A Sad Announcement

I wish I had happier news to share today, but yesterday my father passed away, somewhat suddenly. My parents had been planning a trip to Abilene this week to visit me and see my new home and new hometown, but they canceled after my dad took a fall and started to feel ill last week. When my mom returned home from work last night, he was in great distress, by evening he was gone. It feels weird to shift so quickly from joyfully preparing for their arrival — to mournfully preparing to travel to his memorial service.

I could say a lot about my dad and how much he shaped the way I see the world as an artist, teaching me to look for beauty in unexpected places and to give the glory to the Creator that made it. I will save most of that for his eulogy. But I will share my favorite photo of him today.

My dad hated having his picture taken and when you told him to smile, he would usually pull a weird face, or look off at a strange angle. He was much more comfortable taking pictures (of beautiful flowers, landscapes, gardens and butterflies) than posing for them. But I love this picture of him in particular because he didn’t know the camera was on him. He was relaxed and joyful, just sitting down for Thanksgiving meal at home with his family who he loved so much. I’m sure that my brother or nephews had just cracked a joke to make him laugh as I snapped this picture through the candelabra. This joy shining from his face is how I will remember him in the happiest of moments.

There’s no good time for a loved one to die of course, but this is a doozy for me. Johnny and I have just moved to a new town, still integrating into the community, and I’m trying to launch my career as a full-time artist after 12 years in ministry. We are halfway through Inktober (a sketch-a-day marathon for artists through the month of October), which I have loved for the sense of community it gives me with other artists and art lovers for the last four years. I have several painting classes scheduled that I am looking forward to this month. My end-of-the-year commissions have been filling up, and I just started a new, BIG project for the city of Abilene that I am so excited to share with you all once it is finished. Now, in the midst of all that excitement, I will be traveling to Columbia, MO to say goodbye to my dad.

I am thankful for the therapeutic qualities of art during this time. Keeping my hands and mind busy are a welcome distraction, as well as the peace in knowing that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing right now…helping people see the world through the eyes of an artist. My dad always taught me to look for the beauty in everyday moments, with the enthusiasm of a child seeing the world for the first time. He and my mother put so many opportunities into my life to experience fine art, music and culture, and they cultivated a life of rich experiences and love to feed my artistic curiousity. They were always very intentional about that and it feels right to continue to honor him through making art and sharing beauty. I’m happy to see that my mom is doing the same, sharing her own Inktober drawings even in the midst of such loss and tragedy.

So I will continue to post my Inktober drawings this month (thankfully I had worked ahead a few days, just in case something happened that might derail my sketch-a-day schedule.) And I look forward to seeing all the art from artists around the world as we look to these shared prompts for inspiration. Isn’t it beautiful how we can all look at the same word and come up with so many thousands of unique interpretations? Today that unity and diversity means so much to me. It reminds me that I have something special to share with a world: a unique vision that is all my own. I will keep working on my big secret project for the community, and I’ll be documenting the process so that you guys can be a part of that journey with me once its time to share. I’ll continue teaching painting classes, because there is no where I would rather be than sharing my artistic passion with others so they can also experience the benefits and joys of painting.

Thank you all for your love, support and prayers of comfort during this time. To each person who has reached out to us, it means so much.

Peace & Blessings