Black and White, or Shades of Grey?

For those that know me and my art style, they know that I like to use the computer a lot in the production of my work. Even when I create an original oil painting, I spend a lot of time on the computer first creating a good reference photo, tweaking placement, colors and contrast just the way I want it before I get into the actual painting. I may spend more time in the “planning” stages than I do in my actual painting. Often times my work is a blend of the digital and the traditional. I love the flexibility and choices that these digital tools offer. 

In the drawing below, I decide to purposefully blend the two mediums. I began with two quick sketches using a normal pencil on plain white copy paper. The first being the basis of the drawing, the second being a reversed “highlight” area. I then inverted the second sketch using photoshop to get the bottom right image. After combining the two, I spent a lot of time balancing the merged image using different shades of grey to make it look just the way I wanted it to look. 

The result appears to be a traditional drawing using different types of mediums (graphite pencil, white Prismacolor, chalk) on a toned surface. The final image is so much better than the original sketches, because of the balance between black and white, and the added grey.

Yesterday I had a thought provoking conversation with a friend about being black and white, or grey when it comes to living the gospel. 

I have always naturally been a black and white type of person. I understand that there are absolute eternal truths that we can not change. True or false, good or bad, black or white. Not a whole lot of room for grey… or is there? 

This friend I was talking to told me a story about her grandpa. Once in high school she decided to skip school, and she drove her old station wagon down to his farm for a visit. When she got out of her car, he asked her if she was skipping school. She replied truthfully, and in response she got nothing but a chuckle and a hug. He did not judge, he did not insist on strict obedience, he just loved, and it was exactly what she needed that day.

Jesus Christ is a perfect blend of justice and mercy. He asks for perfect obedience, but He offers complete forgiveness. Absolute truth, with ultimate compassion.  He commands us all to be perfect even as His Father in Heaven is perfect, but He understands that we will need help, and He offers us that help. He also understands that there can and does exist so much variety and uniqueness in our potential perfection.  Jesus Christ is our perfect example, shouldn’t we try to be more like Him?

One thing that being married to such a wonderful woman as my wife Jeanette has taught me, is that I tend to be a little black and white, and I can use a little grey in my life. Everything isn’t about absolute truth. Some things are about opinion, some things are about preference. It is possible to think something completely opposite of the way that I think, and still be in line with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some things are about the situation, and understanding motives, and not underestimating the power of love. Sometimes it may feel to me that my wife is too grey in this black and white world, but I have come to understand that I live my own kind of black and white, and what I see as grey in others may be black and white to them. I need empathy. Empathy doesn’t come naturally for me, but I have learned that it is a trait that can be fostered and grown. You can learn good traits by the wonderful examples of others (like my wife), and the Spirit can help you learn and apply Christlike attributes as you ask to be close to HIM. 

We need to find the perfect balance of black, white and grey for our life, and then make sure that our balance aligns with God. Are you the type of person that feels there a lot of grey areas in your life? Then maybe you need to focus a little more on the black and white, the absolute, the eternal, the true. Do you tend to be very black and white? Then maybe, especially when dealing with others, you should allow a little more grey, and even learn to embrace it.  

There is absolute truth in this universe. There are eternal laws that we need to obey, and within those laws, there is lots of room for being unique. There is room for difference, there is room for fun. I believe that the most beautiful life can be very colorful. Remember that different people can have different favorite colors, and they can still become perfect.