I had been feeling in a bit of a funk for a few days–maybe the sorrow stirred at seeing so many conflicting and contentious posts in my facebook newsfeed over the presidential candidates? Maybe too much red-40 dye in my post-Halloween junk food had me off kilter? 😉

Anyhoo, I was over at The Nester’s place yesterday (cyber-speaking, that is), and clicked the link to these prints, just out of curiosity, mostly. I wanted to read what they said more than loving the sleek design (I like things a little more tatty and worn).

The link from her blog led over to DaySpring where I saw this similar-style print. And although this still isn’t really my style, it inspired me to pull out a blank canvas a treat myself to a little paint therapy.

Ah, birdies are so sweet. They are such a lovely visual reminder of God’s faithfulness:

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26)

I used some paint from the leftover china cabinet makeover testers, and a little white & brown.

THIS is where I wish I’d taken more photos along the way… because first I painted a birdie on the branch with a white background… then I added this verse in large print that took up most of the right half of this canvas… Then I painted back over that with white… Then I added the verse back in small print in orange… Then went over the orange with black sharpie… Then went over the black with blue… Then added swirls with a black sharpie… Then went roughly over them with blue… Then the lighter blue too… Then added white & blue paint mixed together and watered down all over the canvas and blotted it back off to give the painting a more aged & mottled effect… I painted the four sides of the canvas brown… Then outlined the border of the front with black sharpie… Then went over all that with blue… And then I wondered if salt does the same thing with acrylic paints that it does with watercolors, so I tossed some of that on there in a few spots, too… [I think that about covers it, though I can’t vouch for the exact order.]

Apparently, I’m not much of a planner when it comes to painting. And it’s hard for me to walk away and stop tweaking & changing & paint-over-ing.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Since I’m thinking this will end up in the kids’ very bland bathroom, I added one of my boys’ favorite verses.

And if you’re thinking you couldn’t freehand a birdie, you could just do a google search for “bird sillouette” or something like that, size it, print it, cut it out, and literally trace it onto your canvas. Easy peasy! Wheeeeee!

Hmm… of course that has me trolling my “let’s go home” pinterest board for other ideas for that sad little builder grade bathroom… trim, mayhaps? Yes, please!

…Maybe make a new shower curtain and cornice out of a [less expensive version of] this fabric? Hmm…

Now where did I put that money tree? No? Okay, well just the painting then. 😉  Wheeeeee!