Artwork

Growing up, I was never very good at drawing or painting; however, as I've grown in my walk with the Lord, he has often given me pictures. The problem was always getting the picture out of my head and onto paper.  In January 2017, a friend of mine helped me get started on painting, and while I would never claim great skill, painting is both fun and therapeutic! In September 2017, I did an art sozo through Bethel church in Redding, CA and learned more about how to paint alongside the Holy Spirit and allow him to minister to me and bring healing to me in the process.

So, for those who are interested in seeing my efforts, below I will share pictures of some paintings and tell you about the motivation or process behind it.

Silouettes

Tree Series

New

Autumn

Redwoods

Nighttime Magic

Lighthouse Series

I painted the red/orange version of the lighthouse picture in early summer 2018. I was SO pleased with how it turned out I knew I wanted to keep it, but one morning on my way to meet with a mentor God told me to give the painting to her. So, despite my desire to keep the painting, I turned it over, wrote a word on it and gave it to my mentor. My mentor said that just that week she had been talking with her family about prophetic art and commented that she hadn't ever received any! Then here I come and hand one to her! God knew the desires of her heart and loved her through my obedience! SO... the story doesn't end there. I decided to paint another copy of the painting (pretty much an exact replica!). Once again I was SO pleased with my work. I thought it had turned out even better the second time! But my last day in Arkansas, just as I was headed to one last home church meeting, God once again spoke to me. "I want you to give it away". And so once again, I wrote a word on the back and gave it away to the kind leaders of the homechurch. The sunset lighthouse below (the darker copy) was the final one I painted. So far God has allowed me to keep it. Maybe because this time I painted it with the goal of giving it away :D

A Ready Bride

Love's Flow

Worship Pulls on Heaven

Love on Fire

Light WINS

Creative Worshiper

This one is actually still in the final stages of completion, but I wanted to share it anyway. Most of you know that I have loved singing for many years; however, I have also always loved and felt compelled to dance for my king, and recently have also connected to him in art. This picture captures all those forms of worship.  As I painted God spoke to me even further that in the desert places, it is the PRAISE and WORSHIP that begins to cause life to spring up.  At the feet of her praises, new life begins to spring up in the desert places and the sun begins to rise.

Love and Promise 

One morning, in my mind's eye, I saw a picture of Gods Love wrapping around me in many colors..  Later that week, I picked up my paint brush and this painting came out...I hadn't initially planned it to be a heart, but as I painted it, God spoke to me that it is His LOVE and PROMISE that wraps around me and keeps me safe and protected... I have the luxury of simply resting in his love and promise. I am full of adoration for Him. I am His bride! He is a shield and a protection around me.  

Art Sozo Piece 

In September 2017, I did an Art Sozo for the first time. The next day I decided to repaint the painting and continue processing what God had spoken to me. A similar, but different painting came out and as I painted I felt God showing me new things along the way... While I painted, I took breaks to journal the things God was speaking to me and I felt his warm embrace around me.  While painting, God spoke to me of his Goodness! Of the "So MUCH MORE" that he has for me/us! And of the LIFE, JOY and Overwhelming PEACE we have in Him.

I cannot say enough how beautiful it was to paint with Holy Spirit and I highly recommend it... as I painted, he healed. He is beautiful!

Testimony

While in college, myself and a number of others students had an incredible prayer night.  During this night of prayer God set me free from a fear I had dealt with for years!  While I have had fears since then, I have never had the all consuming gripping fears that had previously plagued me. God SET ME FREE!! That night the joy I had was inexplicable!  While I recalled this beautiful testimony not long ago, I tried to capture the essence of Joy! I journaled, "It was like a New Day rising in the midst of the night. New LIFE springing up. The world was suddenly wide open! Nothing was impossible because I said yes and grabbed ahold of the Freedom God gave me. It was a SUNRISE.  The sun rose from ABOVE into my heart. The chains of darkness lost their hold on me & I stopped hanging onto them. I was free to grab hold of the Light instead."

Emotions 2

As a follow up to my first emotions painting, I again tried to capture how I was feeling.  In many ways I felt like this was a zoomed in portion of the original emotions painting. Emotions do shift and change over time. This painting focuses on the hope and light I found within the sea of my emotions.  I am so thankful that God never leaves us in darkness, but ALWAYS will restore hope in us when we look to him, the TRUE light!

Emotions 1

This painting started off as very dark swirls. It's how I was feeling the day I started the painting. I picked up my brush wanting to capture and process my emotions but got lost in the confusion of the unknown and hurt of my disappointments.  All I could produce was swirling darkness.  Over the weeks that I painted this, I slowly found the light, hope and beauty in my emotions. Both on the canvas as well as in my heart. This picture is a bit blurry and doesn't do the metallic paints justice, but its still worth sharing. 

Remain

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5

While originally inspired simply by my desire to focus on Jesus more, God had been speaking to my heart for weeks about remaining in Him.  This painting evolved into being about the verse above... While I was never completely satisfied with how it turned out, this painting and its message still capture my heart. I feel Jesus' loving presence inviting me to stay connected to Him, the true vine.

Singing Mountains

"You will go out in Joy and be lead forth in peace, the mountains and hills will break into singing before you..."  

Weeds

My first painting in January 2017... Sometimes we try to yank out the weeds in our lives. We see the nasty thing coming up from the ground, try grabbing ahold of it and pulling it out, but it takes the Father's tender touch to get to the very roots of it.  I was going through some difficulties around the  time I painted this. God showed me that he is not afraid of my dirt. He will lovingly get on his knees and help dig out the weeds... He is so kind!