When you come to a fork in the road....

 

Where will this path take me?

This is a sketch I did a couple of years ago of a bridge close to my home on one of my favorite morning walks!  I've gone this way so often my dog leads the way, without my help!  It's familiar and comforting.  Sometimes when we go on new or different paths it's a little unsettling, when I'm not quite sure what's ahead, although, I always know it will work out and I'll find my way....

This is kind of how I'm feeling right now.  Last month I got notification that my blog platform will be discontinuing delivering to e-mail subscriptions.... that means you receiving this!  So, I'm in a bit of a conundrum as to what comes next.  A new website/blog, a newsletter, I am still pondering my options?  And as strange as this sounds, I have no idea who follows this blog!  I think there's a way, but I'm not "techy" enough to figure it out.  I tried several years ago, but got frustrated and gave up... and in a way I didn't want to know.  My joy comes from putting it "out there" and hoping that whoever's hands it falls into can take some joy from it.  

My very first blog post was in March of 2015 and since then I've posted 236 times... can you believe that??  Whether you've been with me from the beginning or just joined in, I thank all of you for your love and support and thank you to those who have commented over the years and forwarded it onto your friends.  Looking back, I love watching how it evolved and without a doubt my most meaningful posts for me have been from my Lent Series.  I have always wanted my artwork to be an expression of what I love and believe, and that will continue, so I hope you'll keep in touch and follow me on social media until "whatever is next."

In the meantime, if you want to be included in "whatever is next," please send an e-mail (do not reply to this) to bjmcgregor.art@gmail.com and I'll be sure to keep you in the loop with wherever this new path takes me.

And I hope you will follow me on Facebook and Instagram @bjmcgregor.art

and on Pinterest and Etsy @bjmcgregorart

I've got some exciting new artwork coming up that you won't want to miss!

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him, They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream  It does not fear when the heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."   

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Home is where the heart is ...

I've had a great time this past year doing sketches of places and things of interest to me, but still, after 11 years "in the business" my first love is doing Custom Home Portraits.   I haven't posted many lately, but they still occupy most of my time at my work table.  They each have a story to tell!  It's been a joy for me to get to know these "homeowners" and hear of the memories they've had within these walls.   Basketball in the driveway, Sleepovers, Christmas mornings, Retirement parties and all those special days that make up our lives.....  These two were Father's Day Gifts!  

Hello Hazel!

Say Hello to Hazel!

What a sweet pup she was to sketch.  Hazel is a therapy dog, and my guess is, she runs the show at her office!  But...those eyes, they are the windows to the soul.  I have really loved doing Pet Portraits, this is my 5th.  I've shy'd away from doing them for years because of the eyes mostly.  Their personality is all in the eyes and if you miss "that look" you've missed entirely.  I haven't met Hazel personally, but I feel we've connected!

I've sure enjoyed choosing my own material to sketch:  churches, monuments, missions, etc but my true love in art is doing the custom homes and pet portraits....the things we love the most!  I have a few commissioned home sketches in the works for Fathers Day gifts, so I can't share them yet, but stay tuned.. 

 

When McDonalds Ice Cream meets Thomas Jefferson....

 We lived in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington DC in 1985 when my girls were just 1 and 4 years old.  It was an amazing year that gave us several "once in a lifetime" experiences.  We were seated in the Gallery of the House of Representatives for a Joint Session Address by President Reagan, we watched a Space Shuttle launch in Florida, and marveled at the 4th of July fireworks on the National Mall.  But for the kids, it was the occasional drive thru McDonalds for an ice cream cone that was a favorite outing and one of my favorite memories because of this:

On one such outing, after strategically licking her cone to transform the twirl of ice cream to a perfectly domed mound on top, Katie age 4 proudly held it up for all to see and proclaimed "Look, it's the Jefferson Memorial!" 

A proud mama moment... and I'll never look at a soft serve ice cream cone, or the Jefferson Memorial the same way!

_______

With the Vietnam Memorial and Iwo Jima / Marine Corp Memorial from my previous post, I'm excited to share these first few sketches in my new collection:

D.C. MONUMENTS AND MEMORIALS

with more to come throughout the summer!

I'd love to hear from you... 

Tell me what's your favorite DC Monument and Memorial and why!

bjmcgregor.art@gmail.com

Always Remember....

     

GOD BLESS THE USA

    Memorial Day

Let us never forget to honor and remember those that gave the ultimate sacrifice.

My daughter, Katie and I spent a full day in October of 2019 walking on the Mall in Washington DC. where we experienced all of the monuments and memorials commemorating our country's history.  It truly was "an experience," as we walked thru the World Wars, Korea and Vietnam Memorial and were surrounded by "larger than life" monuments from Honest Abe and FDR to MLK.  These wars, and the people that have shaped this land we live in,  give us the freedoms and privileges of living in this amazing country today.   

