New Children’s Book Illustration Project–Chapter 1

by Matt Philleo | Apr 28, 2018 | Illustration, My Art in Progress

I am doing more illustration work for author Karen Meyer. She’s writing a new children’s book about two boys, a ranch, some horses and a lot of adventure, titled The Young Man From India.

This is the third book I am illustrating for her, and there is a fourth! She and her husband are wonderful people. My family and I personally met them and stayed at their house for a couple days, during Spring Break.

Here is the illustration for Chapter 1, along with the actual story I’m endeavoring to bring alive. It’s a pencil on paper illustration, 5.5″ x 7.”

Chapter One – It’s a Boy!

Spencer ran into the house. “Mom! Mom! Where are You?”

“You must be very excited. You just ran right past me. What is it, Spencer?”

“Mom, it’s a boy!”

“Oh, did Connie have her baby? A little boy. You’ll have to teach him how to ride and to love horses as much as you do.”

“No, mom. An older boy, like me, moved onto the ranch next to ours. I saw the truck and the horse trailer.”

“How do you know from such a distance that it’s a boy and not a girl that moved in?”

“Mom, really. I saw him ride. No girl could ride the way he did. He must be like me because he couldn’t wait to take his horse out onto the ranch. He might have a sister. Or his mother is a very short woman.”

“I think you’re looking at things from too far away.

Why don’t you take Red and ride over. Introduce yourself. Ask if they want to come for dinner. There’s so much to do when moving in – they might appreciate a meal they don’t have to think about.”

“That’s a great idea. I can’t wait to meet him. I wonder if he’s in my grade.”

“You’ll soon know . . . and don’t forget to be polite to his parents. And don’t jump the fence with Red. Remember your dad said Red’s knee isn’t the same anymore since that day he fell with you. Take time to open the gate before galloping away.”

A faint okay was all his mom could hear as Spencer was already riding away.

I finally have a friend close by. This has been my wish for a long time and now it’s happened. I hope he’s in my grade and that he’s as excited to meet me as I am to meet him. It will be so much fun to ride over the ranch with another person. I miss riding with dad now that he has become an auctioneer in town. We seldom ride together anymore.

Spencer’s house was close to the border of the next ranch. Their house was on the hill but their neighbor’s house was a little closer to the road. At the neighbor’s place there were two tall poles with a hanging sign at the road that read, “The Thorton Ranch.” Spencer remembered when Mr. Thorton carved that sign and hung it.

Mr. Thorton was fun at one time to be around, but he got old. He had trouble walking and went everywhere on his horse after that. He stopped joking. That was the saddest part. He sold his cattle and moved away.

Spencer missed him – at least the way Mr. Thorton had been at one time. He had shown Spencer how to carve letters in wood. And stain them so they would show up. That was when he hung the sign at the road letting everyone know it was the Thorton ranch.

He had also been very funny. Spencer found himself laughing nearly every time he was with Mr. Thorton. He liked his sense of humor. Spencer tried to retell some of the jokes to his parents, but he realized there were always parts missing which he couldn’t remember. Spencer guessed that was why his parents never laughed at them.

Spencer’s parents were more serious. They were both on the same wave length. His parents were fun to be with, but it wasn’t because of the things they said – it was more they things they did with him. Spencer felt loved and enjoyed all the activities he did with his parents, but they never really made him laugh. At least, not the way Mr. Thorton did.

Mr. Thorton was not the same man as he got older. He complained about aches and pains and about the surgery on his foot, saying this foot never felt right in his cowboy boot anymore. Spencer felt sorry for his rancher friend and tried to cheer him with some of his own jokes to brighten his day, but Mr. Thorton’s laugh never seemed sincere.

End of Chapter 1

Hope you’ve enjoyed this story and illustration so far. Next time, I’ll post Chapter 2 and the illustration I did, and keep this going…

Have a blessed day,

P.S. To see more of Karen’s books, you can visit her website here…

www.KarenMeyerauthor.com

Share Your Thoughts!

If you have any comments or questions about what I wrote, please leave me your feedback below! I will personally get back to you. Can you help me spread the word? Please share this post with your family and friends by using the social media links on the side or below. Thank you!

New Book Cover Illustration

by Matt Philleo | Apr 14, 2018 | Encouraging Thoughts, New Artwork

Here is a book I Illustrated for Aneko Press, a Christian book publisher from Abbotsford, Wis.

It’s about a missionary who was kidnapped by guerilla soldiers while serving in Columbia. Later, they release him, and he returns to help them work out a peace solution between rival military forces vying for control within the impoverished countryside.

The painting is an approximately 9″ x 12″, acrylic on illustration board.

Here is the final cover layout for the book. It is available at Aneko Press.

Rescue the Captors 2

Have a blessed day,

Share Your Thoughts!

If you have any comments or questions about what I wrote, please leave me your feedback below at the very bottom of the page! I will personally get back to you.

Can you help me spread the word? Please share this post with your family and friends by using the social media links on the side or at the bottom of this page. Thank you!

