by Matt Philleo | Apr 13, 2016 | Encouraging Thoughts, New Artwork
New life is amazing.
I know it sounds cliche, but it seems just like yesterday when my wife and I were at the hospital experiencing the birth of our third child, Adrielle. There were some complications at the onset–she was turned around the wrong way in the birth canal, causing my wife extreme pain, and signaling a possibility of protracted labor.
We prayed.
Soon enough our baby flipped around the right way and the delivery happened fairly quickly after that. What a relief!
She didn’t breathe right away though. My other two children cried immediately after birth, but Adrielle was quiet, and the midwives hurried her over to the table to get her going.
That was possibly the longest minute of our lives.
When she did finally cry, we realized again the near-miracle of this birth. Our daughter was over 11 pounds and 24 inches long! She wasn’t obese or anything, but just came out looking like a toddler! The nurses and midwives were amazed that my wife gave birth to this large, healthy girl, all natural.
Sometimes we men feel like useless bystanders during the birthing process.
You realize your wife is doing all the work and you want to do something to help. But the most you can do is just offer a few over-used remarks like “You’re doing great, honey. Don’t give up!” all the time knowing that one part of your wife would like to rip your voice box out of your neck and stomp it flat, and yet taking some comfort in knowing that the other part is glad you’re there, even if you’re actually accomplishing nothing to alleviate her pain. (I did find something useful I could do this time around, though. Noticing how hot my wife’s face was, I used the hospital data folder as a fan. She said it felt good.)
Once the baby is born and the pain has subsided, your wife is back to herself again.
I think Jesus said it best: “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.” (John 16:21)
Seeing a new life come into the world is a terrifying, beautiful process.
The waiting, the anticipation, the frustration, the anxiousness, the joy of witnessing a child enter the world is a transaction that reminds you of the gift of life itself. Especially when a birth has complications, you realize that the doorway through which life emerges is enshrouded by the possibility of death–and that makes you appreciate the miracle of life all the more.
Commissioned portrait painting of Eric H’s family, 16 x 20, acrylic on canvas by artist Matt Philleo
I just finished a 16 x 20 acrylic on canvas portrait painting that illustrates what I think is the best part of the birthing process: the time when your family and friends visit and share in the joy and wonder of your beautiful new child–so delicate, so incredibly made, so perfect. This was a portrait commissioned by a man I met recently while doing portrait sketches at the Bushel & A Peck Apple Orchard (Chippewa Falls, WI) the last couple years. He saw my portfolio and decided to have a painting done that he would give as a gift for his wife. Good going, husband!
Interestingly, after he had already commissioned me, his wife mentioned that the photo they had snapped at the hospital would be a great picture to have blown up.
Photo to Portrait: Original client photo used for reference in creating portrait
He didn’t let the cat out of the bag.
16 x 20 acrylic on canvas portrait painting of Eric H’s family, photo by client
Later on, when he gave the painting to her, she just loved it. Here is what she wrote about it on Facebook:
“Eric had a PAINTING done of my favorite photo for my birthday. I cannot believe how much this painting looks identical to the picture. (I was so sad this photo was taken on an iPhone and couldn’t be enlarged to a photo print). I couldn’t be more in love with this…it will be cherished forever! heart emoticon What absolute talent by a local artist, Matt Philleo.” — at Fine Art by Matt Philleo.
I love the expression and interaction of these children, holding their new baby brother. It was fun to paint the different textures–the ridges in the baby’s blanket, the hair, the softness of the pillows and sheets. I really enjoyed doing this painting and creating a beautiful portrait from a photo.
Here are a couple of in progress shots.
16 x 20 Acrylic on Canvas Portrait of Eric H’s family, sketch, by Matt Philleo
16 x 20 Acrylic on Canvas Portrait of Eric H’s family, in progress, by Matt Philleo
16 x 20 Acrylic on Canvas Portrait of Eric H’s family, almost done, by Matt Philleo
And finally, a close-up of the baby.
