Our Painting Class

We had so much fun yesterday painting hydrangeas. I really enjoyed teaching the class. I'm going to put the painting I did yesterday as part of the demonstration on eBay and if it sells the money from that will go to our mission trip too.

Here's a cool video of our class showing a little of the process and some of the finished pictures. (Next time I need to have an official photographer. We were all a little busy painting to take pictures.)

A heART for Missions

Join us for a fun afternoon of painting and create a beautiful picture for your home while supporting missions.

We'll all paint the picture in the ad - Hydrangeas in an Orange Vase. However, if you would rather have pink hydrangeas and a red vase, you can do that. Whatever color scheme would work in your home you can use with this painting.

It's easier than you think. I will be leading the class and promise we'll have lots of fun. Our mission team going to Portugal will have some cookies or something for us to snack on.

Space is limited, so be one of the first ones to sign up. Call the church office and talk to Donna today!

More Family Art 2011

If you missed the first post of Family Art Projects, look here First Family Art Post

Here are the rest of the collages made from pictures of The Family Art Project 2011. I hope they will inspire you to create something beautiful this week.

Phyllis has wanted to paint this picture for years. Now she has. Isn't it wonderful?

This one is of each of their favorite Bible stories.

Pretty gray abstract that will look lovely in their living room.

They are going to add coconuts to the tree and put their names on the coconuts.

Pretty stenciling. They had a picture up on FaceBook of it hanging on their living room wall before I got home that day.

Initials of family members (including the cats of course)

Family Art Project - a few pics

We had a wonderful time at the Family Art Project 2011.

Here are three of our beautiful creations. I will put more up next Monday.




My lovely wife and I painted a chocolate background with touches of orange, gold and copper in it and then I painted a blue music staff. We then had each of our grandbabies paint a flower on the staff (instead of musical notes).

Here it is in our living room.

Stained-glass Crosses 2011

Back by popular demand - our stained-glass cross class.

Many people have taken our stained-glass cross class over the years. It is a lot of fun and not as hard as you might think. I'm not saying it's easy, but with some good instruction (if I say so myself, hahaha) you can make a cross just like one of these!

We will meet for three Tuesday nights - Feb. 8, 15 and 22. We'll meet each night from 6:00-8:00 (and probably stay a little after that each night).

The cost is only $40 - which is a great deal! I have all of the tools you will need.

Let me know (call Donna in the church office) if you are interested. I need to order glass soon!

An Artist Is Born - Johnny

The Family Art Project was last Saturday. I'll be posting pictures of it - a few at a time - over the next week. David Brockman came to take pictures. He - as always - did a great job and I have a bunch to share with you.

I want to begin by telling you about Johnny.

Isn't he cute?

Here's a note from his mother (who painted with him).

We had a great time today. Johnny is so excited about his painting. We had to stop at Sam's on the way back to Kentucky, and Johhny got to talking to a lady in line behind us, and he asked her if she wanted to come see his painting he did. She said yes, and followed us out to the truck. He explained everything to her. She said she would like a really little one of his farm paintings, so this evening, he is painting a little picture to send to her. My in-laws also want a little one for their new sunroom. I think you may have created a little painting monster.

I asked her if she cared if I shared her story about him and she replied.

Please do share the story. He sure has been. His Sunday School teacher came up to me after church and asked if Johnny painted something. He was telling everyone. And this morning he woke up and was describing the painting to all his stuffed animals ( the painting is hanging in his room)

The Family Art Project sign up continues...

This is a repost of an earlier post.
I need to know VERY soon if your family is going to join us. I need to order canvas and paint and stuff. (Stuff is the fancy art term for "other art supplies." See - you learn something new every day.

Notice the date is March 21 for The Family Art Project.

So here's the original post.
You know I can't help myself. I'm always looking for something new and creative and either musical or artsy to do. So I've come up with something that I know will be a lot of fun.

I'm calling it "The Family Art Project."

Now before you start thinking how cute it would be for the families with 6 year olds in them to paint something together, this project is perfect for families with youth, empty-nesters, and Sr. Adult couples as well as families with elementary aged children - basically any family.

Click on the picture for a larger version of this poster. (Makes it easier to read!)

We'll begin with some fun activities that will show each family a little bit about their family personality. Then we'll talk just a little about color and form and some of those kinds of artistic things. Then we'll break out the paints and brushes!

I'll have some step-by-step instructions that will guide each family in making a beautiful piece of art that will be a cooperative effort by everyone. Each family will be proud to hang this one-of-a-kind painting over their sofa or in the family room or - well, just about any place where there is room for a 30 x 40 painting.

