  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life... John 3:16  ...For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:17
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I recently took a week-long online workshop with abstract artist Judy Woods (New Zealand) Pros: • Great to learn and try another artist’s process, and experiment in new ways • Judy's bonus handout on "Finding Your Visual Language’ very helpful to me! • FUN to do it with a friend and compare notes and share thoughts and experiences (Lydia!) Judy provides low-cost workshops and other opportunities to learn with her several times a year. For more info please visit her websitse: https://www.judywoodsart.work/ I did my three 'canvases' in Procreate (screenshots below).     Heart Bouquet, 5" x 5" I hope you had an enjoyable February! I’m part of these interesting online paper art groups, Guild of American Papercutters and All Things Paper. They offer lots of great resources on paper art, and on one of the recent Zoom calls, a guest speaker shared her process of working in all white paper. I’ve always admired this and finally got around to experimenting with an all-white piece myself!
My paper heart was inspired by some of the digital work I was doing earlier this month. I was experimenting with these free Procreate flower-heart stamp brushes I received from Teela at Every-Tuesday.com (below left). She along with Jennifer Nichols and Gabrielle Brickey are some of my favorite online teachers who provide free Procreate brushes, tutorials, and assets to their subscribers, as well as paid membership opportunities if you're interested, and teaching events and activities throughout the year. Many of their classes are also available on Skillshare. Delores Naskrent is another outstanding Procreate/Affinity teacher--I was a part of her online school for a year and a half. I work more in Photoshop now than Procreate (and haven't gotten into Affinity yet), but Delores offers a lifetime of experience in the business of digital art, surface pattern design, greeting cards, etc.. I also love Alaina Jensen's brushes, and highly recommend them if you want to try some really cool art effects like alcohol ink, acrylic pour, and all kind of traditional painting effects in Procreate!
Using the stamps is like having your own coloring book pages, and a great way to practice using the various brushes available! This also inspires me to create my own ‘stamps’. If you like to learn new things and are interested in a fun, relaxing hobby, check out some of these websites and the free tutorials and assets they offer and get started in Procreate. :) Like so many other art forms, the possibilities are endless!
I recently started writing devotionals. If you'd like a word of spiritual encouragement, please read on! The Most Wonderful Time of the Year? Yes, and no. Yes, celebrating the birth of our King of King and Lord of Lords-- the magnificent Lord Jesus Christ, who redeems our lives from sin and death. No, because we live in a fallen world with not-so-picture-perfect relationships and circumstances, and a mixed bag of experiences. Things seem to be amplified around the holidays. Especially when gathering with family, we have good memories and sad ones, victories and difficulties, surprises and disappointments. We’re living in a dark world, much like at the time of Jesus’ birth in the town of Bethlehem. As the lyrics of the song O Come O Come Emmanuel suggest, the Israelites were looking for a powerful, conquering King to save them, and the mystery of the Son of God being born in modest circumstances and living the life of a human was utterly unbelievable. What about our circumstances today? I used to think I was an oddball— the rare one who dealt with multiple family losses (through death, divorce in my family, or estrangement). Now, I’m finding many friends are also dealing with the unexpected loss of their loved ones as well. Some losses are more traumatic than others, but all require some type of energy and support to process through. Nothing ever prepares us to deal with death; It’s a thief and foreign to us, probably because when God created us we were never meant to die. Lest this blog post send you in a downward spiral, I wanted to make the point that it is in the very darkness that the Light-- Jesus Himself-- shines brightest, and with Him there is always hope (I Timothy 1:1). It’s in our valleys that we can become more acquainted with Jesus, the Lily of the Valley (Song of Solomon 2:1), as He seeks to draw us to Himself with his fragrant love. After numerous tragic losses, I came to find and cherish many references that refer to God as a perfect father, mother, brother, and sister (as well as best friend and bridegroom)! As the great I AM, He is all about relationships, always drawing us close to receive and experience everything He has for us. I'm glad we have forever to get to know Him! Somehow God promises to work all things together for good, even in our darkest times. One of my favorite names of God is the Holy Spirit referred to as “The Comforter” (John 14:26). Wow - a Holy Comforter! Imagine being wrapped in holy comfort! Another favorite scripture is “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 24:18. We have the promise of his nearness always, even when we’re crushed. God isn’t put off by our breakdowns or neediness, but rather He longs for us to receive and experience the overflowing goodness of His shalom (completeness, wholeness, welfare, prosperity, peace), that His Son, Jesus, died to give us. Let’s pray: Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace, reveal yourself to me. I invite you into my heart and ask you to fill me afresh with your presence and goodness. Thank you that your shed blood cleanses me from all sin. In the midst of my tragic circumstances, I receive a holy Comforter hug. Thank you that you wrap me in your arms of love and meet me exactly where I am, especially when I’m hurting. Help me trust that You have a miracle for me. Amen! Thank you that you're working miracles in our dark times, Lord. Believing wonderful things are coming your way in 2025!  If you're interested in receiving daily inspiration in your Inbox, click here!
 Greetings and Thank YOU for reading my post! This is one of the greeting card designs recently submitted to CardIsle.com, a company that provides personalized greeting cards to retailers to sell with their online and in-store products. I've always loved greeting cards and this has been a fun world to explore!
Today, I’m thankful for the opportunity to share a little more of my story. My friend, the lovely and talented Emily Gilman-Beezely, suggested my name to CanvasRebel Magazine, and they reached out to interview me. Check out my interview here! Blessings to you and your family this holiday season!! Hope you enjoy the holiday are having a great summer! Here's a couple of recent art doodles playing around in Adobe Fresco. I've learned a LOT from Kyle T. Webster. Check out this video of Kyle teaching in Fresco and make your own doodles! :)    I recently had the pleasure of completing my largest lion collage to date! It's about 22” x 30” and I used assorted acid-free, Color-Aid, and magazine papers, plus gold leaf. It took about a month from start to finish. It was a request from a client in Canada. This is my first video of me talking about my process, so thanks ahead of time for your patience. Lots to improve for next time! This is Kelly's website. I've learned a lot from her book and blog!  Below are some close-ups of the intricate paper work.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, this video is worth a thousand hugs! Saw this yesterday and felt like I experienced a little slice of heaven. Spring hugs and blessings to you!! :)
 Aslan, 8 x 10 paper collage, 2018 AtlantiCare Foundation recently purchased my "Aslan" collage to be part of their "Healing Arts Program" at their AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, Mainland Campus in Galloway, NJ. It's the sixth piece that they've purchased and I couldn't be happier! To see the other pieces they purchased, click here:
https://www.kathleenrupff.com/blog/category/atlanticare |
WELCOME to my blog! This a collection of photos, art, poems, thoughts, and other stuff on my creative journey since 2010.
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