|
Who is excited?! We are only two weeks away from Christmas and the beginning of a New Year! I know I am. I am also thrilled about how the Lord continues to move. This past week I had the pleasure of attending an opening reception at Artlink, hearing from a gal who had received her gifted piece of art, and received works soon to be in the hands of those who requested them.
As I consider the She Rose series, my prayer is the works will provoke the conversation regarding women who choose to RISE through redemption across all cultures, generations and nationalities. Not to conform to a cookie cutter religion, but to live freely in the purity of God’s love for them for the sake of those around them. This piece reminds me of generations, who fervently rose up every day and pressed in for their children, their children’s children and beyond, with joy, honor and confidence their God would answer their ceaseless prayers. I also pray it will compel others to consider their loved ones gone before them, or their role today, and be encouraged to continue on, or even minister some degree of healing where hearts are tender and in need of comfort.
Speaking of ministering, my goodness I love how the Lord ministers to others through the works He has led me to create! Last week I received a text message from a gal who had just received her work of art as a birthday gift. I actually shared the flow of this piece on my personal social media page. You are invited to watch the video below. Feel free to leave me a comment and let me know if you would like to be a part of the soon to be established group. I would love to have you!
You know how I have expressed I get a little antsy when waiting for recipients to receive their uniquely fashioned work of art? Yeah. I am there right now – but oh so eager! Three pieces created as gifts for Christmas and birthdays have been delivered to my door step. But, I have to wait a couple weeks to hear their stories. Please pray my heart doesn’t jump right out of my chest due to the anticipation of how God is about to bless these lovely souls. And hey, if you are interested in a piece for your home or office, or as a gift for a loved one, please connect with me. I am now accepting commissions for 2020 and already have a couple other works in queue.
As always, thank you for stopping by. If led, feel free to share this post with others you believe may be interested or folks who simply love art and/or creativity. Momentum is building and I would love for others to have the opportunity to be a part of the canvas that is being “painted” before us.
Blessings!
0 Comments
With the Thanksgiving weekend, I was extremely intentional about resting well with my family. At some points I dabbled with creating, but not for hours on end. I primarily allowed ideas to marinade in my mind until I was able to sit down and compose while the family was off doing their own thing. This past week I had the pleasure of meeting the gentleman who messaged me last week, I created another commissioned piece for a loved one, and I’ve had it on my heart to share the stories behind each woman in the She Rose series.
ministering to others through his book Shepherd Coach. For those who have been following along for the past several years, remember how the message to Rise Up began? Shepherdess Rise Up was the original thought the Lord shared years ago. How fitting! If you would like to learn more about Shepherd Coaching and possibly share biblical principles with coaches in your life, feel free to visit Tom’s site HERE.
“Yes! She currently lives on Song Sparrow Dr.!” Ok, ok, I’m with you Lord. I could make this stuff up, but where would be the honor and glory for God in that?! Holy Spirit is moving creatively and I’m so blessed to be a part of it. Again, I am eager to hear how the loved one responds to her gift.
As He moves creatively He has been weaving together a story I believe He would have me share through each piece of the She Rose series. In 2010, just over a year and a half after rededicating my life to the Lord, I went on my very first mission trip to the beautiful island of Jamaica. The mission consisted of street ministry or evangelizing, visiting homes for children with special needs, and an infirmary or the place where many will spend their last days. These souls were the marginalized and forsaken of their society because of their limited physical and mental capacities.
common. Many wept as someone prayed over them words where there was no way a white woman from the States could have possibly known such Words needed spoken. But God.
Little did I know six years later I would be traveling to the Dominican Republic on mission to serve the both Dominicans and Haitians - three times!. Again, the women there possessed a resolve and hope deep within to nurture and love their families, well. Working hard all day to tend the needs of their family, others given to some dire circumstances simply to feed and clothe their children. This piece speaks to my heart so much the vulnerability of a mother for her child – even when it may not be seen in an expression – especially in the lives of the Jamaican, Dominican and Haitian women I was honored to minister with. Perhaps it will speak to you as well. Thank you for stopping by. Please let me know if any part of today’s post spoke to you by leaving a comment here or on Facebook. I love hearing how the Lord ministers to others through our testimonies. Please also send me a message if you would like to have a uniquely fashioned for you piece created for you or a loved one. Blessings! P.S. The video below shares what the Lord did in Jamaica nine years ago. Enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving! Well, it may be the day after, but you get the point. I pray you had an amazing day with family, friends, or your family of friends. I am also praying the Lord bless you as we continue to move into the Christmas season. Bless you with His presence and all the fruits of His Spirit. This past week, the She Rose series for a regional exhibition opportunity was created and submitted, I was honored to create two more commissioned pieces, and I was blessed by the response of a Brother in Christ who received his uniquely fashioned piece of art for his birthday.
