Drawing Half [Part 2]

From 1986
From 1986

Okay, I'm really putting myself out there - I found a way to scan some of my high school art assignments that I mentioned in the post, "Drawing Half." I really dig the idea! My art teacher was brilliant, to me, anyhow. I really suggest trying this "half" technique, especially if you are intimidated to begin a drawing from scratch.

I have a difficult time with proportion when drawing. You know what I mean, you start a face then find the nose is way too big or terribly small! It's frustrating. When drawing half, I reference the original and it's other half, so I become familiar with correct proportions. Which is a necessary skill to learn! (Unless you are Picasso.)

As I mentioned in the first post, I'd like to try a still-life half photo from one of my cooking magazines. I'll work on it and post the progress.

I hope you find this "drawing half" idea as cool as I do. Try it! All you need is a pencil (#2 at least) and a piece of paper, a photo and some glue. Pencil drawing is a low-tech art form. And inexpensive! But not boring or dull (well, unless you need to sharpen your pencil.)

OKAY! I know! That was terrible! I'm not a comedian...

Grace & peace as your drawing journey ~ deAnn

(c) 2009 deAnn Roe of Vertical Creativity. Can be used with permission, contact deAnn.

Idea's for Photographers

2008 is almost over. Have you purchased your 2009 calendar yet? If not, check out this post on the Photography blogsite.

Have fun creating!

Grace & peace ~ deAnn

How Artist's Help Us See God

Eugene Peterson, the man known for so many amazing contributions to developing the spiritual life, is interviewed above at a retreat/conference. If you ask me, the clip is way too short. But still, it makes me reflect deeply on the power of art and the way it CAN help us to see God, if we are open to it...

Enjoy!

Grace & peace ~ deAnn

Peace On Earth

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I just had to post this Christmas card from my Aunt Jill, especially in light of my recent post, "Hippie Induced Creativity."

May each of you experience Jesus in a surprisingly beautiful way today...

Grace & peace ~ deAnn

Drawing Half

I was looking through a box of old school papers my mom saved as I was growing up. Seems like most of the papers in the box are from different art classes, ranging from Kindergarten all the way through high school. And, to my surprise, most had an "A" on them. I guess I was a pretty good art student. (Another clue to my creative genealogy.)

Something I found that is pretty cool is a couple of projects I had in high school. We needed to find a photo of a male or female face in a magazine - one where they were looking square into the camera so their whole face was shown. Then we cut the photo right down the middle, vertically, pasted one half on a piece of drawing paper - THEN, draw the other half. As I looked at my assignments, I recalled the fear that came over me when this was assigned by my art teacher two decades ago. But, when I looked at the finished work, I have to admit, they look pretty good! (if I had a scanner, I'd scan and post them.)

I began to think that this is a pretty smart way to get ya drawing the technicality of faces! So, I'm going to try this now, as an adult. Or I may try a "still life" from one of my cooking magazines. I'll take the same principle, find a nice photo of a yummy meal, cut it in half and glue one half on a piece of drawing paper. Then draw the other half. Paying attention to light sources, scale, shadows, proportions, etc. This helps with the fear of drawing from "scratch." Why begin there if you don't have to?

I hope you try this fun idea and who knows, maybe you'll find you'd deserve an "A" as well.

Grace, Peace & FUN on the creative adventure ~ deAnn

(c) 2008 by deAnn Roe of Vertical Creativity. Can be used with permission by contacting deAnn.

Hippie Induced Creativity

I grew up in the 70's...
In Northern California...
With a hippie family, to whom I loved and love dearly.

My mom's side of the family were more hippie than my dad's side. Since my mom and dad divorced before I was was old enough to remember and my mom had majority custody - I grew up in a peace-loving hippie family community. I'm talking Birkenstocks, tie died clothes, painted up VW bug, macrame and belief that bras and pantyhose were of the devil. I loved it.

When I reflect about my creative life, I have to give credit to my hippie upbringing. My family was tight and no one had a lot of money. But my mom, aunts and uncles all helped each other out. They loved each other without judgement. But that is a topic for another blog.

