This Woman Writes by Carolyn Henderson

Is There a Secret to Getting into Heaven?

Posted on June 25, 2014 by This Woman Writes

Children are a visual God surrounds us with everyday — they are small, weak, and defenseless, but unlike adults, they realize this. Madonna and Toddler, original oil painting by Steve Henderson; licensed open edition print at Framed Canvas Art.

How to get to heaven is a piece of information that we all want to know. The rich young ruler of Matthew 19:16 – 29 (Mark 10: 17 – 30, Luke 18: 18 – 30) asked Jesus,

“What good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

Nicodemus, a religious leader, visited Jesus secretly at night and circumspectly touched upon the topic, something that should comfort the rest of us ordinary, non-leadership type people, because as Jesus observed,

“You are Israel’s teacher . . . and do you not understand these things?” (John 3: 10)

(Remember this the next time an assertive, confident bastion of the Christian faith tells you how to live your life and where to send your money.)

Why didn’t Jesus just flat out tell us what to do? we quite sensibly ask.

Well, He did flat out tell us a number of things, many of which we avoid doing (“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” — Luke 6: 46), and one of the many issues Christ addressed was the kingdom of heaven, and what it takes to get there:

Please follow the link to my Commonsense Christianity article at BeliefNet, The Kingdom of Heaven — How Do We Get There? I am grateful to all of you who click through and finish the rest of the story, as I am unable to reprint the entire article here. I also appreciate those of you who comment — thank you!

All of the fine art images in my articles are by my husband, Steve Henderson, who sells originals and licensed prints through his website, Steve Henderson Fine Art. You don’t have to be rich to own art, and indeed, it’s ordinary people living ordinary lives who need art the most!

This article is linked to Paradise Praises, Time Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, My Disorganized Life, A little r and r, We Are That Family, Wholehearted Home, Homemakers, My daily walk in his grace, A Wise Woman, Hope in Every Season, Marriage and Missions, Graced Simplicity, Serving Joyfully, Jenni Mullinix, Shine Blog, Mom on Demand, Missional Woman, Simple Moments Stick, Womanhood with Purpose, Essential Things, That Friday Blog Hop, A Look at the Book, Jenny Evolution, Family Fun Friday, Larson Wife, Weekend Winddown

Posted in Art, blogging, children, Christian, Daily Life, devotional, Faith, Family, fine art, home, inspirational, Lifestyle, painting, religion, spirituality | Tagged Christianity, fine art, heaven, Jesus, religion | Leave a comment

Queen Anne’s Lace — The Story of This Painting

Posted on June 24, 2014 by This Woman Writes

A weed? or a flower? Frequently, it’s the same plant, just in a different place. Queen Anne’s Lace, original oil painting by Steve Henderson, sold. Licensed open edition prints at Great Big Canvas, iCanvasART, Framed Canvas Art.

The story of the painting, Queen Anne’s Lace, by Steve Henderson at Start Your Week with Steve:

Queen Anne’s Lace is essentially a wild carrot, and is so named because the tiny white flowers on the broad white head are lacy, ethereal, and graceful. A young woman, standing within a field of wild, exuberant growth, meditates in the warm sunrise of a cool morning.

“It’s a weed,” people announce, “a wild plant that takes over the field.”

So many offerings of the meadows and fields are put down as weeds — dandelions, bachelors’s buttons, lupine — if it’s in the “wrong” place (our garden or lawn) and not invited there, it’s a weed.

But in the “right” place — along a hillside, in a draw, carpeting a series of rolling hills, these weeds are native plants, providing color and ground coverage to a landscape that has to have something on it, unless we want to pave everything.

Sometimes, as humans, we feel like weeds — under appreciated for who and what we are, constantly put down for being too loud, or too quiet; too thoughtful, or not thoughtful enough. Recently someone told us,

“I wish people would appreciate me for who I actually am, instead of trying to make me into someone else.”

She is Queen Anne’s Lace in a formal garden. Whether or not life keeps her in that formal garden or invites her to return to the meadow where she is accepted for belonging there, it’s important to realize that the Master Gardener made all flowers, and all flowers have a purpose and a beauty.

