Sunrise challenge--watercolor

Oklahoma Sunrise, 5 by 7, 300 Lb. d-Arches

"I'll meet you in the morning by the bright riverside...." --Gospel song

The Oklahoma sky was golden at 6:30 this morning, and it reminded me of this song. I first heard this song at the funeral of a dear friend, Jack Rodolph, years ago, at Temple, Oklahoma.

 As I prepared for day 5 of #WorldWatercolorMonth.com daily challenge, it seemed to fit my life and the world,  and all that was needed was metaphorical aging shack, silhouetted against  the hope of a new day.

Palette--Ultamarine blue, Aureolin yellow, Cad orange, Burnt umber, Alizerin Crimson

Morning rain

Morning rain, 5 by 8 watercolor, 300# d'Arches

There is an advantage to getting up early. From this morning's 6:30 photo...

Sacred stillness in a Hafer morning

In the stillness of the morning, you find people like yourself,
finding themselves in quiet time, sacred time. After a rain, as the sun comes up, time to walk, time to read, time to fish, time to be alone, time to think.
Sacred time.


"Let light
Rise from the chambers of the east, and bring
The honey'd dew that cometh on waking day.
O radiant morning..."
--William Blake

"In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation."
--Psalms 5.

"To everything there is a season..." Ecclesiastes 3

For spacious skies--Oklahoma morning

"I will lift up mine eyes..." wrote the Psalmist.

He could have been writing about the skies of Oklahoma and the Great Plains, I thought, during a morning walk.
I can't take my eyes off the clouds, the light, the shadows, the constant change.
After a rain and cool front, everything is crisp. Mississippi Kites float through the air, cardinals chirp, other birdsong never stops. A breeze adds to the coolness and rustles leaves, some already falling. It's hard to believe it's August, and it won't last, but...
For now, the views lift up your spirits.

Morning thoughts for sipping on calm coffee

   “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 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?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
    “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
  " Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
 --Rabbi Jeshua, Matt. 6: 25-34