Back to my creative genealogy...we camped a lot; in the Sierra Mountains, the Cascade Mountains, at the coast and one of the many lakes that speckled the Northern California and Oregon areas. Some of my most favorite memories were from camping as a whole family at Gold Bluff Beach, which was nearly in Oregon. You needed a 4x4 vehicle to traverse the challenging road from the top of the bluff all the way down to sea level...a death defying 30 minute drive on a single lane dirt road. Scary.

Once safely at the bottom of the bluff, the beach stretched out, empty of any human life form, as far as the eye can see. This was my first taste of solitude. Only gigantic Elk slowly meandered through camp at dusk, just as the sun shined its last rays for mainland America to take in. My aunt's always brought amazing creative crafts for us kids to do. One was to make "sand candles." How hippie is that? We dug a shallow hole in the dry sand with our tiny little hands. A cotton wick was tied to a small piece of drift wood and placed in the hole as my aunt held the other end up high. Then my mom poured the melted wax into the hole. It needed a couple of hours to set up before we were allowed to dig the candle out from the embracing sand. It was always a surprise creation - a unique one-of-a-kind candle gently coated with the sparkly golden sands of Gold Bluff Beach. Then at night, we'd light the candles and place them on the picnic table for dinner time. Oh, I want to make a sand candle right now. Memories can be wonderful gifts.

Then we had experiences with tie-dye, which was always fun. We randomly wound rubber bands, saved from daily newspapers, around white tee-shirts or even socks, dipped them in a myriad of dye colors. Rinsed, cut off the rubber bands which exposed the unique one-of-a-kind designer wear. Then I remember macrame - my mom loved macrame. She'd make plant hangers, key chains, wall decor. Name it, she could macrame it. I liked watching, and helping, her. My little sister and I untangled the mass of itchy twine for her and picked pretty beads that were used at determined points.

I came from a family who valued the creative life. And I am ever so grateful for them. And when you don't have much money, you learn ways to be creative with what you have. I have many other memories of my mom's creativity, but I'll stop for now. Maybe reading some of my story has prompted memories of your creativity as a child. How far back can you recall your creative genealogy? How did God enter your world through creativity? I'd like to encourage you to sit down, prayerfully, ask God through prayer, to show you where creativity was active in your young life. Once you see a pattern of His creative essence in your early life, you will be able to see it more abundantly in your adult life. It's there. It just needs to be uncovered. And then lived into once again.

Grace & peace on search of your creative genealogy ~ deAnn

(c) 2008 by deAnn Roe of Vertical Creativity. Can be used with permssion by contacting deAnn.

Sabbath Blessing

Enjoy this gift - a day of Sabbath. Here is a blessing from one of my most favorite authors of all time, John O'Donohue. From "To Bless the Space Between Us."

For Solitude

May you recognize in your life the presence,
power, and light of your soul.

May you realize that you are never alone,
that your soul in its brightness and belonging
connects you intimately with the rhythm of the
universe.

May you have respect for your individuality and
difference.

May you realize that the shape of your soul is unique,
that you have a special destiny here,
that behind the facade of your life
there is something beautiful and eternal happening.

May you learn to see your self
with the same delight,
pride, and expectation
with which God sees you in every moment.

As we enter this week of Christmas may we realize the magnitude of the greatest love gift ever given to us mere humans. May we receive it graciously and abundantly share it with others.

Grace & peace this Holiday season ~ deAnn

Girls' Night Out

I had the funnest week last week. For three nights we had a cool event for women, "Girls' Night Out @ Common Grounds." As a church, we've had other winter events for women formerly called, "Moment in December."

What made this event so different was the integrated drama. We've never done this before. Our four "girlfriends" (the actors) sat at a table in the coffee house just like all the other 250 ladies. These girlfriends hadn't seen each other for some time and were catching up despite their busy holiday schedules. The dialog proceeded between friends when Alex and Monica share with Jenna and Brit how much they enjoy the open mic nights. As you have guessed, there was a stage set up for the open mic sets.

Soon the open mic began when a potter, Chris, took stage and sat down at her wheel. She threw a beautiful vase while sharing how easy is it for women to say YES to every thing. Quickly we are pulled too thin. That is when her pretty vase collapsed. Just as we do when we don't have balanced lives.