I am grateful and proud to be an American and I pray that God will watch over us and guide us through our challenging times.  

Gifts for Graduates

Ok, sooo I promise

not to continue pitching my new

Etsy site in every blog-post, but I am pretty excited about 

this new adventure in my art!

So I just can't 

help myself!

                                                   

There are so many reasons to be sad about what our lives were like in 2020, but the one that always tears up my heart is the kids.  What they missed in what should be "the best years of their life!"  Football games, Senior Prom, Graduation...   

This year, things are looking a little bit brighter, at least here in Texas, so I wanted to do something to commemorate this occasion for them.  I sketched these five schools and have in stock a whole lot of prints, that I've offered for sale on Etsy at a very reasonable price.  

Check it out at www.etsy.com/bjmcgregorart 

 "Gifts for Graduates" and please share this with friends that might be interested!

And for the next 5 weeks on Instagram and Facebook (@bjmcgregor.art) I'm offering a Giveaway for those that enter!

University of Texas - College Park High School - The Woodlands High School

Texas A&M University  -  Baylor University

John James Audubon House and Tropical Gardens

 Not all "Landmarks and Legends" are in Texas... I know that's hard to believe, but there are some other pretty cool places around this beautiful country of ours.

This one is one of my favorites!  In March 2011, my husband and I took a quick weekend trip to visit Key West!   Last summer I posted a series photos from favorite vacations on Instagram, and when I posted this from that trip, Chuck said I should paint it...  so I did!!

The Audubon House Museum and Tropical Gardens has a surprising history.

Contrary to popular belief, it was NOT the home of John James Audubon as you'd imagine.  A previous house and gardens was on this property and while on a visit to the Keys in 1832 J.J. Audubon was inspired to complete his "Birds of America" series using much of the landscaping and cuttings as backgrounds in his paintings from that property.  That house was destroyed in a hurricane and this house was built around 1846 by Captain John Huling Geiger, Key West's first harbor pilot.  He raised his kids here and continued to develop the beautiful tropical gardens.   The house was passed down through many generations and in 1960 it was restored and opened as a museum commemorating Audubon's 1932 visit to Key West and to showcase his amazing portfolio.

Prints available www.etsy.com/shop/bjmcgregorart

oops!

Oops!!!

Well I could call it a late April fools day joke...

or blame it on too many mimosa's at our Easter Brunch....

so let's try this again....

another drumroll please.........

www.etsy.com/shop/bjmcgregorart

check it out!

I have exciting news to share!

 Hello Friends!

I hope you enjoyed a Happy Easter!  

Thankfully we are finally able to gather in church again and 

Praise God from whom all Blessings Flow!!

So, I have some exciting news....

I just opened my own ETSY Shop!!

The idea has been in my head for quite some time, and in the works the past few weeks, so I am happy to OFFICIALLY announce it here today, first with you!   

An e-mail is going out tomorrow so apologies up front if you're on both lists!

and on Social Media later this week.  

For over 10 years I've been doing commissioned /custom sketches, and in the past year I've added some art work that I've shared here, like the Texas Landmarks and Legends, the LOVE tree and others.   I've gathered them all into one place to share (and sell!) with listings of Custom and Original Art, Giclee Prints and Prints for Graduates.

And of course I've added a few Gifts and Goodies for fun!

drumroll please.........

www.etsy.com/shop/bjmcgregorart

I hope you'll check it out and feel free to share with friends.  

Please, Click the heart to "Like" my page and take a look around.... 

and if you see something you'd like to have, use the 

coupon code: WELCOME for a 15% OFF during the month of April.

Rejoice! He is Risen!!

"Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.  

And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.  

His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.  

And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.  

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.  

Come, see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is  going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.  

See, I have told you."

Matthew 28: 1-7

Rejoice!!

He is Risen!

He is Risen, Indeed!

It is Finished

"It was now about the sixth hour and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour because the sun was obscured: and the veil of the temple was torn in two.  And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice said "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."  

Having said this, He breathed his last breath."

Luke 23: 44-46

Today we pause to remember your sacrificial love

That shone light into darkness

That bore life from such emptiness

That revealed hope out of devastation

That spike truth through incrimination

That released freedom in spite of imprisonment

And brought us forgiveness instead of punishment.

Thank you that we can now walk in the light of your life, 

Hope, truth, freedom and forgiveness,

This and everyday.

 

Zacchaeus was a wee little man...

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week and the "triumphant entry" into Jerusalem.  Jesus had been preaching and teaching for three years and His time had come.

The city of Jericho was about 15 miles outside of Jerusalem, about an 8 hour walk, and where Jesus would stay on his last night before entering Jerusalem.  The crowds had gathered, anxious to see this Jesus they had heard so much about.  

Zacchaeus was there too... "and a wee little man was he!"  

Like me, did you sing that song about a zillion times with your kids??

This story has always intrigued me, so of course I googled it "to see what I could see!"  And this is THE tree!  Or at least believed to be THE tree that Zacchaeus climbed to get a good look!  It is in the heart of old Jericho and dates back well over 2000 years.

I have tried to imagine what that day must have felt like... the energy, the crowds, the hope for their future.  Zacchaeus climbed the tree... why?  Did he arrive late and the crowds were too large for him to see?  Did he want a birds eye view of the whole scene?  As a tax collector, maybe he was a little nervous to be found out to be a follower of Jesus.

I wonder and ask myself, where would I have been that day?  Would I have thought, that's a good idea... and climbed to sit next to Zacchaeus in the tree watching from afar, or maybe I'd be standing along the side of the road hoping to get a glimpse of the savior, perhaps reaching out for a touch of his robe?  Or would I have been one of his followers, maybe for days or weeks or months in this journey.? Or, would I be right by his side, talking with Him about this journey and faith and God.

I wonder.... 

Relationship

"...If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, 

I will come in and eat with that person and they with me."

Revelation 3:20

 "Ask, and it will be given to you; 

Seek, and you will find; 

Knock, and it will be opened to you."

Matthew 7:7

One of the things that makes Christianity unique is that this door swings both ways.  

He desires more than our adoration and worship, 

He wants more than to answer our prayers and bless us beyond measure....

He desires relationship with us.

He wants to be our best friend.  

The one we run to first when the good things happen, 

and the one we we desperately want to be held by when bad things happen. 

And the one to share the day to day moments of just living.

Knock Knock.

Whose there?

Jesus.

Jesus who?

...  get to know your Savior, He's there waiting for you to open the door.

Here comes Spring!

Spring can't come soon enough this year!   

Other than the week of Christmas, I do not like winter.... and this year especially has tested my patience!  But officially it begins this Saturday... hooray!

After the cold has killed my ground cover and a few plants that I didn't take care to cover, after the yellow pollen has come and gone, when those little green sprouts and our beloved Texas bluebonnets start to appear, I am happy again!  

Our lives have seasons too... and with each spring, I feel a renewal and newness in my own life.  I look at the opportunities I have with a fresh perspective.   No matter what "season" we are in, in our own lives, we get to choose where we "live" today... to cling to the past, to dream of the future, or to embrace where and who we are today.   I choose today!!

And God said, 

"Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night.  

And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years."

Genesis 1:14

 

You CAN DO it!

 Today Monday, March 8th, is International Women's Day!  

So, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to share this story....

Ten years ago, my dear friend Marguerite and I were both actively volunteering for Habitat for Humanity with our local church builds.  We noticed that when a challenging task was at hand, working on the roof or a loud, scary power tool, for example, we were gently nudged aside by the big, strong men on the worksite!  

Hey! I can do that, we'd say.... and the CAN DO CREW was born!

For the next two years we gathered friends and co-workers, raised the funds and went to work.  On Mothers Day weekend in 2013 we dedicated our first "Women Build" home for Habitat!  Since then we've completed two more houses as well as many projects to better our community... and we've had a whole lot of fun in the process!

When we started we had no clue where to begin, 

but with the inspiration of Ephesians 2:10 we jumped in.

"For we are Gods handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do."

What challenge are you facing?  

A favorite expression of mine is "God can't steer a parked car!"  

It's time to get in gear and let God show you the way.  It might be straight up the face of the mountain, or it might be along a meandering path through the back woods along a path to the top...  either way, He knows the way and He will lead you on the path you are meant to go on.   And best yet... when you get there the view is terrific.

You CAN DO it!!

True Love

I saw this photo on Instagram, posted by the Audubon Society and immediately felt... love.  The way the male cardinal sits so proudly and protective behind the female.  Did you know cardinals mate for life?

I couldn't help but think about this as how God feels about us!  

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in  his sight,  In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship thought Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Ephesians 1:4

Shine your Light

I have always been fascinated with lighthouses.  I visit them whenever I get a chance, and have sketched a half dozen or so, with four being posted in my last four years of my Lenten series on my blog.  

This one, in San Pedro, California was built in 1926, following years of complaints from  shippers about the dangerous waters around the Palos Verdes Peninsula.  

