morning light

February 6, 2024February 6, 2024

melaniestokesart.com — Morning Light
24×30 oil on gallery wrapped canvas
$700

Painted during the late summer when the hay grass had turned a Naples Yellow, this landscape is currently on my guest room wall. I walked in there today, noticed it, and said to myself, “I had forgotten about that one!”

I don’t know how I forgot about it, except that it was painted at a time when I was in between shows. It wasn’t dry enough for “From the Ground Up.” And then, life got busy, so I just put it out for sale on my website today!

I love the finished painting as much as I loved the morning light when it hit that yellow hayfield one summer morning. It was one of those mornings that grabbed my attention and said, “Paint me!” I probably had a coffee cup in my hand, walked out on the porch to breathe, before the Texas heat took over by 10:00 a.m., and used my cell phone to record the scene, for reference in a painting.

The painting, Morning Light, is in my guest room, for now. But, if it gets your attention and you are interested, be my guest! The paintings on my walls are often changed. (And I wonder if my husband notices.)

January 12, 2022January 13, 2022

His Mercies Are New Every Morning

Each morning, when I open window blinds, I look toward this row of trees in my yard. It is a morning refreshment to see the rising sunlight shower its brilliance on the leaves of the oak tree. As the sun rises, the color of light on these trees often gives a foreshadowing of what kind of weather we can expect.

On this particular morning, stormy weather was on its way out and breezes were blowing clouds across the sky to dust away dreariness. A couple of bucks had rested for the night and were stretching toward nourishment for another day.

Sunlight has a deep impact upon my ability to feel refreshed and energized. There is much to be said about a good dose of natural Vitamin D! Even on cloudy days, we know the light of the sun is still there. But when the sun shines bright, it refreshes my soul!

Morning refreshment for me also includes having a few cups of coffee, while reading Scripture and devotional thoughts (before I jump into social media.) This painting makes me think of the phrase, “His mercies are new every morning,” so I pulled it up from the Bible:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.'”

Lamentations 3:22-24ESV

February 13, 2019February 13, 2019

Morning Refreshment

One of my favorite moments of the day is when I first look out of the windows to see what animals or birds might be strolling through the property as I drink my morning coffee. The sun rises over the pond and water fowl glide around. Ocasionally, deer may be grazing in the distance. And, more times than any, the black angus are already moving about.

This particular morning, the new calf was moving slower than the rest of the herd. So the mama was staying back to encourage it to get moving! As they walked past the clear point of the pond, the mama stepped into the water and drank — a long time. She lifted her head and looked refreshed, renewed, ready to walk further, and to try to be patient with this child as she prodded him along!

You know, things always look brighter in the morning. A good night’s sleep can help any burden. A night of rest can bring clarity to a plan of action. A glass of orange juice or a cup of coffee can wake your brain from sleep. A new day, a new light, a new outlook — “His mercies are new every morning!”