Category: The Balm

  • It’s a Chicken Watercolor Week

    It’s a Chicken Watercolor Week

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    Lauren

    We recently got rid of 5 chickens, bringing our flock down to, let’s just say, around 23 chickens. When you own chickens, you inherit something called chicken math, where you never really know how many chickens you have. This week, as I said in my post last week, I set…

  • Animals Doing Human Things

    Animals Doing Human Things

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    Lauren

    This week, I set out to paint animals, specifically party animals. I really enjoyed painting the goose and chicken with a heart balloon weeks back, so I thought, why not draw animals holding balloons that look like they are going to a party? So, I drew a duck with balloons…

  • Budding Sticks and the Hope We Have

    Budding Sticks and the Hope We Have

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    Lauren

    Winter is dreary, like I said last week. But this winter in North Idaho has been extremely mild compared to previous years. We have plants popping up from the ground, and buds are starting to appear on the trees and bushes. It gives a sense of hope that the dreary…

  • There’s a World Outside Your Window

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    Lauren

    This week, I painted windows from the inside looking out. Here in North Idaho, winters are grey, bleak, cold, and can be somewhat depressing, so looking out my window can just add to the dreariness. But I think there is something to be said about looking out the window…literally and…

  • Loose Flower Watercolors

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    Lauren

    This week was fun because I didn’t do any sketching beforehand. I focused on painting flowers in a loose way with not a lot of structure. I’m type A. So this was a little hard. But building on the foundation of last week with the envelopes I feel like I…

  • Envelopes with Valentine’s Day Vibes

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    Lauren

    This week I did envelopes. Lots of envelopes with all the hearts and Valentine’s Day vibes. As I paint with watercolors, I really love how details and darker lines take the painting from its ugly stage to something with depth and interest. This week, I don’t have anything to say…

  • A Fourth Grade Teacher’s Creative Wisdom

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    Lauren

    This week, I focused on hearts. I could’ve just drawn hearts and painted those, but I thought it would be cute and fun to add in our goose, Gerty, and a chicken. I loved using anthropomorphism- making the little animals come to life with human characteristics. It was fun to…

  • Not Yet a Masterpiece

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    Lauren

    This week, I worked on snowy skies and landscapes. Woof. I don’t love any of them. Through this process, my goal is to be obedient to God. I had this yearning in my soul, and I believe He led me into this. But I also want to learn my style…

  • Quiet Evenings by Candlelight and the Space They Create

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    Lauren

    This week, I painted candles and ended up focusing only on the candlelight, which looked like a pepper. I told myself I would still share it because this is a process where I’m learning and growing. That mini watercolor took the longest. It pushed my skills, and I learned how…

  • The Season That Looks Empty: How Dormancy Shapes Who We Become

    The Season That Looks Empty: How Dormancy Shapes Who We Become

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    Lauren

    I started having an increased interest in art during my senior year of high school. I needed an elective, and I thought art would be fun to take. On the first day of class, I took a seat in the front at a table with a little bouquet in a…