For me, a lighthouse is representative of what God can be for us.  He will use his light to guide us into and out of the rough seas of our lives.  

"I am the light of the world.  

Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, 

but will have the light of life."  

John 8:12

Likewise, as Christians, we have opportunities to shine our light for others to see God's love through us.  Who is watching you?  Children, Grandchildren, Co-workers, Neighbors?  

Reflecting on my first Lenten post on Ash Wednesday... by being present, I am more open to understanding why and where God has placed me, and by being still and listening to the voice of the holy spirit with in me, I am able to recognize what I am to do in this moment.

"Use me to shine your light into the darkest places of this world."

 

Spread your wings.. and fly!

Do you sometimes feel like you've been stuck in a cocoon?  This past week both literally and figuratively if you've been stuck in the deep freeze in Texas like me.   

When normal life stops like this, it gives me time to think about my "life" and to wonder if I am the person I'm meant to be? 

In the most recent newsletter from the Women's Ministries of TWUMC, my friend Grace Ono wrote this:

 

"During the season of Lent, we remember Jesus' journey to the cross.  We set this time aside to reflect upon Jesus’ sacrifice for the redemption of the World. Every winter, I look forward to the Lenten season. In this time, I invite God to continue shaping me in to the version of self He intended. Our relationship deepens and I find myself becoming even more dependent upon Him."

  

God loves us more than we can ever imagine.  

As Christians, we are created in Christ's image, we have been filled with the Holy Spirit and will have everlasting life.  What could be better than that?  

Our time has come to jump for joy, spread our wings and soar to new heights!  

And to share the love of Christ to the world together.

 

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  the old has gone, the new has come!" 

2 Corinthians 5:17 

 

 

Come to Me

 Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent 2021.  Our world has changed in this past year, but our Father in heaven has not.  Lent is a season of reflection and preparation for Easter Sunday and I feel blessed to be able to offer you my 5th Series of art, scripture along with a mini message to inspire you and hopefully brighten your days.

Some of my best ideas of what to include in this series come at 3 am, when my body is rested and my mind is quiet.  Rest is highly under-rated in our world today.  But, during the next six weeks I am going to strive to be less busy and to stay in the present.  

I hope you'll join me in this journey

___________

Please forward this e-mail to friends or family that you think would enjoy receiving this too.  I will be posting weekly-ish and they can sign up on my website to receive these blog posts directly via e-mail:

www.bjmcgregor.com

On the home page they can input their e-mail address into the box on the right side of the page just under my "Hello!"  They will receive a confirmation e-mail that they must reply to and that's it!

Texas Mission and a sneak peak!

San Francisco de La Espada,

founded in 1690

One of my favorite chapters in Michener's TEXAS was about the founding and the history of the Missions scattered across South Texas, particularly around San Antonio.  I haven't visited them in person yet, but when I do, I'm sure that will be followed by a new series of art.

This Mission, founded near Weches, TX as San Francisco de Los Tejas in 1690 by Spain was built to convert the Native Americans to Christianity with three priests and three soldiers assigned to the task.  It was moved to the San Antonio River in 1731 and renamed San Francisco de La Espada.  The church was completed in 1756 and is one of four Missions in the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park. 

The shape of Espada's doorway is unique and over the years many theories have tried to explain it's distinctive shape:  Moorish-influenced design, a scaled back adaptation to budget changes during the work or mistaken assembly by masons who were not the original stonecutters.  I like #3 the best... can't you just imagine these masons trying to put this together like a puzzle without a plan?

I did this sketch last fall, but have adapted it a bit and added some color for my 2021 Lent Series starting next week! This will be my 5th year to post for Lent and I have all new artwork ready to go.  I am excited to share it with you!

 

Austin: Bridges, Bats and Buildings

Texas Landmarks and Legends

The South Congress Bridge in Austin was completed in 1910, crossing at that time the Colorado River.  In 1960 the dam was built and created Lady Bird Lake.    In 2006 the bridge was renamed the Ann W. Richards Congress Bridge for the 45th Governor of Texas.  

What you'll find tucked under the bridge is what makes it so special!  There, you'll find the home to 1.5 million Mexican Free Tailed Bats.  The worlds largest bat colony.  Between March and November they put on quite a show for about an hour at dusk!  You can watch them take off toward their "night job" of consuming 20-30,000 insects each evening where they fly up to 60 mph and can go two miles high.  

 

____________________________________________________________________

Did you know that the Texas State Capitol is the largest state capitol in the USA?

Of course it is.... Everything's Bigger in Texas!!

The Goddess of Liberty sits at the top and because of this extension, it makes it even taller than the US Capitol.

