"Abiding Joy" - hand pulled block print, multi registration, colored pencil

"Gentle Savior" - Water base in on hand dyed Lokta paper 10x10

"Childlikeness" - water base ink two registration print, 5x7

"Bible Floral" - Oil base ink and watercolor 16x20

"Baroque Angel" lino print

22x22

Water base ink on unbleached mulberry paper

"Mosquito" lino print

8x10

Water base ink on hand made paper, unknown content

"Ever After" chin colle' lino print

5x7

Water base ink on mulberry paper

"Elijah"

1 Kings 18:42

8x10

Oil base ink on mulberry paper, watercolor

'Immanuel, God With Us' 8x10 lino print

and they will call him Immanuel--which means, 'God with us.' Matt. 1:23

I wanted to do another multi registration print and started sketching out some ideas. When the design started taking shape, I realized how influenced I am by Art Nouveau. Subconsciously I had designed a block that could very well have been drawn during that era. I love making blocks that intertwine with themselves, and when I watched as the greenery of this block danced with itself, I was delighted. The portrait that I included seems so contented, with a relaxed smile. As I began adding soft color to the print, the feeling of restful joy emerged.

The composition is a visual of abiding joy.



This print will be on display at Studio 889 in New York through the month of Dec. 2008.

I was invited to participate in a print showing in Monterey Mexico. The proceeds go to a youth shelter there. I wanted to make a print that would draw the viewer to Christ and give peace to their heart.



So, I did a portrait of Jesus, standing in the wind and offering a flower to the viewer. The flower, Rose of Sharon. Jesus is called the Rose of Sharon, which makes a lot of sense for two reasons; the Rose of Sharon thrives in desert conditions and it's known as the most pungent of all flowers.



The love of Christ thrives in the most desolate situations and like the flower, His love is pungent, permeating all around. Christ stands in the gusty wind offering a flower to the viewer - offering peace even in the midst of the storm.

The theme of this print exchange was "Summer". I was fascinated with silhouette designs and wanted to incorporate that into my print, so I designed the background in a "reverse silhouette with a traditional silhouette in the foreground. It came together quite well.

I wanted to portray children playing because summer is such a wonderful time in a child's life. The jump ropes made a good subject for a silhouette.



It wasn't until I finished the project that I was looking through an art textbook and was reminded that the curl design, much like the large curl next to the small child, is what they call "Eye of God". I was honored and blessed that God has put His fingerprint on my artwork even as I was carving and developing the print!

This print can be found in the 2009 print calendar published by Four Oceans Press. "Childlikeness" is the featured print for the month of June.

www.fouroceanspress.com

He is an amazing God!!

This is a block I did of plants that are mentioned in the Bible. Palm leaves, Rose of Sharon, grapes, stacte, saffron, Lily of the Valley, pomegranate, cinnamon.

I wanted to do a print that would first appear to be lovely baroque design. As the viewer looks more closely, angels appear. I carved a 4-section block and began printing each section - I didn't know how wonderful the design would work until I finished the last section and stood back to view it! I felt God's delight in watching me marvel at His creative work He had accomplished through me. I was both humbled by His active participation and thrilled at the outcome.

This print came as a result of a print exchange in which the subject was "bugs". I wasn't too enthused about having to do a design of a bug. I asked God to show me what to do, and He told me to do a mosquito. Why not? Then God told me to do a thumb print, and I wondered where He was going with this. As I started putting a design together, a mosquito on a thumb, the whole thing hit me like a flash! This mosquito has perched itself on God's own thumb! He's drawing life from his Creator Himself!

God has blessed this piece, and it appeared on the back cover of the summer issue of HM magazine. (www.hmmagazine.com)

This print was done for a print exchange that is touring the country and will visit a gallery in Denmark in spring of 2008

The position that Elijah took when he was praying for rain is so significant, because it's a position of humility. When we come to God in need, the position of humility and surrender puts us in the posture of being emptied of one's self. An empty vessel ready to be filled.

As I was praying one day, God put the picture in my mind of a newborn infant cuddled up next to a lamb. It was a vivid picture that stayed with me until I could get it on paper. I knew that God wanted me to do this piece to show His heart - He loves us so much that He gave us His only son, who came to be with us on earth in the form of an innocent helpless child. As innocent and helpless as Jesus looks lying in the hay next to the lamb, He is the mighty King of Glory who holds the heavens in His hand and conquers death, hell and the grave. We're drawn to tiny infants -their innocence captures our hearts. Jesus beckons us to draw near to Him and reclaim what's been lost in our own lives.