I am honored to be one of the ladies interviewed by Rebekah R. Jones! It's a wonderful article interviewing fellow bible art journalists, where we share a bit about our styles, supplies, favorite journaling we have done and how bible art journaling has impacted our lives.
And while you are there, check out the rest of Rebekah's blog. She has weekly challenges, tutorial videos, tips and tricks and supplies. She also has a free online bible art journaling class! How awesome is that? She is so generous with her time and skills and clearly is devote to Jesus Christ. Thank you, Rebekah, for all you do!
I have been playing in Periscope lately and did this bible set live. It was fun but took longer because is was doing a few different things all at once.
Isaiah 58:8 is an amazing verse!
I finally finished drawing my sunflower and now it's ready for paint! Keep watching for the finished piece, which will be for sale.
I did this quick video a couple weeks ago but didn't get it posted here due to surgery I had.
I love the verses of Job 14:7-9. This chapter is Job talking about how death comes to all men, trees that we think are dead can actually sprout new growth when the rain falls on them.
In Job's day, he was still waiting or the promises of the Messiah to be fulfilled. In our day, we have Christ, who has given us the promise of eternal life. Death is not the end for us. Life will sprout up in us again, through Christ, much like the dead tree that sprouts when it is rained upon. I just love that!
In addition to these verses, this was inspired by a song my nephew, Tanner Hotchkiss, wrote and sings. This song and his album is available on iTunes and another site for android.
Please click here to be taking to the You Tube video where you can hear the song "Leaves" in it's entirety.
This a short video on the making of this illustration in my Crossway ESV Single Column Journaling bible.
Lamentations 3:21-27
This is how sunrises look in some parts of Alaska in late summer. The fireweed is in full bloom and it's vivid pink and purple flowers glow when the sun shines on them.
Summer is winding down quickly here, the nights are getting cold and it is getting dark earlier every day. However, with the arrival of the darkness also comes the arrival of the stars and the northern lights. We don't see them in the summer because it doesn't get dark.
I am going to miss the sunrises though. In the winter, the sun rises in the south and sets in the south. I have a large mountain to the south and the sun barely makes it high enough in the sky to peek over that mountain, in the darkest days of winter.
Because of this, the dawning sun is always wonderful and appreciative occurance, when we are in the heart of the dark winter.
It's been hot here, by Alaska standards, and the heat makes me tired. Blah.
I have been hanging out in our little swiping pool, that is heated by a little woodstove my husband built. It's very nice floating around in my pool chair but I doesn't allow for much productivity. Oh well, gotta soak up the sun while we still have it this far north.
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I have started a new drawing. It is slow going, can't rush details! I will watercolor it after I an finished with the drawing part.
I also did more bible art in my journaling bible. I am so glad everyday is a fresh start with God. 😍
I haven't forgotten about the giveaway! I just need to get everything organized so I can do it.
FIRST: I WILL BE HAVING A GIVE AWAY SOON. SEE THE END OF THIS POST FOR MORE INFO!
I've had this video filmed for awhile but wasn't able to get it edited and uploaded until late last night, due to my nephew's wedding and other things in life that take up my time, but I FINALLY got it finished! Yay!
The first half of this video is drawing in my sketchbook so you can see all the details that can go into these types of flowers. The second half is drawing in my Crossway ESV Single Column Journaling bible. Most of the drawing in my bible isn't as detailed as the drawing in my journal because it is on a much smaller scale. The beauty of this is that you can make it as detailed as much or little as you like and it will still look GREAT!
I have had a lot of requests for a tutorial of how to draw the squirrel, which I will do, but I have some suggestion that I hope you will consider in preparation for that drawing.
PRAY! Art is a gift from God. He is the ultimate creative and the old testament talks about the Holy Spirit giving people artistic talents in order to build God's temple. Ask God to teach you how to see like an artist sees. My husband is an artist with a degree in graphic arts. I took one art class in my life at the age of 12 and was so intimidated I was absolutely paralyzed. That was my one an only attempt at anything artistic until a few years ago. I learned early on in my relationship with my husband that he saw things differently than I did. We would have long conversations, sitting outside in the midnight sunshine of the Alaskan summer nights and talk about how he sees. When I saw clouds, I saw white and grey puffy clouds. He saw all sorts of colors: peaches, purples, blues - he never once said the color grey. He shadows in the for of shapes. He opened my eyes initially and God has stepped in and continue to teach me as I progress on this journey as an artist. I always pray before doing any art, asking God for the skill and guidance. If you desire it, He will give it.
