Looking for some rest & reflection before the fall busy season starts?
Pray & Paint through one of the most beloved psalms and experience rest & joy.
Studying the Bible was never supposed to be something that we "check off."
Bringing in simple & rhythmic watercolors helps prepare my heart to pause, pray, and listen.
More knowledge won't help us get the rest, rejuvenation, and wisdom we need.
We may not need (or even be able to) take a break from our daily lives and the fullness of them.
But we are invited to take a break with the Shepherd of our souls.
And He promises nothing but good things.
Ready for your life
to change?
How does this sound?
01
I'm going to lead you gently (think loose florals, twiggy wreaths, and easy-to-paint landscapes) through painting and praying through Psalm 23 with prompts for reflection and prayers.
I'll share insights I've learned (10 minutes max), we'll talk through the verses we are looking at, then jump into a painting session.
02
03
We'll finish each session with an invitation to do a bit more on the prayer side...as your schedule and time and desire allows.
Because our overarching goal is going deep into the psalm – the painting is part of our reflective practice of calming our hearts and minds and focusing – we are not creating complicated compositions. (No actual sheep or shepherds!)
04
05
You will complete the course with a sense of satisfaction in what you've created and how you have grown in your knowledge of Psalm 23.
Imagine going deep in this psalm, deepening your relationship with Jesus, and finding strength through all of life's storms, struggles, and sunny situations (and come out with some lovely watercolors!).
How?
In this course we will...
Slowly meander through the luscious treasure of Psalm 23 for six sessions (go at your own pace), plus an optional bonus session. More on that to come...
Create a series of floral paintings you can bind together in a journal, or, individually frame to commemorate your time
Increase your ability to settle into a quiet rhythm of praying and painting, taking a break from distractions, frustrations, problems
Painting and Praying through Psalm 23 is designed for women like you with full lives who are short on time but are hungry for rest, beauty, and connection with our Shepherd.
What's included?
Six watercolor sessions + six (brief) teaching lessons
Short, written reflections
Downloadable pdf with all of the reflections for on-the-go ease
A Treasure Trove of Psalm 23 resources! A list of the books I read, music listened to, and what I studied
Bonus workshop:
Create a Collage
This will be a great way to reinforce what you learned and come back to this later in the year OR the beginning of the year in 2022
Bonus Workshop:
Intro to Watercolor
If you are new to watercolor, I'll go through easy basics to get you up and going to make the most of this course
Hi friend!
I'm Melissa!
"Make it your intention to go deeper with less portions of the Bible, than shallow with a wide section of Scripture."
My jaw literally dropped when I read this guidance from a man who I considered one of my most profound mentors (he passed away some years ago. Never met him in real life, but read so many of his books and teachings).
What? I reread the sentence again. A little bit of scripture over several days, weeks. I guess this guy isn't a proponent of 'read through the Bible in a year.' I sighed. That's kind of a relief.
I decided to take this idea with some action and begin to think about and recite shorter areas of Scripture.
I'd memorized Psalm 23 as a kid, but in the summer of 2020, when the whole world was on lockdown and we all wondered if life would ever reach some semblance of normalcy, this psalm seemed to reach out to me.
Soon, I was painting out floral scenes as I thought on, prayed, and memorized various verses.
There was something about doing something creative with my hands as I thought and prayed that helped reinforce the words, the prayers.
Let's take a peek inside...
- Session 1In our first session, we look at the overarching themes of Psalm 23 as we paint a garden of zinnias. These happy summer flowers are delightful to paint! We'll go step by step through creating this garden with a style of painting I call, "splatter art."
- Session 2Dive deep into the characteristics of our gracious Shepherd. We will paint wildflowers as we consider the character of the Shepherd and how He gently guides us. Rediscover how good He is. (This one might be my favorite).
- Session 3In this session, we will look at why we are called sheep and why recognizing our need for a shepherd is a gift.The flower in this session is the hydrangea. Don't be intimidated! While this flower looks complicated, it is a conglomeration of many small flowers. The repetition of the painting will give us time to reflect and pray.