This was the third Capitol of Texas:

The first elected government of Texas was in 1836 as The Republic of Texas.  Several different towns served as the capitol until finally settling in Austin in 1844.   Texas was admitted into the Union in December of 1849 and plans were made for a bigger and better seat of government.

The second, built in 1853 was destroyed by fire in 1881.

The "new" Capitol building was completed in 1888.  Because the State was financially broke during the construction, the builders, recruited from Iowa, were paid with what was considered to be the largest "barter transaction" at the time.   Those 3 million acres of land are now home to the largest cattle ranch in the world.   Legend has it that a nearby track of land that was not donated to them, but instead to University of Texas and it became the largest oil field in Texas.

Replica of the 1836 capitol in West Columbia, TX

Introducing "Texas Landmarks and Legends"

I love historical fiction!  The books I read, and the movies I like to watch.  I was never a big student of history in my younger years, but now that I'm older I appreciate and am "literally" starving to learn more!  Especially now, during these "challenging" times, because....  

What I get from it is... perspective.  

They remind me that we've lived through really challenging times before: A Pandemic a century ago...the Civil and 2 World Wars, and then there's "the 60's" ... and we can be assured that we will have challenging times again in the future.    Looking back at those difficult times, with new perspective, we can know that we don't just survive, we become smarter and stronger on the other side.  That's hard to see right now, but we must believe that once again, our American spirit and faith will overcome the challenges we face today!

For Christmas in 2019 my daughter gave me the epic book TEXAS by James Michener!  All 1429 pages of Texas history sat on a shelf waiting for me to pick it up, which I finally started last summer with plenty of extra time on my hands!  I moved to Texas in 1980 and sadly, know very little about it's history or have traveled to many places in the state, so when opportunity knocks...  Now, with my husband about to retire, we are looking forward to traveling this great State of Texas!

This has inspired me to create a block of artwork that I'm calling "Texas Landmarks and Legends."  It stands to reason that with 4 UT graduates in our family, I'd start there!  

In the next few months I'm excited to sketch and share with you some of these iconic Texas images.  We will travel from the Mountains of Big Bend to the Missions in San Antonio and some fun places in between!   If you have a favorite Texas "Landmark or Legend," let me know!!

Happy Birthday to Bevo XV

BEVO has been the mascot for University of Texas since 1916, but originally was named "BO" for the Burnt Orange, the color of the Longhorns.   Legend has it that during the traditional Thanksgiving Football Game against the Texas A&M Aggies, they "kidnapped" the new Longhorn and branded him 13 - 0 commemorating their victory in 1915.  The Longhorns responded by making the 13 into a B, adding a few more dashes to the -, adding a V, and leaving the 0.... and that's how B E V O got his name!

When my daughters went to UT, they'd let me know they were back in Austin when they went over the flyover from Hwy. 290 to I-35 by calling and saying "I see the Tower!"

Completed in 1937, with 27 floors it "towers" over the UT Campus and downtown Austin.  Famously known for the mass shooting in 1966, where a deranged young man indiscriminately fired from the top killing 14 people and injuring 31 over a 96 minute shooting spree.  At that time it was the deadliest mass shooting in the US history.

I prefer to remember those special moments watching graduation ceremonies, strolling the campus with baby Ellis, and looking forward to it being lit-up orange after a UT victory!  

"Hook 'Em Horns!!!"

 

Proverbs 22:6

One of my favorite Christmas gift requests this year was for these!

My longtime friend, Susan wanted to give her grandchildren something very personal and special so she asked me to do something with these two scripture verses for her to give to them.  She gave me "creative liberty" with both and I tried to make them appropriate for Connor, age 11 and Annie, age 7.  

I can't imagine a more heart felt gift and reminder of God's perfect love for all of us!

 

So.... it is that time again.  Lent begins in one month and I am deep into scriptures and sketching in preparation.  If you have a favorite verse, please let me know and I'll try and incorporate it into this years series.    

Love is in the air!

LOVE IS IN THE AIR!

We've hardly packed up our Christmas decor and I'm already talking about Valentines Day!

I'm just so excited about this news that I wanted to share it with you first!  For the past couple years I've wanted to start offering prints of some of my work and this is my first! 

If you're looking for something special, this is a great way to celebrate love with your special someone, or for friends and family!  And what could make it more personal than carving your initials into that old oak tree!   It's also a great, one-of-a-kind gift for an anniversary, engagement or wedding present!

For now, personalization is included in this introductory price.   Just $35 (plus shipping if outside The Woodlands) for an 8.5 x 11, ready to frame.   I have a limited number available for this first run of prints, so let me know ASAP if you're interested, before I release it on Facebook and Instagram.