Not only was I moved to create the series, I was received two additional commissions. I now know when the Lord's grace is covering a work of art and His Spirit is providing the vision to create. I jump right in and the images are there, the ideas and stroke flow together, the Scripture and prayer saturate my mind and work space. I want to text the person I am creating a work for and simply say, "I love you!" But I can't. Because sometimes they don't know me, or they don't know me well. And that would be awkward. Below is an abstract "for fun" piece created. This piece was inspired by the piece created for another's loved one. It is available if you are interested.
That picture is a forever keepsake that will stay in eyesight for my time on the planet". I grew misty-eyed and read it to my husband. Then I began crying.
You see, this is what this new season of life is about. It is not about me or my name or making myself a famous artist. It is about seeing God's vision for those He loves, capturing and creating, and then sharing. It is about encouraging and reviving and healing through the creative power of His Spirit. It is about simply being a creative conduit for the glory of God to enter the lives of those He loves and intricately drawing to Himself. Blessings! This past week’s pace has been a bit slower on the artistic front. With finalizing Rise Up Commitment participants (the class is FULL, yay!), a family emergency and a pesky bug coming on to the scene, priorities had to shift. However, pieces for two of the commissions were received, ideas were downloaded for the Artlink submission, and another inquiry for commission came through. I kid you not, in one day within thirty minutes of one another the UPS gal drove down the lane, followed by the FedEx gent and then our local mail carrier. I was a bit nervous wondering what each would think should they run into one another. And the dogs…
I am also excited to get started on the Artlink project. Last Friday the kiddos were at a basketball game, and hubby was in the garage working on our oldest’s vehicle. I had some time. Perusing photos, synthesizing what I sensed the composition needed to be, I wanted to continue creating and stitching and piecing together the arrangement. He has been reminding me of something He shared with me in January of this year, “She Rose”. He then brought back to mind a concept from years ago, “Scarlet Thread”. When I opened the Word on Sunday morning to the Scripture, “see the scarlet…” in Nahum two verse three, I couldn’t help but believe this was confirmation to move forward with the work. Who “randomly” opens to Nahum? Too soon to share much more, but I sense this is an important piece to bring to fruition. Possibly even an almighty masterpiece.
For we are laborers together with God: You are God’s vineyard; you are God’s building. Reading, it may seem like there is so much going on and you may be wondering, “How do you do it? Aren’t you overwhelmed with teenagers and work and ministry and LIFE?!” Friend, I’m not. I trust the Lord in this season and process. Resting in Him allows me to balance every single aspect of life in a way He knows will continue to GIVE life rather than sap it out of me – or others. I wake up giddy every day, ready to see what He has in store. He never disappoints and He is always reviving and ensuring we remain upright for His good work to be birthed into the earth where His glory may fill the space (see Numbers 14:21). The only thing overwhelming about that is He chooses to move through you and I to accomplish this in the earth. THAT is truly awe-inspiring. Please let me know how I might be able to create a unique work for you or your loved one, I would LOVE to connect with you. Blessings!
 A satisfied client! Deliveries and commissions and exhibit application – OH MY! I had the blessing of personally delivering another “uniquely fashioned for you” work of art yesterday. The entire process of prayer, visualizing, listening, formulating, composing, experimenting, and delivering, really does bless me at the core. The expression of joy on the recipient’s face warms my heart. The element of surprise when I share the gift within the gift and share God’s heart for the receiver is probably my favorite part. I get to see and be in the space and exchange the energy of love God ushers in with His presence through every component. I get to be a part of God saying, “I love you, here you go”. To be a vessel of such an blessed delivery is an HONOR.
to me, but sons and daughters to Him. I GET to be a part of this?! On this journey, I have been connecting with other artists all over – Texas, Georgia, Ohio, and North Carolina.
