You have a beautiful style, Christine! I’m glad to have found your page and look forward to reading future newsletters :) Where do you get your inspiration from? Do you paint from reference images, your imagination, or both?
Thanks! Almost exclusively reference images when I started but I’ve gotten better at compiling elements of reference images into an original composition and painting from imagination.
Your art keeps showing up on my feed and making me smile!! Super curious about your experience in the education system. Not surprised to hear about the burnout, but I’m gearing up to also step away from the school system, it’s a grind! I have so many thoughts about it, but I’ll leave it at that for now 😆
Aw I love to hear that my paintings make people smile! I have lots of thoughts about my experience too. Basically I feel that while I’m still a huge advocate for public schools, there’s so much that needs to change and I just don’t see that happening any time soon.
Hi Christine, l just want to say, although l have joined Substack for entirely different reasons to yours, as l'm sure you will soon find out if you decide to scroll through my recently launched site (or whatever you call it) on Sunstack.
That been said, my primary function and purpose in life is and has been for the past 13 years to take up to call to the office of Pastor/evangelist. I won't bore you with my rather adventurous and may l confess shocking testimony (story) of how l went from being a corporate executive, working for the six largest company in the world to being brought to my knees begging God for His mercy and grace which without a shadow of doubt saved me from a life of self-destruction, pain and sorrow.
That's a story for another day. No wonder l needed to write a book in sharing with the world the traumatic journey of "Mending Hearts, Transforming Lives" which became the title of the book.
However, back to the reason for this message. Before l embarked on taking the wrong turn in my life-instead of following my dream in becoming a successful landscape artist, l had also studied Fine Art at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa, and was sold on wanting to spend my life pursuing my passion of painting.
Unfortunately, life throws you curve balls that seemingly derails you from what l believe was not only my first love but was what l believed a gift and talent given to me by God. I guess in hindsight, due to worldly distractions and stubbornness (or it might have been foolishness) l moved further and further away from my first life.
More than 30 years later l decided to pick up a paint brush and stare into the face of a blank canvas asking myself, what is God wanting me to paint? It turned out that He had not given up on my original gift that He so graciously bestowed upon me way back in 1963 when l was born.
And so, with the challenge l faced of having to go back to my roots of what l was once taught as a boy and then as a young student, l began to apply to oil to my blank canvas. About 30 days later l had finished what was to my absolute amazement the exact spot where l first met Jesus in the rugged mountains of the Western Cape in South Africa.
Now, l have still not come to why l've texted you, but bear with me, l'm getting there. Naturally, if you interested l would happily share with you "this" painting which l had just completed. In my humble eyes as a harsh critiea of my own works, l do believe it is a masterpiece but that's besides the point. While painting this painting though, l received a, what shall l call it, a divine intervention from God and in that exchange He said to me that l needed to share my knowledge and experience of landscape painting with others.
I at first said Lord, are you crazy, never, l'm not a art teacher and besides l have enough headaches with my pastoral duties of marrying people one day then burying people the next and in-between all of that lm still having to try and save the world from themselves.
Laughable right, well you would be forgiven if you thought that was even possible but that is not what a Pastors live consists of, it's not honey and roses as many might think. Unless of course you one of these fancy American evangelical preachers that fly around the world in their private jets and stay in million dollar mansions void of the real world then l can understand but that is not me and thankfully is not what my God expects of those who happen to be called into ministry.
So, finally l decided to start an art class. I decided l would offer the first class to 10 young children who all came from marginalised and poverty-stricken backgrounds as l wanted to empower them to use their newly found skill and talents to bring in a secondary income to their household. But you won't believe what happen...just guess!
One of the boys who was 17 years old, had never touched a paint brush in his life. As God is above, he had never known that he could even paint a tree, let alone mountains or the ocean and just about anything under creation. I put them on a 12 week training program and after that l left them to try and find themselves in own destiny in art.
Two weeks later the only child that came back was this young boy (Elisha). He brought a painting for me to assess. When l took off the paper that it was rapped in l nearly had a heart attack. Elisha had painted a masterpiece that l could not believe was even possible from a 17 year old boy. All along Elisha had a God given talent and no one knew, not even he did, until it required of me to step out in faith and decide to start the class. You will not believe your eyes. It's hard to believe that we can go through life not even realizing that we sit with a divine gift that could become the catalyst for him and his family to get out of the bondage of poverty and suffering. Isn't that a beautiful story?
So, the reason for my prompt text message was to ask you, firstly, where are you situated and secondly, how do you think l could get Elisha's paintings exposed to the outside world? Maybe like connect with an American art agent or distributor of art. This boy has a God given gift and talent that not even l can manage or control. I taught him what l know but now God is wanting him to fly like a eagle out of the nest and hopefully he will catch one of those summer winds that will cause him to take flight to far away adventures where life can bring him hope for a better tomorrow.
Sorry if l have bored you with my story but if you are interested in seeing some of our works, feel free to respond to this message by either subscribing to my channel or by sending me your email address.
Nicely written, Christine! Good flow of thought and I felt interested to read every word. I ‘get’ you and your life b/c your writing expresses you well. The painting is lovely, the colors work to create a feeling of traveling in that space, a walk gazing at the gentle sky, the peace of the deeply shadowed underside of the branches of trees, the magical delight of the little flowers…please post your Etsy shop and IG links somewhere. TY! Best wishes and I admire that you’re a working mom.
You have a beautiful style, Christine! I’m glad to have found your page and look forward to reading future newsletters :) Where do you get your inspiration from? Do you paint from reference images, your imagination, or both?
Thanks! Almost exclusively reference images when I started but I’ve gotten better at compiling elements of reference images into an original composition and painting from imagination.
Your paintings are so beautiful!
Thank you so much!!!
Your art keeps showing up on my feed and making me smile!! Super curious about your experience in the education system. Not surprised to hear about the burnout, but I’m gearing up to also step away from the school system, it’s a grind! I have so many thoughts about it, but I’ll leave it at that for now 😆
Aw I love to hear that my paintings make people smile! I have lots of thoughts about my experience too. Basically I feel that while I’m still a huge advocate for public schools, there’s so much that needs to change and I just don’t see that happening any time soon.
Agreed!! Glad you found a way to adjust and continue teaching on more of your own terms
Beautiful 😍
Hi Christine, l just want to say, although l have joined Substack for entirely different reasons to yours, as l'm sure you will soon find out if you decide to scroll through my recently launched site (or whatever you call it) on Sunstack.
That been said, my primary function and purpose in life is and has been for the past 13 years to take up to call to the office of Pastor/evangelist. I won't bore you with my rather adventurous and may l confess shocking testimony (story) of how l went from being a corporate executive, working for the six largest company in the world to being brought to my knees begging God for His mercy and grace which without a shadow of doubt saved me from a life of self-destruction, pain and sorrow.
That's a story for another day. No wonder l needed to write a book in sharing with the world the traumatic journey of "Mending Hearts, Transforming Lives" which became the title of the book.
However, back to the reason for this message. Before l embarked on taking the wrong turn in my life-instead of following my dream in becoming a successful landscape artist, l had also studied Fine Art at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa, and was sold on wanting to spend my life pursuing my passion of painting.
Unfortunately, life throws you curve balls that seemingly derails you from what l believe was not only my first love but was what l believed a gift and talent given to me by God. I guess in hindsight, due to worldly distractions and stubbornness (or it might have been foolishness) l moved further and further away from my first life.
More than 30 years later l decided to pick up a paint brush and stare into the face of a blank canvas asking myself, what is God wanting me to paint? It turned out that He had not given up on my original gift that He so graciously bestowed upon me way back in 1963 when l was born.
And so, with the challenge l faced of having to go back to my roots of what l was once taught as a boy and then as a young student, l began to apply to oil to my blank canvas. About 30 days later l had finished what was to my absolute amazement the exact spot where l first met Jesus in the rugged mountains of the Western Cape in South Africa.
Now, l have still not come to why l've texted you, but bear with me, l'm getting there. Naturally, if you interested l would happily share with you "this" painting which l had just completed. In my humble eyes as a harsh critiea of my own works, l do believe it is a masterpiece but that's besides the point. While painting this painting though, l received a, what shall l call it, a divine intervention from God and in that exchange He said to me that l needed to share my knowledge and experience of landscape painting with others.
I at first said Lord, are you crazy, never, l'm not a art teacher and besides l have enough headaches with my pastoral duties of marrying people one day then burying people the next and in-between all of that lm still having to try and save the world from themselves.
Laughable right, well you would be forgiven if you thought that was even possible but that is not what a Pastors live consists of, it's not honey and roses as many might think. Unless of course you one of these fancy American evangelical preachers that fly around the world in their private jets and stay in million dollar mansions void of the real world then l can understand but that is not me and thankfully is not what my God expects of those who happen to be called into ministry.
So, finally l decided to start an art class. I decided l would offer the first class to 10 young children who all came from marginalised and poverty-stricken backgrounds as l wanted to empower them to use their newly found skill and talents to bring in a secondary income to their household. But you won't believe what happen...just guess!
One of the boys who was 17 years old, had never touched a paint brush in his life. As God is above, he had never known that he could even paint a tree, let alone mountains or the ocean and just about anything under creation. I put them on a 12 week training program and after that l left them to try and find themselves in own destiny in art.
Two weeks later the only child that came back was this young boy (Elisha). He brought a painting for me to assess. When l took off the paper that it was rapped in l nearly had a heart attack. Elisha had painted a masterpiece that l could not believe was even possible from a 17 year old boy. All along Elisha had a God given talent and no one knew, not even he did, until it required of me to step out in faith and decide to start the class. You will not believe your eyes. It's hard to believe that we can go through life not even realizing that we sit with a divine gift that could become the catalyst for him and his family to get out of the bondage of poverty and suffering. Isn't that a beautiful story?
So, the reason for my prompt text message was to ask you, firstly, where are you situated and secondly, how do you think l could get Elisha's paintings exposed to the outside world? Maybe like connect with an American art agent or distributor of art. This boy has a God given gift and talent that not even l can manage or control. I taught him what l know but now God is wanting him to fly like a eagle out of the nest and hopefully he will catch one of those summer winds that will cause him to take flight to far away adventures where life can bring him hope for a better tomorrow.
Sorry if l have bored you with my story but if you are interested in seeing some of our works, feel free to respond to this message by either subscribing to my channel or by sending me your email address.
In God's service,
Michael
@plantinghopeacademy
Nicely written, Christine! Good flow of thought and I felt interested to read every word. I ‘get’ you and your life b/c your writing expresses you well. The painting is lovely, the colors work to create a feeling of traveling in that space, a walk gazing at the gentle sky, the peace of the deeply shadowed underside of the branches of trees, the magical delight of the little flowers…please post your Etsy shop and IG links somewhere. TY! Best wishes and I admire that you’re a working mom.
Thank you!!! That’s very kind!
Can I sign my daughter up for a course with you?
Your paintings are so beautiful
“I also want to particularly focus on how to fit a creative practice into a busy life.” - 💕👏so here for this! Thank you 🙏