Wow..

It has been quite a while since I've logged on and posted on this thing. I guess I was just discouraged at the lack of readers reading my blog, but who cares right?

Today, I want to talk to you about why I think you need more than one Bible. Now, wait. Just hear me out. Don't run away yet. I'm not saying that you *need* more than one, but when you hear why, you'll understand my point of view.

Why I think you need 2-3 Bibles in 4 short sentences (more in depth down below)

1. You need one for church. Keep it simple with minimal study helps ect.
2. You need a Bible for in depth studying. Like super in depth. Such as the Inductive Bible Study.
3. If you're artistic, consider a third for Bible art journaling.
4. Having all these things in one Bible is distracting.
5. If you are going to a Christian College (much like the one I went to) having a 4th Bible for class is helpful.

Now for the more in depth explanations. These are all coming from my own personal experiences from college. I have several Bibles in several translations currently, but I'm only actively using two. The Bibles I have on my bookshelf include a KJV (not a favorite version, but it was a gift), a pocket sized NIV, a full sized NIV (my art worship/in depth study Bible), a NKJV (my main study Bible), and a Message Bible (it was required for one of my Bible classes).

One thing I wish is I wish I had started my in depth studying or my art worship in a different Bible. Having two huge things happening inside the same Bible at the same time is distracting and sometimes confusing. I am currently loving the inductive Bible study method. It's so worth the extra time it takes to read through the chapter/passage, and really helps you slow down. Now, in case you don't know what that is, it is a Bible study/marking guide. There is a website you can visit, but I suggest you just come up with your own marking code. For example, I'm currently working through the Book of Psalms and I made a new code for Psalms because there's so much in there. One of my marks is a simple doodle tree, which I use to mark passages about strength. Any mentions of love or heart gets a pink heart drawn over the word. Bless/ed/ing is colored over in blue. Anything that would grab your attention and help you remember what you read is fair game.

Bible art journaling has recently taken off and has become widely popular. There are Bibles out there that have wide margins just for these people who are into worship art and Bible journaling. There's even a few out that have line-art illustrations in some of the margins to help you focus on a key verse. The two I can think of are the Inspire Bible and the My Creative Bible. Look them up on Amazon or Facebook if you are interested in a Bible like that.

I also have a study Bible that I take to church.  I was taking the Bible that I had art worship moments in to church, but some of the church people were unkind, and so I decided it would be best if I didn't bring it to church because I didn't want to distract people from their worship experience.

Well, I think this just about wraps it up. Any questions, comment below and I'll answer ASAP. Thanks for reading!

Artist statement

I know that when I was writing my artist statement for my upcoming gallery show, I struggled a lot with how to write it. What should I include? How should I phrase things? My advice to you is as follows:

1. When you think about it too long, it gets harder and harder to write it
2. Think of it as a brief conversation to someone who asked you why you make this art. It can be helpful to think of your AS standing in for you to explain your art to someone who is viewing your gallery/exhibit but you are not there.
3. Let it be your own. 
4. Ask for advice from non-art friends. They'll be more helpful. Art friends will compare your AS to their's and the advice you receive may not be worthwhile.
5. Tailor the AS to fit your exhibit. Having one AS for all of your work is probably not the best idea.

I've included my own AS as an example. 

Notice at the end of my AS, there is a haiku about myself. The exhibit that is going up soon uses haiku's for all of my captions. Also in my AS, I directly reference a couple of the images in the gallery. 

Artist Statement

For as long as I can remember, art has been my main interest. It has been a place where I can be as creative as I want, where I can express myself. Over the past few years, photography has become my primary focus. With my photography, I try to capture the world as I see it. I’ve been told so many times about how I have a “great eye” and I’ve never understood what that meant. But I think I do now. I see the world differently, and I want to share that with you. Many of my images are everyday things, but they are focused on the details that people may miss or overlook. Things like the dew on the grass, or the shy fox in the forest, or even the fleeting colors of sunrise. This has become an exploration that helps me to slow down and really focus on all that God has created. This collection of work comes from my desire to capture and share these moments with others.

Brandi Vandygriff

A collector of photos,

And fleeting images