In the Depths 8/12/13

(Oil on canvas)

"O Lord, God of my salvation;

I cry out day and night before you.

Let my prayer come before you;

incline your ear to my cry!

For my soul is full of troubles,

and my life draws near to Sheol.

I am counted among those who go down to the pit;

I am a man who has no strength,

like one set loose among the dead,

like the slain that lie in the grave,

like those whom you remember no more,

for they are cut off from your hand.

You have put me in the depths of the pit,

in the regions dark and deep.

Your wrath lies heavy upon me,

and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah

You have caused my companions to shun me;

you have made me a horror to them.

I am shut in so that I cannot escape;

my eye grows dim through sorrow.

Every day I call upon you, O Lord;

I spread out my hands to you.

Do you work wonders for the dead?

Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah

Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,

or your faithfulness in Abaddon?

Are your wonders known in the darkness,

or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

But I, O Lord, cry to you;

in the morning my prayer comes before you.

O Lord, why do you cast my soul away?

Why do you hide your face from me?

Afflicted and close to death from my youth up,

I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.

Your wrath has swept over me;

your dreadful assaults destroy me.

They surround me like a flood all day long;

they close in on me together.

You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me;

my companions have become darkness." (Psalm 88, ESV)

The Lost Art of Oil Painting 8/1/13

Oil painting used to be my primary medium.  I enjoyed the richness of color and how slow the paint dried allowed for better blending and cohesiveness.  However, an oil painting is a commitment.  It's not something to be finished all at once and the days it takes to dry can deter the impatient such as myself.  Most of my pieces over the last several years have been drawings since they can usually be finished in one sitting and that is what my motivation and concentration allowed for.
I've had an increasing urge to paint again and as my summer is drawing to a close, I decided now is as good of a time as any.   I think it'd been about four years since I'd used my oil paints and I had pry them open with pliers :).  I've spent two days working on this piece and will probably spend a couple more.  I'd forgotten how much I enjoy the medium and am finding a welcomed change of style in this piece.
Here's a little preview of part of it: