Lay-in 3rd part of Houston Zoo elephants by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

My 3rd lay-in . I didn't get much time today to work on this, and it seems I haven't been able to get back into my "groove" since all of my traveling- but at least there is a little progress.Progress. We all love it when we feel like we are accomplishing something worthwhile. But, all too often we can go for days,weeks,months or years without seeing anything we feel is a worthy accomplishment. But, we need to remember, God has a plan for our lives. If we put our complete faith and trust in who he is- the master, and yourself as the clay, God can do anything! Actually, God can do anything without us allowing him into our lives, but he can't and won't do what he'd love to do for us if we don't invite him to. There are so many people mentioned in the Bible, but compared to how many years it took to write it, and how  many people were on the earth, 99.99999% of the people were never mentioned. Does that make what they did less important? Does it mean they didn't accomplish anything? NO! Everything we do for God is an accomplishment. That's why the Lord tells us that everything we do, in word or deed, do it all for him. If you do, you will be accomplishing way more than you will ever know here- but in that other life you will see the blessed results of everything- small or great.

WOW! I don't know where all of that came from tonight! I had no intentions of writing a sermon here, but my fingers,mind, and heart flew as I felt compelled to write this for someone, even if it is only for myself. Every small thing is important to God!

He will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." Matthew 25:45

Blessings,

Sandra Reeves Cutrer

sandrasart777@aol.com

sandracutrer.com

Rush Hour $95.00- by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

Rush Hour. Someone rightly said many years ago,time marches on and waits for no man. Running water reminds me of time. When I watch water running,especially on a rocky creek bed or stream , it has such a soothing effect. The sound is nice, but I'm always curious as to where it is in such a hurry to get to. Maybe the water isn't really going too far, before it reaches a smaller stream, and then a quiet pool, where it can take a deep breath and slow down for awhile. Maybe it's flowing sort of slowly from where I am standing at the moment, only trying to fool me into believing it will stay like that before it builds up great strength to go crashing down with a loud roar into a huge water fall farther down stream, where it will shockingly find itself in an even faster running river that eventually leads to an even greater body of water,the ocean! Whatever the case may be, it seems the water is always in a hurry, just like people.Take the time to meander today, not tomorrow. Watch the sunset on the river, or the bustle of the funny little stream. Smell those wildflowers, or listen to a  mother bird chattering high in a tree at some unwelcome squirrel. Stop and watch children at play. Go outside and sit in the evenings, taking in your neighbor's dinner cooking down the street. Painted on a gallery wrapped 12" x 12" x1" canvas (all sides painted a dark hue)  $95.00

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.Psalm 118:24

Blessings,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer
 srcartavenue.blogspot.com
sandrasart777@aol.com
Sandra-Cutrer.artistwebsites.com for prints of original
Artist of Texas
CFAI- Contemporary Art International

"Rush Hour" by Sandra Reeves Cutrer $95.00

This is the same painting that I posted yesterday, with a few changes. I spent another hour or so on it today, which was still pretty quick work for me to call "finished" ( am I ever really finished with a painting??)
I hope you'll enjoy viewing it. I name it,"Rush Hour" because the rushing water reminds me of how we rush our time here on earth. Such a hurry, and for what? Thinking about this, and how guilty I am of rushing, it makes me stop and take a deep,deep breath. God, with your help, please allow me to notice when I am doing this, and help me to stop and pay attention to the day that I am in. This is my life, and I should take in every moment you have so graciously given to me.Amen!
12"x12"x1.5" gallery wrapped canvas,oils, $95.00.

Blessings,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer
sandrasart777@aol.com
Sandra-Cutrer.artistwebsites.com for prints and cards of my work

"Rush Hour" oils on canvas by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

Normally, I don't try for a "painting in a day", but yesterday was a rough day. A lot going on had me unplugging telephones and getting out to my studio. I grabbed a canvas and just started applying paint.Whatever came, came. And this is what I got. Funniest thing to happen was that it became a landscape! I am really not into landscape painting, but I think my mind went to the flowing water because it is such a peaceful thing. I sleep at night with a sound machine turned on to flowing water. I love the mountains, although I did not paint any in this work. Maybe because I feel like I am always climbing mountains lately in my life. I know there are things that I need to "touch-up", a few more hi-lights here and there, but this is what I did in a day. 12"x12", gallery wrap canvas. $95.00 plus shipping.

