Draw closer to God and creatively unlock more of the Good Book!

Your relationship with God is unique. Shouldn't your Bible reflect and celebrate that bond? In this introduction to Bible journaling, you'll discover meaningful ways to combine art, heart and scripture--from backgrounds to hand-lettered verses to beautiful full-page drawings. No expensive supplies or artistic skills are required...only a desire to honor and enhance your spiritual life.

To guide your creative worship experience, this book provides:

- Prompts to engage you with the text, then visually interpret Scripture in words and pictures

- Basic techniques for working with colored pencils, watercolor pencils and watercolor paints

- 21 step-by-step tutorials for drawing trees, flowers, skies, mountains, maps, water, light and other popular themes

- Tons of inspirational page samples and suggested verses to illustrate

- Downloadable icons and technique videos available on the author's website

Whether you're new to Bible journaling or looking for fresh ideas, this book will lead you on a rewarding spiritual journey. Success is not measured in the complexity or polish of the art, but in a deeper, more personal connection with God.

The painter Carl Haag (1820-1915) gained acclaim for his colorful scenes of the Orient and true-to-life portraits, in which Nubian slaves, Arabian camel drivers or Egyptian snake charmers enliven the visual topography. After attending art school in Nuremberg, the son of a baker advanced to become a sought-after portraitist in Munich, and later refined his art with watercolor painting in Brussels and London. As court painter to the duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, he worked for Britain's Queen Victoria. His watercolors that portray the life of the royal family in the Scottish Highlands are now part of the royal collection. Always searching for new motifs, Haag traveled extensively through Europe. In 1859 he headed to the Orient, visiting Cairo, Jerusalem, Damascus, Palmyra and Baalbek. In this first biography about the painter, Walter Karbach conveys a vivid impression of society in the Victorian age, discussing Haag's artistic influences, personal preferences, as well as his artist friends and patrons. At the same time, he elicits enthusiasm for Haag's landscape sketches, portraits and drawings of ruins, which oscillate between documentary representations and romantic or idealized scenic views.

Whatever the time of year there is always inspiration in the garden for the artist and the gardener. There is always something to be learned, new things to observe and appreciate. The artist and gardener alike must develop the composition, bringing ideas and planning together. Sue Goodchild has combined her love of painting with her love of gardens to produce this book as a tribute to her sister Mag. Mag was an enthusiastic and talented gardener; and following her untimely death Sue set out to capture the beauty of the plants and flowers her sister loved so much. Each flower is discussed from the points of view of both the gardener and the artist, and the text is illustrated with stunning paintings full of beauty and character, and glowing with light.