Author: Karyn Jeffrey

Every Choice Counts

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

Several months ago I tried a campaign of intermittent fasting because I had a pretty sizeable number of pounds I wanted to shed. As I was thinking and preparing for that discipline, I came up with the phrase: “Every Choice Counts.” It is very possible that I didn’t come up with it, but rather someone else said it, I heard it and it came out of my mental archives without a credit.  No matter. It has worked quite well for me these past several months. I was able to shed several pounds. But along with the summer drifting and winter waffling (almost literally), I began to make little compromises and small choices. Argh! They have begun to add up to something: the return of those unwanted pounds!

All this puts me in mind of the way that small things can really trip us up. The Scriptures say in that rather neglected book Song of Solomon,

“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, while our vineyards are in blossom.” Song of Solomon 2:15.

The context isn’t about weight loss or anything so “un-romantic” but the principle that small things—“little foxes”—can spoil something lovely or good is quite true.


We all have choices to make that may seem small and inconsequential. But they do matter.  Each time I reach for that Little Debbie Nutty Buddy rather than drinking a glass of water or having a cheese stick instead of a carrot stick, I derail my eating plan just a little more. Last night I had “just a few” tortilla chips, silently excusing the little choice as “it’s probably only about 150 calories.” Those “little foxes” are what are sabotaging my weight loss plan. It was all going so well and then bit by tiny bit I am losing the hard-won ground.

So, today, I am going back to this mantra that has been so helpful.

A new calligraphy piece. I used the Blackletter style and added small glitter dots with “Stickles” gold.

But enough about dieting. What about my art work? What about the reading and writing that are part of my “work”? What about the little failures to speak a loving word or do a kind thing? Those moment by moment choices, little though they be, add up to the whole tenor of my life.

Another new calligraphy piece. I lettered in Foundational hand and used gouache (opaque watercolor paint) to letter and paint the little picture.

Every day that I pick up my pen or pencil and spend a few minutes practicing my calligraphy or writing for my blog, I am adding “little grains of sand” that will help me master and accomplish my goals for these areas of my life. Every time I make time to visit with my elderly mother, I am choosing the path of love that will define my life.  All those little choices and all those little things matter.

QUESTION: What little things are tearing up your “vineyard”? What choices will you make today that will define your life?

Glorious Color

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

Oh! I love color! Lots of color. Swathes of color. Glints of color. As I gaze into the jewelers’ case at the emeralds, rubies, sapphires, topazes, opals, and the pearls I nearly cry for the beauty of their colors. Sitting on the patio surveying the summer garden I reel, speechless at the glorious kaleidoscope of color. I experience a deep visceral reaction to color. Always have. I dream in color. I notice color. Color matters to me. So I am intrigued when I think about the spiritual component of color and light.

This morning I am looking out at a snow-white fairyland—several more inches of snow piled up overnight. The temperatures have remained below freezing for days. The result is a gorgeous ermine-robed world. The trees, fences and even, it seems, the houses, are gray and drab background to this pristine and shining display. When the sun comes out the whiteness nearly blinds us. What is happening with this addition of ‘light’? Technically, the whiteness of the snow is the outworking of the science of optics and light. When our eyes see what we call the color ‘white’ we are actually seeing every wave length of light bursting on our retinas. In contrast, when we see an object and give it a color name, say ‘red,’ what is happening is that that object is absorbing every wave length of light except those that give our retina and brain the color message we know as ‘red.’ So every color is there in that eye-watering brightness of the snowy white. How amazing!

Every season of the year has its own color palette. Spring announces its arrival with petticoats that flash pink, blue and gowns herself in every variety of green—especially that vivid chartreuse that screams “winter didn’t win! Creation is still alive!” Autumn spangles herself in outrageous robes of orange and eye-popping yellow with broaches and buttons, sashes and swags of vermilion and copper. Winter, in her hoary vesture, at the first careless glance makes us think “it’s just white.” But look closer and see that her voluminous gown and cape are subtle and exquisite swaths of lavender, periwinkle, and slate in every shadow and expanse. Summer outdoes them all with her fiesta bright floral skirts flung with shameless abandon across the carpets of rich green. Saucy magenta, lemon, scarlet, azure and turquoise all splash across her harlequin caparison.