The four friends chatted about that segment and easily related to the metaphor. Shortly thereafter, it was dessert time and the eating of giant cream-filled cupcakes ensued. After filling up on dessert, the four friends complained why their chocolate cake never turns out moist and delish, when Alex noticed someone was on stage, a guy with a blue electric guitar. It was Pete, the guy who worked at the coffee bar. He was going to sing a song he wrote for his dear Stella, his dead goldfish. This was so hilarious!

After Pete's song, the next artist was a painter, Tammi, who painted her rendition of a current friendship. The painting was colorful and fun, reflecting the words from her heart. Then all of a sudden, the painter smeared black paint all over her beautiful painting. Obviously, her friendship ended badly. The girlfriends talk about this. Jenna is particulary senstitive to the loss of Pete's goldfish and the relationship gone bad segments. Her friends dig a little to find out whats going on with her. Jenna doesn't want to ruin their night, but finally gives in. Her mom has been diagonosed with Pancreatic Cancer. That is why she can easily relate to the artists' segments.

Estelle, a poet, takes the open mic and shares a poem she wrote, called Forever and Unchanging. It's about how her love for others is conditional, depending on the mood she's in or the kinda of day she's had. But not so with God... when the poet finished there was a little dialog between the friends. That is when Monica decided to find Pete, the coffee house employee slash guitar player. Her friends wondered what was going through her mind! "Oh no! She's at the mic!" Monica explains that she and her friends had been talking about the artists' segments when she felt compelled to sing a song for her friends, Jenna particularly. It was called, "I Will Show You Love," (by Kendall Payne). Monica's song brings tears to everyone's eyes, knowing we are loved by God even when we are sitting in the mess of our lives and we can't feel His love. It was beautiful. Then Connie, the MC, took the stage and closed the evening. The lights went down, program ended and the live band began playing as the ladies who attended hung out in the coffee bar for a while.

It was really cool to see the vivid use of the arts as metaphor in real life situations. Everyone could relate to at least one of the artistic segments. I had talked with many ladies afterwards and they said they felt they were in an actual coffee house and were "eavesdropping" on a conversation between friends. PERFECT! That is exactly how we designed it! Woo-Hoo!

I'm so grateful for the 4 friends (Janell Fitz, Shawna Redcay, Beth Smith, Cheryl Rowland) and 4 artists (Pete Tung, Chris Gold, Gladys Dyson, Deb Turnow) who participated in this event. And the technical crew (Kevin Henderson, Jared Baldwin, Brian Noll, David Roe) to pull this off and Connie Milchling, the MC. And the ladies who provided the delicious giant cupcakes (Cheryl Pardoe, Sally Robertson, Jill Pratt). And Carol Shafer and her team who decorated the room so beautifully. Thank you to Joe Durika, the director of this drama. There are more than a dozen others who helped greet and serve the nights of the event as well. "Girls' Night Out" would not have happened if not for this whole team of gracious people, God used each of you in powerful ways! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Until next December's Event ~ grace & peace, deAnn

p.s. if you'd like a copy of the script for use at your church or event, contact deAnn Roe.

Artists' Junction

Vertical Creativity is all about connecting artists' and supporting organizations. Check out Artists' Junction. They are based in Lancaster and are all about encouraging the local artist and bringing glory to God while doing so.

They are hosting a Snowflake Gala February 8th. Should you be interested in submitting your art for the gala, please be sure to click their link above. And while there, peruse their whole site. It's awesome to see what God is doing in and through the arts in the South Central Pennsylvania area!

grace & peace ~ deAnn

Dream Big

Dream big!

What would you do or be if there were no obstacles holding you back? What creative longing drifts aimlessly around in your heart, the one that has never really found it's way out?

My mom was a very busy single mom most of my growing up years. Single mom's are "super women" if you ask me. My mom didn't have much time, money or energy to cook fancy meals for me, my little sister and baby brother. But she made a mean taco! (And I inherited those mad skills). But, for my single mom, she was amazingly creative in the kitchen. A can of tuna fish, toast, some mysterious white gravy and voila! "Bleep" on a Shingle! Which was one of my favorite meals. Then there was Spam. She could transform the square canned "meat" into a dozen different delicious dishes.

Needless to say, cooking seemed more of a "must do" task for my tired mom than anything she looked forward to with glee and joy. Therefore I grew up thinking cooking was a means to an end. A way to receive somewhat healthy nutrition...not an act that could be, dare I say, FUN.

