Category Archives: Artistic Writings

Art photo and writing collection relating to lifetime experiences.

Perspectives

perspectives

“Studies of a Young Woman,” 1870, Adolph Menzel. Image from a page of the 2015 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Perspectives – My life’s perspectives are always changing, and challenging me to do more.

“Perhaps nothing helps us make the movement from our little selves to a larger world than remembering God in gratitude.  Such a perspective puts God in view in all of life, not just in the moments we set aside for worship or spiritual disciplines.  Not just in the moments when life seems easy.”  Henri Nouwen

Perspectives

Staring in the mirror, who do I see?

At first glance, it is simply a reflection of me.

As I peer closer, an added dimension appears.

My face reveals a culmination of my life through the years.

My eyes reflect back to me experiences of times past.

Those times that I’ve rushed through, and the ones I’d wanted to last.

What a contrast; how differently I see things now than I did before.

My life’s perspectives are always changing, and challenging me to do more.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

One of my neighbors, and gracious admirer of my artwork, has commissioned me to do a graphite pencil drawing for her.  The image is a street scene which will require my using the technique of perspective, while sketching out the composition.  Perspectives can involve something as simple as verbalizing a single point of view.  When it comes to other things in life, however, they can be as complex as trying to represent the illusion of depth and distance on a flat sheet of paper.  Perspectives also carry another dimension with them.  For as the relationship between the items being focused upon change, so does the way we in which we view them.

Perspectives, whether used as a technique in drawing or as a way of analyzing life events, are interesting to say the least.  How do you approach things that require you to view them in more than one dimension?

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Three Little Words

Three little words

Photograph courtesy of Martin Watson

Three little words…made all the difference to her world.

“When he wanted to take her picture, he didn’t tell her to smile, but he told her ‘I love you’ and her smile was more beautiful.”  Author Unknown

Three Little Words

There’s something different in the way she walks;

there’s a buoyancy, a lightness in her every step.

She giggles at the silliest things;

her smile radiates the space around her.

Nothing troubles her; her feet seem never to touch the ground.

What is it? What makes her whole being sparkle?

Three little words, “I love you,” that were spoken to her;

made all the difference to her world.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

It’s amazing to me how three little words can emit such powerful feelings of excitement, create such a sense of belonging and purpose, and fulfill so many  desires longed for, that they cause the recipient to beam.  Few things in life can cause such a reaction.  Few things can instill an intensity of emotion that can actually stimulate an illuminating vibrancy that is evident both physically and mentally.  “I love you,” three little words; that’s all it takes.

Don’t take my word for it…say those three little words to the one you love and find out for yourself.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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A Beautiful Thing

 

A Beautiful Thing

Photograph courtesy of Martin Watson

A beautiful thing…There is a certain freedom in having less rather than more. When all of the adornments have been stripped away…

“I thought I was rich because I had this one flower; but I see that all I have is an ordinary rose…”  Antoine de Saint-Exupery (The Little Prince)

A Beautiful Thing

What do you have when you think you haven’t anything?

What you have…is a beautiful thing.

There is a certain freedom in having less rather than more.

When all of the adornments have been stripped away;

and all that is left is the bare wood, or the rust colored clay.

What is left when the shelf is empty, when the wall is blank?

What is left…is a beautiful thing.

How can one make something from nothing?

“That’s impossible,” one might say.

I beg to differ, there is purity, there is strength, there is dignity;

for when all is exposed and left out to decay…

only the solid pieces remain…building blocks that sustain.

So what do you have when all you have left are shattered parts that once were whole?

There you have it…a beautiful thing…a new creation…from the old is born the new.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

“God can do more with an empty heart than a full one.” (Author Unknown)

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Where Do I Go From Here?

where do I go from here

Pen & ink drawing by Felecia R. Weber circa 1980, OntheWingofaDove.com

Where do I go from here?  Wondering what is the next step one should take can apply to almost any situation in life.

“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”  T.S. Eliot

Where do I go from here?  That is a question that I am certain has been asked by many at some point in their lives.  It is a questions that doesn’t necessarily have to do with traveling from one destination to the next.  Wondering what is the next step one should take can apply to almost any situation in life.  Life in itself is full of uncertainties, as well as countless opportunities.  Unlike plugging in an address into a GPS device and receiving a clearly charted out route, knowing what direction to take when it comes to making critical decisions can be quite confusing.  All too often, we find ourselves so far off course, that we feel lost.

where do i go from here

Pen & ink drawing by Felecia R. Weber circa 1980, OntheWingofaDove.com

So how does one answer the question, where do I go from here?  I know when I face a fork in the road in my own life, many times I tend to pause and linger too long “taking in the scenery.”  I research, study and weigh my options so much that I suffer from information overload.  I fill my brain with so much “stuff” that, what used to be the perfect amount of information to carry along with me as I move forward, has turned into an oversized mass that I cannot possibly proceed with on my own.  At that point, I feel disoriented and need to seek help from someone else.  Even finding someone to help me can be challenging sometimes…but not when I seek the right source first.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.”  Proverbs 3:5-6

Where do I go from here?  Although I may not know exactly how to navigate my way to making the best decision, I do know who will always lead me in the right direction.  God is fully capable of and willing to help each of us through any challenges that we face.  He’ll not only direct us and see us safely through any situation, he’ll also work the outcome to be the very best for us.  He’ll make the way clear for us and stay right by our side until we get to where we need to be.  There is one thing that has to be done individually first though…we need to ask HIM, where do I go from here?

where do i go from here

Pen & ink drawing by Felecia R. Weber circa 1980, OntheWingofaDove.com

Where will you go from here?  May you find your answer in Him.

