Fear By Lawrence Pray

Fear

Let's be honest.
There is no small measure of fear here
as we wonder what might happen.

Those who sat in your chair
before you
they too knew fear.

They also wondered
how things would turn out.

Like you they knew uncertainty
and overcame it.

That which was once lonely
becomes shared conversation.

"Oh, you too?" we hear.
"Yes, me too," we say.
Together we face tomorrow.

What language is this?
The language of life.

That's what we speak here.
And that's what we learn here.

Written for those in surgical waiting rooms
at Methodist Healthcare, Memphis, Tennessee.
Published, Healing Words of Life
Rev. Larry Pray
Methodist Healthcare, Memphis, Tennessee

Copyright Larry Pray

Look who's stopping by!!

Larry Pray
"I paint with watercolor for several reasons.  Mystery is the first.  I never quite know where and how the water will take the paint, how gravity itself will affect it, or just how many greys can be made in the mixture of blue and orange, red and green, earth colors and blue."

"I paint landscapes because I tend to live "out there" rather than in a minute world.  In each place healing is the theme. I have managed to lived through two strokes, each of which changed my perception of life itself.  I was never quite sure how I would understand, communicate, or find my way.  The essence of life became the essence of my painting."

Larry has done four shows in Minneapolis/St. Paul. His work, poetry and painting, has appeared at Methodist Healthcare in Memphis, Tennessee; the Retina Center at Phillips Eye Institute, and Abbot Northwestern Hospital.

Larry's newest book is Thresholds:  Connecting Body and Soul after Brain Injury, Ruder Finn Press, 2012.  The book is available on Kindle, Nook, and iBook.  The print edition will be available in late July, 2012.



 Larry Pray is a water color artist who creates about a painting a day and posts them here on his inspiring blog. Larry's Blog

Color your world!

Tie dye is a fun way to jazz up an old t-shirt or pair of pants.  This summer dig out your unused clothing and pick up some die over at Art Materials.  We have indigo dye, procion dyes (used for plant fibers), acid dyes (used for animal fibers), silk dyes, iDye, textile paints, and tie dye kits.  Look for more information in our Textile Arts section online.

Art Materials Textile Arts

Summer in the Sun!

Painting en plein air (painting in the open air)

The weather is looking great outside and it's about time to dust off your umbrella and plein air easel!  Painting out doors is a traditional form of art that gives artists the ability to capture light in the moment.  Those apricot sunsets and lavender clouds are fleeting and what a joy it is to be able to have a first hand point of view to record those miraculous colors in nature.

At Art Materials we have great products to suit your needs including:

Portable Easels  Easel Umbrella 

Travel Watercolor Sets   Oil Sets

Canvas Panels  Water Color Pads 

And much more...

Just ask one of our friendly retail associates to help get you set up for your next outing!

How Omega-3s help to make the worlds masterpieces!

When I was first introduced to Flax I used it as a nutritional suppliment to get more omega 3's into my system.  Omega 3's are the fats that create the building blocks to our cell walls in our bodies. Ground Flax is one way for vegan's to get those Omega 3s without drinking Cod Liver Oil.  

Upon further investigation it turns out that flax has been used for centuries in the manufacturing of oils and fibers alike.  It is the main oil used by Gamblin when it comes to the binder that supports pigment in their oil paints (read more about Gamblin's Linseed processing plants in Montana HERE!).  In the 15th century fresco and mosaic artists were wowed by its ability to sustain light within its transparent layers.  This new medium opened up a whole new world for artists of that era.  Linseed oil is a naturally derived binder so it does break down over time and can yellow. Cold pressed linseed oil has an tendency to yellow the most with age.

Flax fibers are also used in the creation Linen, one of the most expensive yet most desirable substrates to paint on.  The flax fibers are longer and less elastic than cotton, this means that linen fibers when woven will lay flatter hand have a stronger tension when stretched making for smooth application of paints.  To delve more into the information cited here visit the links below.  And stop by your local Art Materials to learn more about the flax based products we carry!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flax

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linseed_oil

http://www.gamblincolors.com/newsletters/studionotes15.html

How to do an image transfer with acrylics!

In the store we are always getting asked on how to do this or that, and one of the exciting questions we get to answer is how to do an image transfer with acrylic gel.  When an artist is looking to replicate an image without having to painstakingly detail it with the tiny 20/0 brushes this is a great alternative.  It also allows for great layering textures to be applied to the art. The surprising part about answering this question would be that nearly any acrylic gel will work.  

All an artist will need for an image transfer will be a LASER print (not inkjet!) and an acrylic gel of some sorts.

Golden's Gac800, Self-leveling gel, and soft gel gloss are some of the best for clarity and smoothness.
Fluid Matte Medium would be best for the artist that wants a foggy translucency to their images.

Golden has a great link on their website detailing the process for artists here! 
Golden Image Transfer Info and VIDEOS!!

Also Look here for examples with other mediums and colors too!
OOOO AHHHH!

If you only have an inkjet printer there are other ways of making an image transfer by using Digital Grounds.
Click the link to find out more about how to make your own skins to print on with your printer.
Digital Ground Application Techniques

Art Community Survey

Calling all artists!   

The art community needs your feedback

Please take ten minutes to complete a major international artist survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ArtistSurvey2012 .

By taking this survey you will...

• Be entered to win a drawing for $200 in art supplies
• Raise money for visual artist scholarships
• Help artist organizations, art schools, and others serve you better
• Tell art stores and suppliers what artists want
• Get a free summary of the survey results
• Explore your art life

And you won't get any marketing spam. The survey is anonymous.

The results of this survey will appear in the second edition of The Artists & Art Materials Study. A free summary will be available to everyone in the arts community. The International Art Materials Association (NAMTA), an association of hundreds of art materials businesses and organizations, sponsors this major international study every three years. This survey is conducted by Hart Business Research, a firm specializing in creative markets.