Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Friday, December 27, 2013
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
A SOLDIER'S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED! UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
! SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED! UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
! SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."
Monday, December 23, 2013
Saturday, December 21, 2013
And the angel said unto her,
Fear not,
Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb,
and bring forth a son,
and shalt call his name
JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest:
Fear not,
Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb,
and bring forth a son,
and shalt call his name
JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest:
and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever;
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever;
and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Monday, December 16, 2013
Saturday, December 14, 2013
A diamond shines no brighter
than that lovely Christmas star.
It shines in all its brilliance;
it's seen from near or far.
A symbol of the Christ child
as He lay upon the hay,
It tells to all the waiting world
a King was born that day.
O Bethlehem Star keep shining -
give us faith and hope and love.
Keep our thoughts forever turning
to the Savior up above.
Give us strength and hope and courage
to do our best by far
And never falter in our faith
as we watch that Christmas star.
Author Unknown
than that lovely Christmas star.
It shines in all its brilliance;
it's seen from near or far.
A symbol of the Christ child
as He lay upon the hay,
It tells to all the waiting world
a King was born that day.
O Bethlehem Star keep shining -
give us faith and hope and love.
Keep our thoughts forever turning
to the Savior up above.
Give us strength and hope and courage
to do our best by far
And never falter in our faith
as we watch that Christmas star.
Author Unknown
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Monday, December 9, 2013
I have a project to work on, actually two. Never fails, at Christmas, I start something new, when my time is drawn in so many directions - just like yours. So, in between shopping, decorating, planning, cleaning, parties, and trying to get to work in the snow and ice - I will be working on illustrations for two children's picture books. I won't be able to share my progress here as some of the property is not mine.
I'll fill my blog with archive Holiday Illustrations for your viewing pleasure.
I wish you and yours a fabulous Holiday! I hope your turkey is tasty, your cranberries juicy, your pumpkin pies perfect - and may your trash day be on Thursday
See you next year!!
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Dedication
It's December, Christmas is breathing down my neck, and the dark days of winter are drawing me into the hibernation mode. I need a project, a goal, something to spark my creativity.
I should have started a project like Barbara Parker's blog - 365 Guitars. Barbara is an artist I met at a Robert Burridge workshop. The beginning of this year she started a blog where everyday she would post a photo of something that looked like a guitar.
http://365guitars.wordpress.com/
http://upart.fineartstudioonline.com/
You might ask, why a guitar? It didn't have to be a guitar, it could have been anything. The point is, she had a daily goal. Find something that looked like a guitar. Seems relatively simple. She was looking all around her all the time everyday for ideas. Don't you think her observation skills improved? Don't you think she found not only guitars but creative sparks for her painting and art?
I should have started a project like Barbara Parker's blog - 365 Guitars. Barbara is an artist I met at a Robert Burridge workshop. The beginning of this year she started a blog where everyday she would post a photo of something that looked like a guitar.
Parker - Create Each Day
http://createeachday.comhttp://365guitars.wordpress.com/
http://upart.fineartstudioonline.com/
You might ask, why a guitar? It didn't have to be a guitar, it could have been anything. The point is, she had a daily goal. Find something that looked like a guitar. Seems relatively simple. She was looking all around her all the time everyday for ideas. Don't you think her observation skills improved? Don't you think she found not only guitars but creative sparks for her painting and art?
That's what I need for Next Year. A daily goal.
A constant focus. A cattle prod.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Vacation is Over
I've taken a hiatis, a break, a breather.
Preparing for and hanging the exhibit was exhausting.
During that time, I, along with my daughter,
planned and hosted a surprise birthday party for
my husband. That was emotionally exhausting -
keeping secrets is really hard.
So - I took a well deserved break.
But when ART is in every fiber of your being,
it doesn't take long before it calls your name
and you have to go back to work - the work of creating.
My name was called . . .