Detail of portrait
If you have any memories like this that you would like to capture in a special way, with a unique painting, just let me know. I would love to be a part of the process! Meanwhile, remember every moment of life. They are valuable and precious, and our little children have a way of reminding us of that.
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by Matt Philleo | Feb 4, 2016 | Encouraging Thoughts, My Art in Progress, New Artwork
Everybody has a calling; a unique reason for being here on planet earth.
It all starts with God as the foundation, since He created us, just like the engineer of a finely tuned watch knows what its purpose is.
And just like that watch will give honor to its maker by operating as it is supposed to, so will we, when we do what God has created us for.
In fact, the whole purpose of our lives is to bring glory to God.
The first and biggest way we can do that is accept the fact that we need Him and receive His forgiveness for our sins, His gift of eternal life to us through the accomplishment of His Son’s death and resurrection.
After that, step by step, we go on a journey to let the glory of God shine in our lives moment by moment, day by day, walking in dependence upon Him and bringing every blessing and every trial as a gift of thanks and a petition for help.
In the Bible, the prophet Elijah was about to be taken up to heaven. His special role as a messenger to God’s people would be transferred to His student and successor, Elisha.
These were big shoes to fill: Elijah had prayed for a drought to cause the nation of Israel to seek God again, and God shut up the heavens for three years. Elijah asked God to show His glory by fire on Mount Carmel so the Israelites would stop worshiping idols, and God sent the fire. And Elijah prayed again for it to rain, and sure enough, the parched, thirsty earth was given torrents of water to drink.
But as Elisha was seeing the amazing way the Lord provided for his teacher, he was being prepared to be used in the same way.
I met a wonderful gal at the Falling Leaves Art Studio Tour who connected me to another wonderful gal through this blog, who then connected me to a publisher in Abbotsford, WI. I was asked to paint an image of Elijah and Elisha for a book cover, and I thought it would be a great project.
It turns out the author of the book is a missionary that our church has supported for years! Here is the painting, titled “Picking up the Mantle.” It took about 25 hours to create. Below is a few in progress photos of the painting, leading up to the finished work ( I also have a video of the painting in progress as well):
“Picking up the Mantle,” 16 x 20, Acrylic on Canvas, by artist Matt Philleo–sketch
“Picking up the Mantle”
16 x 20, acrylic on canvas, by artist Matt Philleo–in progress
“Picking up the Mantle,” 16 x 20, Acrylic on Canvas, by artist Matt Philleo
In the painting, you see Elisha holding up Elijah’s cloak, or mantle, that he left behind for Elisha to pick up. The mantle represents Elijah’s special position as prophet, his unique calling, his anointing for service, and the power God had given him to carry out his duties. It was now for Elisha to carry on.
But you can almost see Elisha saying, “What now?” as his master is taken away. God had many adventures in store for him, but in this moment, he is simply awestruck.
The mantle is a symbol of what is being passed on to the next generation.
What are you–and me–passing on to our children and grandchildren?
I’d love if my kids achieve a certain level of success–all parents want that. But if they don’t have God–what good is it? My wife and I pray for my kids at bedtime, read the the Bible, and share the great things God has done for us. I want to do more of that. I want my kids to remember and think, “My dad sure had some issues, but one thing I know is that he really needed God and God came through for him. And God came through for me, too.”
What is your calling? Mine is to encourage. I don’t always do this well, but I know God has used me to encourage people and that is because He has encouraged me first. We love God because He has first loved us.
I finished this painting at the end of January, and then delivered it to the publisher after he decided to buy it in addition to purchasing the illustration rights of the image. That was a great blessing, because studio rent was due for the next month. God always brings in the provision just in time!
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by Matt Philleo | Jan 25, 2016 | New Artwork, Personal Inspiring Stories
I was recently asked to do a pencil drawing, a memoriam portrait for my neighbor Laura, whose boyfriend had just passed away several days ago. I had been to their home a few times, reading the Bible with them, and praying with them. Unfortunately, the man’s health was declining and he suddenly took a turn for the worse and was gone, at age 53.
It makes you realize how short life is. I’ve gotten to know quite a few of my neighbors and I’ve seen many of them pass away at younger ages than you’d like to see people go.
