One of the things I like most about living out in the country is what I call “natural landscaping”. My kids laugh when they hear me say that, because in their opinion it's simply an excuse not to mow the grass. And while I have to admit that there's an advantage to not mowing the grass, that's not my primary motivation.

In the spring the land around our house goes through several amazing transformations. It begins with tiny white wildflowers peppering our green front yard. The wildflowers are so thick it almost looks as if a layer of snow has been laid down. Soon these white wildflowers are followed up with several different varieties that include some lavender-colored ones along with tiny flowers that resemble daisies. Sprinkled in among these are Indian paintbrushes looking like splatters of red paint in the midst of the white.

By this time the grass is getting pretty tall, and eventually I break down and at least mow the front yard. But I still allow the grass to grow tall around the perimeter, waiting for the last big show of the spring. By early June, we are surrounded by thousands of beautiful orange yellow black-eyed Susans, which seem to mark the transition from spring into summer.

Not long after this the North Texas heat kicks in and turns most of the grass to brown and burns off the wildflowers. But for a good three months every time I look out my front door I enjoy a splash of color and beauty sent direct from the Creator.

If you were to ask me what I think is the greatest benefit of learning to draw and paint, I would say that it is a heightened awareness of the beauty it is all around us. We live in such a high pressure high speed media-oriented society that most of us breeze through our lives without taking the time to look at the flowers.

It was only after I began to draw and paint and I noticed how many different shades of green I could see in a grove of trees or field of grass. It's almost as if by working with colors myself I have become more aware of them. It's hard for me to go outside now without looking around like an awestruck child, reveling in the beauty of God’s creation.

Being an artist has taught me to slow down, to relax, and to enjoy God’s world.

There's an old saying, "take time to smell the roses."

Don't just take time to smell the roses, take time to look at them, too.

You’ll be glad you did. -- Jim Pence