Unite in Prayer

Posted on June 15, 2020 by nball252

After Solomon became king God appeared to him in a dream and offered him anything he wanted. Solomon asked for an understanding heart, for discernment and wisdom in order to be the best king he could be. God granted him that request, to this day Solomon is known as the wisest man that ever lived.

1 Kings 3:9

So give your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great nation of Yours?

If ever a country needed a government that rules with understanding, discernment and wisdom it is this country right now.

Philippians 1:9

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more in real knowledge and all discernment,

1 Timothy 2:1-2

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

Revive-Arts Original Art
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Staining Papers

Posted on January 15, 2020 by nball252

Bad things that happen in our lives can leave an ugly stain on our hearts. If we let it that stain can negatively affect our lives. On the other hand if we let God fix it he will make that ugly stain into something good.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

People like to used coffee or tea to stain papers, but I wonder about the long term effect of those substances on the paper. I use either ink or acrylic paint.

First apply a little ink or paint to the bottom of a cookie sheet, then add just enough water to wet your paper. Then lay the paper down into that mixture. It is up to you to decide how thoroughly you want to stain the paper. You can add more color if you need to. Then lay it aside to dry.

Here I used “rice” paper that needed toned down. I used colored ink on these.

DSCN6613
Posted in Art, Jurnaling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

22 Ways to Use Your Collage Papers

Posted on January 13, 2020 by nball252
22ways

Mono printing, stamping, stenciling staining, etc. is so fun that it can be addictive. So then you end up with a huge stack of lovely papers. What can you do them?

  1. You can give or trade your excess papers to another mixed media artist.
  2. You can use the papers as collage elements in creative journals
  3. Or on a canvas or other substrate to make art.
  4. Frame them
  5. You can use the papers as pages of handmade artist’s books or journals, or
  6. Or for the covers of books
  7. Or greeting cards,
  8. Post cards, and actually send them
  9. ATC, pocket art
  10. Bible verse cards,
  11. Rolodex cards (as a book or collection of quotes or Bible verses)
  12. Bookmarks
  13. Cover a keep-sake box or small storage boxes
  14. Cover a notebook
  15. Name tags on Christmas presents
  16. Make gift bags
  17. Decorate the back of recipe cards
  18. Make envelopes
  19. Use for origami, if the paper is thin enough
  20. Make matchboxes for matchbox art
  21. Make tea bag books
  22. Use as wrapping paper
CCI08142018
Posted in Art | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Using “Ugly”Papers

Posted on January 11, 2020 by nball252
book22pages71n72

These pages are from my Book 22, which is a junk journal or collage book. I started with “ugly” scrapbook paper, my own art that was ugly and other random papers. The page on the left is the back of a scrapbook paper (which was white). The first two layers of paint I mono printed with yellow and dark navy blue, using circle stamps and leaf stencils. Then I used an old house paint brush to apply the light blue. The flowers are cut from package-stuffing paper that I doodled on, and the “flower pot” was torn from a mono print made with an onion bag.

On the right is one of those scrapbook papers or designer papers that I thought was ugly and had every intention of painting over. I am often surprised how an ugly paper or artwork looks pretty when it is cut or torn up and paired with other colors and textures. However I thought this whole page needed covered, but after seeing it next to the previous page and decorated with various mono print papers stapled down it is not ugly anymore.

Life Lesson: There are times when our own lives get ugly, too ugly to fix, you just want to cover it all up and do it all over. But if we allow God to have control of our lives He will use the ugly and make our lives beautiful again!

Posted in Art, Jurnaling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

So You Think You Can’t Draw?

Posted on January 9, 2020 by nball252
cantdraw

  Have you ever said that you can’t make art because you can’t draw?

My answer to you: “Have you ever seen a painting by Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, or Jackson Pollock?

You do not need to draw to be creative or to make art. Many professional artists will trace an object or use an over-head projector, or use some other means of copying the object in order to get proper placement and proportions. Which is perfectly fine.

There are many ways to make art in spite of your/our inability to draw. If you can’t make a straight line make it look like you made it crooked on purpose by going over it 2 or 3 times. 3liesOr hold your pencil or paintbrush at the very end of the handle so you have little control. Or use a stick from the yard dipped in ink or paint. Well, I could go on and on. The point I want to make is that you don’t have to draw well, you don’t even need to draw. One of my favorite things to do is collage using a variety of papers including collage papers I have made. Often my collage work is just square shapes glued down, no drawing involved.

