Wishing you all a blessed Christmas season celebrating the birth of Salvation himself.

It occurred to me last Sunday how seldom I stop to consider the real life aspect of the story of Jesus’ arrival. We read the story and it is so compact. Recorded by men who wanted to cover the major events and spread the good news, not write a novel. Reading between the lines I am drawn to consider the relative upheaval Mary’s life must have gone through as she carried the child of God. What unnerving questions, what moments of doubt and restless waiting must have occurred. It says she pondered the angel’s words in her heat, but I am sure there were also questions of life and living. Between the supernatural events there was the everyday workings of life. The business of surviving and getting along. (As most women know, this isn’t always easy when pregnant!)

Then I thought about the people who came to visit Mary and Joseph at that vulnerable time right after Jesus’ birth. Shepherds. Not only strangers, but most likely smelly strangers. Using my imagination I suppose they were excited and a little crazy eyed on top of it all after the grandiose display the angels gave them. I think back to my own experience, having my boys in the warmth and quiet of my own home. How I wanted to keep those warm moment with my baby and my family to myself. Perhaps close friends could come visit after we were good and rested from the ordeal of birth. But strangers? No way!

How can I compare my own experience with the birth of Christ? Jesus was different. Surely Mary knew that. Jesus was not just a baby to be cuddled and enjoyed. He was the Savior. Destined for great and trying things which would tear at her heart. He was a man of sorrows, aquainted with grief, born to die for the sake of us all. But Mary, she was human. She was a woman, a mother, just like me. Before he saved the world, she had to feed him, change his diapers (or cultural equivalent thereof) and burp him. There were the years of watching him grow…what must it all have been like? Did she understand what was happening when he began his ministry? When he died? When he rose from the dead? How did she reconcile who he was, God incarnate, with the tender moments of motherhood that must have been nestled in her heart?

There is so much between the lines, so much that came before and that came after. As I sat and thought about all this I found myself dissatisfied with quaint little depictions of the nativity that is so popular this time of year. Contending that it did not show enough. It was too clean. Too cute. Too quaint. It seemed to me to encourage us to forget the reality of Christ.

Notwithstanding, not a week after all these thoughts I found myself making this very image as I tried to come up with a good Christmas card for a friend. Why? I ask myself. Especially when I thought so lowly of it just days before!

I’ll tell you what I think.

We like to clean things up. Make them more beautiful, more presentable than they are. To bring joy and cheer to ourselves and those around us. Life is dirty, stressful and full of trials. So we decorate, rearrange and find images of hope and beauty with which to surround ourselves. This part of us. The part of us that longs for something more, something better, though we’re not sure what it may be. This is the part of us that testifies of our need for salvation. We are trapped in our own humanity, our own messes and the messes of those around us. Jesus cam

Beards are so in right now.

As many of you know I have been working on a large art installation for the Oak Harbor Library. Over the last several months I've shared bits and pieces of it with you. Teasing you. Showing you pieces of this giant jigsaw. Well, here is the payoff: The install!

This was the largest work I've ever done, and the most complex. We had to create each individual piece of the installation off site based on measurements and drawings we made of the space. Even with all our measuring and planning there were the inevitable hiccups. Thankfully Seth is a master problem solver and we were able to get everything in without much difficulty. I really can't express how grateful I am to have such an amazing husband!

My Dad also came along to help. We really couldn't have done it without him. (Thank you Daddy! I love you!)

Everything was constructed from 1/2" plywood. I drew the designs and Seth cut them out sanded them down and joined the pieces for me. Then I painted the illustrations using first acrylic for the outlines and much of the background. Then I switched to oil paint for the color and details on the animals and letters. Much of the painting was done in an untraditional translucent style of application. I am partial to this style especially when painting on wood because it allows the wood texture to show through and adds character to the images. Finally, Seth finished the lower parts with a varnish to prevent tiny fingers from damaging the paintings.