Queen Anne’s Lace, the original oil painting, won Best of Show at the National Western Art Association 2014 Exhibition. The original painting is sold.

Licensed, open edition prints of Queen Anne’s Lace are available at Framed Canvas Art, iCanvasART, and Great Big Canvas.

View the full portfolio of licensed, open edition prints of Steve’s works at his Open Edition Prints section on the Steve Henderson Fine Art website.

When it comes to the art of language, the right word in the wrong place can make a difference as well. Solve these pesky little problems with Grammar Despair by Carolyn Henderson. Available at Amazon.com as a paperback, digital book, and free Prime member download.

Please contact Carolyn@SteveHendersonFineArt to inquire about any of Steve’s original oil paintings or licensed open edition prints.

Read more about Steve and his work 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:

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)

Posted in Art, Business, Daily Life, decor, Encouragement, Family, fine art, home, inspirational, interior decorating, Lifestyle, newsletter, success | Tagged flower, garden, painting, Queen Anne's Lace, weed | Leave a comment

What Jesus Calls Success

Posted on June 23, 2014 by This Woman Writes

As active and noisy as they are, children force the world to slow down and stop taking itself so seriously. Seaside Story, original oil painting by Steve Henderson, sold. Licensed open edition prints at Great Big Canvas, Light in the Box, iCanvasART, and Framed Canvas Art.

I love reading about the disciples. They’re so refreshingly human, constantly expressing fear and doubt and selfish ambition. One of the greatest gifts the Bible gives us is that it’s written honestly, and doesn’t — like we do — provide false impressions of who people are and what they’re like.

Luke 9: 46- 48 tells us that,

“An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.”

A statement like this is so much more convincing than, “George Washington stood before his father and said, ‘I cannot tell a lie. I chopped the cherry tree down.'” Similar “inspiring” stories are fed to us hourly through magazines, newspapers, text books, movies, talk shows and documentaries, with very little mention of this great statesman forgetting to leave a tip to the hardworking waiter who put up with him and his entourage, or that fine religious leader demanding to know why the sales of his latest book are down.

And we call the Bible a bunch of mythological stories.

Please read the rest of the story at How to Be Great, Important and Significant at my BeliefNet column, Commonsense Christianity. I am very grateful to all of you who click through; I would print the entire column if I could, but am precluded from doing so.

This article is linked to The Not Quite Military Wife, Enchanted Homeschooling Mom, 100 Pound Countdown, Motivation Monday, A Blossoming Life, Mopping the Floor, Paradise Praises, Time Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, My Disorganized Life, A little r and r, We Are That Family, Wholehearted Home, Homemakers, My daily walk in his grace, A Wise Woman, Hope in Every Season,

Posted in Art, blogging, children, Christian, Daily Life, devotional, Faith, Family, home, inspirational, Lifestyle, Parenting, Relationships, religion, spirituality | Tagged Bible, Christianity, God, original oil painting, success | 3 Comments

The Doubting Christian

Posted on June 20, 2014 by This Woman Writes

Anyone who tries to convince you that they have never doubted, ever, is lying — or fooling themselves. Don’t join them. Queen Anne’s Lace, original oil painting by Steve Henderson, sold. Licensed open edition print at Great Big Canvas, Framed Canvas Art, and iCanvasART.

Doubt is not so much a sin as it is a problem, and like most problems, it’s best to solve it, as opposed to letting it be a part of our continued existence.

Too often, when a Christian asks a question about God’s goodness, or His ability, or His trustworthiness, the response from others in the room is one of alarm and chastisement:

“Trust in the Lord always! He is good! Amen and amen! Praise Jesus!”

And . . . end of conversation. Whatever provoked or caused the doubt in the Christians’s heart and words hasn’t been addressed, and all we’ve really gotten across is that you, as usual, don’t believe the way you’re supposed to; you, as usual, are at fault for your lack of belief; and you, as usual, should just keep quiet and pretend you have no problems.

Just like the rest of the people in the room are doing.

