It’s not such a bad thing to feel small and insignificant now and then; it reminds us that the affairs of the world are not on any of our shoulders. Lonesome Barn, original watercolor painting by Steve Henderson, sold.

The story of the painting, Lonesome Barn, by Steve Henderson at Start Your Week with Steve:

Big Sky Country is not limited to the state of Montana. Many parts of the Pacific Northwest, including huge swathes of eastern Oregon and Washington, are areas where a viewer can look up and see, unhindered, cloud formations that look like giant palettes of white-based paint.

At night, the stars glow brightly, unabashed by competing city lights.

For people who live and visit these areas, there is a sense of freedom and openness, which can be a little unnerving for those who are accustomed to being sheltered by trees or hemmed in by buildings. Standing under this canopy of sheer size and space, one is conscious of one’s smallness in a world and a universe that does not need any individual — or even groups of well organized professional financiers, politicians, educators, media specialists, and businessmen — to keep it running.

If you feel like you don’t belong, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. What is it that you don’t feel like you belong to? The Misfit Christian, by Carolyn Henderson, is written for the independent Christian thinker who is tired of being told to be quiet and accept the way things are. Available as a paperback and digital book at Amazon.com.

Indeed, the world, the sky, and the universe hum along quite nicely without the interference of people seeking to make it “better,” by finding new and lucrative ways to make money off of the resources that were put here for all to use and enjoy. Like food. And air. Fresh water. Time.

If you have never stood under a big sky, especially in an area where the surroundings are quiet and still, it is worth doing so. It is worth contemplating our very smallness, our mortality, our limitations and weakness and coming to a point of humility. And then, we look up at that big, big sky and think, “Who made that? Surely Someone bigger, stronger, and wiser than I.

“Surely, an Artist to surpass all those who have ever lifted brush to canvas.”

Lonesome Barn, the original watercolor by Steve Henderson, is sold, and the collector of this work had a special place in the home to showcase the painting so that the full impact of the sky could be seen. The beauty of a painting is that, placed in the smallest space, it turns that area into an environment that transports the viewer to another place. You may view the full portfolio of Steve’s original paintings at his original works pages on the Steve Henderson Fine Art website.

Step by Step Watercolor Success walks the beginning and intermediate painter through the painting process. It’s like a weekend workshop in digital format.

If you enjoy creating art yourself, Lonesome Barn is a sequence feature on Steve’s DVD, Step by Step Watercolor Success, available at Amazon.com.

Please contact Carolyn@SteveHendersonFineArt to inquire about any of Steve’soriginal oil and watercolor paintings or licensed open edition prints. Read the rest of this newsletter at Start Your Week with Steve.

Check out Steve’s artwork at Steve Henderson Fine Art. Original paintings — licensed open edition prints — Santa and Holiday. Steve’s licensed work is available at Great Big Canvas, iCanvasART, Amazon.com, Light in the Box, and Framed Canvas Art.

If you are a manufacturer who would like to use Steve’s artwork on your products, please contact his agents, Matt Appelman (matt.appelman@artlicensing.com). You can see Steve’s Art Licensing page here.

Check out, also, Steve and Carolyn’s products at Amazon.com:

The Misfit Christian: Empowering the Believers and Seekers Who Don’t Fit into Contemporary Church (paperback and digital book)

Live Happily on Less: 52 Ways to Renovate Your Life and Lifestyle (paperback and digital book)

Grammar Despair: Quick, simple solutions to problems like, “Do I say Him and Me or He and I?” (paperback and digital book)

Step by Step Watercolor Success (digital DVD workshop designed for beginning to intermediate watercolor students and artists)