concern for rejection, I’m looking forward to creating works specifically for this submission and seeing what God does. If not accepted? I have other works to share with folks interested. It's a win-win! Thank you for stopping by! Please let me know if you are interested in having a work of art created for you or a loved one. I am no longer accepting commissions for this year, but would love to chat with you and get your request in queue for 2020. Blessings! "Each piece is so different, yet each one points to the Light!" “I feel as though I have been riding this amazing wave for the past two months and I just crashed”. These were my words to my husband recently. He no doubt did not know what to think, let alone how to respond. The past week, the intensity level of creating works was not as full throttle as the weeks before. With a speaking engagement and a need to button up Beyond 2020, completing one work was the extent of my creative capacity. This past weekend I had the privilege and honor of being the keynote speaker for a women’s retreat with gals in my community. CONNECTION is the annual retreat’s focal point, Beyond was the theme this year. The central focus of each session is the central focus of Beyond: Growing in our love for God through Scripture, prayer and Holy Spirit. For some, these daily connection opportunities with God are already established, for others, the ability to lay hold of these opportunities seems out of reach. For all, my prayer was for each gall to leave the weekend with some degree of breakthrough,
Lord speaking, “I AM THE GIFT. The message I have for them through you is the best you can give them.” Well okie dokie. Thank You Jesus. As gals allowed others and me to pray for them, I was reminded of what He said. When gals raised their hands sharing they experienced breakthrough over the weekend, I praised Him for being our treasure and the only gift any of us will ever need! And wouldn’t you know? I had no issues publishing Beyond 2020 after the event? Ha! If you would like to get a jump start on the New Year, you can order your copy now or perhaps even consider as a gift for your loved ones. The content is primarily the same, but the calendars have been updated and there are added pages for VISION and doodling your revelations or thoughts.
products for the market place. My entire career in design has held one common theme – LISTEN. Listening and paying attention, hearing what the client isn’t saying, and listening to Holy Spirit are the dimensions composing what one may consider prophetic art. And it is so cool! Especially when I receive messages like this from folks I have only spoken with once, but had the honor of blessing as God led me to... “How can I repay you? This is amazing… I am overcome with thanks for you. I am so in awe of this right now. So many could be blessed by your work!!" So why did you feel like you crashed on the wave, you might be asking yourself? You’re likely familiar with this, when we take a step of obedience, the enemy is right there to counter. Enemies (yes plural) are waiting to retaliate, crouching, ready to pounce at any given, unexpected, moment (1 Peter 5:8). Once I kicked my feet up Sunday afternoon, after two days immersed in ministry – a fog of fatigue set in like I have not endured in quite some time. Add the time change, and I seemed to be all sorts of out of whack. I was able to fight through Monday and made our weekly Bible study. I was fervent to keep fighting Tuesday and made it to a city wide prayer meeting in Fort Wayne. Wednesday, the fatigue fought hard to keep me down and threw in a side of overwhelming, unmerited, sadness. I felt crushed – for no reason other than the powers and principalities and rulers of darkness were trying to get me to QUIT (Ephesians 6:12). Not today satan. Not today. Not now. Not ever! I called my Husband, my first source of guidance second to seeking the Lord. I then reached out to my personal prayer support. I listened, worshiped and took a walk to pray in the Spirit. It lifted! Thank You Lord! I pray you are blessed this week and the Lord continues to draw you into the call He has for you, it truly is joy-filled to rest in the Lord! I praying you keep fighting the good fight of faith. Blessings! I love how the Lord is moving through the creative process and providing art to those He loves. I also love how He ministers to my heart during the process. Last week our oldest daughter was offered and committed to university! Yay! It was so exciting and occurred to me, it could have been very sad for me years ago. But God. He has been transforming and establishing a future beyond being a mother and I know where He would like to me to go once both our daughters have launched. How liberating and exciting – both for the girls and myself! There is a lot of JOY in our home right now and we are incredibly grateful.
formulated in my mind, one I HAD to bring to fruition. When my eyelids sprung open at 4am last Friday, I knew it was time to create. WOW. The love that flowed for the woman I believed this piece was for was tangible and arrested MY heart. If I’m honest, I would love to keep this piece for myself! I trust God will bless my new friend with His presence when she receives the work of art... I get to ship it TODAY!
I want to rest in this sweet spot, not just in this new art endeavor the Lord has led me on, but in life. Isn’t that the prayer for all of us who know Jesus? Last night I was blessed to be a part of a master mind call with other Christian artists. I listened to some of their frustrations and concerns. Wouldn’t you know? I was able to encourage them! I know what it is like to want to be all in and be off in timing with the Lord. When attempting to pursue art full time eight years ago, it was a major flop. But God didn’t yet have my whole heart; He wasn’t yet flowing through me for the sake of others as much as He does today (Lord knows He can flow some more!). But God…AGAIN! He has been so faithful, merciful and patient. He is now the one connecting to others artists, encouraging us to rest in Him, and do everything for His glory to fill the earth and for Jesus to be known. And the bonus?! We all get to join together in person next March. I already see hugs and tears of joy all around.
