Jon Helland was my teacher

Jon Helland's Pirate, with Barbara helping

 

From the Really Old File: I was five when I got art lessons from famed San Diego artist Jon Helland. We worked on this pirate together for one day's lesson. If you Google his other work, you see this looks like a child did it by comparison; but if you saw my other art as a five year old, this looks like an adult did it by comparison.

The end of the story is, according to Mom, Jon came back to her after about six lessons and told her he wouldn't teach me any more. He said I was too free, and he was more finicky and detail-oriented in his work--he was worried he'd spoil me. I think he was very thoughtful--as an artist who was trying to supplement his income by teaching little kids, to give that up. I liked his studio in La Jolla, by the way, and his nearly-blind partner was cool, too--he had cookies for me every time. 

The Good Shepherd

 

Hi, I thought I'd share here that I was walking this evening, and I could faintly smell that seaweed scent of the ocean on the breeze. Somehow--perhaps because I grew up in La Jolla--I felt very comfortable living here, not anxious anymore about Alex's Mom dying and then what would we do and where would we go, Cedar City or where? Rent or buy?

I felt at home. I felt that I didn't actually have to face packing and moving. We could simply use this place as our base camp for the remainder of our lives, taking time off for missions, or travels, or renting in faraway places for awhile. Just locking up here and going. All my painting stuff could stay here. Kitchen stuff. Etc., etc.

I didn't get to that feeling by thought, it simply came unbidden, as a gift. I do think that smells from our childhood are really hardwired. But, whatever, I am feeling comfortable and calm being here, and I thank my God for this peace.

"Some Children See Him..."

I am grateful that I can still see. I had cataract surgeries two years ago, and all is now well and good (after some reactive cloudiness after the surgeries, that got laser zapped). I just had a checkup and my eyes are good enough, the macular hole that happened, has not grown, the glaucoma eye pressure got released by having cataract surgery... hey hey, it's good enough for me!

If I couldn't see, I couldn't paint or draw--plus a heckuva lotta other things, too. I'd be really dependent although probably fine around the house. So, thank you God that you've left me with enough eyesight to do pretty well! And I am grateful for my hearing, too--still can eavesdrop on whispers across the room, heh-heh.

And I have two hands and feet! Mobile! And still, plenty of flexibility to put on my own shoes and stuff like that. 

Also, Alex and I have been married 37 years, coming up this week (May 6, 1987). Our relationship rocks! Again, all parts are fine, check. Flexibility fine, check. Love of adventure fine, check. Spiritually okay with God, check! 

The above painting is captioned from one of Alfred Burt's Christmas Carols, explaining that Jesus appears in all racial "colors" to different children around the world. I so believe that Jesus is more likely than not to look Semitic, or at least more like someone from the Middle East than from England. Take a look at classical art renditions of Christ and decide for yourself. Of course, when we meet him face to face, we'll see...

 

Let this Cup Pass from Me

I have learned something about my "art." I painted the above painting, and worked and reworked the face because I felt it looked like Jesus was just an old Chinese sage, not "Jesus." I actually got so disappointed with it I tore it up. 😬

So now, I have the photo, but no one has the original. 

I look at it now, months later, and I see mothing wrong with having a Chinese Christ. I see that, despite my personal cultural biases, and my perfectionism (I didn't want to paint Jesus Christ without it being worthy of the Sistine Chapel, it seems), my "art" still exists, because  it is a gift. And even if I create something I don't personally care for at the moment, it still comes out artistic. I can't help it!

I have, happily, been able to post my work in a couple of groups online that are full of artists encouraging each other. I get surprised at "how many likes" I get (boy, this is a dangerous path, isn't it?) on some of my work that I didn't think were so hot.

I need to remember that it is not others' opinions that I need to seek, but God's. Still, God is often silent about my art. I guess it is because--nice as it is--art is not as important as staying true to the Gospel, for instance. Loving one's neighbor. Supporting the righteous efforts of family members. So I figure God lets me do my thing as long as I am sure to have the right priorities with my time and talents.

 

I have a couple of callings--Ward Temple and Family History Consultant (I remember this long name by thinking, WTF History Consultant), and Stake Temple and Family History Consultant, working weekly at the Family Search Center in Bellingham.

I thought I'd post videos on the Ward's Relief Society page, and so I made up the above video to introduce the idea of the Fan Chart (a very useful way to look at your family lines). I was so proud of myself! First time making a video...

That went well, but I realized that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has got a TON of videos explaining how to use the FamilySearch and FamilyTree programs/apps and my little offerings were probably not needed. It reminded me of the experience recorded by the prophet Jarom in the Book of Mormon:

(Jarom 1:2) ...but I shall not write the things of my prophesying, nor of my revelations. For what could I write more than my fathers have written? For have not they revealed the plan of salvation? I say unto you, Yea; and this sufficeth me.
 

Don't Go Home Without It

 

He Is Risen!

Just a thought... I feel that it is just fine to depict Jesus Christ as someone approachable, someone you might meet on the street. I'll post more Jesus pictures as I make them.