The First Day

The first recorded Words of God that we have are "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3 NIV). The sun was already shining brightly, but God made the earth's thick new atmosphere allow diffuse light to penetrate to the surface. And so it was that the light was made separate from darkness. The first day of earth's creation was literally the first "day" as someone on earth's surface would experience it - a period of opaque light, and a period of darkness. (Genesis 1:3-5)


Blessings,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer
sandrasart777@aol.com

"Beach Dreams" by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

"Beach Dreams" is painted on a 16" x 20" stretched linen canvas ready to frame and hang in your favorite spot. Can you smell the salt and sand in the breeze as it whips through the two little girls hair. It looks as if they stopped playing with their sand buckets to catch a glimpse of the incoming sail boat. Maybe their mind is on the seagulls,too. Or it could be they are just enjoying each others friendship and company. What a great gift good friends are in our lives, whether they happen to be sisters,cousins, even brothers, the kid who sat next to you on your first day of school, or next door neighbors;friends are a treasure from God.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.John 15:15.

Blessings,

Sandra Reeves Cutrer r

sandrasart777@aol.com

"Riding the Rails" by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

"Riding the Rails" is one of my favorite paintings. I painted this for an advid train collector.
I used brushes and palette knives. It is on a 16"x20" stretched linen canvas. Although this one is owned by a private collector, I would be happy to do a comission for you!
"Riding the Rails" is one of my favorite paintings. I painted this for an advid train collector. I used brushes and palette knives.

Psalm 125:2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

Did you know that as Christians we are supposed to pray for the Jews? The word of God tells us that we will be blessed!With no end in sight to the turmoil in the Middle East, all signs and prophesies seem to point to an escalation in the violence and conflict. Yet no matter where you stand politically or spiritually regarding the current unrest in Israel, as Christians we can unite on one front: prayer. Israel, as a nation and a people, are God's chosen people. In Deuteronomy 32:10 and Zechariah 2:8, the Lord God calls Israel "the apple of his eye." And to Abraham, God said in Genesis 12:2-3, "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (NIV) Psalm 122:6 also encourages us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Blessings,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer
sandrasart777@aol.com
Sandra's Art Avenue

"Paradise Pond" by Sandra Reeves Cutrer $275.00

This oil painting was created on a 16"x20" stretched linen canvas. Price includes ins. and signature confirmation.

I have always thought ducks were so pretty. While growing up, we had our share of animals, including a few ducks.One evening my Dad had gone out to feed and water them.As soon as he turned on the water,he found the hose had been transformed into a sort of drip hose- with hundreds of cuts throughout the length of it. His first thought was that my two sons had practiced throwing their new pocket knives right onto the hose! Right after their spanking, here came the ducks waddling up to the hose, showing my Dad exactly how those holes had been made when they proceeded to bite on that "weird looking device",which they may have mistaken for a snake! But, later we had a sweet little pet duck we promptly named Cuckoo because he walked in circles, so all was forgiven, and we kept our ducks for a long time.

In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do unto me?- Psalm 56:11

Blessings,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer
sandrasart777@aol.com

Third of my "Washed Ashore" series by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

Third of my "Washed Ashore" series, painted on a 12"x12" wrap around canvas (all sides painted), in mixed media . As you can see this one isn't a sea shell, but starfish and sea shells are neighbors! $75.00 for all 3 paintings- NO shipping if mailed in the USA!

