Have you ever had a dream but needed the courage to take that first step? Discover how God worked through one womans talents to turn her dreams into reality.
Life has often been a series of hurdles and obstacles for Brenda Scott that could only be overcome with her unwavering faith and constant determination for continuous improvement. This self-taught artist found her way through many art mediums with no formal training but was instead empowered by many strong, creative women along the way. Learn lessons of humility, gratitude, patience, and forgiveness as she takes us on a journey of her lifetime path of art and creativity.
Discover how her goal to become a successful artist led to the biggest project of her life: renovating her old country Victorian home. It became a major undertaking that would test both her spirit and her resolve to see the process through to the very end. Savoring country life while taking on the challenges of that renovation taught her the beauty to be found in the ordinary, everyday life all around her on the acreage. Through this endeavor she began to realize that she was on a course that would determine who she was as an artist and that the real restoration project was within herself.
Have you ever had a dream but needed the courage to take that first step? Discover how God worked through one womans talents to turn her dreams into reality.
Life has often been a series of hurdles and obstacles for Brenda Scott that could only be overcome with her unwavering faith and constant determination for continuous improvement. This self-taught artist found her way through many art mediums with no formal training but was instead empowered by many strong, creative women along the way. Learn lessons of humility, gratitude, patience, and forgiveness as she takes us on a journey of her lifetime path of art and creativity.
Discover how her goal to become a successful artist led to the biggest project of her life: renovating her old country Victorian home. It became a major undertaking that would test both her spirit and her resolve to see the process through to the very end. Savoring country life while taking on the challenges of that renovation taught her the beauty to be found in the ordinary, everyday life all around her on the acreage. Through this endeavor she began to realize that she was on a course that would determine who she was as an artist and that the real restoration project was within herself.
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Overview
Have you ever had a dream but needed the courage to take that first step? Discover how God worked through one womans talents to turn her dreams into reality.
Life has often been a series of hurdles and obstacles for Brenda Scott that could only be overcome with her unwavering faith and constant determination for continuous improvement. This self-taught artist found her way through many art mediums with no formal training but was instead empowered by many strong, creative women along the way. Learn lessons of humility, gratitude, patience, and forgiveness as she takes us on a journey of her lifetime path of art and creativity.
Discover how her goal to become a successful artist led to the biggest project of her life: renovating her old country Victorian home. It became a major undertaking that would test both her spirit and her resolve to see the process through to the very end. Savoring country life while taking on the challenges of that renovation taught her the beauty to be found in the ordinary, everyday life all around her on the acreage. Through this endeavor she began to realize that she was on a course that would determine who she was as an artist and that the real restoration project was within herself.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781504352901 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Balboa Press |
| Publication date: | 03/31/2016 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 222 |
| File size: | 4 MB |
About the Author
Working from her studio in the idyllic Iowa countryside, artist Brenda Scott spends her days sculpting, painting, writing and photographing the world around her. She has found her path in life by using her talents as an artist focusing on the extraordinary moments of day to day living.
Read an Excerpt
A Little Something Beautiful
By Brenda Scott
Balboa Press
Copyright © 2016 Brenda ScottAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5043-5289-5
CHAPTER 1
The Greatest of These is Love
There is something spiritual about being immersed in the joy of living an art-filled life. Beginning to create with intent and following your bliss becomes almost magical when you go "all in" and trust in your own unique God given talents. Letting go of the fear of failure and having faith in our own abilities gives us the opportunity to succeed in life beyond our wildest dreams.
Creating has always been an ancient act that traces back to the beginning of time. Cave dwellings attest to the fact that artists have been around for a long time, and they have made our world just a bit more lovely because of their quest to bring their inner vision to life. As humans, we are intended to create and make our dreams a reality. It is through our everyday life that we bring out the truth in our art that reflects our heart and soul. Where would we be without the artists of the world?
Moving to twenty acres in the midst of Iowa's rolling hills was the beginning of trusting my own instincts and following my calling. All the puzzle pieces of my life found their place fitting together into one big beautiful picture. Falling madly, deeply, and completely in love with life, I began to view art from a new perspective. I found it in the ordinary, seemingly insignificant, little moments of everyday life.
I found myself learning to breathe deeply and taking a moment to enjoy the country atmosphere. Living this quiet life on the hillside has been where my art began to blossom, and I found my voice, my path, and my place in the world.