I am grateful for modern conveniences! Like computers and cellphones that take better pictures than any ol' camera! So I can do this blog.

I am grateful that I have a Temple Recommend--it's like my passport to the Celestial Kingdom. Some Saints herniate about whether they are good enough, they know mentally God has forgiven them for their sins but they continue to berate themselves for the same sins, worry about their Spiritual Performance, and if God REALLY will let them into heaven and give them a big hug when they get there. I was one of these, so I can yak about it.

Basically, it finally dawned on me that if I'm good enough to have a Temple Recommend, I'm good enough for the Celestial kingdom. Even if I like to eat sugar too much. Even if I sometimes don't want to give a talk in church. Even if... you get the idea?

There was a TV ad a long time ago for American Express credit cards, this guy held his hand out with his card and smiled and said, "don't leave home without it." Kind of a meh commercial, but the tagline stuck with me. I'd redo that as, here's this angel, holding a temple recommend, and saying, "don't go home without it."

Butterfly thoughts

Hi! I wanted to take a moment to let you know that my conversion story, which appeared in the January 1995 issue of the Ensign magazine, is listed to the right as a link to a book I wrote, "Visions of Kolob," for sale on Amazon. BUT, it is also available free to read if you access the Ensign magazine in the Gospel Library app, which link is here:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1995/01/the-power-to-change?lang=eng

(You're gonna have to grab that link, copy & paste since I haven't yet figured out how to make it a hyperlink in blue from here--I don't know how to edit in html at all).

That done, I have a thought for today:

In a recent seminar for seminary and institute teachers, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve said: "Teaching is not talking and telling. Rather, teaching is observing, listening and discerning..." (From https://www.thechurchnews.com/2011/12/10/23226076/teaching-is-not-talking-it-is-observing-listening-and-discerning/#:~:text=Bednar%20of%20the%20Quorum%20of%20the%20Twelve,is%20observing%2C%20listening%20and%20discerning%20so%20we)

"Observing, Listening, and Discerning." I'll call that "being OLD." I have recently come to realize that JUDGING and DISCERNING are very different things. To discern is to see (observe) something that is going on that is not blatantly obvious. To discern is to tell from someone's facial expression, for example, how they really feel despite what words are coming out of his or her mouth. Discerning is seeing, for example, the real interaction between a mother and child on a playground when they're too far away to eavesdrop on their conversation. You can discern many emotions, and spiritual states from observing and listening to what is and isn't being said. How is this done? Through the Holy Spirit. It is a gift given by God to many of his children. It is a gift that seemed to come to me in my early childhood--so I don't remember asking for it!--but it is something one can request in prayer, too.

To judge is to take what you discern and apply some sort of Good or Bad label to it. Now, if you are driving and you discern that the driver in front of you is acting erratically and his car is drifting, it might be well to judge that it's time to put on your brakes and stay out of the imminent accident! Judging if a drink is too hot to put to your lips by discerning that there is a lot of steamy heat coming from it, well, this too is an example of judging things in the real world that have consequences, good or bad.

But when judgement is about spiritual good or bad, or as they used to call it, when you're making a "value judgment," you're on shaky ground. We are told in scripture not to judge unrighteous judgment, and it's not talking about whether or not something's physically dangerous, it's talking about judging character, morals, whether someone's going to Heaven or Hell...

Wanna keep this blog short, so there's my take for the day (thank you, Elder Bednar), that we should actively engage ourselves in discerning (through observing and listening), but AVOID judging others (and ourselves) in a moralistic way.

Until next time,

Barbara

Chrysalis Opens! Butterfly Emerging!

 

Hebrews 4:15--"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin"

Hello, readers!

Those of you who have followed me because of my work as a pottery student with Dave Stewart and Marguerite Wildenhain; those of you who have my book "Clay in The Potter's Hands" -- see "Clay in the Potter's Hands--Musings of a Wildenhain Potter" on Amazon, paperback and kindle -- have also noted that I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1992.

Last evening, I had an inspiration to continue my personal journaling right here on Blogger! I will thus begin to do so, with photographs of my watercolor and ink artwork featured in each post. The last few posts are the twitches and stretches of a changeling encased in a chrysalis, not exactly knowing who she was.

This post is the first of the butterfly Barbara. Wings are still wet. Watch me change. And learn how to embed links in this format (which I don't seem to be able to do yet).

Comments are welcome, though they are filtered through me as per Blogger instructions. I will post all except vulgarity, so if you want to hate me, comment politely! 😉  Barbara

New Videos!

 Hey Hey, a couple of new short videos of me doing watercolors--

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kQiLf1q0tY&t=15s

also, this short:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTLmCBwE4RI  if you can't see the video above.

Art Demo!

 Hi, just made a demo video of a painting I did. This doesn't have anything to do with my previous clay work but it's about what I'm doing now.

You can find the four-minute version on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBlBQkkXszA&list=PLKnLYl_T0IWu2SVZZSNHtKWkh4JqF5tcu&index=3&t=5s