Today, I stumbled upon the following book by Russell N. Cronwell, Subconscious Religion, Copyright, 1921, by Harper & Brothers. Chapter VI Use of the Bible in Prayer “IT will be useful to any seeker after God to examine the agencies which have helped those whose prayers have been conspicuously answered. Among the many helps which, seemingly,…
In Writing and Painting, Be Specific – Learn to See the Differences with Contour Drawing
Learning to Write and Paint Is Dependent on a Person’s Ability to Dig Deep and to Be Specific. When I start new writing an painting students, I always tell them that having previous experience is not necessary. Sometimes, a person’s previous training is more detrimental than helpful because my approach to teaching is different. Regardless…
Help, Thanks, Wow – Quotes from Anne Lamott’s Book about Prayer
“If we stay where we are, where we’re stuck, where we’re comfortable and safe, we die there. We become like mushrooms, living in the dark, with poop up to our chins. If you want to know only what you already know, you’re dying. You’re saying: Leave me alone; I don’t mind this little rathole. It’s…
The Empty Lot of My Childhood – Mow It – Make A Path – Weed to Find the Way – Joy Comes in the Morning
On one scorching hot summer morning, I heard the ratcheting sound of lawn mowers firing up. I hoped the sound was coming from my yard. For days, feather-tufted spikes of Johnson Grass had been waving jubilantly in the wind. I rushed to the door to be sure that my ears were not deceiving me, and…
My Summer of Zinnias
Purple Zinnia – Jacki Kellum Watercolor Painting June 13, 2025 The summer of 2025 is my summer of painting zinnias. I love zinnias, and they are relatively easy to draw. I decided painting zinnias would be the least painful way for me to teach myself to paint again. Therefore, I am trying to paint zinnias…
Contour Drawing Helps Me to Better See What I Want to Paint – Frederick Franck on Zen Drawing
Zinnia Jacki Kellum Contour Drawing June 20, 2025 Contour Drawing is a type of meditation that strips away all the illusions of what I think are there and allows me to see what is actually there. I start every painting session with the act of contour drawing. I consider it a great fortune that I…
Goldfinches in My Garden – They Love Eating the Sunflower Seeds from the Live Plants
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)gun I have begun my third year of gardening in my current Mississippi garden, and I am thrilled the American Goldfinches have finally found me. What a difference two years of gardening have made. The first year I was here, I saw very few birds. But for years before that time, my…
A List of Jewelry Pliers and How to Use Each Tool
Newacalcox Set of Jewelry Pliers in Wooden Pallet Sold on Amazon Essential Pliers: Round Nose Pliers: These have tapered, rounded jaws, ideal for creating loops, curves, and spirals in wire, especially helpful for making jump rings, eye pins, and wire wrapping Google ai Chain Nose Pliers (also called Snipe Nose or Needle Nose): These have…
What Is a Cottage Garden? What Is a Chaos Garden? Reasons to Garden Chaotically
Jacki Kellum Garden “The cottage-style garden is all about whimsy, soft lines, and classic blooms—like pansies, daisies, snapdragons, peonies, foxgloves, and delphinium—that might have been found in grandma’s garden.” Better Homes and Gardens Is a cottage garden the same as an English garden? “While both English and cottage gardens are known to include architectural elements…
Thoughts on Bull Fighters, Bull, and Waving Red Flags – How & Why Trump Starts the Protests Against Him
Which Came First — The illegally conducted ICE Raids, the Protests, or the Military Occupation–and Why? Illustration from Hans Christian Anderson The Emperor’s New Clothes No Kings Day June 14, 2025 Trump wants to be a King–a dictator. Our constitution prohibits that. Therefore, to try to circumvent the constitution, Trump throws the nasty first punches…