Life Archives -

June 16, 2020

Art Inspiration Lessons from nature Life

Persevering bookmarks

These days, we could all use a little more encouragement than usual, perhaps. So I'm revisiting our barnyard friend, Percy the Persevering Rooster. I'm working on a few more of the sculptures, which will be in the shop soon (so if you missed the last one, stay tuned). Percy was one of the most popular pieces I've made recently. You can read my original post here. The sculptures take a little time, so I decided to make something that everyone can get immediately (who doesn't like a...

by Stephen Rountree

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March 31, 2020

Art Community Faith Life Sculpture

Stuck in the belly… or safe in the belly?

Further thoughts on Jonah and the finished sculpture In last week's post, I shared a new Jonah sculpture in progress on the workbench. This week, I'm happy to share the finished piece. It's now waiting in the shop, ready for a good home. Check out the Inspiring Handmade shop As I was putting the finishing touches on this, a new perspective on the account of Jonah occurred to me. I titled last week's post "Stuck in the belly." Of course, that's how we usually see Jonah—stuck in the belly of...

by Stephen Rountree

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March 3, 2020

Life Peace Praise Psalms

Still waters

There's something special about still water. A quiet pond or lake, a lazily moving stream—they seem to radiate peace and at the same time almost absorb any stress or anxiety that comes near their shores. King David knew the power of God, who created the still waters that brought comfort and calm. David appreciated the waters, and he praised the Creator of those waters in the well-known 23rd Psalm:"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me...

by Stephen Rountree

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February 17, 2020

Art Lessons from nature Life

Last Leaves

Magnificent palette The leaves may have mostly fallen and we're well into winter, but Patti's latest work, Last Leaves with it's warm, comforting colors and gentle, quiet presence, ushers us into the days of autumn. Her wood burned and hand-painted gourd imagines the last oak leaves clinging to their stems. They've worked all spring and summer to provide so much for so many. Designed to convert sunlight into food, they've spent their entire lives harvesting light and feeding their tree. They've offered shelter and camouflage to countless insects and...

by Stephen Rountree

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January 28, 2020

Adversity Art Faith Life

Fire in the jungle

This week, Patti is introducing a new piece in the Inspiring Handmade shop called Fire in the Jungle. It's a work full of energy, conflict, passion, and respite—a little bit like life. The name of the piece reflects the tension inherent in its bold colors fighting for your attention. A fire in a jungle evokes imagery of devastation amongst lush green vegetation—death and destruction encroaching on areas teeming with life, but kept at bay, maybe, by a river or a stream, or a drenching afternoon rain. Such a...

by Stephen Rountree

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December 31, 2019

Art Creativity Inspiration Joy Life Scripture

Walking on water in 2020?

What do you want to do or become in 2020? For those who like to set goals, the new year inevitably brings with it the talk of resolutions. Some folks aim to lose weight, eat better, or get in shape. Others will strive to read more, or start—or finish—that book they want to write. You're reading Inspiring Handmade (thank you!), so perhaps you have a creative project in mind. Will 2020 be the year you try a new type of art? Or take what you've learned in the...

by Stephen Rountree

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December 23, 2019

Advent Christmas Grace Hope Life Love

Perfect love at Christmas

We've come to the final week of the Advent season. If you've missed the previous posts, you can check them out now. I've written about hope, peace, and joy in the past three weeks. This last week focuses on love. I'm sharing one more cartoon from my Christmas card archives. The one shown above pokes a little fun at all the trouble we go to in the name of love for our friends and family. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, things just don't work out as planned. And...

by Stephen Rountree

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December 23, 2019

Advent Christmas Grace Hope Life Love

Perfect love at Christmas

by Stephen Rountree

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December 17, 2019

Advent Art Joy Life Salvation Scripture

What would you give for true joy?

This week is the third in the season of Advent. My last two posts have looked at the hope and peace of Advent. This week, the theme is joy and I’m sharing another Christmas card from my archives. I did this one in 2006, before there was TSA Precheck. If you travel by air at all, it’s a safe bet you don’t associate airport security with joy. But at least you don't have to remove your eyes and nose. Yet. When we think of that original Christmas journey...

by Stephen Rountree

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November 19, 2019

Art Behind the Scenes Creativity Faith Inspiration Lessons from nature Life Sculpture Where we come from

Art that connects with The Creator

Kristi Nash Harrison says she's an attention deficit artist. "I jump from one thing to the next," she told me when I caught up with her this week as she was preparing for what's become known as "the most anticipated little craft show in Mechanicsville." That would be The Three Whine Oh’s and Friends Holiday Open House at my Inspiring Handmade partner in art, Patti Jones' home and studio: 8352 Devil's Den Lane, Mechanicsville, VA 23111, in Battlefield Green. This year (the show's 17th) the fun begins...

by Stephen Rountree

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