Thank you for virtually spending time with me today by reading this post. I want to encourage you to spend some time resting with the Lord today. Nestle into the sweet spot. I sense He has some things to share with and through you as well. It may not look like a work of art, perhaps your words, song, dance, comedy, or service in your community, small group, or church home is where He would like to flow and create and build His Kingdom. Rest with Him to find out and then get to steppin’ (said with love ;) ! We want to see your divine creative passions and offering come to life right here, right now. Blessings! Imagine with me, you have been asked by a gal you have only met in person twice to create a piece of art for a gal you have never met. You listen to your new friend’s friend share the God given dream the Lord shared with her years ago, that has since become a multi-7 figure company (true story!). Imagery and Scripture begin dancing around in your mind. A prayer formulated. Uniquely fashioned artwork created. Then? The opportunity “arises” (God always orchestrates the best of gifts in His perfect timing) to personally deliver the collaborative piece. This past week has been so full of joy! Creation of another work of art, delivery of two additional pieces, and a Kingdom assigned road trip to personally deliver another piece to a gal I have never met! Talk about adventures with God. If anyone believes this Christian walk is dry and boring, we need to chat. It is anything BUT! Before I headed to Nashville Tennessee, our youngest daughter asked if I would toy around with an image she had on her heart. “I see a shell in the sea. It is dark all around, but when the shell is opened, a pearl with a lot of different colors bursts forth light and causes the darkness to go away.” Honestly, I felt a little pressure with this request, but I said yes. I could sense she needed to know if I could create something just as unique for her, as I had been for other women over the past several weeks.
This was a piece He had especially for her and she may not even fully grasp its meaning. Thank You Jesus! When I sent it to her, I was nervous. She is so intellectual and sometimes frank in her feedback, I didn’t want to get it wrong. “Aww thank you”. No punctuation…no emojis! “Is this what you had in mind? Be honest…” “I would say it’s pretty spot on”. Again, no emojis or punctuation, not even a smiley face. I would take “spot on” to mean her vision had been captured and created. Go Holy Spirit! It was exciting to share what God is doing with gals during a church service I visited at the Belonging Co. in downtown Nashville. Holy Spirit was even nudging the gal I was chatting with to get back to her own craft of woodworking and to incorporate it into her Seeds of Destiny ministry. Woot woot! Later, my phone conversation with a gal from Minnesota convinced me God knows exactly what He is doing and when He connects His family in creative ways, there is something SPECIAL. Having never spoken before, we were like sisters sharing what God has been doing – praising and thanking Him for His goodness. A little more time to go before the delivery, I headed back to the Frothy Monkey. Hot cup of tea in hand, I basked in the afternoon sun, relaxing in the warmth and glory and sense of peace that accompanied this sweet place of goodness in the Lord, “Thank You. Thank You for allowing me to do this. Thank You for blessing others through this gift. You are GOOD.”
God always knows what He is doing. I imagine this first assignment with Jaime, is just the beginning and I am eager to see what God is up to. Following the six-and-a-half our drive home, I looked forward to spending time with my family and delivering more art. Lion of Judah is nicely settled into its new home and my longtime friend seemed over joyed with her investment. Garment of Praise, a commissioned work, also made its way home. Its new owner exclaimed, “Love Love Love it!!!!!! Thank you so much…” My pleasure sweet friends, my pleasure.
If you see me out and about, be aware, I may be over the top giddy and joyful – and I have no shame in it! I am blessed to have five commissions on deck and another “would you mind”, creation. This place of operating right where God needs is overwhelmingly good! If you are interested in having your own uniquely fashioned for you piece, please send me a message and let’s chat. Christmas is around the corner and what a great way to bless folks with a gift without a doubt unique? Blessings! The momentum continues to grow around this turn the Lord has led me to take. Since we last caught up, two more uniquely fashioned for you pieces were created, the first unique creation ever was delivered, and through an interesting chain of events I have the honor of traveling this weekend to deliver a piece requested by a gal’s friend. WHAT?! During lunch with a new friend last Thursday, I was compelled to share the vision of what God would like to do through this newly resurrected artistic gift. I shared BIG vision elements and she was able to see it and BELIEVE with me. Towards the end of the conversation, she asked me to listen to a podcast where her friend shared a dream. Would I be willing to see what I could come up with? As I listened, I made notes. I saw images. The details began to formulate. Friday evening while the Fam was off for “Friday night lights” – I created. I could sense the anointing of God the entire time. I shared the image that evening. The response? “Oh Shanon! You are such a gift! This is beautiful. How do I go about purchasing it from you??”