GET a 0.05 pigment ink pen. Your favorite brand is fine, no need to use the same pen as I do. It is the size of the nib that is important.
PRACTICE!! Get to know your pen and how it works. Check out my "PEN STROKES TUTORIAL" to learn the types of strokes I use in my drawings. They are not difficult to master, but you do need to be familiar with your pen and how to get it to draw the way you want it it. Trust me, this will save a LOT of frustration and fear of making mistakes when it comes to drawing with pen and ink.
MORE PRACTICE! Practice drawing the flowers, leaves, bees and other things in this video series. Practice doing your own thing. Practice on smooth notebook or printer paper - which is similar in thickness and texture to bible paper. Practice on drawing paper, which has a little bit of texture and learn how your pen works on that compared to smooth paper.
PAY attention to how long to set your pen on the paper - the longer it sits in one place, the darker that spot will be. This typically happens at the beginning of a pen stroke. When using copy or notebook paper, this spot usually shadows through the page more than the rest of the pen stroke.
USE a light hand when drawing. Don't push down on the pen, let the weight of the pen do the work.
PICK an image that you want to draw. Something with short fur, like the squirrel or a rabbit.
Study the image. Really look at it. Look at it for a few minutes for days. Look for the darkest darks, the lightest lights. Notice where the shadows fall. It may be helpful to convert your image into a black and white so you can see only the lights and darks and not be distracted by color.
Study the shapes that make it up and where the shapes are located in relation to each other: the top of the eye is on the same imaginary line as where the base of the ear starts. The nose and the paws both extend out to the same point. The tail is taller than the entire body.
Imagine drawing it. If you watch an artist in action, you will often see they make "practice" strokes in the air before drawing or painting on their paper/canvas. This is valuable on helping your hand and eye communicate with each other. I often will do this over the image I am going to draw. I "air trace" the shape of the image. It may sound weird, but it really helps because sometimes our eyes see shapes differently than how they really are and when we go to draw it, the drawing comes out skewed and we don't know why. There are a lot of reasons this happens that I won't go into; this isn't a perfect remedy for that but it DOES help.
BE relaxed. This type of drawing can be very relaxing and enjoyable. Watching something from from nothing is really cool, in my opinion. Take it slow and don't rush. You don't have to finish a drawing in one sitting. In fact, it can be detrimental to try and do this. We tend to look at the details and can't see the whole picture and this causes us to focus of perceived mistakes. If you are feeling frustrated or stuck, walk away for a bit..just make sure you do COME BACK! Do not give up. When you come back, you will see it as a whole and with fresh eyes. If you were stuck, you will probably now know what to do. Totally true. I can't tell you the number of times I felt something wasn't working in a painting or drawing and I had no idea what to do next. I left it for day and when I came back, I was able to continue on.
KNOW that if you have done it once, you can do it again! I used to be afraid to draw or paint again after I did something I was really happy with because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do it again. Know that you CAN do it again. It may be different but it will still be great!
Lastly, be KIND to yourself. Unless you are working - and it IS a lot of work - to become a photo realistic artist, there just isn't any reason to be photo realistic. With the exception of human faces, no one will ever know if your squirrel doesn't look exactly like your reference image. No one will ever know if you have a wonky flower because flowers ARE often wonky in nature. Don't stress.
OK, here is the last thing. SMILE! Sounds hokey, but it helps you relax. Enjoy the process!
I recently read a quote and it is totally true:
PRACTICE MAKES AWESOME!
Soon I will start on an animal tutorial. Maybe a mouse. Stay tuned!
GIVEAWAY SOON! I will be having a giveaway soon. I have two She Reads Truth bible studies with cute bible verse cards and artwork. One is a study of the book of Hebrews and the other is a bible study for the book of John. The winner will need to have the free She Reads Truth app and will need to purchase the study guides through the app ($1.99).
Keep watching here or on my other social media sites!
Instagram @MichelleHotchkissArt
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MichelleHotchkissArt
YouTube: Sevenible or search for Michelle Hotchkiss
Just as the deepest places of my heart call out to the Lord, so does the Lord call to the deepest places of my heart.
It's been a tough week for me, I've been very sick with MS and issues related to it and when feeling like that, where I just can't escape the awful feelings, the deepest places of my heart cry out to God for relief and comfort.
Thankfully, He is there.
In these times, He is also calling to those deep places of my heart, reminding me that He Is.
He Is.
He is everything, He is everywhere and He is all-knowing. He knows how I feel. He Is the source of everything I need.
He Is. That comforts me.
Today I had the pleasure of meeting a sweet lady who follows my blog and a friend of my husband's family. Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement! I am still not used to being known as an artist in the real world. :) I wish I had more opportunity to talk with both of you! Maybe you all can contact me next time you are in my neck of the woods. You know who you are!
This photo shows how the shading really brings it to life :)
I also finished the guest fingerprint tree for my nephew's upcoming wedding. I added their initials yo the heart and two butterflies but I didn't get a photo of it totally finished. I will have to wait for the wedding to get one. They are very happy with how it turned out.
Ephesians 4:25-32. The first thing we are told to do after "putting on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness" is to "put away falsehood and speak the truth". (ESV)
Put away ALL lying.
This includes those seemingly "harmless" little white lies, exaggerations, stretching the truth..the "acceptable" lies.
The truth is...there are no acceptable lies. God cannot lie. it is impossible for Him to lie. We cannot be like Him when we lie or exaggerate nor can He join with us in our lies.
What if I don't liked friend's dress and she asks me how it looks? How do we not hurt someone's feelings and also not tell a little white lie?
That is something I will be praying a lot about, there has to be a way to do it or God wouldn't have told us to do it.
If a friend asked me that question above, I would only comment on something that I did like about it, maybe the fabric or the color.
What about a bigger lie? Am I willing not to lie even if it gets me in trouble? God says I must. Telling the truth takes courage. I must learn to be courageous and also trust God to be with me in times of trouble.
Putting away lying takes wisdom. Wisdom to know when not to share the truth, that isn't that persons business. Not everyone needs to know everything.
Things to ponder and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance.
I have a short process video today of how I drew/painted this illustration in my Crossway ESV Single Column Journaling bible. I have a new webcam and am pretty happy with it but finding an easy video editing program that does all the things I want it to do has been a challenge.
Suggestions for editing software are welcome!
There is a little bit of drama in the middle of the video, but everyone survived and are A-OK. :)
It is based on Luke 4 18-19 & 21 and 2nd Corinthians 3:17. Jesus has declared that He is the the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah.
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recover sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
How awesome is this?
Many times, we are bound by things we don't even realize, this can be anything from food, gossip, overspending, and the list goes on. Some are more obviously harmful than others, but sometimes the seemingly harmless things are those that keep us from moving forward in our walk with Christ because we don't identify them as "being that bad" and can't identify that we are enslaved or bound by them.
Yet, if we ask, our eyes can be open to the things that hold us captive.
But...(there always seems to be a "but" in there somewhere).. I admit that this is a scary step to take. I don't always want to change.
"Captive", "blind", "oppressed"...those are such negative words. Am I blind and oppressed? I don't like to think so but if I really am blind, then I can't see if I'm oppressed, the effects of being oppressed, nor the freedom of what it is like to be released from the things that oppress me. Reality is that I may be comfortable in my bondage, especially if it is all I know and doesn't seem to be a big deal.
In the book "The Pursuit of God", A. W. Tozer writes; "The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven't yet come to the end of themselves. We're still trying to give orders, and interfering with God's work within us. ”
Soo...questions must be asked: Do I really want to have my eyes opened spiritually and "see" what what oppresses and holds me back? Do I choose to continue to be oppressed and held captive by things that don't seem "that bad"? Does God really know better than I do? Do I trust God enough to relinquish control? Is the liberty He speaks of really worth it and will I be happier and freer? Is "freer" really a word or should it be "more free"?
Do I really have to come to the end of myself?
Why does that word "really" keep popping up? I think it is a matter of faith; do I really believe or not?
A decision must be made.
I can take only one step at a time or it all just seems too big and overwhelming. Baby steps. Baby steps are better than no step at all. So here I go, the first step of my journey to the liberty Christ has provided for us.
My first step is asking God to remove the spiritual blindness to the things that are holding me captive.
I can do this. I must remember that God cares for us, He wants the best for us and wants us to be succeed. He will not ask me to do anything that is impossible.
It is His job to do the impossible, not mine.
The inspiration behind the illustration:
The cross is the most recognized icon of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made to save each and every person ever born on this earth. His life was exchanged for ours, He broke the chains of sin and death which bound us all.