And then there are human faces with colors so varied they defy the categories we have foolishly limited to ‘white,’ ‘black,’ ‘yellow,’ ‘brown.’ How utterly untrue and so limited! Every face has its own unique hue: ebony, amber, alabaster, saffron, coral, rose, fawn, ecru, and russet.

Pondering this incredible array of color and the amazing processes that are involved in how we perceive color, I realize that there is an astonishing aspect of truth in what Jesus says when He declares “I am the Light of the world.”

Jesus—being Lord God Almighty—is indeed true light. Yes, the context is spiritual, but the unmistakable correlation to light and color as we know it is inescapable. Jesus—God Himself—enlightens all that is “real.”  All creation’s vastness is explained and displayed because He, the infinitely vast One, is the “reveal-er.”

Close your eyes and imagine a sunny, blue-sky day. Now think what happens when the day winds down to twilight and sinks into the black of night. Those golden sunflowers along the fence, the sapphire delphinium leaning on their supports, the crimson roses nodding on their thorny branches all begin to lose their lovely hues. As the light fades every object becomes more and more gray. They all blend into an indistinguishable mass of dun and finally disappear altogether in the darkness of night. No light, no color.

The correlation in the spiritual realm is vivid. Jesus, the Light of the world, gives color to every aspect of life.  As the Creator, He is the cause of all the light we see and hence all the color we encounter. And spiritually, when we experience the amazing reality of our sin being forgiven and removed by His death in our place, our entire outlook changes. Our spiritual eyes are opened in new life as we awake from the spiritual death of sin. In comes a flood of love, joy, and hope, all as our world no longer is dark and dead, but rather lighted by Jesus and His glorious, radiant holiness. It is no accident that God used the rainbow—that awe-filled arc of every color–to promise His own that they will not be destroyed in His judgement of sin.

QUESTION: Are you “seeing” life in living color or are you trapped in spiritual darkness?

CHALLENGE: Step out of the darkness of sin into the glorious, colorful light of Jesus. Admit your sin. As God to forgive you because Jesus died in your place. Then bask in His light.

“…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation….The Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” Romans 10:9,10, 12,13

Every Good Thing

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

Every good thing comes down from God. What good am I enjoying right now? Fresh air? A sound mind? A good night’s rest? The delight of my pet? Good, safe nutritious food to eat? Friends? Hot and cold running water? Indoor toilet? A lovely park in which to stroll? My eyesight? Hearing? The list goes on and on and every item on it is from my Heavenly Father.

The source of all this good is our amazing God, who never changes. His Being is unshifting. His character is perfect and will never change—not even the hint of moving. Think of the subtle change in shadows as the day opens and closes. Even though we must watch carefully to see it, there IS movement.  There is change in every aspect of our world, but God is not like that. His Word assures us “The LORD will bless His people with Peace.” Psalm 29:11 He has set His love on me and so I will be kept by the Unchanging One.

Wherever I turn, physically and mentally, I can see His amazing hand —the Great Giver of All Good. This season of thanksgiving brings me to a renewed sense of His blessings that abound beyond numbering.

I am rejoicing and thanking Him for His good gifts to me. The greatest is His unchanging and loving choice of me to be one of His children. What is on your list of things to thank God for today?

Drifting and Diligence

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

The summer is drawing to a close. I am drifting in the lazy warm days that seem so lethargic that it is easy to let them slip away with nothing accomplished. I am convinced that I ought to be making the most of my time and am squirming under the awareness that I need to get back to the diligence of days that are more focused and productive.

