Willingness, a Humble Heart, a Teachable Spirit
Do you mind if I brag on my husband? Ray surprised me on Tuesday morning. After he got ready for the day, he came into the room where I was and said, “I’ve decided to start taking art with Miss Judy. I want to do an iris first. I’ve always thought they were pretty.”
I had no idea he was even thinking about it. I am very proud of him. He began yesterday. Miss Judy brought him one of her drawings of an iris. He set to work copying it onto his first canvas. He did a great job.
Ray becomes the fifth member of our immediate family . . .
. . . to study art under Miss Judy. She and I are pictured below when I finished my latest painting, the view of Roaring River that we see when we are coming Home Sweet Home.
I painted it to complete my Four Seasons set. I hope that by the end of the day today it will be hanging with my Fall, Winter, and Spring paintings which all depict a special place in Tennessee: fall leaves on our dogwood tree, our barn in the snow, and the stone arched bridge in Cumberland Mountain State Park, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression and visited often with my family when I was a girl.
I am happy that Ray is now experiencing the joy of painting in this season of his life. I know he will be a good student because he has the essential traits of all good students:
- a willingness to try something brand new—even at 73 (Grandma Moses began at 78)
- a humble heart
- a teachable spirit
When our children have those traits, we can teach them just about anything.
Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord,
and He will exalt you.
James 4:10
Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,
Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.
Proverbs 9:9