"Say cheese!"

My daughter is very proud of her new smile, and also pretty happy with the cash that has been rolling in from the tooth fairy.....lucky for me she's running out of teeth!

Happy accident??

Tonight I put lit candles throughout the house, it seems to have become a ritual now on child-free evenings, and it is usually accompanied by sushi...mmmm!.... later I discovered wax was dripping onto this painting. A portrait of my ex's cousin, it was promised to my ex- Aunty inlaw (Aunty ex-law?) around 15 years ago. Every 3-5 years I work on the painting, along with another one of his brother, and I vow to finish them.
Photo realism and painting portraits from photo's is tedious and boring --usually boring to look at as well. I thought I might actually get rid of them this time because they're so close to being finished, so when I turned and saw the wax dripping on dear cousin Jamie my first response was "Oh s#$% ! Upon further examination it seems to have made an unsual and pleasing effect. The painting medium is oil on stretched watercolour paper, and I find that the textures of the paper, the wax and the smooth paint seem to compliment one another. I might leave it as it is and keep the painting to myself (I don't think Aunty exlaw will like the wax).
I'm hoping the wax doesn't absorb the pigment out of the paint, in case I decide to peel it off....that might have a cool effect too.... who knows?.

A recent drawing I did of my daughter. I should draw more, I'm a bit rusty, but I quite like it. I love the energy in the lines when I draw from life. The hurried look of the shading lines and the subtle changes in direction create (I think) a vibrancy that breathes with life, although the lines are a little heavy handed because of my lazy lack of practise.

To fear or not to fear?

I have never understood why we are taught to fear God. As far as I can see fear has no place in perfect love, which is the love of God. If we are to become like him and he is without fear, why in religion are we taught to fear? Fear keeps us physically safe in the earthly realm, therefore I think must be a man made construct and as we move up the ladder of spiritual evolution it seems logical that fear would have no place . Humility, on the other hand, is essential for spiritual growth, and humbling oneself is the essence of repentance. Not relinquishing wrong deeds out of fear and guilt, but out of a desire to be at one with God, which is being at one with love where everlasting joy resides.
So if anyone is actually reading this and they have an opinion about whether fear is man made or God given, I'm interested to hear/read it.