As an adult, I looked at cooking much like the example set before me as a child. I couldn't stand planning meals, grocery shopping, putting way the food and then, the dreaded task of cooking. I had two menu items: tacos and nachos. If my family were lucky, I'd go through the work to create a pan of enchiladas. Outside of the Mexican food options, I could open a jar of Prego and boil some noodles. Boring.

Then, about a year ago, a culinary gifted friend invited me to cook with him. And before I knew it, he taught me a few skills, shared some tricks and instantly all my cooking phobias have diffused. Now, I LOVE to cook! Trying new recipes with challenging techniques and odd ingredients thrills me to no end! For years I fought against cooking, dreading the very act, the daily routine of it killed me! And just building some confidence, learning the trade and understanding that I don't need to fear spices or herbs (what's the difference anyways?) boosted me into a budding culinary specialist (who is still learning.)

When I dream big - I would go to culinary school. Not to be some high class snooty chef in NYC, but to be a student of edible delights and creator of culinary crafts all to please my friends and family. I've learned that when I step out of my safe little box into the great unknown and try something new, I experience a *new beginning* and that feels amazing. I know God's hand is gently nudging me towards these new beginnings and there are more than one. Using my creativity, even discovering a hidden talent after thirty some-odd years, is exhilarating! Our creativity keeps us fresh and makes life exciting. Imagine how dull life would be if we were not creative beings.

When you dream big, what do you see? What would you do? How can you become a life long learner and develop your creativity to reach your big dreams?

I may never make it to a professional culinary school. But I will keep reading cook books, watching Food Network (yes, I'm a geek) and trying new ways to experiment in the kitchen. I may fail at times, I will also succeed as well. It's worth the risk...

May you learn to dream big, listen to your longings and move with courage towards your creative life - God has great surprises waiting for you.

grace & peace, deAnn

The Gallery @ Common Grounds

If you haven't stopped by the Common Grounds Coffee Bar [CGCB] at Living Word to check out the current exhibit, don't wait too much longer! The art changes every six weeks and on display now is a great collage of close up and macro photography taken by photographers in our church family. Remember there is a gallery companion booklet, "The Heart Behind the Art," which has the artists' stories and other little tantalizing creative tid-bids. You can find your copy in the Coffee Bar lobby.

Click here for more information about the December exhibit at CGCB at LWCC.

Grace & peace ~ deAnn

The above photo is a Hosta flower bud in July. Taken by, well, me.

Steps of Courage

For A New Beginning
by John O'Donohue
"To Bless the Space Between Us"

In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
The beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life's desire.

Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.

This blessing leaves me speechless and even breathless. I know I'm in the "doorway" of a new beginning. Standing on the stoop scared to leave the tired familiar "comfort" yet, not courageous enough to take the first step out into the energized unfamiliar risk - the new beginning God has for me. All I know is that I must trust Him. As the line says, "You can trust the promise of this opening; Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning that is at one with your life's desire," I reply, "I'm trying, I really am." I move slowly. My courage is building. One verse that always comes to mind speaks to me here too: "Wait patiently for the Lord, be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord." I've waited for the door of a new beginning for a long time. It beckons me now. The time has come, I must be brave and courageous. And continue to wait for the Lord to guide my next steps.

Does Mr. O'Donohue's poem (blessing) speak to the "out-of-the-way places of your heart"? If so, don't dismiss it - take time and sit before God and offer that feeling up to Him. Ask Him to reveal your new beginning and listen closely for His voice and encouragement.

Grace & peace on the creative and spiritual journey called, "life." ~ deAnn

Honoring Sabbath

For far too long on my spiritual journey, I've had a desire to honor the Sabbath in it's truest sense = Rest. Some may think that rest is the same as laziness. But God rested after creation. He wasn't being lazy. He was resting.

After a long week of living in our current global and economic status, mixed with the joys and heartache of our personal daily lives, we need rest. It's okay. Don't feel guilty. It's a form of worship...

Sabbath is a time for quieting your heart and being mindful of God's presence in and around you. It's giving time specifically to disengage from routine so that you can physically rest and be still. Sabbath is a period of renewal so you can be prepared for the week to come.

