.
Contracted a terrible rash from NYC?? Still not sure what it was but very itchy and left welts on me. Not sure if it was bedbugs...yuck! All gone now, no sign of critters.

My hubby and I finished up our first year as Youth Group leaders at our church...oh wait, that goes in the UPS section. We will miss our teens this summer!

Missed my sisters birthday but going out tonight to finally celebrate.

Missed some of my BFFs...finally catching up on walks, dinners, and phone convos.

Missed you, my bloggy friends. That's it!! We are leaving for vacation next week and I will post some pictures while we're there. Leave a comment to see if you know the location from my pictures, kinda like a virtual Where's Waldo, and you could be the winner of a special give-away. Look for more details to come. I have not given up on the Choosing Hope series i have planned to post, so I hope you haven't either. I will begin that in June, God willing (i'm learning to say that more!). xo jill

GOOD Friday

So they took Jesus, and, carrying the cross Himself, He went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha.

There they crucified him, and with two others, one on either side,

with Jesus in the middle.

John 19:16-18

_____________________

*

Oh Jesus,

For the sake of your sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

For all those who are struggling, hurting, or battling something, let them surrender to your Holy will. Help them to know that they are being brought closer to you and your suffering on the cross. Your way is perfection, your love is perfection. As we arrive at our destination, the foot of the cross, let us look up and be grateful for your sacrifice. Help us to submerge ourselves in your Holy perfect Love, May we share your Name with all that we encounter.

In His name,

Amen

Holy Week...5 days till Easter

HOLY WEEK

Peter said to Him,

"Master, why can I not follow you now?

I will lay down my life for you."

Jesus answered,

"Will you lay down your life for me?

Amen, Amen, I say to you,

the cock will not crow before you deny me three times."

John 13:37-38

____________________

*

Reading the Holy Scripture this morning, i was amazed how God was speaking to me. Struggling this last month to get these prayers posted has been very humbling for me. Yes, my computer had a most nasty virus, and yes i waited too long to take it in to be fixed, which made it even worse off. But the real YES and the truth of the matter is I just didn't try hard enough. Then i just felt shame for not doing for God (and you all) what I said and committed to doing...just like Peter. I got my computer back last Thursday and here I am Tuesday with a post!WHY? I can only say that my complacency, guilt, and busyness kept me from praying with you. I have no excuse but that. And as much as I have let myself down and some of you down ( I lost several followers), the fact of the matter is I let God down because this was part of my Lenten promise to Him. Simply put, I told Him I would do it and I didn't.

So what now??

I get back up, I confess and ask forgiveness, and I refuse to let satan win!

Like I stated in a previous post, I believe it is no coincidence that my computer broke within a week of starting this series. The problem is that i became like Peter...believing I would stop at nothing to fulfill my promise, only to quickly give up when it became too hard.

It shows me the depth of God's love for me that He would take my sin by giving up on Him and this promise I made, and He would turn it around to Glorify Himself through this Holy Scripture.

Oh how He loves us....

Lover of my soul,

Forgive me when I deny you. Here I humbly sit, feeling the weight of your cross, my sin.

THANK YOU for allowing me to feel so deeply just a tiny glimpse of your sacrifice.

As we come closer to the foot of the cross to watch you suffer a most agonizing death, help us to love like you love Jesus. Help us to dig in during these final days of the journey and carry the cross with you Lord. Help us to be like Veronica, wiping the blood from Your precious face with no regard for ourselves.

We praise You, we love You, we trust You.

In the name of Jesus,

Amen