Breakthrough

We moved down here to Oklahoma just over a year ago.. it's been a great year of meeting new people, making new friends, learning our way around, building [or starting over for the 3rd and final time] Kustom Kate, and working on the house and yard while waiting for my marketing efforts to come to fruition :)
The good thing is that the house is personalized (for the most part) and the yard has lots of plants flowers and a vegetable garden! However in the meantime there have been ups and downs and lots of conversations with God asking for revelation and direction. I actually really connected with Third Day's song "Revelation" when they started playing it on the radio.
It feels like just in the past week or 2 things have begun to come uncovered for both of us and I am jumping out of my skin with excitement waiting to see what God has in store for us in this next stage...
We're in the process of getting connected in a church that's doing a great job of making the Gospel: The message of Jesus Christ relevant to today's world.
Mike's working with the 9th and 10th Grade boys... I am looking to serve in some way also... I have a great idea for a ministry I'd like to start and see expand to many cities that I will share later.
We went to our first Community group/Home group/Bible study... whatever you want to call it :) on sunday evening and REALLY enjoyed the people!
Kustom Kate is starting to grow... I have worked hard and invested time and resources into marketing harder than I have ever had to before. Not knowing anyone in a depressed economy while trying to sell a high-end luxury service has really been challenging. I thank God for the strength and perserverance and will continue to need it... Everytime I wanted to give up I thought "What else would I do?" Paint is my passion... that's what I've been given.
And I have been getting into more and more fine art which has been really fun... I hope that continues to grow... I would even be really happy if that's where Kustom Kate was ultimately going... we'll see :) One of my pieces got selected for viewing among other local artists with Tulsa Young Professionals to hang in Gilcrease Museum for a week... I am excited about that. What does it mean?? Nothing really, but it's exciting and something to add to the resume :)
Anyways, it's been an uphill climb and it feels good to have finally reached a plateau... I am going to enjoy this for a while because as we all know... the terrain changes quickly!
"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me" PH 4:13

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Oil for Auction

Okay, I have yet to sign it... and possibly add another piece of stem... [and maybe a tiny little bug on it] but this is pretty much it.
Along with donating a custom project of my decorative art services, I also offered to do an oil painting for the upcoming Habitat for Humanity auction. Proceeds from these two donations will go toward Women Build, a group I have been involved with since Fall.
I'll be curious to see how the painting does... I have never sold nor auctioned any of my oils... I tend to get too attached after hours and hours of work... this one probably only took me 12-16 hours though... so I'll keep a picture :)
Today I'll be working on the Kustom Kate display... then hopefully I will be finished with auction stuff with a couple weeks to spare... not like me to be so ahead of schedule... but the painting will probably take a couple weeks to dry.

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What should I Paint?

I have decided to do some oil paintings and see how they sell. My friend at Elegance by Design offered to display them in her shop... so we'll see how it goes!
My thought was to take some pictures of things here in Oklahoma for inspiration, so the other day I was driving around looking for some interesting "subjects" then again yesterday Mike and I did some driving around and took some more pictures. Here are some pictures I am deciding between for my next project, please feel free to vote! I will paint what you vote on and then post the finished painting!
This could be fun! It also makes me more accountable to get going!
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To view more oil paintngs by Katie Stenglein :
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