Africa

Well... Ryan and I are officially off to Kenya may 10th -18th. Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and prayed us through these past few weeks. It's been a bit of a scramble to get things in order but it's all coming together.

We continue to hear questions that closely resemble, 'what are you guys going to do on a medical mission trip?' (Referring to our lack of medical background.) Basically we have no concrete expectations. We are going to help... and you don't need to be a doctor to help. We are staying in a convent and working only in Nairobi. We have very limited information on what this trip will look like, and I think I prefer it that way. Who doesn't like surprises? Truth is, we are the first team going back with MTW since a lot of unrest has occurred, so the set up will be quite different.

It's a scary thing though. All the anticipation, the hesitance, the nagging thoughts... 'Is this going to kill me?' - 'Is this really going to make a difference in the long run?' - 'I guess it'll make me stronger...' (You all know I'm talking about the shots, right? ) I mean really... 6 shots in one day? I know, I know, there are worse things.

Anyhow, we could really use some persistent prayer. This experience is more than likely going to break us in half... the hard way... but the good way. And we can't wait.

God Bless

Trying something new

I thought I would try something new... using bright colors. I recently discovered why I always end up with muted dark colors. Whenever I create a painting with pure colors straight out of the tube, it looks really amateur. So I thought I would try to *NOT* muddy up all my colors but still try to make enough contrast to make it interesting.

Acrylic Painting
18" x 24"
$250

Africa

A few weeks ago, our good friend Mike presented us with an opportunity to go to Kenya with a team he's involved with for a medical mission trip. We just about immediately put it on the back burner (not completely out of our minds, just in the back somewhere). There was no sense in hoping- we had so many obligations/ commitments that we'd already made for the year and getting time off of work was already really tight. But then, last week we were watching a video of the National Prayer breakfast... a man named Ward Brehm spoke on his spiritual journey in Africa. His words of experience paired with our dads- oh so familiar words- "What are you waiting for?" made us suddenly inspired to pursue this trip.

This trip is taking place from May 10th- 18th. It's coming up fast! We are still working out technicalities... so we are not 100% sure this trip is on, but things are looking positive. Ryan is pretty much set, we just need to raise a bit of support and book his tickets and he's on his way. As for me, my situation is a bit complicated. My passport is in my maiden name, which could be a problem because all of my legal documents have been changed to ' Bergman'. I just don't want to be stuck in Kenya. So, to all of you that read about our lives, we would really love for this opportunity to work out that we can both go, your prayers that what should be done, will be done are very much appreciated.

Here's to Hoping!

Map Painting

Acrylic Painting
16" x 20"

Frogs.

Ryan and I like Frogs.

Oil Paintings
6" x 6"

My Last Class

This is an example from a printmaking class- teaching kids ages 5-7.

I'm officially done teaching at the Eagan Art House. Originally I took this position to get a taste of how my gifts line up with a teaching environment. I can see where Moscioni gets all of her stories. As much as I enjoyed these children, and the occasional adult students, I found that teaching one on one is more my niche. I would really like to teach private lessons where the structure is a bit more flexible to the individuals wants and needs. One thing I found difficult with teaching basic art was finding projects that could be worked on with a large variety of skill sets. I would suggest to parents, if you want your child to get the most out of an art class, to expand creativity and skill, enroll them in private lessons. In a few cases I found the environment I taught in to be more of a day camp for parents who want "Me" time at the salon. (Which really turns me off)

In any case, it was a wonderful learning experience for me, which is what I wanted in the first place. Don't get me wrong about the Art House, there are wonderful teachers there and a large variety of classes. I would recommend it to any one looking for a introduction to a medium- they would be able to do wonderful things if the class sets were longer. If you are looking for a talented painting teacher for a short term class, check out painting classes with Eric at the Art House.

Welp, I guess I'm on to bigger and better things. Any suggestions?

Something Pretty to Look at

Well, we don't have anything important to say, so I'm just going to post two more of my paintings. Enjoy.

Oil Paintings in the 'Winter Series'

20" x 20" - Price: $500