Healing~~~

I blogged about this piece of artwork in March of '09. I had done this way back in high school, and James had gotten it professionally framed for our home shortly before I shared it with you all. It meant so much to me for several reasons. I produced the piece when I first truly understood my salvation in Christ. It won at state, and I remember a man wanted to buy it, but I couldn't part with it because I wanted to build upon it with a series, and it was too close to my heart to sell. When James thought nothing of paying over $400.00 to frame it the right way, as you would something else you cherish, that, too, made my heart all warm and fuzzy! I don't have this artwork anymore. God, in His permissive will, let something happen, something beyond my control, as is often the case with life. The moving company we hired to move us from Washington either lost...or perhaps even stole it. I know I'm not famous and that this is high school art for goodness' sake, and not every one's taste, but we singled it out to the movers as something to crate carefully. It was the only thing we even mentioned needed extra care. Given the fact that this company did about $7,000.00 worth of damage and lost goods and didn't care, nothing is beyond the scope of possibility. We did all that we could to recover it. We fought them as far as we cared to go with it, and now, their A-rating with the BBB is an F. We succeeded in protecting others, but we did not find my art. Wherever it is, if it still exists, whoever has it now-----all in God's hands. I have felt frantic, enraged, and sorrowful. Now, I have to come to terms with its loss. And, I decided that in order to feel restored, I have to reproduce it. No, it won't be the original. It won't even be identical. I have the photo of it, but no projector, so this recreated "Cross Man" will have different proportions, brush strokes, etc. Three days ago, I went out and purchased my art supplies. I did the sketch. Yesterday, I added some torn paper. This is my therapy. I'm beginning to heal over this, and I praise the Lord! And as I work, I remember something comforting James said the other day. He said, perhaps God will do something with this piece of art by ordaining where it goes and who it touches. I can only hope and pray that it has a path and a purpose further-reaching than it would if it were to hang on our wall. The love of anything other than God, himself, is idolatry. Moving on...

Behold! My art supplies!

Here is the first hour of work!

Coming along...
Somewhere, hidden in the composition, I want to hide words of affirmation for myself~~~something that makes this one the rebirth of the first...maybe something like "Art Lost is not An Artist Lost."