Summer days here have been hot and hazy with lots of smoke from wildfires throughout the West– this has been a perfect recipe for laziness and lethargy. Diligence is “out the window”!

I have begun praying for God’s help and the Holy Spirit brought this particular Scripture to mind. He is so faithful to work on my heart and my thinking. I love how He uses the Word that I have read in the past to work on me now. I’ve been asking for Him to get me off  “dead center” where I have been floundering and drifting. Isn’t this a wonderful spiritual “nudge”?!

                            “So teach us to number our days,  that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12.

As a consequence of the busy-ness of the past few months– social commitments, houseguests, garden and home projects– I have not spent much time with my art making. And certainly I have neglected writing for this blog.  So, here I am taking myself in hand and trying to pick up where I left off a few months ago.

I have begun practicing two basic alphabets- simple monoline pen practice on grid paper. This focus came about because this summer I was privileged to be the host home for world-famous calligrapher, Barry Morentz. Follow him on Instagram: barrymorentz. He was in my city to lead a calligraphy workshop. His teaching at the workshop and his encouragement as he kindly critiqued several pieces of my work have set me on a new path. He urged me to try my hand at re-doing the pieces he looked over.  He also asked me a probing question that really helped me focus. “Which alphabet or alphabets do I most want to master?” That made me realize I first want the ones that are the backbone of all the others. So I began by practicing two basic alphabets- the Roman and the Italic.

I am using graph paper and the “rules” that underlie the basic Roman alphabet to practice proportion. Barry also encouraged me to trace & copy the exemplar of work by Sheila Waters to get the physical feel of doing the italic alphabet right. I have begun doing this and WOW! What a help it is! I urge you to give it a try. Here’s how:

For the Roman alphabet, download this exemplar and practice on grid paper with a pencil and then a monoline (ballpoint, gel tip, etc) pen.

Roman Capital exemplar PDF file – click here!

If you want to focus on Italic calligraphy, photocopy an exemplar from a good calligraphy book, (I suggest Foundations of Calligraphy by Sheila Waters) use your light table as you trace, first with pencil or ballpoint pen, to get the shape and slant in your mind. Then move to using an edged pen of the same size as the exemplar. When you begin using an edged pen and ink be sure to use practice paper that won’t bleed through to your exemplar! I suggest HP Paper, Premium Choice Laserjet Paper Poly Wrap, 32lb, 8.5 x 11, Letter, 500 Sheets / 1 Ream Made In The USA — available on Amazon. This paper is a great basic “drawing” paper that behaves well with ink and works well with markers and light watercolors with minimum buckling and bleed-through.

All this tracing and copying helps you recognize and put into muscle memory the counter shapes, pen angle, slant, spacing and rhythm of the alphabet. This process can be used with any alphabet you want to master.

So, now that I have spent a bit of time doing all this, I re-did this little piece of calligraphy that sits on my bathroom counter. What do you think of the improvements in my Italic lettering?  I can see several things I still want to do better, but it is very encouraging to see improvement–however small.  (I’m not crazy about the colors used in the new version and so think a third shot will happen.)

before and after
The before version is on the left and the one on the right is my newest effort

I also have been practicing the Roman alphabet and so tried this piece that combines the two styles of lettering. The Latin Phrase, “Theatrum Gloriae” was used by John Calvin in his famous Institutes of Christian Religion when he was commenting on Psalm 19. The phrase roughly translated means ‘Glorious Theater’ and is a metaphor for the immense beauty of the creation.

Theatrum Gloriae
I used a scrap of drawing paper and lettered the Latin phrase with graphite pencil and the Psalm with pen and ink.

Leave me a comment—I’d love to hear your response. And keep on the lookout for the re-do’s of the bigger pieces I mentioned earlier. “Coming Soon”!

Mistakes I have made- An Illumination – troubles and all– from start to finish

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

I have been working on a large calligraphy piece for the past several months. The process has been a rocky road with more trouble than usual. The size of the project seemed to magnify the mistakes and deepen my frustration. Let me take you on a journey of through a lot of calligraphy mistakes. I hope it inspires you to persevere when a project of yours starts to “go south.”

I began painting this piece before Christmas and was quite pleased with my effort until I laid it out to photograph it. ARHGH! In all the weeks of work I had not noticed that the band of design on the left is tilted—crooked.

first version of behold
My first try – so much work- such big mistakes! ARGH!!

The plan for framing it for sale was out. The crookedness would be so obvious that there was no way I could retrieve it. I laid it aside to enjoy the whirl of the holiday seasons with some lessons learned.

Lesson 1: Check and double check initial drawing for accuracy before adding any permanent medium.

Lesson 2: Breathe. Back away slowly.

January rolled around and I was ready to tackle a new version. This time I decided to use a darker paper. This would need a white transfer paper, I thought, to put the cartoon down for inking.

I placed and taped down the drawing which was a mish-mash on the tracing paper and grid paper I had used before. I was careful to be sure they were “square with the world” this time and so spent a few hours transferring the drawing.

taped down to trace

To transfer the drawing down I used a red ink fine-line G-Tec-C4  pen 0.4MM   https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-G-Tec-C4-Assorted-Colors-Rollerball   to assure a clear, even line on the dark paper and a colored line I could see on the cartoon as I made the tracing.

g-tec pens

When I removed the tracing papers and transfer paper, I was pleased that I could easily see the white drawing all ready for my ink outline. “Onward!!”

I took out my favorite waterproof fine-line pen- Faber-Castell Pitt pigmented drawing ink pen (available in various widths) https://www.amazon.com/Pigmented-Drawing-Artist-Widths-Castell/ and started on the inking.

pitt pens

The process wasn’t smooth sailing because the ink did not like the waxiness of the white transfer lines. Grrrr. >:{  I had failed to test that aspect before beginning the tracing process. But undeterred, I kept inking. But then, as I began my way up the left band (oh! That left band!!) I realized I had a HUGE problem. During the tracing process, the drawings had shifted nearly a quarter inch. There was no way to bridge the skewed design areas.

bad tracing

I stopped. Nearly cried in frustration. And then followed my advice of Lesson 2. “Breathe!”  And “Back away slowly.”

Lesson 3: see Lesson 1.

A few days later, after a lot of deep breathing and even deeper thinking, I decided to make one large tracing of the pieces I had used before. Then I turned the paper over, used a graphite transfer paper and securely attached that single tracing.

While I was making the single tracing, I did several design changes and most of all made absolutely certain that it was square with the edges. The entire design is inspired by pages from the Book of Kells and several of the Celtic knots are taken from George Bain’s work on historic Celtic designs. I also included some knots I created myself. This knot-making aspect of illuminating is still a “work-in-progress” for me!

I checked and rechecked my drawing. I checked and rechecked my “taping-down” and before I even began I tested the graphite paper to be sure it wouldn’t give me trouble in putting ink over the traced lines. And after all this checking and several hours of tracing, HOORAY!! A tracing ready to ink and then paint!

I paint primarily with gouache watercolor [say: guh-WASH]. It is opaque rather than the transparent watercolor most people associate with watercolor painting. My brushes are small and made of sable- sizes 1, 2 and 3 rounds and a size 00 liner brush. Check this website for this type of tool and supply.  https://www.dickblick.com/

Because gouache paint is opaque the method of application to achieve highlights and shadows is different than working with more familiar transparent watercolor. Gouache requires flat areas of color that hide the paper beneath. Then additional color is added to create 3-dimensonality.

highlighting in gouache
Left to right: 1: a flat area 2: shadows added 3: highlights added

I used Fine-Tec metallic watercolor for the final bit of color in the borders and around the versal “B.”

I spent many hours painting while listening to my audio book. It is such a joy to be in my studio- a quiet and happy place!

tracing stuff
tracing down using tracing paper and a G-tec fine line colored pen to see where I’ve been.
gouache and brush
One of my palettes with gouache paints (notice 3 different brands- all good) and types of brushes I use.
a proper tracing
Inking is finished and now for adding color
painting in progress
Color in progress. Notice red area inside the B doesn’t have the white “diapering” design it will have when finished.
final Behold what
Final work. – “square with the world, design problems worked out. Compare with first version which was on lighter paper. The same colors are used in both, but the darker ground makes it seem different. Interesting!

At last, it was done. If you are interested in purchasing this unframed piece, check my store.

What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment.

Your Life Matters: Lessons from Saint Patrick

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

I’m a fan of the wonderful spring holiday of St. Patrick’s Day. I’m not Irish, but having corned beef, cabbage and Irish soda bread is a great tradition.  And then there is the tradition a friend of mine and I started years ago of enjoying chocolate in the form of “Black Bottom Cupcakes” on the day.  (See the recipe at the end of this post.) I don’t remember how or why, but having the ritual of chocolate consumption is never a bad thing.  But all that aside, there is a much more serious reason I love this holiday.

St. Patrick—he’s technically not a “capital S” saint since the Roman Catholic Church has never elevated him to that status—wields an amazing influence on us today. Let me explain.

In the early 5th century, Patrick was a young teen living in Scotland northwest of present day Glasgow. He was captured and enslaved by a barbarian Celtic lord. During his six years of captivity he returned to the faith he had abandoned. After escaping, he went back to Scotland and became a cleric. When he was nearly 40, he returned to Ireland.  Palladius, the first missionary to Ireland, had gone in 451 AD. Palladius wasn’t terribly successful in his mission to the pagan Celts in Ireland. Patrick, following about 5 years later however, had strong influence and is largely responsible for establishing the Christian faith on the Emerald Isle and virtually preserving Christianity and the Bible throughout the Western world.

There are many legends surrounding Patrick, but what I think is most important is that because he was faithful in sharing the Gospel of Jesus and working to teach and nurture Christian faith among the Irish we have Bibles in our hands today.  I can hear you exclaim, “What?!” Hear me out.

Ireland became and still is the home of many medieval monasteries. There in many of them, the Scriptures were carefully copied by hand by monks laboring quietly in Scriptoriums. These isolated places were first established in the 5th century about the time Patrick was working to share the Gospel.  Hear what “Ask About Ireland”-  a website shares in explaining this to school children:

 

The first monasteries were usually built in isolated places like Glendalough in Co. Wicklow or on islands such as Skellig Michael off the coast of Co. Kerry.   Some monasteries were also built near the forts of important kings like the monastery of Clonard in Co. Meath. The monks chose these isolated places because it allowed them to pray and work without distraction.

As well as praying and fasting, some monks spent their lives making beautiful copies of the Bible. The Book of Kells, written in the ninth century, about 800 AD, is a famous example of this. It was named after a town called Kells in Co. Meath where it was once kept. This book can now be seen in Trinity College, Dublin. Another famous book which was written by monks in Ireland is the Book of Durrow.

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/learning-zone/primary-students/subjects/history/history-the-full-story/early-christian-ireland/monasteries/

 

These manuscripts of the Bible were God’s way of preserving and extending the spread of His Word. There were no printing presses for nearly a thousand years yet and Europe was deep in what has been called the Dark Ages. While the rest of Europe was experiencing a time of illiteracy, superstition, cultural and intellectual darkness, these monks were laboriously and scrupulously copying God’s Word. Their work preserved the Scriptures which otherwise would have completely disappeared.

How amazing that the quiet life of Patrick and these unknown men faithfully following their calling have given us the unspeakable privilege of having the Bible in our hands today!

So, thinking of my life, my skills, my “calling” makes me reflect on our Faithful God who uses the most obscure and interesting ways of accomplishing His work. So I ask myself, “Have I been a faithful parent, teaching my children and grandchildren to love Jesus and His Word?  Have I used the opportunities that come because of my daily life to tell others of Jesus? Have I worked to build up and encourage others in their faith? How is God using me and my plain, obscure life to accomplish His Plan?”