While advancing in the direction of my dreams, I found myself enchanted by a big old Country Victorian home. This home welcomed me with open arms and nurtured my artistic spirit, giving me the opportunity to stretch my imagination and hone my skills. In that process, it came to life with grace and charm. This is a story of celebrating a life lived bountifully, the manifestation of hopes and dreams, and finding your true self along the way.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God's workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Life Application Bible
For me, faith and creativity walk hand in hand. I believe that we were each designed to bring something brilliant into the world while we are here. In order to do that, we must have faith that we are always on the right path, and that we have everything we need inside us to accomplish our dreams. God is our source, and He works with our inner being to bring about the life we are reaching for. Everything we need to make our dreams a reality is already within us, and His word says He has prepared in advance for us to do good works.
Whether it is something simple or a masterpiece, I know for sure that the most beautiful thing you can give to the world is a loving heart, a joyful spirit, and a positive attitude. I am convinced that we are born with a dream in our heart that only we can reveal and bring to life.
Along the way we are fortunate if we have the opportunity to love and give love. Perhaps recognizing love in all its forms is one of life's greatest treasures. Love, for me, was a little like opening a big, gorgeously wrapped gift topped with a bow. Unraveling each loop and peeling off each perfectly pleated piece of wrapping paper revealed the precious gift inside: love.
I knew love first as a child, as most of us do. One moment it was there, and the next it was gone. It was replaced with sadness and grief after my mother's passing. At the tender age of six, I quickly learned how very easy it was for someone you love to slip out of your life, never to return. At that age you don't understand it, and you aren't sure what to do about it. One minute I was planting bleeding hearts with my mother, and the next minute she was leaving her earthly life to join God in Heaven. I will never forget how easy it is to lose someone. As a young child, it was frightening. I was told that she had gone to Heaven, and she was in the clouds. For years, I watched the clouds with the hopes of seeing her face, and I was sure that she would come back to me. I still catch myself watching the clouds today. Due to that tragedy, an unlikely set of events occurred, and I saw the harsher side of life. It would take years before I would know, feel, or express love of any kind. It was as though a great cloud of sorrow descended upon my heart.
After many years of sadness, a miracle happened. I went to live with my grandparents, and I found comfort living on their acreage. My heart was healed during the next four years, and there were so many positive and wonderful things that happened during this phase of my life. I came to realize there was a God, and He was good. He was not only good, but He was loving, kind, generous, and forgiving.
It became apparent shortly after I arrived at my grandparents' acreage at the age of fourteen that I could live in the past and become bitter, or I could make a whole new vision of what I wanted my life to be. Through both positive and negative experiences, I discovered that life was about choices. We choose to be happy or sad or whatever is in between. There is always a choice, and it didn't take me very long to figure out that I wanted to choose happiness. It was a conscious decision I made easily. After setting out on a path of positivity and happiness, I knew I was born to design the life of my dreams. So, I did. My grandparents encouraged my creativity, as long as it was directed towards something sensible, as in useful, productive, or necessary. They were very practical people.
Pairing practicality and creativity came naturally for my grandparents. For instance, my grandmother taught me how to can or "put up vegetables," as she called it. But she didn't just fill jars with carrots, beans, or some other vegetable. No, she layered the vegetables. "Might as well do it up pretty," she'd say. She was right too, because at the end of the day when we would put the jars of produce away in the cupboard, we would stand back and gaze at our work. In the late afternoon light, the rows upon rows of jewel-toned jars gleamed in the glow. It was a stunning sight, and it would stay with me forever. Might as well make it pretty has been a kind of mantra for me. Grandma was that way with everything she did, whether it was baking a cake or setting the kitchen table for a meal. Pleasing to the eye was a priority.
During my stay with my grandparents, I watched, as they set out their garden in precise rows, engineered with productivity in mind, as well as beauty. Bowls filled with pea pods, carrots, and tomatoes sat on the table like an organic floral arrangement. Grandma always fashionably wore an apron while she worked, using it as more than just a covering. It was a thing of beauty, and I have worn them while working in the kitchen ever since. Art is all around us, and it graces our everyday life, even in the most unexpected things.
My grandmother taught me how to sew, and I cherish the time she invested in developing my skills. As the lessons began, I dived right in, learning how to find the right pattern, fabric, and notions. She lovingly taught me how to use a pattern and proceeded to show me all the steps in making a garment. It was a heavenly experience, and it changed the course of my life. As soon as I started sewing, I was ecstatic about the whole process. There wasn't one part of sewing that seemed difficult or boring. The minute my hands touched the fabric and started seaming material together, I was transformed straight into bliss. Immediately it opened my mind to all the possibilities just waiting for me. The love of sewing was just one of the little loops in the bow sitting on my wrapped gift of love.
The passion I found in sewing opened up a whole new creative world. It was to be the beginning of a little something beautiful in my life that would last until the end of my time here on earth. Sewing was just one of the great loves in my life. I would eventually love writing, sculpting, painting, floral design, and photography. What I couldn't have known then, but know now, is that each art medium I would learn and master would lead to an even greater artistic creation and ultimately a rich fulfilling life.
Making things beautiful gave me a new perspective on even the most basic things in life, and I quickly learned that art is all about how you choose to apply it in your everyday surroundings. It was a thrill to find ways to make even the simplest things lovely to look upon. I think sometimes we think of art as something you would primarily see in a gallery, but for me it's really all about the world around us, and how we perceive it.
Love shows through in so many things. It surrounds us all the time, especially the love God has for us. We also love our children, our families, and our lives. Love also overflows into so many areas. Whether it is a delicious recipe or a bouquet of fragrant flowers, I'm always saying, "I love it!" It's a habit, probably, but I do mean it. I love it when something goes right, or the painting comes out particularly well, or something tastes absolutely divine. What a blessing to be able to find something you love in so many aspects of our lives.
Love is mentioned in the King James Version of the Bible at least 310 times. I've known a lot of different kinds of love over the years, including puppy love, crazy love, joyous love, unrequited love, happy love, sad love, and so many others. Among the various types of love I've experienced over my lifetime, I've been fortunate enough to know the kind of soul mate love that I always dreamed of finding. By God's grace, I stumbled onto that one. Thank you, God.
Some love, such as the love we have for a child, is forever and unconditional. Other loves seem to come and go ... but some part of it remains forever within our soul. It is never wasted. Even imperfect love, if there is such a thing, leaves behind only the goodness it brought into our lives. Love is like that, because it adds to our lives, but never subtracts. It's in learning to recognize love and reciprocating it that a sort of magic seems to happen.
When I became a mother to five children, love was instinctual, maternal, and eternal. I felt lucky to have been graced with each of my children, and it was an automatic love. It wasn't until I turned forty that I found the love of my life through my husband. It's over twenty years later, and I still feel that way. No, it hasn't always been perfect, but our love has always been blessed.
Of all the forms of love that I've had the joy of knowing in my life, God's love has been the most iimportant. I have always know that God loves me, because the Bible makes that so clear, but more importantly because I feel it in my heart. His love is unconditional, and thankfully ever present. I've been lucky enough to love and be loved fully, completely, and unconditionally. I've also been smart enough to recognize this love, and make it the driving force behind my life.
Don't you think there are just some things we are sent to earth to do and accomplish? While fulfilling our mission during this lifetime, we have the abundant grace to find so much to love and enjoy along the way. That love helps us fulfill our purpose in this world, and without it, we would feel so alone.
Along with a multitude of other emotions, love seems to be the one that adds so much splendor to life. It brought a multitude of gifts into mine. I've loved working with my hands. I've loved painting, sculpting, and a host of other art forms. I've loved the smell of fresh bread baking and the scent of roses sitting on the counter.
Amidst all the loves I have experienced, I have a new love in my life. I have fallen in love with the mother of all projects: my country Victorian house. That probably sounds a bit superficial, but it's true. I have fallen in love with the whole project and all its processes. It has been a real and true love, and one I think will last forever. It has been joyful, painful, irritating, frustrating, fulfilling, and so many other things too. I love creating, and this house has inspired me beyond my wildest dreams. Don't tell anyone, at the risk of sounding a bit like a goof ball, but I think this house loves me right back.
Isaiah 43:19
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs
up; do you not perceive it?
Life Application Bible
I am always reminded that every day is a new day. I found out early in life that anything can happen. What seems terrible one day can be turned around in a heartbeat. New life springs up in my heart when I think of all the possibilities that love can bring into our lives, not just romantic love, but all kinds of love. I might say I love a color, and it then adds beauty. I might say I love a song, and that music may add a little something special into my day. Love adds beauty, and you just never know when it is going to just show up.