Stress relieving collage.
Stress relieving collage.
Posted in Art | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book 22 is Finished

Posted on December 17, 2019 by nball252

This project took a lot more time than I had expected. I even removed some of the pages when I re-bound it. 6morebook22collagecaption

Posted in Art | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book 22

Posted on November 29, 2019 by nball252

Book 22 is about three-quarters the way finished. I have been working on it for quite a while, between other art projects, one or two pages at a time. It has no theme, and no story to tell. Its purpose is…fun, or maybe to help relax or try new techniques. A few times I worked on it while I was feeling emotional so it has actually been therapeutic!

morebook22

 

I started by collecting a bunch of ugly art, designer paper that I probably would never use and odd graph paper, written on legal pad paper and “waste paper” (paper used to protect the table).

Then I used my geli plate, stencils and what-not to add color to the white backs sides of the designer papers.

Then I trimmed the papers and bound them. I was careful to make the binding loose because I would be adding lots of stuff. Evidently, it wasn’t loose enough and has split. So I will have to re-bind it. Oh, well.

book22collage1

These pages are so very different, they demonstrate my eclectic taste. “They” say that in order to be a successful artist you should have a “cohesive body of work.” That way people can more easily identify your work. I guess I will never be a successful artist, my work is as eclectic as I am!

Posted in Art | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lamenting

Posted on November 6, 2019 by nball252

To lament means to beat your chest and cry out loudly. We don’t do that, generally, in our society. We have the tendency to keep our emotions bottled up. We don’t want other people to know we are upset. We don’t want anyone to know we have problems. Unfortunately, that is especially true for Christians. After all we must not be “good Christian” if we cry and can’t handle our problems.

The first chapter of the book of Joel is a call to cry and lament the desolation of their Why Christians should lament.country. At that point in time it had been destroyed by invaders. The lives of every citizen was ruined. Then God called them together to lament.

Why? What is the point of lamenting?

In this situation God wanted the people to come together with a united heart, as a united nation, to call on Him.

God does not want us to be in pain and sadness, He wants us to call on Him to fix it. The purpose of lamenting or complaining is to acknowledge our pain and find a way, with God, to fix it.

As individuals, with our personal problems, the second purpose of lamenting out loud is to ask for help from Gods people. It is helpful and healing to have people acknowledge your problems and pain and pray for you. I know.

Years ago when I was going through a traumatic time I withdrew from my church family. The worse the situation got the more quiet I got. With God and my immediate family I got through it. I thought. Then, years later, I was on my way to a meeting at church and saw something that brought back all that pain. I couldn’t even walk into the building because I was crying so hard. I finally made it in and after the meeting I told them why I had been crying. They all got up and gathered around me, laid their hands on me and prayed. That was when I was healed! The burden of all that pain was gone.

When I think about that moment now it brings tears to my eyes, but not because of the pain but because of the love I felt from each of those precious people. I lamented, I cried out to God and His people, then healing came.

(Our pastor started a 3 part sermon on the book of Joel. You can listen to it Here.)

(The artwork was made with  homemade stencil and stamp, with acrylic paint on paper.)

Posted in Bible, Healing, Spiritual | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Free Printable Bookmarks

Posted on November 5, 2019 by nball252

Just for fun, here is a sheet of free printable bookmarks. Scan_20191105 (2)   Download: freebookmarks

Posted in Art | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Handmade Christian Booklet

Posted on November 4, 2019 by nball252

This handmade Christian booklet “Your Heart Will Rejoice” contains 9 Bible verses that

A handmade Christian booklet or zine for grief.

A handmade Christian booklet or zine for grief.

will bring comfort to your broken and hurting heart. In this handmade Christian booklet you will find that God’s loving kindness will bring healing to your heart through His word. This booklet is small enough to put in your pocket or purse so you can carry it around with you and read it when you have a moment. “Your Heart Will Rejoice” handmade booklet would make a wonderful gift and would be great for your church ministry. Contact me if you want to buy a bunch for ministry.

The verses are copied from the New American Standard Bible, which is my favorite. Each page of verses is accompanied by an original ink drawing of trees, which you can download as 8 x10” wall art.

Here are a few of the verses in the booklet:

John 14:26-27

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.  Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. (B)Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

DSCN7283b

Colossians 3:15-17

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

 

Psalm 34:17-19

The righteous cry, and the Lord hearsDSCN7284b

And delivers them out of all their troubles.18

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Posted in Bible, Healing, Spiritual | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment