Faye's Feedback

After experiencing a dry spell, it's nice to spend a few consecutive hours painting where things are all "coming together". While I enjoy it for the most part, painting the pages for The Biggest Family in the World  can seem like a marathon - so much detail to paint, where I am accustomed to painting big, fast and loose (unlike my lifestyle of course ;). I was working on painting a Kenyan vehicle called a manatu - the "taxi" that Charles Mulli started his multi-million dollar business with. The vehicle is full of people being transported by a smiling Mulli - people sitting on top, hanging on the back, and chickens flying out of an opened cage...I'd show you a picture of it, but it would spoil the surprise... To loosen up between long painting sessions, I've been working on some portraits that will "accompany" the book. The latest is a beautiful young girl who had been rescued by the Mully Children's Family . The original photo that insp...

The idea for this painting began as a beautiful photo by Paul Boge on his January 2013 trip to Kenya. Of the hundreds of photos that he brought home, this was one of several that I put securely in my special file for future use in a "side" painting to accompany the paintings of the book, The Biggest Family in the World . The face of the woman is not only beautiful, humble and serene, but it typifies the happiness and serenity of the children of the Mully Children's Family orphanage in Kenya. All of these children were rescued from street life -  prostitution, sickness, neglect, drug and alcohol and physical abuse by others. Each of their lives is a story of its own. The call of addiction and street life often lures the children back to their old way of life despite the comfort, safety and God-centred family atmosphere at the Mully home. I wanted to paint this beautiful girl, not just as a portrait, but a way to demonstrate the lure and evil hold that an old way of ...

The Biggest Family in the World -  a new children's book based on the life of Charles Mulli, planned for publication in 2014. This is a blog chronicling the book's creation from the perspective of the artist. Today I find myself painting an "angel", so I had to quickly write down the experience. Specifically, I'm painting the young man from Charles Mulli's past who first invited him to church. The painting started out like any other - two men in a field, one gesturing to the church behind him, an inviting smile on his face, and teenage Charles looking skeptical. It is one of the crossroads paintings for the storyline in the book, The Biggest Family in the World , where Charles makes one of the major decisions that changes the course of this Kenyan boy's life. On one hand there is the field of workers where he has been toiling to make a living. On the other hand is the invitation to attend a revival service. There is nothing remarkable about the young ...

The Biggest Family in the World -  a new children's book based on the life of Charles Mulli, planned for publication in 2014. This is a blog chronicling the book's creation from the perspective of the artist. I've heard of writer's block, but in the last few years, the inspiration for painting has been flowing like a fountain for me - I guess I've taken it for granted. Well, I've experienced my first "painter's block", sitting down to paint and just feeling weary, uninspired and uninterested. Time to pray.... Instead of giving in to my feelings of panic, I decided to sit down and re-think my time planning for working on the book paintings, and focus on praying for fresh vision, inspiration and God's will for this. Perhaps I was so excited for the project that I expected too much of myself. Perhaps outside stresses have seemed to magnify themselves, and beg me to give in to depression again. One thing I know for certain,  I can't do th...