The transparent mesh that hangs between the foliage and in the middle of the installation is actually just window screen. I bought a few rolls of the stuff, cut it out and spray painted it. I thought it would look kinda cool to have transparent pieces where light and shapes could overlap. It also helped with the transition from the woodland side of the entryway to the sea and shore side.

I'm not gonna lie, it was a little heartbreaking, at first, watching Seth shoot little brads and pin nails into my paintings.

Just a little preview of a project I've been working on. It's a rather large piece which will serve as the entrance to the children's area in the Oak Harbor Library. I've been working on it since March. It's been a lot of research and sketching up to this point, but I'm finally getting to the fun part. Shooting for an Oct/Nov install - Lord willing. There's still a lot of work ahead of me but I can't wait to share the finished work with the people at Oak Harbor. The librarians there have been so helpful and supportive during the research period of this project. I am so grateful.

I am currently in the beginning stages of creating a public art installation for a Library. It's much larger than I've ever worked, but I'm really excited. The husband and I will be collaborating on this project, and I must say, I am so blessed to have such wonderful, supportive husband who can do just about anything!

I don't want to give away the project before it's complete, but here are a few preliminary detail sketches. Enjoy!

I made this cup for my mother in law this mother's day. I waited to post it because I mailed it to her and didn't want to ruin the surprise. :)

I painted these silly little cups for a friend of mine.


One honey bee and one bumble bee. Each painted pretty much to scale.

I've finally set up a shop on Etsy. I've only listed 5 items so far but there's more to come! Check it out! http://www.etsy.com/shop/thebookwood?ref=si_shop

I can't believe he's nearly 3 months old! Yesterday we put him in the little round play seat at my parent's house and he seemed to really dig it. Thanks to ma and Janice for holding him while I finished this little portrait. :)

This Saturday I will be participating in a Craft Bazaar along with about 30 other talented crafters and artists. It will be at Emmanuel Baptist Church: 2727 Lake Ave. Snohomish, WA 98290. From 10-4. Come on out, bring your friends!

Painted with Edward today. Actually, it was more a matter of me painting, while he swept the five brushes he had in each fist over and over across my work. Here is a few images of what remained.

This is something I just finished up for my Church. I really enjoyed doing the lettering. Especially the display caps with flowers inside.

Every Thursday I go to my Grandma's to paint. Sometimes we watercolor, but lately we've been china painting. It's kind of a dying art as far as I can tell. Grandma got into it...well, before I was born. She paints anniversary plates for her children, and piggie banks and tea cups for her grandchildren. She has shared her art with us grandkids with great generosity over the years, not only making us sweet little delicately hand painted pieces over the years, but also allowing us to try our hand at it from a surprisingly young age. When other kids were given finger paints and play-dough at grandma's house, we were given a rabbit hair paintbrush and a teacup. I think I painted my first hot plate when I was maybe seven or eight. It's an orchid, and is rather ugly (my mom still has it). Thankfully, a few years, and bit of art training has improved my painting skills a bit. My content, however, has become rather more...childish.





I'll be posting more projects as I finish them.

Initially I drew the boys without hats, but Edward, who is rather obsessed with his hat at the moment, insisted I add hats to the drawing.

One of the perks (or perils, depending on how you look at it) of Facebook is that you can become "friends" with all sorts of people. You can engage on an elementary level with social circles you may never have been allowed to breech prior to the age of the social network.

Take Adam, for instance. He is a prime example. He is my brother, Caleb's friend. I've met him a handful of times. Played Catan with him. But if not for the wonder of Facebook I would not have been exposed to the sheer teenage brillianceand this magnificent drawing would never have come into existence.

Thank you Facebook.

Happy Valentines Day.

Well, I'm finally feeling rested up enough to make my way back into the blogging world.

What kept me away?

Well, as of the 25th of January I am the mother of two darling little boys. Alistair joined us at 10:10 in the evening, after 30 some odd hours of labor. He was born at home, as planned, with the help of my wonderful husband, our midwife, Charlotte, and her two assistants, Michelle and Ronna.

Some friends came to stay with us for a week over the new year. A few items remained behind when they left....this is their story.