by Jim Pence

I'm leaving on vacation Friday and I'm really looking forward to getting away.

One reason is that here in North Texas we have been living with 100+ degree temperatures for going on 40 days now. I saw on the news the other day that our average temperature for the month of August has been 107.1. That's hot, even for Texas. So as of Friday morning my wife and daughter and I will be driving up to Whitehall, Michigan where will be spending the week in a cottage on Lake Michigan. I've been checking the temperatures every day and drooling. The daytime temperatures are averaging in the low 80s and high 70s.

After over a month of 100+ temps, I’ll probably feel like I’m freezing.

I’m okay with that.

The other reason I'm looking forward to going on vacation is so that I can have a chance to slow down. In addition to working with See the Light, I'm a full-time freelance writer. The life of a freelancer can be very hectic, filled with deadlines, and with plenty of stress. In fact I've often told people that writing is the most difficult work I've ever done.

So what does this have to do with art?

As we travel to Michigan you can be sure that in the back of our rental car I will have stashed my art supplies. I've already got plans to go down to the beach with my watercolors and do some plein air* paintings. And I also will be bringing along (if there's room in the car) the drawing that I did of my daughter Charlene at the last home school conference,

Portrait of the author's daughter with boxing gloves

 

and the pastel of my son that I'm working on.

The author's son Chris, praying with his buddies before going out on a mission in Iraq


I plan to spend much of my vacation reading, drawing, and painting.

You see for me, painting drawing and sketching are great ways to relax. Over the years any time I have been stressed, I would take out my drawing paper and work on a picture. When I'm drawing or painting I lose track of time. I've never actually tested it out, but I mention my blood pressure goes down as well. As I work on a picture, and enjoy the act of creation, I feel a little closer to my Creator.

Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God."

I guess that's what I love about drawing and painting. It causes me to be still and remember the God I serve. It makes me observe his creation and rejoice in him. It refreshes me in a way almost nothing else does.

So this next coming week my goal is to be still and know my God.

And I hope some new pictures will come out of that. I'll be sure to share them with you. 

*What is "plein air"? Click on it to find out!

On Thursday's blog: What kind of paper should you use when you're drawing or painting?