Creativity of the Creator ~ July Everyday Journal Group Theme

Creativity of the Creator ~ July Everyday Journal Group Theme

Creativity of the Creator

I love our theme in the Everyday Journal group for July! I love walking in nature with camera in hand and catching the beauty of what God has created. Nature themes land on the pages of my art journals quite often, probably more than any other theme outside of faith itself. 

We cannot be in nature and not experience the creativity of our Creator is. We look at sunsets and snow capped mountains. We hear the constant rhythm of waves crashing on the beach or thunder rolling across the sky. We experience the vast variety of birds and flowers ad trees. Everything in the world around us points us back to God, the Creator of all things. Our proper response, our immediate response, is awe and wonder and praise and glory to the One whose creativity is so vast and amazing.

As we ponder God's creativity in nature we are reminded that we also are His creation.

"In the beginning, God created..." Genesis 1:1

The Bible begins with this statement in Genesis 1:1. God takes nothing and makes something. He took what was formless and dark (Genesis 1:2) and made light and land and oceans and stars and vegetation and animals and on and on. (Read Genesis 1:3-25) And then God made His masterpiece.

"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." Genesis 1:26

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him;  male and female he created them. " Genesis 1:27

Again God took nothing, dust, and He breathed His life into it and created beings in His own image. (Genesis 2:7) Because we are created in the very image of God, we also are creative beings.
Author Janice Elsheimer, in her book The Creative Call, says,

"With God's Spirit working in us, we can speak the words he gives us (in whatever artist language we use to express ourselves) and become cocreators with Him. That is what being a Christian artist means: Our art is not necessarily Christian in content, but it is centered in the truth that the Holy Spirit reveals."

This month as we explore the theme of nature and the creativity of God, let it also remind us of who we are ~ created beings made in the image of God to be creative also. May this month serve as a time of praise and worship for who God is and all that He has created.

"Great are the works of the LORD: they are pondered by all who delight in them."   Psalm 111:2

Join Our Inspirational Facebook Group

Bernice Hopper, Valerie Sjodin and I are using one journal to record events, experiences and relationships and  to explore our word’s meaning in visual and fun ways. We are each blogging about our experiences and our art. If you would like to connect with others about creatively organizing your word, your ideas, thoughts, prayers, events, or your projects all in one journal, you are invited to join our Facebook group: Everyday Journals – Living Your Word of the Year.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/203309083575277/

Hashtags on Instagram: #everydayjournals2018, #livingyourword2018

Check out the other blogs:

Bernice: http://www.newlycreative.com/

Valerie: https://valeriesjodin.com/blog/

Let Us Make Class

Because I love nature and combining that love with art and photography I decided to participate in a class on the Jeanne Oliver Creative Network called Let Us Make. The instructor, Sheila Atchley, is using the account of creation's first six days in the book of Genesis as the outline for the class. I'm enjoying listening to her read the Scripture and then talk about God's creativity.

I have decided to try some of her art techniques which are new to me, while at the same time simply using the Scripture and discussion as my inspiration for creating. One technique was to use acrylic inks and rubbing alcohol to create the separation of water and sky in Genesis 1:9-10. I was not happy with my results. On the first one done in an altered book journal, I apparently picked up the wrong roll of masking tape because it tore the watercolor paper as I took it off. The second attempt I did on a loose piece of watercolor paper, but still not thrilled with it. I'll have to keep playing around with the acrylic inks until I find a way to use them that fits my style.  So, instead,  I reverted to my favorite tools and technique to make my page- painted papers and collage.

acrylic inks

Once I did that, I decided to make a section in my commonplace journal dedicated to the art pages that result from this class.

My as yet untitled comonplace journal

I may try mixing in some of my photos from nature walks. Happy weekend to you!

Delight in His Creation

Recently, in an art video in a class by Sheila Atchley, I was reminded to take delight in God's creation as He does. To delight in something is not to worship it, but rather to take pleasure in it, to find joy in it. Nature shows us the beauty and creativity of God. My favorite way to delight in God's creation is through nature walks with my camera in hand.

"Worship the Creator; delight in His creation." ~Sheila Atchley

Today I am simply going to share some of the photographs I have captured of God's creation over the past few months.

Loons at my sister's lake.