Peace an love,

Felecia

 

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On A Journey

On a journey

Photograph courtesy of David Brown

On a journey…On a journey, here I go.  I don’t have a plan, but I am going, this I know.

“It wasn’t long before Jonathan Gull was off by himself again, far out to sea, hungry, happy, learning.”  Richard Bach (Jonathan Livingston Seagull)

On A  Journey

On a journey, here I go,

I don’t have a plan, but I am going, this I know.

I think I’ll travel far, so I’ll be gone for a while.

Wherever I end up, I intend to enjoy every mile.

On a journey, I may walk on land, I may sail on the sea.

No matter how I get there, this journey is one …just for me.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, Onthewingofadove.com

Do you ever feel like just getting away?  Just packing a bag and heading off on a road with no particular destination in mind…just as long as it is someplace else.  Sometimes when I cannot physically get away, I close my eyes and let my mind take me down a road, along a trail, or even traversing the waves of the wide open sea. No matter where or how far my thoughts allow me to travel to, I always make my way back home…and you know whatI have found?  Home is sometimes the best destination I can ever wish to get to.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Restored and Renewed

Restored and Renewed

“The Early Bird,” circa 1979, colored pencil drawing by Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

Restored and renewed – life worth living…experience a restorative grace that beckons renewal and refreshment.

“The reason birds can fly and we can’t is simply because they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings.”  J.M. Barrie, “The Little White Bird”

Restored and renewed – life worth living.  Do you ever question what your purpose in life is?  Do you ever wonder why your life is worth living?  Those are tough questions to answer when life begins to seem like one unending day full of mundane events, peppered with annoyances and issues that cause us a lot of grief.  Or when happy and exciting times start to fade into the background, collecting dust and getting shoved behind the curtains.  What does it take for us to answer them in positive ways?  What is it that causes us to reach beyond the ordinariness of our daily grind…to be restored and renewed – full of life worth living?

Now that the weather has suddenly changed from an almost frigid darkness to a warming brightness, I’ve noticed subtle changes that fill me with the hope and restorative power of spring.  I love to feed the wild birds that find their way to the tree in my front yard throughout the year.  The way they flutter around and gather at the feeder can mesmerize me for several minutes at a time.  During the winter months when wild food becomes scarce, it seems mealtimes at the bird feeder are feverishly hectic.  My little flock of feathered friends seem to frantically wait for me to fill the feeder every day.  Now, however, with the marked onset of warmer temperatures, they seem only to pick, taking a mouthful of seed here and there.  No longer desperate to find food, their frenzied chirps have turned into delicate, soothing melodies filling my ears with a restorative grace that beckons renewal and refreshment.

Like the wild birds feeding outside my home, when we are hungry for restoration and renewal deep within us, we hurriedly hop from one problem or crisis to another.  We try to resolve issues that never seem to end; only to become flustered in the process and not having accomplished anything.  It doesn’t have to be that way, for we need only to ask for help.  God is always there ready and willing to provide the answers and to abundantly supply our needs.  I can tell you this from experiences in my own life.  When I begin to flap my wings seemingly to no avail…I stop and, in faith and confidence, cry out to God for help.  He not only provides the answers, (and always in the most amazing ways, I might add), my heart is calmed and filled with a peace that only He can give.  During those times, I truly am restored and renewed – full of life worth living!

As we enter into this beautiful season, may you pause and seek God’s help…let His love provide the answers that you are seeking and cause you to be restored and renewed as well.

A happy Spring season to you!

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Love Is a Language

Love is a Language

“The Musicians (Detail),” c. 1595, Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi). Image from the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Love is a language that everybody speaks.  However you express it, may it be received and spoken back to you.

“The limits of my language are the limits of my world.”  Ludwig Wittgenstein

Love is a language that everybody speaks.  Love is our voice.  We can shout it out to all the world, or keep it silent and all to ourselves.  What is love, this language that we possess?  When we speak it, is it interpreted by others in the way we’ve intended it to be?  Do others respond in kind?  Indeed, love is a language that everybody speaks…but is it one that is truly understood?

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”  1 Corinthians 13:1

When love is spoken, it can be relayed in countless ways.  We can demonstrate our love for another without having the words, “I love you” ever pass through our lips.  Many times when our love is spoken through our actions, it is received by others more deeply.  Being a “doer,” I often say “I love you” by taking the time to send a card expressing how special someone is to me, or giving a gift that I know will make that person’s day.  Sometimes, just reaching out and “being there” for someone can express so much love that it leaves them speechless.  Whatever way we choose to say it, love is a language that everybody speaks, and understands at some level.

What about you?  How do you say “I love you”?  However you express it, may it be received and spoken back to you in a way you will fully understand…and enjoy.

Wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day…

With love,

Felecia

 

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Love – What’s in a word?

Love - What's in a word?

“The Parting of Lancelot and Guinevere,” 1874, Julia Margaret Cameron. Image from a page of the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Love – What’s in a word?

“Love encompasses so much, it cannot be put inside a bottle.  No, love needs to be scattered all over the world, so that everyone can share a part of it.”  Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Full, luscious, desirable, sweet,

Love is a feeling that cannot be beat!

Warm and fuzzy, a sensual kiss,

Love is something you won’t want to miss!

Affection, fondness, attraction, desire, tenderness, devotion, of the heart, romance, bond…

Love…what’s in this word for you?  If you can tell me, please do!

Love to me means fullness and life, for both are born out of love.  My heart feels as though it may burst when love fills and resides within it.  My being feels alive with renewed vitality when love surrounds me.  Love truly has the power to change any circumstance into the most beautiful thing in the world…

May the love that fills your heart create a beauty of its own…when you share it with another.

With love,

Felecia

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