CHAPTER 2A Gal Named Belle
I met Belle one glorious fall day about six years ago. She was sitting at the end of a tree-lined lane that my husband and I stumbled upon while on a Sunday afternoon drive. This mysterious lane caught our attention, and we couldn't wait to see where it led. The foliage along the path was a mix of vibrant hues, from lively yellows and reds to rustic browns and gold. The branches arched together, creating a sense of grace over the lengthy pathway. What a grand entrance!
As we crossed the little, rickety bridge that separated the lane from the county road, we saw a babbling brook. The sounds of the creek resonated throughout the car as I rolled down my window. I was captivated by the musical sound of the water rushing over large rocks and winding down the hill. A doe, stopping for a quick drink, was startled as we drove by. Crossing the deteriorating bridge gave me a clue that it had been some time since anyone had traveled up the lane. As we continued driving, I watched as doves, blue jays, squirrels, and cardinals flew overhead. We had stumbled on a perfect habitat for a host of wildlife, almost a sanctuary of sorts. Ah ... it was a lovely sight.
At the top of the hill lay a stretch of pasture and an open clearing, followed by an old run down barn in desperate need of repair or demolition. As we passed out of the archway of trees, there she was ... Belle. I named her that instantly after the French phrase Belle La Vie - "Beautiful Life." From the moment I laid eyes on her, these words echoed in my heart, Oh there you are ... I've been waiting for you all my life.
I had always wanted "that home." The one that felt just right when you walked through the door. I could see that Belle was just that kind of gal. The good-hearted sort that makes you want to get to know them because you can instinctively tell there's something special about them. She was stately and old, but despite her run down appearance, I knew she was redeemable. A grace and kindness filled every ounce of her being. I swear it is true. This house looked like it was one big cozy hug just waiting to happen. Standing in her presence, I felt like she would love me forever. This distinguished country Victorian home was surrounded by twenty wooded acres and fields full of corn and beans. Evergreens and sloping hills bordered every side, and her grounds took my breath away.
I knew the minute I saw her that I was home. At last, I found my place in life, and I was finally where I belonged. However, being the practical person I am, I wasn't so blinded by my love that I overlooked her flaws. It was obvious she was in desperate need of a roof, basement, paint, and windows. I'm not a bridge inspector, but even I could see the picturesque crossing was also going to require ... well, something structural. In addition to the renovation to-do list, it didn't take a lot of imagination to know that the lane would be brutal during snowstorms. After all, we lived in Iowa, and the weather can be an awesome force of nature at times. Being city folk, we didn't even own a tractor. That vital piece of equipment would be necessary for numerous things on an acreage. This overall project was not going to be for the faint of heart.
Despite all the downfalls, I had something pretty helpful on my side. I had a superhero sitting in the car right next to me. My husband is a genius when it comes to taking something old and worn out and turning it into something special. After working in the bridge and building department for the railroad for many years, I could definitely depend on his knowledge and skills to repair the bridge. Visions of "over the bridge and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go" were running through my mind as we traveled up the lane. I could clearly place my faith in his capabilities to get me across that bridge for the rest of our lives.
After spending quite a few years fixing up old homes, I had complete confidence in our combined abilities as well. This would surely be our biggest project to-date, but I had no qualms that it would all work out. Still, I had to sigh as I looked around the grounds. I knew this was going to be one major undertaking. Her porch was sagging, and the large holes in her foundation were concerning. I was incredibly worried about creatures lurking around those gaping cracks.
Together we agreed, "She really needed a lot of work," and then we continued on our exciting exploration of the property. Grinning like kids, we poked around the abandoned house looking through whatever windows we could reach. Ah ... I was thrilled when I saw the hint of a lengthy dining room and a grand fireplace, and it was absolutely incredible. Something did seem a little unusual though, as I heard a particularly loud thud. I was pretty sure I could hear strange thumping noises as well. At one point, I wondered if someone was secretly living there when I heard questionable sounds coming from within the house. Despite some of the oddities coming from inside, I envisioned only promise and future joy.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from A Little Something Beautiful by Brenda Scott. Copyright © 2016 Brenda Scott. Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press.
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