“Gathering Potatoes” by Jules Bastien-Lepage, 1879

One of my latest favorites quotes comes from Charles Bridges in his sermon,
“The Virtuous Woman Described”—

“Her personal habits are full of energy. . . .  Self-denial is here a main principle.  The virtuous woman goes before her servants in diligence, no less than in dignity, imposing nothing on them which she had not first bound upon herself, ruling her household most efficiently by the government of herself.” (emphasis mine)

“In today’s culture, the homemaker is seen as unnecessary, uneducated, and unfulfilled.  But as a counter-cultural daughter, I refuse to believe this lie and have chosen to stay at home and prepare for the wonderful life God has called me to. . . .”

Continue reading over at Raising Homemakers.

- scheduling in my third art student

- baking bread

- going over my New Year’s list

- planning some New Year’s Eve fun

- cleaning the kitchen

- thinking about the past twelve months

- almost a year away from turning 20!

- happy

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Warning: Distraught, emotional artist writing. You may read hyperbole; laugh if you must, but pity me in silence if you can.

Mostly, I am not brave. Or as imaginative as I ought to be. I mean, I am an artist, and you would think there would be more of an adventurous spirit about me . . .

But alas, it is only a small, small seed trying to break trough the crust of a currently tortuous inability to appreciate watercolor.

And so I let myself think that moving straight to another medium would help.

But praise the Lord! He will not let me go so soon. “Look inside,” says He as I pass a certain book.

A certain book on color theory.

The cover of a deep, deep well is peeled back. And no dry mud is found at the bottom. It is full of resounding depths of help. Teaching me things I only thought I could be left in a muddle over for the rest of my life.

Ignoring the wondrous properties of watercolor and unlovingly shoving it about the rough paper will get me no where. Perhaps it can be rescued yet, but I must be brave and see it through.

Be brave and tread the depths of color. Be brave and admit that I don’t know as much as I think.

Start at the beginning, work monochromatic color schemes - be adventurous.

I need strength from Him to be Brave and Adventurous.

Thank you, Lord, for rescuing me from discouragement and despair.

For a while now I’ve been in a quandary over an alternative medium for using colored pencils in my watercolors. After many days of staring curiously into space, I had a little idea.

I pulled out my little-used Derwent Graphitint pencils, and found just the look I was going for. (In this drawing I used Cocoa.) I like the sketchy quality and fluidity of the lines, and I think it’ll work well until I can really get into oils.

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P.S. If you so desire, you can vote for my blog at the Home School Blog Awards under Best Teen Girl Blog 2009—it only takes two clicks. Thanks!

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