Question:

What is your calling? Are you being faithful to it? Do you know that you will have an influence for generations to come if you are faithful?

And here is the promised recipe:

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Mix the following and set aside.

1 — 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened

1/3 C. sugar

1 egg

6 oz. (½ C.) chocolate chips

Make the cake batter as follows.

1 ½ C. flour

1 C. sugar

¼ C. baking cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 C. water

5 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. Stir dry in ingredients together. Mix liquids and combine with dry gradually. Spoon into 18 paper-lined muffin cups (Be sure to make 18!!)  Top with cream cheese mixture. Bake for 25 minutes until toothpick put into cake comes out dry.

Craving Joy

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

What is the goal of my life? What am I seeking? I think I and all other human beings universally seek joy and happiness. We want something to make our lives meaningful and delightful. Our pursuit takes us to the mall or the auto dealer, to the casino or lottery machine, to the computer porn screens and sexual encounters of every description. Others of us turn to jobs, family, travel and “experiences” as sources of validation and “happiness.” There are those who constantly change homes, remodel or build bigger, better ones in the pursuit of ultimate satisfaction. But it is quite obvious that every one of the ways we try to grasp joy is a vapor that slips through our fingers. The Preacher, speaking in the book of Ecclesiastes says:

“All that my eyes desired did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor. Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.“ Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

In this season—very late winter— I have been tempted to grouse and complain about the snow and gloom that just seem to hang on and on. Most folks here in the Inland Northwest are feeling the same. This particular winter has been a rough one. Snow. Lots of snow. Gray skies. Lots of gray skies. To be fair, there have been some lovely breaks–when the world was freshly frosted with snow making a fairyland of an ordinary neighborhood. And when the drizzle of “precipitation” has broken to a wash of glorious blue sky. But mostly, it has been a “long, dark winter.” Definitely no obvious JOY in my attitude or heart.
During this glum time, I have been pondering my faith—where is the evidence that it is real? I’ve wondered about my worship and the reality of my life “in Christ.” What does it all mean? Is it real? Am I kidding myself and just living and believing what I was raised to believe and do? Why do I not experience joy and satisfaction that Scripture says are the lot of the believer in Christ?

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:9-11

Don’t get me wrong. I have a deeply settled conviction that God exists. He is real and knowable. He has spoken authoritatively to the creatures of His creation. What I am fussing about is my response to all this. I know that He in His sovereign might has reached down and transformed my “dead-in-sin” heart to a “new creation” heart that will live forever. But somehow, my love to this wonderful God seems so tepid. I keep loving my own interests and daily thoughts more than Him and His Word. Where is the joy Jesus says is mine? What does it feel like? What is it?
I’ve just begun listening to an audio version of John Piper’s book, Desiring God. In it he lays out a case for being a “Christian Hedonist”—one who craves and seeks the joys and delights of God Himself.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines hedonism as:
1: the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life

That is an amazing thought that my spiritual life should be marked by the pursuit of pleasure and happiness in God as my overriding goal and passion. I want to be saying with the Psalmist

“All my springs of joy are in You.” Psalm 89: 7b

I’m eager to finish this book. I am being challenged and somehow, I think that as my gaze turns toward Jesus my questions will be answered more fully. Already, I know that my faith in Jesus is real. I know I am not kidding myself about the reality of God and His Heaven and His promises and His Word. Yes, I was raised to this, but all these have borne the scrutiny of skepticism and intellectual thought.
Now I am looking to wade into these waters of joyous hedonism. I am eager and excited to find delight in God alone. I have the sense that I am on the verge of a very amazing time in my life.

Question: What is your goal in life? Will you seek to know, love and enjoy God above all else? Will you experience the “joy of the LORD” today?