Just like all of us, my dad had many facets to his personality. His day job required precision with numbers as an accountant; on some weekends he worked on the “Gateway Clipper” river boat as a bartender. Other weekends he played drums in a jazz band. We heard lots of Billie Holiday songs in our home.
This painting “Into the Light 1” was triggered by those moody songs. If you haven’t heard any of Billie’s songs from the 1940’s and ’50s you must. Listen here.
Her life wasn’t all that great. Working on this painting wasn’t all that great either, especially since I redid certain parts of her face–that’s a 12 hour forehead! Nothing is as easy as it looks, which brings me to the phrase my dad always repeated to me, my brother and my sister: “Confidence, Determination, No Fear! It was sort of a mantra for him. Whenever I would do battle at school (and school work was always a battle for me), my dad would say this phrase. So I would go into my math tests after he tutored me with a bit more courage. That’s the way I approach my painting. Do I have fear? You bet, but I have the determination to work through the fear and I am confident that it will all turn out. This “CDNF” phrase is imprinted into my psyche.
Which leads me to ask, what are you imprinting with your words to those around you? Is it something they’ll treasure? If not, then develop your own encouraging phrase and use it! Or take my dad’s. Do you have encouraging phrase? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
4 Comments
Leesa Donner · October 7, 2015 at 3:38 pm
Beautiful tribute to a man who adored you! I’m so proud of the woman you are and your life has been built on these four words. I guess if I had to pick an encouraging phrase it would be “God works ALL things for Good…” Romans 2:28 I find when I am filled with fear that I am really “forgetting His Love.”
Pam Jarvis · October 8, 2015 at 5:59 am
From childhood, having an overwhelming fear when faced with a piano recital, my mom would whisper 2 Timothy 1:7 ” for Go has not given me a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.”
It has stayed with me! Love your painting and your bblog!
Leesa Donner · October 8, 2015 at 1:28 pm
Interesting Pam that is the same verse I use with my son Timothy Joseph who often gets caught up in fear and anxiety. I have whispered that verse into his ear many times from the hospital to school. And it always seems to work.
WIN a print of one of my landscapes! - the art of encouragement · February 3, 2016 at 7:27 am
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