From start to finish...

Personally, I think Tom is one of the most creative people on the planet...but, perhaps, I might be biased! He was asked to do some artwork for the set of Divaz Next Door which is a local talk show on PlusTV, a Christian TV station, here in Belize. Here are some photos that I put together showing the evolution of his artwork!

His initial concept

He wasn't happy with the direction of this one...

So he changed direction.

Cirilo's preparing the set

The table was custom made by Pastor Scott Stirm and his son Shane.

all set and ready to go!

And it's show time! 

We had an informative talk with Mrs Arzu about the Garinagu people of Belize

Andrea and I also enjoyed a song by David Smith of Roots and Honor Records!

passing the time...

Tom has always enjoyed doing puzzles.  In the early years of our marriage, before we could afford artwork, Tom would do a puzzle and glue it together to hang on our walls.  Now our home in Belize is graced with his artwork.  But, the joy of completing a puzzle still remains!

 

 

He thought at first that there were a few pieces missing...

Thankfully, Auntie Manesha found them today when she came to do the floors!!

Number 29

Tom's artwork graces our walls.  Here is one of his latest pieces.  It was influenced by the local Mayan masks that we've seen here in Belize.  He was intrigued by the thought of what jewels of different colors look like when light hits them from various angles. 

I loved how it turned out!

Forgiveness...

a new painting by Tom...

Lola's Art and more gifts...

One of the places we visited while on our vacation was Lola's Art.  

Lola Delgado was born in Belize City in 1959 and she opened her first gallery in 1992.  Her paintings are inspired by the daily lives of those in her community.  She lives in Seine Bight, a Garifuna village, just outside of Placencia.  If you are ever in that area make sure you take time to visit her. Lola will be happy to chat with you as she works on her latest creation.  

Her studio and gallery

samples of her work

Not only does she paint but she has a great sense of humor as well...

The prayer:

Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom to understand my man, love to forgive him, and patience for his moods. 

Because Lord, if I pray for strength, I will beat him to death.  Amen.

Driving through the village of Seine Bight gave me a deep sense of gratitude for all that we have.  Yes, we suffered the devastating loss of our belongings. None of our boxes made it from Russia.  And yet in spite of that we still have more than many people had there.  We live in a home with running water.  We have a toilet.  Electricity.  Cable TV and internet access in our home.  We are wealthy in comparison.  We saw houses that looked as if they would topple over in the next strong wind.  Well worn clothes hanging out on the line.  Very few cars or bikes.  And yet many of them had waterfront property.  They can swim daily and eat seafood regularly.  And they have each other.  It is peaceful. Serene.  Filled with the laughter of playing children and chatter from people on the street.  And as you drive by you also become part of their entertainment as they people watch.  Taking note of all the tourists in the area.

Lola told us it was exciting when electricity came to the village.  Now they have internet access as well.

We have so much to be grateful for...

453.  indoor toilets

454. washing machine

455.  cooling fresh breezes

456.  the love of family

457. the kindness of neighbors

458.  knowing many of our neighbors by name

459.  growing up in America

460.  being able to travel about this country

461.  having a car

462.  being able to afford gas

463.  butterflies

464. hummingbirds

465.  the sound of waves on the sea

466.  coming home to a house scrubbed clean by Spencer.

467.  having food in the fridge

468.  not panicking when the electricity goes out

469.  candles and matches

470.  the impending celebration of the birth of a King.

joining Ann Voskamp and the gratitude community:

Number 11

Tom's latest painting for the church.

Man at Work

Tom enjoying his studio time and the benefits of his labor!

packing up our paintings

Tom and I love to get at least one piece of art work each time we travel to a new country. We have ended up with a small collection of pieces from Cyprus, Ukraine, Italy, Turkey and Russia. Tom also painted a few things that we want to ship to America. To be able to take all of these items with us we have to photograph each piece, write a description, tell the value and where it was purchased. Then the photos have to be taken to the city historian to verify that they are not Russian artifacts so that they can legally be taken out of the country. Once he certifies them they have to be taken to at least two more offices for approval.

Tom has the photos done and will go to see the city historian next week. Hopefully this process will be uneventful!

Marc Chagall Exhibit

Jeremiah







"Ever since my earliest youth I have been fascinated by the Bible. I have always believed that it is the greatest source of poetry of all time...The Bible is an echo of nature, and this I have endeavoured to transmit.... In art everything is possible, so long as it is based on love"

Marc Chagall


For Tom's birthday we went to the museum with our friends Brennen, Stephanie, Valera and his granddaughter Eva. We were surprised to discover that the exhibit was a collection of Chagall's lithographs with biblical themes.

My favorite was Naomi and her daughter in laws click here to see a copy. Each lithograph was displayed with a verse from the Bible that inspired the piece.

If this collection comes your way you will not regret going to see it... even if you are not a fan of surrealism this Russian artist will leave an impression on you!

windows into Krasnodar

Tom has been working on a series of pastels that give a small glimpse of the culture here through his eyes. This little lady is known affectionately as "The cat Babushka".

She sits out on the stoop and feeds all the neighborhood cats!