Please read the rest at The Power of Doubt, at my blog, Commonsense Christianity at BeliefNet. Many of you are so good about clicking through to read the rest of the story, which I am unable to print in full at this site. Thank you.

I am in the final stages of working on my self-published book, The Misfit Christian, which is dedicated to all my Christian brothers and sisters out there who are frustrated with establishment Christianity, and feel like square pegs. You’re not even trying to fit into round holes; you’re just tossed off in a corner somewhere and wondering if God has any use for you, because none of His people seem to.

That’s how I felt for a long time, and that’s why I began writing, in earnest, about 21st century Christianity and how ordinary, regular people can successfully live it. I’ll let you know when the book is out and ready to read.

This article is linked to Christian Mom Blogger, Essential Things, Missional Woman, Weekend Blog Party, Hungry Hypo, Everyday Family, Create with Joy, Love Bakes Good Cakes, Snippets of Inspiration, That Friday Blog Hop, A Look at the Book, Friday Flash Blog, Counting My Blessings, Soul Survival, The Not Quite Military Wife, Enchanted Homeschooling Mom, 100 Pound Countdown, Motivation Monday, A Blossoming Life, Mopping the Floor,

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, Daily Life, devotional, Faith, Family, home, inspirational, Lifestyle, religion, spirituality | Tagged Christian, doubt, God, painting, Queen Anne's Lace | 2 Comments

The Three Lies Satan Tempts Us with

Posted on June 18, 2014 by This Woman Writes

If you read the Gospels at all, at some point you’ll run into the temptation of Jesus, by Satan, in the desert, since the story is in three out of four of the books (Matthew 4: 1-11; Mark 1: 12, 13; and Luke 4: 1-13).

This is a picture of Archie the cat, whose expression of doubtful disdain is one we all can adopt when it comes to the many lies that are told us.

Like many accounts in the Bible, it’s easy to read through these quickly and say, “Oh, yeah, I’ve seen that before,” and not slow down to focus on what the passage is saying. What it’s saying, however, is pretty important to us, because it shows us the three major ways that Satan tempts, teases, and tortures us because those are the three options he offered to Jesus:

Jesus “was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.” (Luke 4: 1)

What are these temptations?

Please follow the link to the rest of the story, Satan’s Three Lies, at my blog, Commonsense Christianity at BeliefNet. I am unable to publish the full post here, so respectfully request your patience and willingness to click through.

Cooking for yourself is one of the easiest ways to start saving money, and cooking does not have to be time consuming or complicated. My book, Live Happily on Less, walks you, through a series of friendly essays, into the journey of living well, on what you have now.

Live Happily on Less at Amazon.com

In case you’re wondering, one of Satan’s lies has to do with money, and is it any surprise that we all feel like we don’t have enough of it? We have spent years perfecting, through hard earned experience, the art of living on little, and being grateful for everything we have.

I have written about this in my self-published book, Live Happily on Less, and through a series of bloggy essays, I describe a bit how we live — and it’s not so odd that others can’t pick up an idea or two and customize it to their lifestyle. You can look in the book at Amazon and read the first few pages. I’ve kept the price as reasonable as I can so that you can afford it and I can get something out of it.

This article is linked to Wholehearted Home, Raising Homemakers, Walk in His Grace, A Wise Woman, My Joy Focused Life, Welcome Party, Mom Solutions, My Disorganized Life, Jennifer Dawn, Ducks in a Row, Lovely Ladies, Moonlight Mason, We Are That Family, Graced Simplicity, I Choose Joy, Hope in Every Season, Jenni Mullinix, Hearts for Home, Growing in Grace, Shine Blog Hop, Serving Joyfully, Blog Party, Over 50, Christian Mom Blogger, Essential Things, Missional Woman, Weekend Blog Party, Hungry Hypo, Everyday Family, Create with Joy, Love Bakes Good Cakes, Snippets of Inspiration, That Friday Blog Hop, A Look at the Book, Friday Flash Blog, Counting My Blessings, Soul Survival,

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, Daily Life, devotional, Faith, Family, finances, home, Lifestyle, religion, spirituality | Tagged Christianity, God, Satan, temptation | Leave a comment

Catching the Breeze: The Story of This Painting

Posted on June 17, 2014 by This Woman Writes

The background is almost abstract, and the woman walking through the atmosphere is very, very real. Catching the Breeze, art print from Steve Henderson Collections.

In professional fine art, the term “local color” refers to the actual color a viewer expects to see — in a landscape, figurative work, or still life painted in a representational manner. Local color is not a term one uses with an abstract painting.

Now the beauty of working with local color is that you can push it, pull it, stretch it, and play with it, and this is what Steve has done with the painting, Catching the Breeze.

We’re on the beach at sunset, and those of you who have experienced glorious sunsets on the coast know that there are pinks, purples, corals, oranges, yellows, and warm, warm, reds. This palette of God’s across the clouds and sky is what infuses so much emotion into a coastal twilight.

And this palette of warm colors is what Steve has chosen to push, to its limits, in Catching the Breeze — emphasizing the deep, rich colors of the sunset and scaling back on any greens or blues that one mentally expects to see (because the ocean’s blue, right?) A skillful use of lavender, interspersed with greys, white, and abalone, subtly contrasts with the warm hues, drawing them out further.

The perfect companion to Catching the Breeze, Ocean Breeze incorporates and celebrates the same warm, vibrant palette of color. Art print from Steve Henderson Collections.

The result is an atmosphere of color, mystery, and grace — the young woman strolling meditatively through a seascape, her elegant manteau catching the breeze, thereby fusing her into her background: the ocean, the beach: they are there, but in an abstract manner blended with realism, the same way that the colors are unreal, yet real.

The overall effect is one of high color, movement, and emotion.

The original painting, Catching the Breeze is sold. The collector who purchased it told Steve, “I feel as if I am the woman in this painting. I look at it, and I am there.” Prints of Catching the Breeze are available at this link at Steve Henderson Collections.

And “there” is a good place to be.

Writing is an art form of its own, but all of us, regardless of how well we dance the dance, must and need to write. Grammar Despair will help you solve the common little problems that plague the best of us. At Amazon.com.

Read the rest at Steve’s weekly e-mail newsletter, Start Your Week with Steve.

Licensed open edition prints of Catching the Breeze are available through Framed Canvas Art, iCanvasART, and Great Big Canvas.

Please contact Carolyn@SteveHendersonFineArt to inquire about any of Steve’s original oil paintings or licensed open edition prints.

Shipping of original paintings, purchased through Steve Henderson Fine Art, is free to the U.S. and Canada. All other areas, contact us and we’ll figure out the shipping charges.

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

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)

Posted in Art, art education, Business, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, decor, fine art, home, interior decorating, Lifestyle, News, newsletter, shopping, simple living | Tagged art, ocean, painting, print, Steve Henderson | Leave a comment

Are You a Nobody?

Posted on June 16, 2014 by This Woman Writes

Children — definitely a member of the undervalued class in modern society. Wild Child, original oil painting by Steve Henderson.

Have you ever wondered why, in the Nativity story, a host of angels appeared to a bunch of shepherds, other than that, thousands of years later, shepherds would make a great addition to the figurine collection in a Nativity set? We don’t have a lot of shepherds in our societies today, and the average university student doesn’t embark upon a degree leading to Shepherding Management and Business Techniques, with a minor in Goats. Shepherds, in Jesus’ day, were the equivalent of office drones in ours, or retail clerks — hourly wage earners who put in long hours for little pay, receive little or no recognition for their skills, ambitions, intellect or cognitive abilities, and have no need to keep Linked In profiles because they’re not considered professionals, at all. They’re — in the world’s eyes — nobodies. Please read the rest at Worthless in the World’s Eyes, which is at my Commonsense Christianity blog at BeliefNet. I am not able to print the entire article here, and ask that you click through, especially if, like most people, you feel undervalued now and then. This article is linked to Nourishing Joy, Mama’s Story, Modest Mom, Life of Faith, Moms the Word, Mum Monday, Stitch by Stitch, Serendipity, Frugal Crafty Home, Life in Balance, Mopping the Floor, Thoughtful Spot, Wholehearted Home, Raising Homemakers, Walk in His Grace, A Wise Woman, My Joy Focused Life, Welcome Party, Mom Solutions, My Disorganized Life, Jennifer Dawn, Ducks in a Row, Lovely Ladies, Moonlight Mason, We Are That Family, I Choose Joy, Graced Simplicity, Hope in Every Season, Jenni Mullinix, Hearts for Home, Growing in Grace, Shine Blog Hop, Serving Joyfully, Blog Party, Over 50

