What a crazy week. While I've been working away at the studio, the SMAC Art Center, which houses my studio, started Phase I renovations. Instead of sitting around watching paint dry between stages, I'd go into the classroom area and pitch in. When you are on a working board of a non-profit organization, work is the operative work. And when renovations take place, it's all hands on deck. I'm not able to do much physical labor, but I do what I can and rope my dear hubby into helping whenever possible. I'm so thankful that my dear hubby is a handyman and all-around jack-of-all-trades. He handles my volunteering of his services with grace and love. What more could I ask for in a lifelong partner. I imagine the old time blacksmiths I am currently painting were pretty handy, as well.

So, let me catch you up with this week's painting. 

The first day I added a couple more wheels to the foreground, worked on highlights for all the wheels and then tackled the lettering, which didn't go so well. I tried to freehand the lettering, but it was way too messy. Also, the sign is too white and I'll need to age it up.

I blocked out the lettering I had attempted the day before. It's ironic that the two things I struggle with the most--lettering and wheels--I tend to paint the most often. I swear they are my nemesis and eat up time like nothing else. Hopefully, I'm getting better each time. It has really been a challenge for me. So today, I added glazes to warm up the wooden wheels and help them stand out from the building, that's more aged and weathered. For my glazes I used DecoArt Traditions Transparent Yellow Oxide and Quinacridone Gold. I also warmed up the trees and the lumber leaning against the building on the left.

The last day, I warmed up the ground with touches of Transparent Yellow Oxide and Quinacridone Gold, just letting my brush dance and flutter back and forth. I punched up the value on the overalls highlights and then concentrated on the sign. I still painted the letters freehand, but this time I lightly penciled in grid lines for spacing. I'm still not totally satisfied, so I'll tweak it a bit more when I'm in the studio next. Hopefully, that will about do it for this painting. I'm already prepping canvases for my next several paintings. As my solo exhibit approaches, time appears to be moving forward at a faster past, but my painting speed has remained the same. Every day I have to remind myself it is all in God's hands. All that I can do is the best I can. It's not easy to let the stress go. In my heart I know it is all under control, but hard to keep believing it in my mind. "I believe Lord, help me with my unbelief."

I guess we all go through this. I helped a fellow artist get ready for his solo exhibit that opened last night. I was praying while he was printing the last parts of his exhibit. As he was running to the finish line to be done in time, you could slice the tension and stress in the room with a sword. He finished in the nick of time, just as I knew he would in my heart. My head had doubts. The last printing was done 50 minutes before show time. He still had a 20-minute drive to the gallery, and then install the last piece of the exhibit and clean up his studio space. Everything was done and in place just seconds before the door opened. Hallelujah! It turned out to be a great night for him. And God was faithful. Judah did the best he could and God brought it to fruition. It was a wonderful night, filled with laughter, music and touched lives.

Well, that's it for this week. And what a busy week it was. Stay tuned as I finish my Ozarks Blacksmiths and share the beginnings of my next painting next week. As always, I hope you stay safe, healthy and in God's shining light.

--Signing Off

Lynnette Horn