But when it’s time for someone to go, it’s time. Death is an appointment we all have to keep.
The Bible says “…it’s appointed for man once to die, and after this the judgment.” But we also have a great promise that Jesus Christ conquered death by suffering the penalty of sin–death–on the cross for our benefit. Then, He rose again to prove that the work was accomplished! All we have to do is trust in Him, what He did for us–taking the punishment of sin we deserve (death) and receive that benefit of eternal life. And the reason God sent His son to die for us is because He loves us!
Life is too short to avoid the risk of sounding a little preachy. If you’re reading this and don’t know Jesus, think about what I’m saying–what God is speaking to your heart. Take it in.
What sounds like bad news–the brevity of life or certain trials and difficulties–can become your greatest blessing.
Many blessings are hidden in things that look dismal, dark and unattractive. Diamonds look terrible as they’re drawn out of coal, but hidden in all that dark and dirty material is a gem waiting for the seeking person to find. Pearls are created through the irritation the clam experiences from sand within the shell. A forest fire leaves a wasteland behind, but it’s that very same scorched earth that is the perfect soil for new plants to grow in!
Sketch of Paul, 11 x 14, pencil on paper, by portrait artist Matt Philleo
This pencil portrait sketch of my neighbor Paul took me about 2 1/2 hours to do, an 11 x 14. I used the side of the pencil lead for most of the dark areas, and wiped with a tissue to blend it in. I prayed as I drew the picture that God would use it to comfort my grieving neighbor.
When I handed the drawing off to Laura (the bereaved) earlier this week, her eyes just lit up with joy and she gave me a big hug. She came by our house a couple nights ago again to thank me and asked my wife and I to pray with her.
My wife had been listening to her and encouraging her while I was away at the studio. We are praying that the God of all comfort would touch this dear lady and make His love so real to her in her time of need. If God leads you to do so, please pray with us. Thank you!
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by Matt Philleo | Dec 30, 2015 | My Art in Progress, New Artwork
Several weeks ago, I drove to Boyd, WI to drop off a colored pencil portrait of a black lab for a client. When I went to knock on the door, I was surprised to see a complete stranger standing in front of me. For a second, I thought I had the wrong house!
It turned out, the lady standing in front of me was to be my next client. She was a friend of the lady whose black lab (and blue merle) I had drawn. After we were introduced and having seen that drawing, she wanted one done of her dog, too.
So here it is: This is “Sydney,” her golden retriever, a drawing in memory of her. 16 x 20, colored pencil on paper. I also included a couple in progress shots as well. I used to do colored pencil drawings all the time back in high school–it’s nice going back to my roots!
“Sydney” In progress–sketch
I start off with a regular No.2 graphite pencil, and then fill in key areas of contrast with a sepia tone colored pencil. The key is to keep the tip very sharp!
“Sydney” In Progress, 30% complete
Then I work my way left to right, starting with cooler, darker tones, and finishing with warmer, lighter tones. Working from left to right keeps what I’ve already drawn from smudging.
“Sydney”, 16 x 20 colored pencil pet portrait by artist Matt Philleo
And here is the final portrait. I dropped it off right before Christmas–my client was happy and told me it looked just like her. Let me know if you’d like a pet portrait done too, or know someone who does!
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by Matt Philleo | Dec 3, 2015 | Bible Devotionals, Christianity & Culture, Encouraging Thoughts, New Artwork
It’s amazing how fast the year went by. The dusting of snow on the ground, the crisp weather, the lights on the trees, the hustle and bustle in the shopping areas all indicate the Christmas season is here!
I love Christmas, but it’s always a bittersweet season for me.
Having grown up in a legalistic church/ cult, my family and I didn’t celebrate Christmas until I was 12 years old, after we left that place. We were taught from the time we were little kids that Christmas was pagan and evil.
For that reason, Christmas doesn’t quite have the “magic” for me–you, know, that nostalgic feeling that finds it root in childhood–since I missed those special moments: the awe and wonder of the decorations, the preparation, the suspense, and of course, the gifts.
Christmas also signals to me the the year is almost over. It makes me think of how quickly the time went by, and some things that I wanted to accomplish, but wasn’t able to get done. And I’m not a fan of winter!
But I definitely don’t want to be a Grinch. So, now I’m going to look at the positive side…
For Jesus, Christmas is a time of birth. For us, it’s a time of rebirth.
The year is winding down, and a fresh new year is ahead, with new opportunities arising: opportunities for business, and opportunities for relationships too. I’m glad my children can celebrate Christmas and enjoy the true meaning of the season. As they are getting old enough to appreciate it, my wife and I are doing special advent devotions with them. My wife actually has created her own Advent devotional for our family–complete with thought provoking questions to encourage us to focus on the Savior and thank Him for what He has done for us.
I’ve really been enjoying it this year.
I think the kids are too: at the close of the devotion, the kids get to blow out a candle. (It’s amazing how they will sit still through the devotional just to get to blow out a candle!)
We brought our candleabra to church, so here is the makeshift one my wife made. Egg cartons: useful things!
Homemade Egg carton Advent Candlebra–MattPhilleo.com
So in the midst of all the craziness, this is the perfect time to slow down a little, snuggle up to those we love, and spend quality time with them. Even better, open up the Bible together and discover again the joy of the coming King! These verses come to my mind as I write:
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:4-7)
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-7)
That is the mystery of Christmas. We don’t know for sure when Jesus was born, but maybe it’s good that we celebrate His birth in the winter, when, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s cold and dark.
In the darkness, we can appreciate the light so much more.
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; for those living in a land of deep darkness, a light has shined upon them.” (Isaiah 9:2)
When you string those twinkling lights up on your tree, take a moment and think about the Star of David–the Light of the World, God in human flesh that broke into our world of chaos, to bring order; into our world of angst to bring peace.
In this painting I just finished,
“Enjoying the Light of the World,” you can see the family sitting together by the warm fire, reading together the wonderful story of God’s love and grace to us in the Bible. When we seek the Lord during this special time of year, peace, joy and love will flood into our homes as a result. (By the way, I have turned this painting into a
free Christmas card that you can download and print)
Christmas is coming. So go ahead, break out the sticks and logs, get a good crackling fire going, open up that Bible, and gather your family around to share the comforting words of our Lord Jesus Christ: “…I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
May God richly bless your Christmas season!
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by Matt Philleo | Nov 24, 2015 | Christianity & Culture, Encouraging Thoughts, New Artwork
It’s that time of year again.
The trees have shed their leaves, the cold and frost have settled down on our lawns, the hunters are busy. The cooks in the kitchen are getting their turkeys thawed out, the sweet potatoes ready, the pumpkins prepared for a lavish meal fit for a king.
I love it.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. I love the food, I love the family get-togethers and great conversation. I love the fact that it’s a time of year especially set aside to give thanks.
If you can get past the constant barrage of Black Friday ads, you’ll hear people right now urging us to stop and be thankful for all the things we have.
That’s great; we should.
But the question is not so much what are we giving thanks for, but rather…
Who are we giving thanks to?
Let’s face it: God is not popular in our popular culture today. We’ve become self-sufficient, we say we don’t need Him, He doesn’t exist, and pushed Him off the side. Or, we’ve reinvented Him, despite the fact that He already tells us who He is, right out of the pages of His word, the Bible.
But the tradition of Thanksgiving, founded centuries ago in this country remains. And we like our traditions. So, if we slow down enough to reflect on our lives, we pause and give thanks, because, well…it’s Thanksgiving…it’s what you do.
Let me ask you a question: Fast-foward a few weeks and let’s say it’s Christmas. You give me a nicely wrapped, meaningful gift. What would you expect me to say?
“Thank you,” of course.
Now imagine this: You give me the same gift. This time, I take the gift, without one word of appreciation to you.
Then, later on, I unwrap the gift. It turns out to be a really nice scroll-saw. I use the saw, create an elaborate piece of woodwork, and boast to my friends about how much time and skill it took to create this masterpiece.