I do have to charge for this - to buy canvases and paint. The cost will be only $40 - cheaper than a night at the movies and a whole lot more fun and you'll end up with something that will last forever. It's also my hope that you'll learn a little bit about each member of your family and make some great memories.

Call the church office if you need more information.

The Family Art Project - March 21

You know I can't help myself. I'm always looking for something new and creative and either musical or artsy to do. So I've come up with something that I know will be a lot of fun.

I'm calling it "The Family Art Project."

Now before you start thinking how cute it would be for the families with 6 year olds in them to paint something together, this project is perfect for families with youth, empty-nesters, and Sr. Adult couples as well as families with elementary aged children - basically any family.

Click on the picture for a larger version of this poster. (Makes it easier to read!)

We'll begin with some fun activities that will show each family a little bit about their family personality. Then we'll talk just a little about color and form and some of those kinds of artistic things. Then we'll break out the paints and brushes!

I'll have some step-by-step instructions that will guide each family in making a beautiful piece of art that will be a cooperative effort by everyone. Each family will be proud to hang this one-of-a-kind painting over their sofa or in the family room or - well, just about any place where there is room for a 30 x 40 painting.

I do have to charge for this - to buy canvases and paint. The cost will be only $40 - cheaper than a night at the movies and a whole lot more fun and you'll end up with something that will last forever. It's also my hope that you'll learn a little bit about each member of your family and make some great memories.

Call the church office if you need more information.

Fine Arts Camp - Day 4 - FIELD TRIP!!!!

Day four of our Fine Arts Camp was incredible! We went to Nashville to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts The Frist Center for the Visual Arts

First, we met at the FLC. We wore our shirts that we made.

Then we got on the bus.

OH NO!!! There was a wreck on I-24 near exit 24. We sat and sat and sat. Look how distressed we are.

Here is the traffic in front of us.

Here is the traffic behind us.

There was a very interesting exibit in the galleries called "Color as Field ". YOu can click on the link to read about it. We weren't allowed to take pictures in there, so I can't show you how the kids were very interested and talked about all of the paintings.

Art Quest!!

Art Quest is a hands-on art experience where you learn a lot about art by DOING!

One of the art projects was printing. first you drew the design on paper, then you transfered it to a piece of foam, then you put ink on it and then you ran it through the press. (please forgive the run on sentence)

Since I make stained-glass windows I had to sneak out for a minute and see the Tiffany exibit. OH MY! Soooooo gorgeous! Tiffany by Design

Fine Arts Camp - Day 1

We had a great start to our Fine Arts Camp. We had 16 kids and 4 teenage helpers and 2 lead teachers. Kristi tuaght Art and I taught Stomp. Next year we will add drama and puppets and dance.

We began the day all together in the art room. We talked about God and creation. Then we broke into our two groups - Stomp and Art. At 10:30 we had a nice break with lemonaide and cookies.

In Stomp we learned how to read some rythms and practiced first by drumming on the floor. Then we got our earplugs and trashcans and buckets and MADE SOME NOISE! It was a lot of fun. We also watched some clips from the Stomp DVD. Awesome stuff to see!

Then we went outside and practiced a short routine. It was hot and really bright in the sun so we are all probably squinting in these pictures. Then we went down by the art class windows and performed for them.

After our Stomp performance we went back to the art room and the art students told us about all of the things they studied.

The art class learned about a lot of great "art" things, like form and lines and color and value and well, just look here at the list.

They are working on several projects at once. They are also talking about the days of creation and making a group project/mural of the creation story.

Here are some of their projects.

It was a great day!

It's All in the Details

Details are important. Details are what take a work of art, a musical piece or a life from ordinary to extraordinary. Details make things more interesting and more beautiful.

Ceiling in the capitol

Details will cost you something. Sometimes that means money, but it costs in other ways. Details take more effort. Details take more time.



Details are worth the effort and time and cost. The buildings and statues around Indianapolis prove that.



What does this have to do with worship? What we offer to God needs to be our very best. As we prepare a song or a service, we need to make sure we cover the details. We actually have a lot of people involved in our worship ministry that do just that. Donna and Perry cover the details of MediaShout where they make sure pictures match songs and words are spelled correctly. Chuck and Linda cover details of cameras and switching and editing so what we present on TV is high quality. Tony and Ed and Kevin cover the details of sound for the sanctuary and broadcast. Musicians in the band play with great skill (which means they get the details of the songs) so that our music is great.


Let me encourage you to be a person who cares about the details. Details in your relationships. Details in your work. Details in your spiritual life.


God is also a God of details. You can just look around at all of creation and see that. You can see that in His plan for redemption of man. Well, there is so much more that could be said about that it could be a whole other nice long post... but I can't do everything for you. Give that some thought today.