Веселися конь ретивый! Щеголяй избытком сил! - здесь кликабельная ссылка

Paradise (Рай)

Growing up in Europe, birthed within my heart a desire for artistic excellence. This came about while gazing upon originals from the Renaissance. I still remember looking at the detail in those works and marveled. It somehow created a profound inspiration within. Later, after gaining artistic experience, I found myself at a crossroads; would I compromise what was burning in my soul, or would I just produce work that would sell and be popular? I decided I had to follow my heart.

Throughout the creative years, as any artist would, I gained inspiration from the joys and the sorrows which came my way. Sorrow requires one to have to look deep within to find resolve which has been a character building experience for which I'm extremely grateful. These experiences are reminders that I must continue to humble myself in order to overcome the human tendency and desire to exalt myself or think of myself more highly than I ought, for I am a "work" myself by a much, much greater Artist. As a paint brush is not free to create it's own work, so I was never free to determine what I ought to produce. And of course this has been a struggle, for humanity determines to have say over everything. In the process we (the creation) determine what even the Creator must agree with.

We need to become a blank canvas ourselves, if we desire to be made into a true work of ART. The photographer must be an "unexposed image" to be of any value to a "proper exposure", and the sculpture must be without form to be born a Michelangelo's "David." It is what the the Creator Yeshua has to work with, if He is to do a good work in anyone. And all that He does is for HIS glory and not our own.
What works of Art we do and what works we choose to hang up testifies what our hearts consist of. Shalom to all. Bill