And then one day out of the year, because it was the popular thing to do, I tell my friends, “I thank my lucky stars I was able to create this masterpiece.”
How would you feel?
It would be completely insulting to you.
But, as a culture, this is what we do with God. We have received everything from Him: life, health, resources–the stuff we use to create a comfortable living.
Instead of thanking him for those things, acknowledging that they came from Him, we congratulate ourselves for being clever enough to use the substance He made, again failing to recognize that He gave us the strength and intelligence in the first place to manipulate those raw materials into beautiful, functional amenities.
Thanksgiving must be directed first to the person who should receive the thanks, or it’s pointless.
In the past, I’ve written out thank you cards to people and forgotten to send them out.
Wasted time.
Until I put the address on the envelope, stamp it, and put in the box, it does no good to the recipient.
Sure, having an overall thankful, positive attitude is beneficial psychologically and physiologically; I won’t argue that. But, can I say this? That attitude is selfish. Thanksgiving really isn’t true thanksgiving until it is actually given to one who should receive it.
However, true thanksgiving does us good too. And on the flip side, failing to do it, does us bad. The apostle Paul wrote in his book to the Romans and he said this about the culture at large, “who, although they knew God, did not glorify Him as God, neither were they thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
Every wrong and wicked thing in this world can be traced back to a lack of thanks to God. A lack of appreciation, a lack of contentedness causes us to wither inside and say and do things that we later come to regret.
Having too much and not being thankful for it can cause us a world of hurt. When we’re comfortable and all our physical needs are met, a spirit of complacency can take hold. We take our blessings for granted. That’s when, if we’re not careful, those blessings can be taken away from us, or even worse, our hearts can grow cold.
Surprisingly, it’s often in the low, dark places that thanksgiving rises up.
Yesterday, at church, I listened to a sound clip from a radio talk show commentating on the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquakes. The talk show host interviewed several doctors that were there in middle of the calamity trying their best to provide some measure of relief. They described feeling worthless as physicians, working over 30 hours straight to help in any way they could. Over 250,000 were dead and over 300,000 wounded. The smell of dying bodies, urine, bloody bandages, and filth assaulted their noses. The picture of mass human suffering was almost intolerable.
Then, during the despair, one lone person grabbed his guitar and started singing a song.
Soon, a few joined him, and then more. It caught like fire, and soon the whole crowd joined in the chorus. It was a song of joy, a song of exuberance.
“What were they singing?” the doctors wondered. “We found out,” they recounted, “it was a song about Jesus. They were singing, ‘Thank You, Jesus, for loving us!'”
I could hardly hold back the tears as I listened. The song was so celebratory, so joyful. And to think, in the midst of this incredible suffering, people were thanking and praising God–for Jesus loving them!
Now, that’s Thanksgiving!
When you can thank God in the midst of a tremendous trial, that’s a true heart of worship. It’s beautiful.
“God is the Strength of My Heart”, a concept sketch by pencil artist Matt Philleo.
The image shown here is a sketch I did that will be used for a future painting. The man is reaching out to God, in the middle of suffering, and offering thanks and praise to God. The idea is: “My flesh and my heart my fail, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)
I love that verse.
You want a good portion of turkey and stuffing this year? I know I do! But even better than that is a good portion of God.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good! says the Psalmist (Psalm 34:8). When you experience the presence of God through a thankful, joyful heart–there is nothing better than that. All the gold in the world seems like the dust you wipe off your shoe by comparison.
So this Thanksgiving, let us give thanks…to God. And then to each other.
It all starts with God.
Every breath, every heartbeat, every morsel of food, every sip of water, and ten-thousand blessings in addition to that, culminating with His greatest gift–the Lord Jesus Christ who came to bear our sins on the cross and restore our broken relationship with God–all have come from Him as a gift.
God has been so good to us!
All He wants, is the same thing we want when we give. Acknowledgment that it came from Him, and a genuine “Thank You.”
This is something we can do. It will touch God’s heart and enlarge ours. Let’s do it!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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