My word for the year - "Finish"

Hearing my word for 2014 really happened during the regular time frame...during the month of January...it is just now that I seem to have time to write about it...

Picture source

The word whispered around the back portions of my mind - I wasn't sure if it was just my need to accomplish cleaning off my desk in my office/art studio, or gaining some sort of organization after 6 months of seeming chaotic life...(my desk is still piled, but project after project is moving off...FINISHED!)

"FINISH"!

It is a triumphant call - He calls me to "finish" because He declared "It is finished"...Everything is settled...

He will perfect that which concerns me -

He has given us everything I need for life and Godliness -

His gift and calling is irrevocable -

I looked at places where the word shows up in Scripture, and found three that leaped out to me:

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  James 1:4 NIV

Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.  2 Corinthians 8:11 NIV

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace.   Acts 20:24 NIV

Picture source

 The very day I decided that the word dancing around my mind had the emphasis of the Spirit with it, this article was delivered to my inbox:

There is an "It is Finished" sound in the kingdom. Are we releasing it? 

This excerpt captures the tone of what I was hearing:  

The governmental power of 'NOW Sound" is that we know He is King, it is finished, and Father is governing through the release of the sound of His sons and we are releasing what He is revealing, right here, right NOW! 

When I read about worship, I automatically include the act of creating any art, honoring Him by releasing the creativity He has placed within us, in the context of worship...


He is saying:

Finish the race I have set before you...
I have released you into the fullness of your passions and calling!

Finish the creative explosions released within you...
Release the creativity I have placed within you to the sphere of your influence!

Finish through perseverance...
Maturity and completeness come only through the daily practice of reaching towards Me, seeking to reflect Me to the world...in all you do, keep going, experimenting, exploring, wondering, making, moving, ministering, revealing...

I hear Him cheering me on...
What will He accomplish in this coming year?  I cannot wait as I consider all the ideas, half formed, some almost complete...finished!

3 Praying Girls...In The Studio Friday

Some of what I've been working on this week...a series on praying girls...

Actually, "Guard Your Heart" is an older piece, and I have another piece - "She Gathered Hope" that was a companion.  I always intended to do a third - "Where Does My Help Come From" - and I am working on it (it will be the middle).  I am doing a reproduction of "She Gathered Hope" as the original sold and my photos for prints just aren't turning out the way I wanted...so I will finish the series AND get good photos before the originals are sold!

Joining over at "In the Studio" and "Paint Party Friday"...

Another Project Peek...

Sweet Tweener has always liked white tigers...she chose this kit several years ago, 

and I have always worked on it during our summer break...

Top: Close-up of my work; Bottom: What it will look like finished...

 Another look at my "in progress" work...almost 2/3 of the way done, I think...

Sneak Peek - Watercolor Feathers and Stacked Journaling...

Playing with watercolors...

My goal this year was to work with them - sweet tweener joined me and made some very cool feathers, too!

It is still the feather, sparrow, nest theme that has stayed in my mind for the past 1+ years...

And I was searching the scripture for all the "shadow of Your wings" verses -

Trying out a lettering technique called "Stacked Journaling" - it needs more work...

More stacked journaling practice - I'm finding what I like best..still more work needed...and a couple feather sketches...

Joining with lots of sweet creatives at StudioJRU...

Sneak Peek - Sweet Tweener's Poetry and First Photoshop Art...

Sweet tweener's poetry submission for the 4H project fair today

Sharing Sweet Tweener's art - there is a total of 8 different projects that she is taking to the little show today...so, of course, we were working hard on finishing them all up and getting them ready for display...

I am very proud of her works!

Joining with other creatives at StudioJRU here

5 Gifts...

I titled the picture "5 Gifts" because each item represents something I treasure and we all need to live our lives:

the feather - our gifts and talents that we have been given, launching us out into the world...
spoon full of seed - faith and provision {found in Jesus}
egg - hope and new beginnings
tree {on the stone} - growth, and especially growth founded on the solid rock of Christ
nest - relationships and a place to call home...

Join other creatives at StudioJRU and Sneak Peek Friday

To Texture Tuesday

Chalkboard Signs for Easter - Free for Sneak Peek Friday

The files are big, so please be patient as they open ☺

I call this one, "My Easter Prayer"

free download here

and this one, "I AM"...

free download here

Playing with chalkboard signs again...as the heart-work of Finding Sanctuary is going on...I looked on pinterest and saw there were only one or two examples of chalkboard easter or resurrection art...so I knew I needed to add my take {smiling}...

Enjoy, and if you are following my Finding Sanctuary posts, click on the button below to see all posts so far - there will be 2 more to come, and then after that, several follow up posts...

Also joining with other creatives at Studio JRU here,
and Missional Women, here

A New Tool - 3...{Finding Sanctuary}

This art journaling/art therapy page is titled "Frontier of the Heart" - the base is a modern road map of the western states in the US, including California, Nevada, and Utah.   Roads and town names still peek through, and make up the dividing lines of the heart in the middle.  The work is a combination of ink, pen, watercolors and watercolor pencil and I have started enjoying stitching on some of my paper projects.  This is a celebration of the journey into healing of a broken heart...and it takes the same courage and commitment to exploration as the early pioneers exhibited in traveling out into the frontier...

I thought this image might be a nice fit for this series of heart exploration we are doing...tho' not a "mind-map"!

Today we are going to take the "mind-map" that you created and take a good look at it.  Begin the reflection on what was poured out.  Let the Holy permeate through what may appear rather "unholy" at first glance...in fact, did things get disturbing for you?  Did you stop in the middle of your map?  Do not fear!  Pull that crumpled mess out of the wastebasket, tape those torn shreds back together!  He (the Lord) knows the depths of our human souls, and He longs for our hearts to feel His presence which is already there in the middle of our messy hearts, already loving and gracing the things that remain hidden AND all that has been revealed.  Take courage for He is always with you! (And He loves us anyway!)

Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:9 NASB

Now, to continue on {smiling}...

For this part of the exercise, have highlighters or colored pencils at hand.  As before, a quiet space and about 20 minutes of time will benefit the process...and your favorite cup of tea or coffee??  Make this a little date with yourself?  (And God)

1. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide the work.  Skim over your map and take note of up to 3 "First Level" branches that you feel drawn to, that you feel that as you explore these ideas, fresh revelations about your core issue may come forth.  ("First Level" branches are those whose lines connect with the center sphere.)  Highlight these in the same color so that you can come back to them in Step 4 (coming on Monday).

A Note to Remember -   Some patterns are so habitual, that taking this time to study the brain map can unveil even more connections - the Spirit has already been leading you and this tool is really just a help in hearing His whispers, eliminating the competing voices.  These steps require time to allow your mind and your heart to make strong healthy connections and to unravel the unhealthy connections.   Time for the Lord to reconfirm what you already know deep down.  Make notes, add them into the mind-map if/when these additional connections are discovered...

2.  Continue the "first order analysis". Use another color (highlighter or colored pencil) and mark all words/ideas/phrases that seem to relate, no matter which branches they are on.  Make a "key" at the edge of your paper by making a mark with your color and writing a one word summary of the idea this color represents.  By doing this step, you can get another visual of how these words/ideas are connecting in your mind.

3.  Begin the "second order analysis".  Using another piece of paper ( or your notebook or journal), make a list of each word/ideas/phrase that you marked with the same color.  Make as many lists as you used colors...

Ask yourself:

What patterns do I see?
What new thing(s) do I realize after looking at my map and the connections?
What emotion(s) is being stirred by this activity?
If there is a particular negative sounding thread, what would be the positive alternative?
Am I being pointed in a certain direction to explore further?
Am I being pointed towards a certain clear action that I can now comprehend?
(Add more questions as they come to you)...

Be careful...if this activity begins to feel like a burden and you begin sinking under a dark cloud of reproach (thoughts of self-blame, finding fault with self, discrediting self, or disapproving of self) you might be stuck in a pit of shame that is not God's heart for you...one solution is to view the exercise as if you were helping your best friend through it; this is called an "altered point of view" - useful to circumvent this sort of self-reproach.  Another solution is to ask a trusted friend or Godly spouse to help.  Or perhaps it is time to seek a period of wise counsel to deal with the issue of shame and the need for resilience in your heart.

Write your answers in your journal...all the questions may not apply, and new ones may be aroused...
If you find yourself "stuck" in doing step 3, get up and do something else for a while.  If a thought comes to you, quickly jot it down and bring it with you the next time you have 20 minutes carved out of your day to do this focused work. 

Has 20 minutes flown by?  You should walk away from the work every 20 minutes anyway in order to allow your mind a break in concentration and for you to continue to make connections.


Feel free to share in the comments how your work is progressing, or if you want to share privately, email me at fort.cindy@gmail.com...

Coming up:  Monday - Step 4
                     Tuesday - Biblical Thoughts on Anger - It occurred to me that my topic might require 
                                     more of an explanation as anger can be quite the volatile issue...and to share
                                     with you the growth that has brought me to this point...
                     Wednesday - More Information about Anger
                     Thursday - Reflections
                     Friday - I'll share my mind-map and analysis work.

Beauty + poetry....

Beauty

Beauty is mystery,

something to be explored,

to search,

know, 

pursue, 

love,

wonder. 

That is what it means to 

see beauty.

While I am working on some mixed media techniques, dealing with slow internet issues, home school + 4H, and posts for healing creative pathways - I am also enjoying some poetry interludes...

Remember this "Black Out Poetry" post?

Here, I painted my favorite sky blue acrylic to reveal the words of the poem I discovered on the book page...

Actually, there is a lot of inspiration over this word "beauty" right now, and I found another poem, mingled among the words of the same old book (I am pulling apart to use as an art journal), about the beauty of creation...

 I think these pieces might become a little series, perhaps bound in a little chapbook!

There is still time to enter in the MyMemories Digital software giveway...scroll down and leave a comment in the comments area...winner will be selected and announced on Valentines Day! 

Joining with Jennifer and other creatives at StudioJRU
FaithFilledFriday

Sneak Peek and the MyMemories Software Give Away

and announcing a giveaway:

Last week I shared that this Friday - today - I would open up entries into a fantastic giveaway -
One of my wonderful readers will win, absolutely free, their own MyMemories software package! 
Anyone can receive $10 off the regular price using the code located in the sidebar, under the MyMemories icon...

How to enter:

Simply leave a comment below.  You don't even have to have a blog to enter!  I will choose the winner by placing your name in a hat and Sweet Tweener has already begged to draw out the name!  Its that simple!

Please leave a current email address in your comment so that I can contact that blessed winner!

Get an extra entry:

Go to the MyMemories software site and pick out your favorite item from their designs and leave the name of that item in the comments below.   

Even if you do not "Scrap book" - you might have a friend who does!  You could win a software package for her!

MyMemories also has an informative blog here; a facebook page here; and they are on twitter.

I am not much of a scrapbooker, but what I do, I do digitally...so I was a little hesitant to even move forward when the company contacted me...BUT it does so much more than "just scrapbooking"...I have been playing a little bit with word art:

I've been making "encouragement" art for Sweet Tweener - at the beginning of the year, God began talking to me about things she thinks, and it has been amazing!  So, these encouragements are specific to counteract what she has been "hearing" from other sources...

This was all done in MyMemories...it looks just like something I can do in Photoshop...exactly!  Now, for anyone who wishes they could do neat things for gifts or just to decorate their homes, this might be just what you have been waiting for...the normal price of MyMemories is just $39.99 (compared to hundreds of dollars for Photoshop).  And you can use the code in my sidebar to get $10.00 off that price...

I did this more "artsy"image using the photo editing tools:

These were just some "snow whites" that pop up as wild flowers in our lawn last spring...I used a "fish eye" filter, a "gamma correction", and then the "impressionist" filter...and of course the word art and the flourishes are part of the embellishment package of the software...

Here is another version of the same image and different word art:

Here is another encouragement piece that Sweet Tweener helped design - she has such a good eye for vibrant color combinations!

And finally, just some word art:

One thing I like about the program is that all these images can be used in other venues, too...I can import each of these into Photoshop, or some other free online photo editing software, if needed...

These are just things I put together rather quickly - maybe a couple of hours (in between homeschool and other responsibilities)...I am looking forward to exploring what I can do artistically as I delve deeper (I think I can do better things with photographs, but I wanted to show what can happen in just a couple of clicks).

I am glad to have this opportunity to share such an affordable, versatile program with my readers...I have received comments from folks through the year last year that they wished they could do some of the photoshop things for themselves, but couldn't afford the program...so here is the answer to that delimma!  And if you do scrapbook - you can make incredible books with the designer layouts!  And did I mention you can make things like mouse pads, lap top skins or i-phone skins, jewelry, and just about anything you can think of in their custom gifts shop?  Using your own photographs...

Before I leave you, would you like to see my favorite item from the MyMemories shop?  It is called "Peaceful Winter", and yes, I did already buy it to play with!

 

 Remember, just leave your comments!

Joining with StudioJRU and Sneak Peek Friday,

Paint Party Friday,

Faith Filled Friday

Sneak Peek at a special day that happened this week...

I was so privileged to be the featured artist for Artsy Shark, an artist's business site, this week...I just had to share it with my friends here on the web!  Here is how the article started, and you can click on over if you want to read the entire piece and see which images Carolyn Edlund (the founder of Artsy Shark website and Executive Director of the Arts Business Institute) found most appealing...

Featured Artist Cindy Fort

Posted on January 21, 2013 // 2 Comments

Enjoy the charming portfolio of Christian artist Cindy Fort, who shares her inspiration to help heal others. See more of her work by visiting her website.

I grew up being creative and having that creativity encouraged.  I even won awards in art.  But I laid creativity aside for sciences and math – the college prep track, of course.  I eventually finished a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies and received an MA in counseling with a Biblical emphasis.  It was here, in the midst of helping clients recover their lives using therapeutic art, where I reconnected with my own artistic side.  I believe creativity is a gift we all share from our Creator; a result of being formed in His Image. In expressing ourselves creatively, we are inspired and inspire others!

Read more by clicking here - you will be going to the Artsy Shark website...

AND.....COME BY NEXT FRIDAY WHEN I WILL BE OPENING A SPECIAL GIVEAWAY OF A WONDERFUL DIGITAL PHOTO EDITING AND PROCESSING SOFTWARE PACKAGE (winner will be announced on Valentine's Day...and the winner will be making love gifts all year long!)

Be sure to go check out all the other inspiring creatives at Studio JRU's Sneak Peek here...

and Missional Women and Faith Filled Fridays here

and Paint Party Friday here 

He Will Come Like the Rain...

It has been so, so long since I posted any of my stained glass work...I truly love it, but it seems mixed media has taken over more over the past year... 

A verse has just really been on my heart a lot lately:

It contains the words "He will come to us like the rain"...I have seen it in a lot of art as well {like here and one I found via tumblr and pinned here}...the Lord is knocking on the door of my understanding...there is something here he wants me to see...

The square to the left of the bevel has a pattern that looks like raindrops...

The image above and the one below show how beautiful each style of glass is
(each section is a different patterned glass...)
The one in the upper left of the piece is wavy - hard to see in pictures...

The lights in the kitchen have a yellow tint and my countertops are off white, and I always get this warm peachy vanilla effect when I take pictures using the island as a base...

I added 3 crystal beads that dangle somewhat freely - I thought they furthered the idea of raindrops...or since there are three, perhaps the Trinity?

He will Come Like the Rain:
If you are interested in buying this piece, click here...

And what has the Lord been whispering?  Look at the entire verse:

So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.  

Hosea 6:3 NASB

"Let us press on to know the Lord" - an invitation to go deep...and it connects strongly with my word "contemplate" for the year - like this verse is the summation of His desire for our time together.
{I already know my word for the coming year...♥...coming soon}

Joining with Jennifer and other creatives at Sneak Peek Friday over at StudioJRU...

Arlington Museum of Art...Sneak Peek Friday

I have been so pleased to have two of my pieces displayed at the Arlington Museum of Art through November 17th in their "Community Showcase" event... 

Remember the piece titled "Guardian"? 

{Story here and type "Guardian" in the search box to get posts for the entire story...}

And the Klimt inspired challenge piece?  {Click here for its story...}

God is good and keeps encouraging me in this "Art + Healing" online presence He is leading me in....

Joining with Jennifer and other creatives at Studio JRU's "Sneak Peek Fridays" here...

What every creative needs to hear/see/know...

I wish I had made this little movie - I need to work on doing something like it in the near future!
Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

Sharing with Jennifer and other creatives at Studio JRU

Reflecting on the need to collect...

I mentioned before that I am a collector:  I collect stories, pretty objects that catch my eye, interesting items that seem to speak of hidden meanings, vintage ephemera,  tattered quilts...it is not just my stories, but others' that intrigue me...

I suspect that is why I like Pinterest, I can collect all sorts of things 

and they don't take up any more space than my laptop!

I collect written words that unveil eternal truths {especially those that reveal the depths of God's love, His desire to speak to us, metaphors that well describe His dealings with us, His dearly Beloved...} - an attempt to help those truths become like marrow to me!

Journals and sketchbooks become repositories of more abstract collections...thoughts, ideas,  memories...places to experiment and "try on" new directions...they are documentaries of the ethereal, the soul and spirit...personal histories of places and people...investigations of mysteries that have captured our curiosity -

Like the picture above - when I see this small fraction of the whole, not only do I wonder what it is, but who took it, what was it they were trying to capture, what were they exploring?  Do you?

I am eager to discover more!

Relaxing art for Sneak Peek Friday

I wonder if God knows what He is doing to me when He drops an explosion of creative ideas that has basically left me completely immobilized in moving forward in any of them! 5 new projects in various stages of beginning, plus old series waiting to be added to, and of course a small stack of UFOs...

Perhaps His real message is 

"I am stretching you, 

follow close,

don't be afraid..."

So, I grabbed a book from my shelf to use for a word filled sketchbook...and tried to find a page I hadn't devoured as the one below....

 

I drew a grid - the smaller spaces seemed to be more inviting - and just began to doodle...

text words began to jump out at me

and the result was a hybrid of "zentangle" and black out poems...

it relaxed my mind 

and 

my creative heart was at rest...

The result of my attempt to just "do something"...

Now, I can't wait to tackle that explosion!

Joining with Jennifer and other creatives at Studio JRU....

More Creative Techie work...+ inspired to new work...

Have you ever tried to make a gallery using NexGEN gallery with wordpress?  Well, this week I have been educating myself as I have received advice to sell art and items from my own website - I am almost there!  You can see one gallery (my photo work from this year) here, or click on the image below:

I have most of the galleries finished - but not linked to pages  :-0

However, all the technology dabbling of the week has left me longing for creativity where I get my hands "dirty" - so I made a pinboard of inspirations that are somewhat like what I am seeing inside...

click the pinterest button below to go see it...

birds, text, deer, music, hand sewing and an occasional piece of jewelry...what will come of it all?  Perhaps next week you will see something made with hands......{smiles} 

 

Joining with Jennifer and other creatives at Studio JRU...
and over at Arttherapist.ca

Cycles of Worship - Part 2 + Sneak Peek Friday

Heads bowed with the weight of ripe glory, the field watched and waited,

knowing the harvest was soon...

The rains had come, warmth and light had performed their duty, 

and the growth to maturity had been slow yet sure...

Sure as the seasons, marked by moon, stars and sun...

Sure as the rotation and orbit of the earth...

Sure as the Creator who had set all in place

And whose presence was felt in the field every moment...

Growth was always up and out -

Up - branch arms and heads reaching and stretching always towards heaven, towards Him...
Out - spreading and growing and becoming fruitful and multiplying, not only reaching up, but reaching out - enlarging the harvest...

and the field knew what it was to be spent for the harvest...

  The maturing crops wondered if the crown of creation noticed...

Did they notice how each blossom, each color, the bees visiting and pollinating, each shape, each spine or leaf or stem spoke?

Did they notice how every detail pointed to some aspect of their Creator, declared how the the Lover of their souls cared for them, revealed the depth of love He feels for them?

 Did they know that He created beauty just so they could delight in it?

And so they could remember their true purpose when the deceiver sought to blind them to it?
Because the beauty they encountered in the world was designed to remind them that they, too,
were beautiful?

And did they know that every time the wind blew, causing the harvest to gently wave, it was to remind them that the Lord of the Harvest was moving in each of them, and through each of them, and would be a catalyst to help them move together in the beauty of harmony?

The appointed days arrived, the people came to gather in the message

- and even harvested, the fields continue to speak out:

there is a harvest, 

it is growing, 

multiplying...

when the people gather the harvest, they see spiritual reality
before their eyes...

and each generation is able to experience the unseen truths as well...

when they watch the fields ripen, 

they understand the principles of growth,

that there are seasons to life...

And that counting the time, measuring the passing of days, 

it wasn't to remember their need for salvation, 

(tho' that also was woven in after the fall), 

but that the days, and seasons, and years, and signs...

were all to be crescendoing love gifts...

that the Creation would understand cycles of life and growing and maturing...

all eternal realities...

 

...and that He is counting the days till we are all gathered together...

in one incredible colorful and unique and diverse harvest.

And the joy of repeating the counting is poured out - 

over and over and over again...

generation after generation...

till the harvest is complete...

And the fields, gathered now to grace the harvest celebrations,

continued to bow their worship to their Maker.

Joyfully joining with Jennifer and other creatives at Studio JRU