Monday, November 4, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
The Dreaded Artist Statement
I hate the Artist Statement. I don't want to explain my art. It should speak for itself and the viewer should be able to have a personal conversation with my art that doesn't include any influence from me.
With that being said - I still wrote the dreadful thing. The statement after all is a powerful marketing tool. It should wet the whistle of the viewer making them want more.
Here are the guidelines I used to create my statement:
Your 1st sentence should grab hold and make the reader want to continue. Start off with a bang! Be short and sweet, explain your painting style, subjects and themes. Use unique fascinating verbiage. Talk about what your art does for you not what it's supposed to do for them. Use "I" not "You", keep the tense active, using "is" and "are". What is the purpose of your art? Why you create what you do. Make a list of words that describe your art and use them in your statement.
Sound much easier than it is. It took me weeks to write this:
With that being said - I still wrote the dreadful thing. The statement after all is a powerful marketing tool. It should wet the whistle of the viewer making them want more.
Here are the guidelines I used to create my statement:
Your 1st sentence should grab hold and make the reader want to continue. Start off with a bang! Be short and sweet, explain your painting style, subjects and themes. Use unique fascinating verbiage. Talk about what your art does for you not what it's supposed to do for them. Use "I" not "You", keep the tense active, using "is" and "are". What is the purpose of your art? Why you create what you do. Make a list of words that describe your art and use them in your statement.
Sound much easier than it is. It took me weeks to write this:
Judy Grupp Artist Statement
There is a box of 64 crayons in every one of my paintings. Those crayons are my first memory of making art, of going down the rabbit hole and giving life to my imagination. I've continued to maintain my studio in that rabbit hole, creating whimsical, colorful paintings that always tell a story, the yin and yang in every secret garden, and the wonder of whimsy.
I am a mixed media artist in the truest sense. My painting style is a blend of realism and abstract, with an illustrative quality. Acrylic paint, colored pencils, and collage ephemera are my favorite materials, but I am open to using anything from vintage door knobs to antique music paper and buttons.
My paintings are conceptual, coming from the ideas living in my head transformed into my art. Even though my paintings are planned and methodically created, it is still my imagination in the rabbit hole leading the way. My art is everything I wish I was in real life. I am the crayon box and my art is the magic that lives inside.
Friday, October 25, 2013
nakedTRUTH paintings
I decided these collage paintings needed some tweeking -
I was seeing FLOATING HEADS that required some anchoring. Star Man wasn't too bad, so I just added a few curly q's to hold his neck into the painting.
Garden Lady however - she really is lost in that collage.
So I added some daisies at the bottom to pull her back into the painting. These are original ball point pen drawings, not copies,
and the green leaves are colored pencil.
The photography is deplorable and I apologize.
5:30 in the morning obviously
is a bad time for me to take photos!!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
nakedTRUTH Art Exhibit
DRAGONS
These are the smallest paintings in my group,
but I think very striking.
Now for the hard part - bring all the paintings into the studio, and prepare them for hanging. Hammers and screwdrivers, I much prefer brushes and glue!!
Friday, October 18, 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
nakedTRUTH Art Exhibit
The Man Who Wished on a Star
Her Garden Was Her Life
Two more finished paintings for the exhibit. These are smaller, 10" x 10". I wanted these drawings to almost blend in with the other collage material. That way the viewer would have to get close to the collages to actually see the detail.
The element of surprise.
Now that I stand back and look at these collages, I think they're not done. They're not as good as they could be. Back to the studio . . .
The element of surprise.
Now that I stand back and look at these collages, I think they're not done. They're not as good as they could be. Back to the studio . . .
Friday, October 11, 2013
naked TRUTH Art Exhibit
I need to create a few more paintings for this exhibit. Smaller ones. And still using my own drawings as the collage material to keep the paintings cohesive.
I've prepared a wooden box support, painted it black, and added collage papers - phone book pages, tissue paper, fabric and painted tissue paper.
These are the drawings I want to collage
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