Monday evening I was in the car, looked up into the sky, and saw a cloud formation of an eagle. I sensed the Lord say, “this is for So-and-So”.
Late yesterday afternoon I had the privilege and honor of delivering the very first uniquely fashioned for you piece. God MORE THAN OVERWHELMS ME by His love for others! There was a little dancing, mixed with a little whoo-hooing,
Yes, I trust God is in it – the entire time creating was so richly anointed, I can only conclude He is making a special delivery especially for His daughter whom He undoubtedly takes delight in. Or – I could be way off and wonder “what in the world did I get myself into?!”. I will share an update on how this plays out during next week’s art post. And to my girlfriend who would like my GPS turned on to track me and make sure I'm not abducted - I will text you location updates ;)
Friend, I HAVE to encourage you. If you sense something more, but feel it is impossible because all you ever experience is one battle after another, press in and press on! Press into delighting in the Lord and press on towards the mark of His high calling! Fight like heck and don't give up when others are unable to celebrate with you. Celebrate with the Lord and delight in His blessing over you and KEEP GOING. Blessings! Happy New Year! Ok, it’s the Hebrew calendar New Year, but we can celebrate it. Right?! Since sharing last week’s post on where God is leading and transitioning, it certainly IS the beginning of a new season. And wow, wow, wow – is He moving! In the past seven days works have been sold, new pieces have come to mind, folks have requested uniquely fashioned for you pieces, and new connections with art enthusiasts are being made. I’m over here like, “Go God!” For those of you who saw the Lion of Judah piece shared on social media last week, the design has officially found its home! Last Friday, a gal (not just any gal, but longtime friend J) reached out to me expressing her interest, desiring a quote. The digital art is currently being shaped and fashioned to become a 16 x 20 printed canvas. I cannot wait to have the piece installed and believe God is going to bless her family’s home in more ways than she imagined. That same day, I had a unique vision while taking a Friday evening drive with my hubby to the old area we used to live in. There was a large tree whose roots were made of water, completely fed by the River of Living Water we read about in Scripture. As I went into Saturday, there was an urgency to capture a first draft of the image and make it reality, shown here. I’m not 100% satisfied with how this watercolor on ink looks, but that’s ok. It is one iteration towards where the final piece will finally arrive. The cool thing? God later confirmed this piece was on His heart for me to create by leading me to the following Scripture this past Tuesday:
Tuesday of this week on my lunch hour and then in the evening while my family was off with homework, training and soccer, I was able to work on a design for an online friend and huge supporter of the devotional content God has shared through my life the past few years. She had shared an idea she hoped to one day experiment with. I then experimented with what she shared, prayed, envisioned, and forwarded the piece. Admittedly, the abyss between sharing and response is probably the most nerve-racking part of this process Holy Spirit has been revealing to me. I just don’t know if I am way off base, or right on… Apparently I was right on. She responded, “Oh my goodness! That is awesome. What did you do it with? Digital or paint? How much does a piece like this cost?” After sharing the requested details, she decided to purchase the piece uniquely designed for her. What a blessing! Interest in this process is growing. Other folks have inquired regarding the uniquely fashioned for you pieces. As I pray and press in to what might come together for each person when I have a moment to create, I grow giddy. I sense God’s heart not only for the piece, but for the person. That is special! I am honored to be a part of His blessing others in this very unique way. It also excites me to know art enthusiasts are intrigued when the flow of how the pieces are coming together is communicated.
Once a piece, like the Lion of Judah piece, is sold, it is no longer available. There is a portion of the process that makes the whole experience even more unique (it is so distinctive and personal I am going to keep this bit of the journey under wraps as long as possible). I believe this gift within the gift connects one particular piece to one particular person, and that exclusivity will be honored. If you are interested in a piece you see in my online portfolio, or interested in having a uniquely fashioned for you piece created, please send me a message to set up a time where I can hear the vision you might like to have captured. Blessings!
|
ArtistSix years after laying down the dream of being a full-time artist, God is handing it back. Spirit shined and polished, the artistic gift will be a conduit to creating a variety of works intended to usher in God's glory-presence in any atmosphere, encourage through personalized works, and provide peace in the market place. 
ArchivesCategories |
RSS Feed