- Session 4Perhaps the reason why Psalm 23 connects with so many people is the recognition that life is hard! The valleys are intense and death threatens to rip away every bit of security.
- Session 5From the shadows of death of verse 4 to the joy of the promise of our Shepherd in verse 5 Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me! In this session we'll paint a twiggy wreath with flowers to emphasize the never ending promises of God.
- Session 6We finish up our time together by looking at another promise from God. We'll paint a home with a garden surrounding it. I teach a style of watercolor homes that is easy to replicate and add your own signature style to it: colors, details, flowers.
- Putting it all togetherIf you so desire, you can create a bound journal with all of the art. I go through how to create a journal with basic supplies. Optional.
- Bonus! Create a CollageI love to create something that will remind me of what I am learning, focusing on. It's so easy to put a study in a drawer and forget about it.In this session, I take the wildflowers we created in session 4, cut them apart and adhere them to a canvas. On the canvas, I've painted the verses of Psalm 23 with craft paint. It serves as a reminder of my time with Jesus, my Shepherd, and His great promises over me and my life.
"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with me."
Psalm 23:4
After you have finished this course...
- you will have a beautiful collection of floral watercolors, a stunning wildflower collage (If you choose to complete the bonus workshop).
- you will have spent precious time with Jesus.
- you'll be rested and have received the rich nourishment of Psalm 23.
- you'll look back and see how you've grown spiritually when we've spent time with God, in His word, and with a few minutes of quiet to pray and to listen.
- Every time you look at the collection of floral watercolors inspired by this course, whether you leave them as individuals or bind them together in our journal, may the words of Psalm 23 rush over and through you as sweet and fragrant drink.
How has this impacted you?
"Taking Melissa's course was so fun and helped me to finally pick up the paint brush again! I forgot how much I loved to paint. I felt like a part of me came alive again"
- Kendra C
"As a beginner painter I felt relieved by Melissa's encouragement that my paintings will look differently from her examples because I am finding my own style."
- J.D.
"Easy to follow directions, quaint and bright pictures that aren't too overwhelming. I've had the best time growing my skills with the tutorials from The Creative Season!"
- Jenelle
"Using pens is a new method to me in drawing, and I'm liking the dimension the lines add to my art work."
- Caleb
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don't know much about the Bible?
No need to be a biblical scholar. This is perfect for those wanting to deeper their faith
You mentioned you read several books in preparation for this study. Do I need to purchase books?
No need to have a vast library of study materials – this creative, reflective, thinking course is focused on women who may not have a lot of time, but are willing to set aside some time each week to go over and over in the word of God. While I read through various books about the Psalm (for example, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 was an especially helpful resource), the ultimate resource is the psalm itself.
What if I don't have a lot of time?
Not a problem. Each lesson is meant to be completed in less than an hour and can be broken into chunks. I'm a stickler about giving you what I think is essential, without fluff. Some lessons are shorter than others.
Can I do this with my small group or for a weekend retreat?
Sure! If you want to launch this course on a shared screen for a group, that is okay with me. If you want each member to have their login, please reach out to me for individual discussion.
I've known Psalm 23 since I was a kid. What might I expect to take away?
One of the allures of Psalm 23 is its universal application to so many people throughout the centuries. One of the curious things about this Psalm is how, in a post-industrial society – we continue to be enthralled with this psalm (even though most of us don't raise sheep any longer). I've done quite a bit of reading and research and will share insights into the Psalm (as well as my reading list!) and may have a few surprises for you.
What if I don't know how to create or paint very well?
I specifically designed these projects for each level of artist. I wanted the focus to be on the psalm so I intentionally did not create especially detailed or highly structured work. A bit of comfort with watercolors will make it easier to jump in to the lesson, but it is not a requirement.
Also, I am including a bonus workshop, "Getting Comfortable with Watercolor: Tips for the New Watercolorist" as a bonus in this course.
Melissa AuClair
thecreativeseason.com