Posted in Art, blogging, children, Christian, Christmas, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, devotional, Encouragement, Faith, Family, fine art, home, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, religion, spirituality | Tagged Christianity, Nativity, nobody, professional, Wild Child | 6 Comments

What Can We Give God That He Wants?

Posted on June 13, 2014 by This Woman Writes

Like children, we are limited in the quality and scope of gifts that we can give God. Child of Eden, original oil painting by Steve Henderson; licensed open edition print at Framed Canvas Art.

When I was a very young child, I wanted desperately to give my mother a proper present, but being a child, I was unable to buy or make something of the quality that she deserved.

So I made regular raids into her bedroom, picking up an item that she already owned and loved, and wrapping it for her.

“Here,” I handed her an icon of the virgin Mary that I had pulled off the top of her dresser. “This is for you.”

“How delightful!” each time she accepted the gift as if 1) she didn’t already own it and 2) I hadn’t already given it to her. Some days, I gave her that icon three or four times.

My own granddaughter, at five, does the same these days, and I regularly receive books, tea cups, and trinkets that I already own. And each time, like my mother before me, I receive them as they are intended: gifts from someone who wants desperately to give something, but has nothing acceptable to give.

So we are with God.

Please read the rest at The Gifts We Give to God — When We Have Nothing Acceptable to Give, at my BeliefNet blog, Commonsense Christianity. I am unable to post the entire story here, so I would appreciate your following the link, especially if you are always mentally whipping yourself for not being good enough, righteous enough, gentle enough, gracious enough.

This article is linked to Graced Simplicity, Thriving Thursdays, Hope in Every Season, I Choose Joy, Thrive at Home Thursday, The Deliberate Mom, Growing in Grace, A Handful of Everything, Mom on Demand, Missional Woman, Faith Filled Friday, Heart Filled Friday, Essential Things, Family Fun Fridays, Freedom Fridays, Friday Blog Hop, A Look at the Book, Nourishing Joy, Mama’s Story, Modest Mom, Life of Faith, Moms the Word, Mum Monday,Stitch by Stitch, Serendipity, Frugal Crafty Home, Life in Balance, Mopping the Floor, Thoughtful Spot,

Posted in Art, blogging, children, Christian, Daily Life, devotional, Faith, Family, fine art, home, Lifestyle, religion, spirituality | Tagged child, Christian, gift, God, original oil painting | 2 Comments

When Reading the Bible Bores You

Posted on June 11, 2014 by This Woman Writes

Reading is supposed to be a joy, and reading the Bible can be a joy as well. Seaside Story, original painting by Steve Henderson, sold. Licensed open edition prints at Great Big Canvas, ICanvasART, Framed Canvas Art, and Light in the Box.

Christianity is all about being honest, and if most of us were honest with one another — say, about reading the Bible — many of our conversations would look like this:

“I know I should read the Bible, but I really don’t. It bores me. It’s too hard to read.

“But I do listen to the sermon every Sunday, and the pastor talks about a passage out of the Bible.

“And I got a little devotional that gives me a verse or two at the top, and then explains it. I do that, and it’s okay.

“Do you think God’s mad at me?”

We spend a lot of time worrying about if God is mad at us. In a Father/Child relationship on earth, this would be considered dysfunctional, but within Christianity, it is the unfortunate norm.

No, God isn’t mad at you because you don’t read the Bible, but He does want you to read it for the simple reason that you can’t know who He is and what He’s like unless you get to know Him through this Book He gave us. If you’re not into reading it on a regular basis, let’s make it easier:

Yes, this is where we stop and I send you in a link to the rest of the story, Bible Reading 101 at my BeliefNet Blog, Commonsense Christianity. I am unable to print the whole article here, so humbly request that you hit the link and finish the article.

This article is linked to Raising Homemakers, Wholehearted Home, My Daily Walk, A Little R and R, We Are That Family, Makeover Motherhood, Crystal and Company, The Life of Jennifer Dawn, Ducks in a Row, This Girl’s Life, Cherished Bliss, My Disorganized Life, Time Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, Joy Dare, Moms in the Word, Table for Seven, A Peek into My Paradise, Tuesday Link up, Graced Simplicity, Thriving Thursdays, Hope in Every Season, I Choose Joy, Thrive at Home Thursday, The Deliberate Mom, Growing in Grace, A Handful of Everything, Mom on Demand, Faith Filled Friday, Heart Filled Friday, Essential Things, Family Fun Fridays, Freedom Fridays, Friday Blog Hop, A Look at the Book,

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, Daily Life, devotional, Encouragement, Faith, Family, home, inspirational, Lifestyle, News, painting, religion, spirituality | Tagged Bible, boring, Christianity, God | 6 Comments

Purple Iris — The Story of This Painting

Posted on June 10, 2014 by This Woman Writes

Colorful, simple, full of life, flowers are God’s paintings for all to enjoy. Purple Iris, original watercolor by Steve Henderson, sold.

The story of the painting, Purple Iris, by Steve Henderson at Start Your Week with Steve.

Flowers are God’s paintings that He put on earth for all to enjoy.

In the oddest places — the middle of the city with cement sidewalks and brick buildings and cars all around — a flower can still show its face, even if it’s “just” a dandelion.

On Steve and Carolyn’s rural property, irises flourish, not because they just naturally pop up, but because a friend of a friend collects exotic irises, and his small suburban lot cannot keep up with his hobby. So he regularly digs out the bulbs and begs his daughter, our friend, to find a place for them, please.

And we gladly accommodate.

Steve is fascinated by irises because of their tall, stately form; their petals gloriously saturated with color yet transparent as well; their honey-sweet aroma; their attitude of grace and dignity. For a brief period they bloom outrageously, demanding everyone’s attention and eclipsing the growth of other plants, and then they are done.

The petals dry up and fall, and yet the sharp, sword-like leaves stay green and strong throughout the season, a plant in their own right.

Flowers are a reminder to us that life is short, and it consists of times of flowering and not flowering — a time and season for everything, in other words. We are not purposeful and useful only when we are in what we call full bloom, because the plant lives on, all season, in some form or another, and flowering is just part of its life cycle.

Dandelions are flowers too, and if we’d stop being so grumpy about them, we might appreciate their beauty as well. Dandelions, original oil painting by Steve Henderson; licensed open edition print at Great Big Canvas, Framed Canvas Art, and iCanvasART.

Purple Iris is sold, but it is the central focus behind Steve’s Step by Step Watercolor Success DVD, which is designed for beginning and intermediate watercolor painters. Essentially a mini-workshop, Step by Step Watercolor Success walks viewers through creating a Purple Iris of their own, and the techniques used are designed to give the artist confidence and knowledge to continue producing successful paintings. A bonus sequence for another of Steve’s paintings, Lonesome Barn, is included.

Step by Step Watercolor Success is available at Amazon.com.

A wide variety of Steve’s paintings and licensed open edition prints are available through his website, Steve Henderson Fine Art. We encourage you to contact us, Carolyn@SteveHendersonFineArt.com with any questions you have about Steve’s work, and how you may own it. We work with clients closely and individually to set up a means so that you can own an original work of art.

Purple Iris is the theme for Steve’s Step by Step Watercolor Success DVD, and after successfully creating their own versions, artists move on to paint with increased confidence and ability. DVD at Amazon.com.

Shipping is free to the U.S. and Canada. All other areas, contact us and we’ll figure out the shipping charges.

Read more, and subscribe, at Start Your Week with Steve.