Vliegermolen Windmill, Voorburg, Holland

 

Drawn earlier this week at Voorburg in Holland. Twas so cold I ended up sketching with my gloves on. Brrr.

Still, I was able to finnish it off in the evening infront of a roaring log fire.

I had fun that day too filming storks and herons in flight, and photo-ing a whole heap of other stuff.

I went for a cycle ride and walk this morning, settled on my favourite bench about half way round to write a letter and this ink pen sketch.

I fingerpainted the same scene on my i:Touch  a year or two back during harvest.
It's one of those rare spots where the sound of nature, wind, birds, trees, exceed distant rumbles of man made engines chugging man up and down highways.

30 Year Old Cognac

I have in my drinks cupboard, a bottle of 30+ year old Cognac. It was only 10 years old when it was given to me, cognac is not my drink of choice.

But these last few weeks I have been enjoying an odd tipple here and there from this bottle having rescued the liquor from a crumbling cork.

The wine goblet is stainless steel, one that I have owned and been drinking from for over 40 years.

Dandelion

Hmm, I miss-spelt Dandelion... Oh well!

Countryside Mountains

I live in suburbia, but would love someday to live out in the countryside with walks such as this on my doorstep.

 

I do so hate the feel of pavements under my feet, far prefering a bouncy meadowy tread, or leaping rock to rock up a mountainside. Hmmmmmm - time to stop dreaming, and back to planet earth.

St George's Day

Happy St George's Day folks.
Are you off to hunt dragons today?

Foraging Plod

Like many of mine, drawn on a blank postcard, and will be safely in the postbox before last collection tonight.

I sketch directly onto 140 lbs, 6" x 4" card using an HB pencil. Most important to always have a good clean eraser handy, and in some places to artistically smudge the sketch rubbing over with my fingertip.

Finally I 'Fix' the sketch using hairspray to stop the sketch accidentally becoming more smudged in the hands of the postman or recipient.

Maundy Thuursday

In the Garden of Gethsemanie, Jesus knows he's was facing a stormy few days, sure though of his destiny.

Rooted in Faith...

An eclectic crowd gathered for our Christian Writers group this week. I dug out my book and a pencil as Tom spoke, after a while he read us a chapter from his book - an amazing work in progress.  My pencil started moving, I wondered how what I was drawing was inspired by what was going on in that room. We seemed to be drawing nourishment and learning through our faith roots together.

Sketch finnished I headed the writing side "Rooted in Faith", but had to stop at that point as we moved on.
I thought I had an idea of words mapped out in my head, but revisitting the page today other words poured out. Those words need reworking, as writers we are continually changing. But I think I understand now just a little of what God was prompting.

I imagined a plastic flower, designed for purpose of looking beautiful.
Sometimes they are made so well, you maybe poke and prod, 'Is it real? Is it not? I thought of a potters passion, or that of an athlete, digging deep into their hearts to produce what is best.

I can learn with my head all the facts on how to make a pot or run a race, and maybe succeed passably at either. But unless I have passion and dedication rooted in my heart and soul for potting I will not throw a masterpiece.

The plastic flower can only give an impression of being alive, a real plant has roots drawing up goodness from the ground.

It is easy to slip into a mechanical faith routine, led by the head and putting on a good display. But it's not being good at something, it is doing it for the right reason.

1 Corrinthians 9:24a   Run in such a way as to get the prize.
Our race is not against anyone else, each one of us a solo runner.

I guess this makes me think, because sometimes I ponder the difference between

• 'doing' an act of kindness because it's the way I'm ROUTED through teaching. An action to produce a result.
•  or because that's the way my heart is ROOTED  in Jesus. A natural responce gaining a result.

In a worldly view, both are winners.
Colossians 2:8  See to it that no-one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.