My seventh season of blog posts is due to start on Monday 20th October 2008 and I hope you’ll join me. Here are some of the ideas I’m planning on ‘showing ‘n’ telling’:

‘Landscape Art’ will get some cityscapes, in a popular style that I’ve only used up until now in the other galleries.

One of the ‘Pet Dogs through the Years’ in the ‘Toy’ group will get a second and decidedly more feminine representation based upon an iconic, promotional 1961 movie image.

Some theme-park related ‘Still-Lifes of WDCC Sculptures’ (which I’ve sold as eBay exclusives up to now) will be getting their own wing in that section at DouglasRickard.com. This is because they’re about to release some new figurines based on the same attraction and I’m looking forward to not only recreating the ride at home but drawing them too.

And there’ll be some new Christmas additions for two more online galleries, just in time... for Christmas!

Enjoy the remainder of the Summer, and thank you for being a part of this season of my blog posts.

Yes, that could just be the Queen on horseback inspecting her troops in my new London landscape called ‘England – London Eye overlooking Horse Guards Parade’! My landscape drawings are either going to be ‘emotive with significance’ or leaning on the fun side containing a surprise or two. This one has a surprise which is not obvious at first; someone else is inspecting her ‘troops’, a mother duck and a line of ducklings from the nearby waterway in St. James’ Park (complete with its own ‘Duck Island’) which links Horse Guards Parade to Buckingham Palace!




 

One day, I envision having employees to help me so I can spend more time on my creative direction. At the moment though, at DouglasRickard.com, it’s me. And some days, I’ve just had one order come through and because giclee art prints can be produced per request, I stop my drawing and make time to fulfill that order. And I’m pleased to do it. That’s because I’m doing all this for people like my Buyers and Blog Readers! What would be the point of growing a business if you’d forgotten why you were in business to begin with?
At the 2008 West Coast Believers’ Convention, Creflo Dollar taught from Luke 16 about growing from where you are:

“...where you can really prove yourself, is when it’s little... ...A lot of people I meet want to start off ‘at the top’... ...The promotion will come as a result of you being faithful when it’s small... ...I had a lady tell me one time, she says ‘I’m going to have beauty salons in 13 states’. And I said, ‘Baby, until you can be faithful with that one chair...’ You see you got people in line trying to wait until you get to work, you’re 2 hours late to work every day... ...Let’s quit blowing smoke in the air, you not going to get no 13 salons in 13 states, you can’t even be faithful with one chair... ...Faithful of little, then promotion, you’ve got to pass that test.”

“If you look back at the history of the church you will find out every person, every preacher who got a new revelation was persecuted by the people that didn’t have it yet.”

That’s what Gloria Copeland said in the fortnight beginning January 21st 2008 of the ‘BVOV’ broadcasts, ‘24 Things That Get You in the Perfect Will of God’. In the 1940’s, when Oral Roberts first taught how God is a good God, he came under the most awful attacks, and that was from ‘religious’ people! I didn’t think the type of people who’d have a problem with that message were still around, but I’m finding out first-hand that they are! I’m not going to stop talking about the goodness of God when my blog starts again in October though, and I’m going to continue producing artwork about how it’s God’s will for us to do well in every area of our life (3 John 1:2). Gloria went on to say:

“...You know what we’ve been persecuted for, more than anything? Saying God wants you to prosper. So let me just say it to you one more time, God want you to prosper! Hallelujah... ...You don’t have to worry about it, if you’re doing the will of God and you’re doing the Bible and you know, you’re preaching the Bible and people persecute you because of something that you see in the Word of God that they don’t see yet; don’t let it bother you, just be glad that you see it. And just forgive them and bless them.”

In May, one of my best American friends, Beth flew into London for a business trip and I hung out with her during some sightseeing. When you live in a famous city, sometimes you take for granted just how amazing some of the sights actually are! Beth had worked here at The Disney Store, the same time I had and so some reminiscing was included in our tour package. It was interesting for me though, to see London from a fresh perspective. Beth loved catching glimpses of a giant observation wheel we have over the River Thames called the London Eye and I saw once again what makes London special particularly for visitors. So as we were walking through St. James’ Park I caught just the scene for my next English landscape which I’ll premiere on Thursday. For the meantime here’s one of Beth’s snaps of the subjects who’ll also be in my drawing!