Week 5: 52 Weeks of Christian Mindfulness

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”

Isaiah‬ ‭30:15‬ ‭ESV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/59/isa.30.15.esv

Life has been chaotic ever since my parents arrived and lived with us. I had to look after 4 humans and 1 dog plus myself. No matter how I plan my week with trying to sneak in art-making for my portfolio and attending my online classes, something would always come up like impromptu eat outs, errands for my Mom or Dad, kids’ schedule or me feeling lethargic. I miss my old life to be honest! But God placed me in this season and I have to obey… I.want.to.

The after-run paintings and just sitting for some more minutes at the park, savoring the cool breeze of January while meditating on His Word help me recharge for another day. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe you have your own way of “unplugging” from the chaotic world we live in, but I find strength in quietness and His promises. 

I painted this based on my memory when I was a kid. I used to sit on the gutter infront of our house when the sky is clear and I would gaze at the stars. That gave me a sense of peace and quiet even just for a short time. When I became an adult, star gazing became “alien” to me. But not anymore…

How I did this painting (and you can, too!):

1. Use 300gsm watercolor paper (I used @hueandai’s 100% cotton watercolor paper)
2. Tape the sides on a board to achieve the clean straight white edges
3. Draw the roof with a pencil.
4. Wet the “sky” area with water and a wide paintbrush.
5. Paint with Prussian blue watercolor, slowly building the intensity of the shade by adding color. I added a light shade of yellow ochre below while the blue is wet to mimic the moonlight.
6. Paint the trees with black. Paint the roof red. When dry, paint the tiles with a darker shade of red.
7. When the blue paint is dry, dip a small round brush then tap it on your finger to create the specks. For the “stars”, I used Winsor & Newton white calligraphy ink.
8. Remove the tape when thoroughly dry. 
9. To write the text, I digitally added it.

Or, click on the image to download for personal use. ?