Did you realize that water is mentioned 722 times in the scriptures? That is less than God, Jesus, heaven, or even the word love, but many more times than faith, hope, prayer or even worship. The first time water is mentioned in the scripture is found in Genesis 1:2. From the beginning of the Bible to the end water flows through the pages of scripture. It is full of passages that link water to Gods creating, blessing and saving work. This alone shows me the importance of water in our spiritual lives.Water symbolizes Gods Word in many places throughout the Bible. If, as believers, we continue to take the bible and water for granted and contaminate it, waste or spoil it, we will see that we will have difficulties in our physical bodies as well as in our spiritual lives.When a believer in Jesus accepts the bible and water, cherishes, respects and honors them both as the gifts of God that are freely given to us, we will find our reservoirs full. These are just a few of the both literal and figurative uses of water in the scripture. I believe that God has something to say to us.

Isaiah 12:2,3 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."

Blessings,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer
sandrasart777@aol.com
Sandra's Art Avenue

Second of "Washed Ashore"series by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

This is my second of a series called "Washed Ashore". Mixed media on an 8"x8" wrapped canvas (all sides painted). Once this was completely dry I painted a different seashell in the middle. I am having a blast painting the water,beach,sand and sea shells, especially after all of the extremely cold weather we've recently experienced. The seashells remind me there will be summers on the beach again soon, since spring time has finally arrived!


You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalms 16: 11

Blessings,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer
Sandra's Art Avenue
sandrasart7777@aol.com

First of "Washed Ashore" series by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

Seashells remind me of the many times I've gone walking on the beach. From a small child to a middle aged adult, I don't think I will ever tire of hunting for that "perfect" or rare seashell. Our granddaughters enjoy exploring our beach just as much as I do, always returning to Nana and Pop's house with a load of seashells and sand in their buckets. $35.00 plus shipping and insurance.

He is like a father to us, tender and sympathetic to those who reverence him. For he knows we are but dust- Psalm 103:13-14

Blessings,

Sandra Reeves Cutrer
sandrasart777@aol.com

"Sand and Seahorses" by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

Sand and Sea Horses is painted in oils on an 11"x14" stretched linen canvas, ready to frame and hang in your favorite spot, or a great gift for a friend. $125.00- NO SHIPPING CHARGES if mailed inside the USA!

 My husband and I live about 10 minutes from the beach here in southeast Texas. I love to go walking on the sand, especially on our granite-lined Jetty. It's so much fun to see the various fish and seafood caught by the many various races of people who love come to fish here. One of my all time favorite trips to the beach is when the waves are up. I am not happy when hurricanes are coming toward the gulf, as usually we need to evacuate, but we try to make it to the beach before leaving so we can watch all of the surfers hit the big waves. Every once in awhile we can spot someone riding their horse on the beach. I have always thought this was such a romantic thing- riding on the beach with the love of your life. And no, there are no large dunes here, but I loved the ones I've seen on the Florida beaches we've been able to visit.

Blessings,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer
sandrasart777@aol.com
 Please view this painting and a lot of my other works at :
srcartavenue.blogspot.com or Sandra's Art Avenue

"Flamingo Flare" by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

I painted "Flamingo Flare" from a photograph taken at our nearby "Moody Gardens" in Galveston,Texas. It is on an 8"x8"  stretched linen canvas. All sides are painted, so it may be left unframed, or placed in your favorite frame. $65.00-includes shipping,packaging, insurance, and signature confirmation if mailed inside the USA!

These are some hard times for many all over the world lately, whether it be from tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, or man himself causing chaos and confusion, remember God is not the author of confusion, but rather peace. HE is in the mist of the fire in your life and in your surroundings. Trust him in all things. He cares for you and me. He knows our needs and will supply them right on time. 

“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? Matthew 6:26

Blessings,

Sandra Reeves Cutrer

sandrasart777@aol.com

"Missed Stream" by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

"Missed Stream" was created in acrylics, on watercolor paper, for a painting challenge that I tackle every once in a while among other artist friends. I made a very thin top-glaze of white to make it a little more "misty" when I had completed the painting, breaking the rules about never glazing with white. Some times it feels good to go against other people's rules- as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. There are very few rules with art, since art is about creating. Creating what? Whatever pleases the artist, which should be the number one "rule" about art of any kind!
Isn't it great that we have a heavenly father who created us all uniquely! We were created to please him.

