Perhaps a decade ago, when a couple of my portraits were on display at the Art League of the Woodlands, an artist told me, “If I had your gifts, I’d devote my life to painting.” And that’s just the point. I received a “gift” that came late in life, and it wasn’t something I’d “earned.”

Apart from taking Introduction to Art in the 7th grade, for which I received a grade of “C,” the only training I’ve had is self taught. And that learning came from books I began collecting after I’d painted my second portrait.

So, what happened? “Did I find a “shortcut,” some trick for painting that produced reasonable facsimiles of my subjects? No. It was never easy.

If you’ve read my bio, you know that my career path was about as far from art as one can imagine, unless you consider delivering a political diatribe to be an art form.

It all started with my first portrait. I had been working for a dot.com startup when the tech bubble burst in March, 2000, and the company folded. My wife still had her job as an educational writer in San Diego, but I was footloose, so I drove to Florida to care for my ailing mother.

At some point, I came up with the zany idea that I could express my love for my wife by painting a portrait of her. I was so ignorant that I didn’t know I couldn’t paint a portrait. It didn’t occur to me that a landscape artist can move a tree to enhance his work, but unless your name is Picasso, it is quite another thing to move a subject’s eyes around, or to apply the wrong color to the lips.

But I did know that it’s wise to ask the Lord to anoint any undertaking, and I did so. I had a photo that I’d taken of Joy when she was asleep in a chair while we were crossing the North Sea on a ferry, between England and Belgium. Using that snapshot, I attempted a 16”x20” oil portrait on hardboard.

I remember being frustrated with my progress, and instead of trying to correct it, I took a rag and dragged it across the painting. Not smart! I was forced to start over, and I almost quit. But something drove me on. I prayed and I persisted. And the portrait turned out good enough that Joy wanted it hung on our living room wall. It only takes one person to appreciate your work. You don’t need the world’s acclamation.

After I finished Joy’s painting, I thought that I was finished painting. After all, God had answered my prayer and given me what I had asked for. But a few people challenged me to try again, so I tried painting a gifted vocalist, musician and composer named Cheryl Bliss. After that, I painted Joy’s sister, “Patience.”

I bought books, and began reading, but the more I read, the more I felt crippled. If I wasn’t following the expert’s methods, was I doing it wrong? Was I a fraud? Wasn’t it the end result that mattered? How did my tastes, abilities, and perceptions fit in? Could I find my own way?

And now, at 85, it’s a new contest. I struggle with the ravages of time, with shaky and arthritic hands, and I’m still trying to find the answer. This one thing I know: When I prayed, God helped me.

If you are tempted to paint, or sculpt, or snap pictures, don’t hesitate. Just start! Beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder. Grandma Moses has an entire museum in Bennington, Vermont devoted to her primitve paintings. Don’t let fear of failure stop you. Love what you do and do what you love! Discover new excitement in your life!