Broken places

Watercolor

 The world breaks everyone, and afterward,

some are strong at the broken places

—Ernest Hemingway 

sharing at PaintPartyFriday 

Dark defines Light

Watercolor

The dark does not destroy the light; 
it defines it. 

It's our fear of the dark that casts our joy 

into the shadows.

— Brené Brown (The Gifts of Imperfection)

Sharing at PaintPartyFriday

 

Portrait of a Lady Study#2

 watercolor

widow of Frazier Baker
mother of six

"Fervently the silent prayer ascended,
 that the night of sorrow might pass, 
and the storm of agony be stilled in her bosom..."
...

J.L. Boswell. 1838, The Star in the East  

from 

Supplement to the Connecticut Courant:

 Containing Tales, Travels, History, Biography, Poetry, and a Great Variety of Miscellaneous Articles, Volume 5

Sharing at PaintPartyFriday

Portrait of a Lady Study#1

watercolor

Lavinia Baker

widow of Frazier Baker

 “...this woman, 

moved by some private sorrow as much as the words being spoken, 

cried almost silently, 

unobserved by others, 

apart from Mma Ramotswe, 

who stretched out her hand and laid it on her shoulder.

 Do not cry, Mma,

 she began to whisper, 

but changed her words even as she uttered them,

 and said quietly, 

Yes, you can cry, Mma. 

We should not tell people not to weep - 

we do it because of our sympathy for them - 

but we should really tell them 

that their tears 

are justified 

and entirely right.” 

― Alexander McCall Smith, Double Comfort Safari Club

sharing at PaintPartyFriday

behind the eyes...

between what was and

what is to come lies the vast

uncertain unknown

~Mx

 watercolor

And with compassion for the hurting, 

You reached out Your hand,

You saw behind the eyes of sorrow 

And shared in our tears, 

Heard the sigh of the weary, 

Let the children draw near.    

~Keith&Kristyn Getty, Stuart Townend

Compassion Hymn

sharing at paintpartyfriday

who?

watercolor

re-post from way back when

"Who in the world am I? 

Ah, that's the great puzzle." 
— Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland)

Sharing at PaintPartyFriday 
Self-portrait/Birthday Celebration

leaving town...

A true story...115 years ago...

watercolor

How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.

-Marcus Aurelius

Inhumanity is harmful in every age.

- Cicero

read more...

sharing at 

paintpartyfriday 

Festina lente

watercolor and ink

Hasten slowly.
~Augustus 

Sharing at paintpartyfriday 

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood...

watercolor and ink

While shepherds watched

their flocks by night

All seated on the ground

The angel of the Lord came down,

and glory shone around

"Fear not!" said he for mighty dread

Had seized their troubled minds

"Glad tiding of great joy I bring

To you and all mankind..."

~Andrew Peterson, Behold the Lamb of God

Merry Christmas!

sharing at PPF

growing up

“They keep coming up new all the time - 

things to perplex you, you know.

 

You settle one question 

and there's another right after. 

There are so many things 

to be thought over and decided

 when you're beginning to grow up.

It keeps me busy all the time 

thinking them over 

and deciding what's right. 

 It's a serious thing to grow up, isn't it, Marilla?” 

― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Sharing at

artistsplayroom

paintpartyfriday

wrapped

watercolor

“Wrap your coat, O sublime dream, around the child.” 
― Franz Kafka

paintpartyfriday

deny not the tears

“Cry, child, for those without tears have grief which never ends.” 
― Mexican saying

watercolor

"Don't ever discount the wonder of your tears.

They can be healing waters and a stream of joy.

Sometimes they are the best words the heart can speak."

― Wm. Paul Young

artistplayroom

paintpartyfriday

I have seen...I have listened...I have learned...

watercolor

“Wisdom comes with winters” 

― Oscar Wilde

PaintPartyFriday

through the eyes...

 watercolor

“What is that you express in your eyes? 
It seems to me more than all the print I have read in my life.” 
― Walt Whitman

sharing at ppf and apr

a moment of joy

  watercolor

Photo Credit: Kelly McCullough

and Tirzah International

(Burundian women, wearing dresses they have made,

 celebrating friendship,

new hope and a future...)

“Do you hear the people sing

Lost in the valley of the night?

It is the music of a people

Who are climbing to the light.

For the wretched of the earth

There is a flame that never dies.

Even the darkest night will end

And the sun will rise.”

― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

linking to PaintPartyFriday

misunderstood

watercolor

“Every man has his secret sorrows to which the world knows not; 
and oftentimes we call a man cold when he is only sad.”

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

sharing at apr
and ppf

quite normal

"What are your symptoms?  

Do you feel baffled? 

Bewildered? 

Confused?  

A little edgy?  

Frightened?  

Puzzled?

"Yes, yes!" cried Lionel, "all of that!"

Good," said Dr. Tudbelly, "you're quite normal."

~ Lloyd Alexander, The Cat who Wished to be a Man

sharing at APR: [emotional] weather
and PPF

Invisible (study#3)

watercolor
(click to enlarge)

“Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, 

to enter into the places of pain, 

to share in brokenness,

 fear,

 confusion,

 and anguish. 

Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, 

to mourn with those who are lonely, 

to weep with those in tears. 

Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, 

vulnerable with the vulnerable,

 and powerless with the powerless. 

Compassion means full immersion 

in the condition of being human.” 

― Henri J.M. Nouwen

sharing at
PPF and APR

for someone to pause long enough...

 watercolor and acrylic ink

"I began to have a strong sense, 

among all these hurrying people... 

of being utterly alone, aloof.

It was as though I were wearing a magic cloak of invisibility, 

for it seemed 

that I could see all these passing people 

without their seeing me.

They went by 

as though I were not there at all...

and yet I felt that I was well worth knowing; 

if only someone would stop long enough to know me!"

~David Grayson, Adventures in Understanding

sharing at 

APR: favorite color(s)

and

PPF

finding beauty

watercolor

“And I learned what is obvious to a child... 

That each day should be spent finding beauty

 in flowers 

          and poetry 

                                   and talking to animals. 

That a day spent 

             with dreaming 

                 and sunsets 

                                               and refreshing breezes 

cannot be bettered. ” 

― Nicholas Sparks

sharing at PPF