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 (NLT)

"Calling It a Day" by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

"Calling it a Day" is painted on an 11"x14" canvas board, in oils. $75.00 plus shipping.

 While walking on our beach jetty, i was blessed to catch this elderly gentleman on his way home. The jetty, made of concrete and beautiful slabs of granite, is usually full of fishing men and women from day break until late into the night. Many come with their portable A/C's in the summer, and heater's or Coleman stoves in the winter, to catch fish. There are always a host of nationalities represented here, and they all seem to get along great,sharing such a tight space. Many of us could use this example in our daily lives. How often people pull away from those "not like themselves" because of fear, or cultural differences, when we are all people made by one Father.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God's children if we love God and obey his commandments.
1 John 5:1-2

Blessings,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer
sandrasart777@aol.com
Sandra's Art Avenue

"Riding the Rails" in oils by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

"Riding the Rails" is one of my favorite paintings. I painted this for an advid train collector.

 I used brushes and palette knives. It is a 16"x20" stretched linen canvas. Although this one is owned by a private collector, I would be happy to do a comission for you!

"Riding the Rails" is one of my favorite paintings. I painted this for an advid train collector. I used brushes and palette knives. 

 

 Psalm 125:2  As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

Did you know that as Christians we are supposed to pray for the Jews? The word of God tells us that we will be blessed!With no end in sight to the turmoil in the Middle East, all signs and prophesies seem to point to an escalation in the violence and conflict. Yet no matter where you stand politically or spiritually regarding the current unrest in Israel, as Christians we can unite on one front: prayer.

Israel, as a nation and a people, are God's chosen people. In Deuteronomy 32:10 and Zechariah 2:8, the Lord God calls Israel "the apple of his eye." And to Abraham, God said in Genesis 12:2-3, "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (NIV) Psalm 122:6 also encourages us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Blessings,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer
sandrasart777@aol.com

Palette knife landscape painting by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

This is a palette knife painting worked on a 16"x20" stretched linen canvas.

I love the mountains and always feel like I am "home" when I go. My younger son recently moved to Birmingham, AL. Although there aren't any huge mountains there, like the Colorado Rockies, or the Smoky Mts. of Tennessee, it was beautiful at Christmas when we went. I can hardly wait to go back for a visit, especially after it warms up and the mountains are filled with greenery and sun-filled days!

John 1:3,10 “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made….He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.” (KJV)



Blessings,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer
sandrasart777@aol.com

"Missed Stream" by Sandra Reeves Cutrer of Lake Jackson,TX

"Missed Stream" is a quick study done on paper with acrylics. It was a painting challenge, based on the famous artist,James McNeill Whistler; limiting my palette to a single blue, a single yellow, and a white.

Whistler "labored with pigments so thin as to be merely tinted turpentine". -- Writer John Updike (in "Whistler in the Dark", from Still Looking: Essays on American Art, p.95).


I actually made a very wet glaze of white to make it a little more "misty" since I kept making the values a little too dark in a few areas. I have been told to never paint a white glaze on anything, so I broke the "rule" and did what I thought was best! Everything we paint can't be a master piece, but it can be a part of who we are. Just like life, we try, we win, we lose, we fall,we run on the mountain tops, we sit in the valleys, we learn, we stumble. But these are all pieces in our life "puzzle". God is in control,all right, you just have to take the time to pray- talk to him, and listen. Ah,listening. That is a gift these days!

"Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance"- Proverbs 1:5, NIV

Blessings,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer
sandrasart777@aol.com

When the Wind Blows

This is a little miniature that I painted in oils on a 5"x4" stretched canvas.It is a reminder of the many times I spent on the Pass Christian beach which is down the road from Biloxi,MS. So many times hurricanes have blown in, destroying so many of the beautiful homes and businesses; but the people are strong and dedicated to their beautiful beach property, always rebuilding with much faith and determination.

Philippians 4:13 ESV
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Blessings,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer