A Study of Ephesians

I usually use the CSB version of the Bible to read and study, but since it’s not available in PDF for taking notes, I use the ESV Bible to make annotations in GoodNotes. I’ve studied the Bible for 27 years. I’m no theologian, but I thoroughly enjoy diving deep into Scripture. I’m used to spending four to six hours at a time studying so I can understand as much as possible and retain what I learn.

Although this study of the book of Ephesians isn’t complete, it’s a good example of how I like to break down Scripture. I hope you don’t mind my handwriting or the somewhat chaotic highlighting and markups. As you can see, sometimes studying leads me to even more questions. I also love discovering valuable insights along the way.

Creating Art - Episode 1

I finally got my hands on some Uni-Ball pens and decided to try one on an abstract watercolor painting. I bought a three-pack that included a white gel pen, but I found it wasn’t opaque enough. I ended up falling in love with the silver one instead.

Lately, my art style has been very loose and somewhat undefined. I’m basically putting down whatever randomness comes to mind, which helps me process thoughts and feelings I can’t quite put into words. To keep up the habit of creating art, I’m starting this video series to show how easy it is to jump right in and make something beautiful and interesting without a plan.

If you’d like to know more about the specific tools and supplies I use, feel free to email me. I’m happy to share!

Swatching my Dreams

I went to Michael’s just to get a brush set for acrylics, but I ended up buying a whole bunch of other stuff I didn’t need—though I’m glad I got it anyway. I picked up some really large-format papers and pads to practice all kinds of media on, along with oil pastels and more markers. Now that I have a simpler and more portable easel, I’m hopeful I can finally set up a workspace where I can create plenty of pieces back to back.

That still wasn’t enough, so I went to good old Blick for more art supplies. I decided it was time to pull the trigger and get what I’ve been waiting nearly a decade to buy: Daniel Smith watercolors and Fabriano Artistico watercolor paper. It just doesn’t get more professional than that! I went a little crazy and ended up buying almost every color I could ever want. Although I got a dot sampler, I didn’t try all the colors. I did, however, swatch my new watercolors, and I was blown away by the quality. I thought I wasn’t a fan of iridescent colors, but the shine on these is so dreamy. Now I see why they’re so expensive.

I’d never swatched colors like this before, so I winged it. I started in one direction, then changed my mind and swatched in another because I’m left-handed. I have my perfect match now—Daniel and Fabriano are besties. After playing around and testing out the colors, I decided to make an abstract piece by combining circles, line art, and white and gold accents with acrylics. It was fun to create and really woke up my desire to make art just for the sake of creating.

Developing Art Style

Some watercolor paintings and digital art I created this week during some downtime. It’s been fun experimenting with mixed media and different techniques. I’ve been focusing on simply getting ideas down and being intuitive with whatever comes to mind. Sometimes I have a goal in mind; other times, I don’t. I’m practicing letting myself express freely without outside influence and seeing what develops. In my book, there’s no such thing as bad art.

Rediscovering Creative Flow

I’ve been trying really hard to get my mind back to a space where creativity flows freely. It’s been a struggle this week, but I think I finally broke through. I’m a foodie, and creating twists on classics has always been one of the ways I give myself the opportunity to play around with flavors and techniques.

During a hungrateful moment, I went into the kitchen and decided to make a grilled cheese sandwich with Cajun seasoning and some high-quality, unfiltered honey. It turned out okay, but I wouldn’t make it again—maybe it was TOO different for me.

After that, I started taking random photos to get back into my editing mode—where I love tweaking things and seeing what happens. Although, not so random, I took photos of Christmas tree ornaments on a public tree in a boba cafe I visited the other day. They were cool and interesting to look at. I also thought it was pretty creative that the employees made paper snowflakes out of receipt paper at the store.

The photo editing helped, but it wasn’t quite enough, so I moved on to art. I reorganized my supplies, made a mess on my desk, and just started laying down lines and colors with colored pencils. I began working on a large piece, thinking I could flesh out the vision I had, but it proved too tedious to complete. I’m used to finishing most of my artwork in one sitting, and this piece took me two days to get this far. Then, I couldn’t think of anything else to add.

After a few sessions of shading mandalas with crayons to be more intentional, I decided to walk the path I once did with watercolors. I brought out my brushes and bought some more supplies to complete my vision. Once I recalled why and how I used to paint, my brain just switched on, and I started.

This time, I used small 5x7 cold-pressed paper to avoid feeling intimidated by a larger canvas—I usually paint on hot-pressed 9x12 paper. I decided to start with shimmering paint first instead of saving it for last. I never like to do things the expected or traditional way, especially with art, so I figured, why not? If it didn’t work, I could just start over with another color.

The lines and colors progressed, ideas sparked, and I ended up creating a final piece using different metallic watercolors, some Japanese watercolors, and scribble line art that I managed to do with my non-dominant hand. I was going for something abstract, and I think I nailed it.

I really enjoyed working in this style and will definitely play around with it again. After several improvisations and a very messy desk, I’m happy with what I managed to paint in about an hour.

Baptism for John

Today I had the privilege of photographing an outdoor pool baptism and hang out with this wonderful group of people.

Authenticity Over Trends

I created my first blog in 2006 when I moved in with a boyfriend. I had moved so far away from my family that I decided to start a blog to keep them updated on my life. At the time, it was the easiest way to stay connected. I struggled to maintain a cell phone back then, so blogging became my go-to method. That blog was fairly simple and eventually developed into a chronicle of my life at the time. After a series of events that made me need a more private way to express myself, I decided to end the blog. The following year, I started another one. It became more popular and had a more traditional blogging feel. Then I got married and had a child. By the time I became a mom, I couldn’t keep up with public writing anymore—my focus was entirely on being a mom. So, once again, I ended my blog. Since then, I’ve tried to restart blogs here and there, but nothing really stuck. The blogging landscape shifted so much over the years. I noticed how easy it became for people to make money from their blogs, and later, there was the shift to embracing social media. By then, blogging had lost some of its appeal for me.

Now things feel different again. I’m not following trends, nor do I have a clear idea of what I’m doing or trying to achieve. I just know I have this need to express, share, and tinker. I’ve had that need all my life, and it’s not going away. So, I don’t know what this space will become. I’m letting it evolve, just like I did in 2006. As censored as the internet has felt these past few years, I worry about so many powerful and beautiful voices getting drowned out. I’ve seen too many vibrant flames extinguished by the pressure of monetization. Blogging has been around far longer than I’ve known about it, and I want to keep its original charm alive—that spirit of authenticity and vulnerability that started it all. I once embraced social media, but now it feels too saturated with things I don’t align with. Blogging, on the other hand, is more my vibe. It feels better for my brain and my heart. Although many of my past blogs have been decommissioned, I might revive certain elements I enjoyed most. Who knows? We’ll see. For now, I just want you to know that I’m here. Let’s see where this goes.