You may be diligent about Sabbath-keeping or you may be like me; have the desire and knowledge but just never actually took the step to "disengage from routine" in order to enter into the grace and peace of Sabbath.

Well, I'm making a commitment to myself, family and God, (and the faithful readers of this blog) that my desire for Sabbath will come to fruition. I long to enjoy beautiful peace in the presence of my Creator. There will be times when only a half-day is possible, such as today. But that is better than not honoring Sabbath at all.

I encourage you to listen to your soul's desires. Is Sabbath calling? Let's spur one another on as we walk this spiritual journey together. With that said - I'm signing off for reminder of the day. It's Sabbath!

grace & lots of peace ~ deAnn

:: TONIGHT! ::

I hope we invade Lancaster's First Friday with a bunch of people from across the river, yeah, I'm talking people from York!

It starts in about an hour and runs until 9pm. Make sure you hit Mulberry Art Studios at 21 N. Mulberry Street. Then have amazing bottom-less coffee and a scrumptious dessert at Prince Street Cafe at 15 N. Prince Street!

see you tonight in Lancaster!

deAnn

A "BIG" First Friday in Lancaster

You don't want to miss December's FIRST Friday in awesome downtown Lancaster! It's this Friday, 12/5. There are two places that are a must-see: Prince Street Cafe and Mulberry Art Studios.

Here's why:

• Ange Bentivegna is curating the Ovation exhibit going on at Mulberry Art Studios
• Doc Wagg is playing live music at Mulberry Art Studios this Friday night
• Michael Novak's beautiful fused glass work is featured at both galleries

The galleries are extremely close to one another, 0.33 miles apart to be exact. Prince Street Cafe is at 15 N. Prince Street and Mulberry Art Studio is at 21 N. Mulberry - so they are in the same block, just two small streets apart. Click here for a map.

Some people get freaked out when driving downtown in any city (yeah, I'm one of them. I can not parallel park to save my life.) But honestly, Lancaster is E-A-S-Y. Take rt 30 East and get off at the Harrisburg Pike, turn right onto pike. Pass F & M College and turn right onto Prince Street. Voila. Visit the LancasterArts webpage for a detailed map of the galleries & coffee shops in the "arts district," all walking distance from one another. It's an awesome time!

Lastly, the weather for Friday, 12/5 is shaping up to be gorgeous. Cold - but gorgeous. So bundle up and head to downtown Lancaster between 5:00-9:00 PM on Friday, December 5 and support our artist friends!

grace & peace ~ deAnn

New Beginnings

"To live a truly creative life, we always need to cast a critical look at where we presently are, attempting always to discern where we have become stagnant and where new beginning might be ripening." ~ John O'Donohue, To Bless The Space Between Us


Are you on-board with change or does the mere idea of change cause heart palpitations? A new beginning means change. Change signifies a new beginning. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?

I moved a lot as a child. People often ask me, after hearing my story, "were your parents in the military?" Nope - evidently, they really dug change. Growing up having lived in countless homes, attending at least 5 elementary schools and four high schools from California to Texas and back, one can say that I have grown accustomed to new beginnings. As an adult, I move less often, but I constantly rearrange the furniture in our house, paint the walls with new colors and best yet - should have stock in L' Oreal hair color! You get the point. Like my parents, I dig change too.

But if I'm really honest, I don't discern stagnation in my life, not like I could if I became more aware of it. Which is why this quote from John O'Donohue really speaks to me. I do not want to miss any new beginnings God may have for me. I want to be more discerning of where I currently am, spot stagnation, and watch for any change I could make.

My spiritual life can often become stale. The same old thing, over and over again - BORING. [Poor God, He puts up with me! I'm thankful, really.] He knows me best and when my spiritual life needs a new beginning, He always spurs it on to new heights through an infusion of my creativity. The gift He gave me.

Through our creativity, God gives new beginnings ~ new ways to interact with Him, listen to Him and co-create through Him. Our culture often downplays the importance of human creativity and I think this grieves our Father in Heaven. Our creativity is a unique gift given to each of us, hand chosen by our Creator and placed into our souls. I believe the angels sing above us when we choose to develop our creative life and break the doors of stagnation.

Our God is so clever. So good. So creative. And so in love with us.

Grace & peace on the creative journey ~ deAnn