The Statue of Liberty is the most recognized icon of freedom in America. While we all have different definitions of freedom and liberty, I am so incredibly thankful that I live in a country where I can freely have a bible and express my beliefs. People may not agree with my beliefs but I am generally not endangered by my beliefs. So many other places in the world people are imprisoned, beat and killed because of their beliefs. They would literally be risking their lives just to hold a bible in their hands.
Today is D-Day. Thousands of people died in the fight to stop a big evil that was spreading through Europe and threatening the world. History is repeating itself - a different place, different people, different reactions, but it's the same old story.
As messed up as our country is, I thank God for the liberty we have. I will always pray that will continue God to bless America and that America will be a blessing to God. Where there is liberty, there is hope.
I am part of the Facebook group Journaling Bible Community and there are people there with ALL levels, abilities and styles of journaling in their bibles.
Some use stickers, some do amazing lettering, some do stick figures, some only smear a bit of paint on the page and then write out their thoughts pertaining to the scripture they are studying. Some are true pieces of artwork all on their own.
Often, there are comments made by the person that they can't draw, they made mistakes in their journaling, etc.
Sometimes, these comments seems to rub some people the wrong way. They feel that the person making those comments are looking more at making art than they are the spiritual part of bible art journaling - which are devotionals, meditating and learning and focusing solely on God's word. Sometimes, there seems to be some anger or judgment toward the people who point out what they feel are inadequacies in their bible journaling.
This makes me sad.
Here is my take on it.
I understand why people make these comments. They are unsure and insecure of their abilities. They want to present a beautiful offering to our beautiful God but feel it isn't good enough. Just as Christ accepts us with all our imperfections, so does he accept our imperfect art and sees it as beautiful and perfect offerings from our heart, praising, worshiping and learning from His Word. So..maybe encouragement that God accepts and is pleased with our efforts, as imperfect as they are, can help people to not be so concerned and not focus so much on the imperfections and focus more on the act of worshiping, meditation and learning ad knowing that God IS pleased with our efforts. Let's please have some compassion and show mercy and understanding. Teach and encourage instead of responding with anger.
This is the third video in the series "How to Dray Easy Stylized Flowers"
This is an ongoing tutorial series based on select verses from Psalm 97-99 pen and ink drawing in my Crossway ESV Single Column Journaling Bible.
These beautiful, easy bumblebees are very fun once you learn how to draw them and are so easy, they don't take a lot of thought or effort, just like doodling!
PLEASE SHARE PHOTOS OF YOUR FLOWERS, I LOVE SEEING THEM AND MAY FEATURE THEM HERE AND ON MY OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA!
Post on my Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/MichelleHotchkissArt
Or tag me on Instagram @MichelleHotchkissArt
(To see all video tutorials in one place, select "Video Tutorials" from the menu above)
A few months ago, I discovered Bible art journaling. It immediately awoke a longing within me.
I have tried keeping a written journal before but never enjoyed it. When I use art in my bible, it is a like a picture is worth a thousand words. It is a meditation of the scriptures, the images are a personal connecting between myself and the Word of God. It is deeply personal and expresses my heart and feelings without writing a word, unless I choose to add to it.
Everyone has areas of chaos and turmoil in their lives. Believers of Christ are not immune from this but we do not have to be held captive by the chaos and turmoil. God has sent His Spirit through Jesus Christ to break the chains that bind and set us free. It still requires us to walk away from the things that held us captive, we can choose to go back and put the chains back on, but we can also choose to walk away from those things. It might just be one single step at a time but with the help and guidance of the Spirit of the Lord, we are never without hope, never without a second, third, forth or more chances to become totally free.
The Statue of Liberty is the most recognized symbol of freedom in the USA. Liberty and freedom are often misunderstood. We tend to think it means we can do whatever we want but many things we want are very harmful to ourselves and others. True liberty is freedom from being bound by things that hurt us and other, and that trap us and bring us down. Thankfully, if we ask, the Lord will open our eyes to those things that bind us and set is on the path to true freedom. If we choose. We can choose freedom or we can choose chains.
Luke 4:18, 19, 21. 2nd Corinthians 3:17.
Faber-Castell Pitt Artist brush pens on page prepped with Liquitex Fluid Matte Medium.
*i will be adding the video of the making of this bible page soon!
(To see all bible art journaling in one place, select "Journaling Bible Art" from the menu above)
