Over Halfway There!
I started painting all the temples after I painted the Chicago temple on June 21,2013. It only took me 3 hours to complete that painting from start to finish. While pondering the speed of my progress in amazement, I received the impression that I should paint all the temples.
I learned a long time ago that it is not a good idea to argue with the Spirit. So I tried. When I started the project, there were 142 dedicated temples for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I had already painted three of them. With only 139 temples left to paint, I figured that it wouldn't take more than a year to complete.
Now it is almost three years later and I am over halfway finished with the project. I put my family first and am raising three small children. When time and occasion permit, I sneak a sketch in here or there. I draw in the car when my husband is driving on road trips, in the doctors office while waiting for an appointment, at McDonald's while my children play on the play structure.
I also take breaks to do other art projects. I have made field day t-shirts for my son, cardboard playhouses, and designed birthday invitations. Since starting this project, my creative output has increased exponentially. I also started compiling preschool worksheets that teach children to read, write, and learn some sign language.
I have learned many things about marketing, sales and communication during this time. Before starting this project, I was terrified of trying to sell my artwork. In our church, we have a watch-care program called visiting teaching. We are assigned to visit or contact a few other ladies in our local congregation. My visiting teacher volunteered to accompany me to a local gift shop to begin showing my artwork there.
While painting in the park, I have had many opportunities to share my testimony of Jesus Christ, His Church and the temple. I know the temple is the house of the Lord.