[Light Arises in the Darkness] Chapter 2, Part 2: Where Will You Go?

by Matt Philleo | Apr 10, 2018 | Encouraging Thoughts, Light Arises in the Darkness, Uncategorized

When your world is caving in…when you’re at the end of your rope…WHERE will you go to find relief from the pain?

That’s what I’m talking about today.

In my last post, I shared with you the first part of the second chapter for my book I’m currently writing, Light Arises in the Darkness: How to Go Through Suffering and Experience Incredible Joy.We discussed why it is so important to acknowledge your suffering, and how that can pave the way for you to “stop the bleeding” and experience a true sense of peace and joy.

Okay, so you’re feeling the pain, and you’re not hiding it anymore. Now what? Let’s talk about that.

Light Arises in the Darkness

How to Go Through Suffering and Experience Incredible Joy

(To help you navigate through the book. I’ll be including links below to various posts…)

Introduction

Why is there Suffering
Part 1
Part 2
Acknowledging Your Suffering
Part 1
Suffering Caused by Financial Problems
Suffering Caused by Health Problems
Suffering Caused by Loss Problems
Suffering Caused by Relationship Problems
Suffering Caused by Internal Problems
Seeking the Lord in Your Suffering
Responding to His Presence and Encouragement
Becoming an Encourager

“”Where do you run for help? When you are in trouble, what is your first instinct? Do you run to others or to God? Is it usually the counsel of another rather than the counsel found in waiting upon God in prayer? Why is this the way it is? Why do we run to man before we run to God?”- Kay Arthur

Where will you go?

I don’t think there’s anything wrong in getting advice from trusted friends or counselors, because God can speak to us in various ways, but your first and primary source should be God, direct. Think for a moment, in your own life.

When things go south, where do you go first for help?

I’ll admit, when I have a deep question about something, I all too often visit Google first!

You may find some temporary relief in these other sources, but it will only be temporary. There is only one place to turn to for true, permanent relief, and that is in the pages of the Bible. There, you will discover the author of those pages longing to heal your hurts and fill you with a joy you never thought possible. But, before that can happen, you need to seek Him. Now that’s a prescription that cannot fail. It may take some time, though.

For sure, it’s much easier to read an article out of the O! magazine and glean some helpful tidbits on living a better life, than to turn to the God of the universe, sincerely seek Him, and wait for the reply.

The real cure is worth the wait, however.

Do you feel like a 3…or a 7?

Let’s use the doctor’s office metaphor again. You’re in mild to severe (but probably not excruciating) pain, and finally after the annoyingly long wait, you’re taken by the nurse into the doctor’s room. She asks you a few cursory questions, you answer her quickly, glancing at your cellphone, noticing the time and how much you have to get done yet today.

“Just give me the flipping prescription!” you think to yourself.

She finishes her questions and then…another wait.

Finally, the doctor bursts in, looking much more rushed for time than the nurse. He asks you some of the same exact questions the nurse just did. You’re thinking, “Don’t you people even communicate with each other?”

You’re tempted just to answer briefly so you can get out of there and still make it to the next meeting on time.

But hold on. Don’t do that.

What you tell the doctor is an integral part of getting the correct diagnosis–and treatment. If you tell the doctor your pain is a “three” when it’s actually a “seven”, and it hurts in your back, when actually your back and your abdomen is in pain, the doctor may not be able accurately locate your source of discomfort.

During your trial, it’s the same thing. Don’t rush this part. Take some time, and talk to God. I’m going to assume you have some sort of relationship with God. But if you don’t, you can, through Jesus Christ. (I’ll talk about that more in Chapter 7)

You may find some temporary relief in other sources, but it will only be temporary. There is only one place to turn to for true, permanent relief, and that is in the pages of the Bible.

Be real with God. Share your feelings–He can handle them. However there is a caveat: as you get to know God and His character through praying, reading the Bible, and living the life He wants you to, you would not be wise to accuse Him of wrongdoing as you vent your frustrations!

In other words, share your heart, but do it with an attitude of respect. With all that you say, keep in mind that God is good and perfect in everything He does. If He seems to be harsh, unloving, aloof, or mistaken in His dealings with you, He’s not.

That’s just the way you feel.

But our feelings often are not in sync with reality. The Bible says, “Let God be true and every man be a liar.” If we think God is wrong, we are the ones who are wrong. Getting this correct perspective about the infallibility of God will help you receive the encouragement He longs to give you.

“Why should I talk to God about my problems?” you ask. “Doesn’t he already know?”

Of course He does. But he longs for us to communicate to Him. You often know when your child wants something, but don’t you like to hear them ask for it? Also, as we pour our hearts out before the Lord, we can often recognize something about ourselves that we wouldn’t have otherwise. We can even speak things that are like a sermon to ourselves (especially if it’s based on scripture) and it will bring encouragement to us as if it were from the very mouth of God!

Have a blessed day,

Share Your Thoughts!

If you have any comments or questions about what I wrote, please leave me your feedback below at the very bottom of the page! I will personally get back to you.

Can you help me spread the word? Please share this post with your family and friends by using the social media links on the side or at the bottom of this page. Thank you!

I invite you to become a part of my Reader’s Review Group and I’ll let you know whenever I have a new section on the book written. Also, you will receive a discount on the actual book when it’s published. Join today!