His mercies are new everyday

            

                Have you ever gone through one of those phases where it really gets hard to pray or read the bible? You have a guilty conscience that keeps eating you up when you close your eyes. You can't even read a few verses of the Bible because it either becomes uninteresting or guilt acts up. When the preacher preaches, each word pierces through your heart and you wonder whether he is actually roasting you. Your worship and praise becomes affected too. It is in one of these times that you really question whether you have fallen from the grace. It is a difficult period because that's when your faith is put to the test. This phase can be brought by many things.
              First, I think the number one reason why we often fall back to sin and hopelessness is failure to feed or service our spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 says, "Quench not the spirit." The spirit needs to be fed and nourished. It needs to be constantly serviced and taken care of just like you would a car. A car needs regular maintenance. It needs oil change, wheel service, engine maintenance etc. every now or then or it will end up beat up. And so does our spirit. You must nourish him with prayer, the word of God and worship. Failure to do so brings forth an emptiness and void that need to be filled. It widens the gap between us and God. It is detrimental that you never quench the spirit.
            Sin brings separation. That is why we were separated from God in the garden of Aden because God cannot live in sin.  1 peter 1:16 says, "because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."  Zechariah 2:13 says, "Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD; for He is aroused from His holy habitation." Every once in a while, we find ourselves having slipped. We lie, steal, abuse or any other type of sin. Guilt eats us up and the phase kicks in. Before you know it, you're back at square one. We should not sin but we should also know that we have a mediator for our sins.
1 Timothy 2:5 says, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus," (NIV). Therefore, get up, dust yourself, ask for forgiveness and turn away from your sins. I know it is not as easy as it sounds which brings me to my main point. That His mercies are new everyday. The journey of salvation is gradual. It is a daily process. It is a building up and strengthening that will eventually result in completeness or holiness. Thus the Lord is merciful and faithful throughout the whole process. He wants you to complete the journey. He has good plans for you (Jeremiah 1:29). When you fall, He will pick you up  with his unending mercy.  Proverbs 24:16 says, "For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes."

                You have to trust the process and trust in the Lord. Though it's not a gamble and we should not try to take this freedom and mercy for granted. Romans 6:15 says, "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!" We should by all means avoid sin and run away from it but if we fall let's remember that our God is mighty to save (Zephaniah 3:17). Therefore, let us stay vigilant and wise about the weapons used against us like guilt. Let us gird our loins and know that our God loves us and his mercies are endearing and forever.

I pray before drawing

 Chorwa arts is a marketing platform for  African artists. It aims to promote our artists to international markets and recently I got a chance to have a one on one with Ian Muindi, one of the artists listed there and one of the best portrait artists i have ever met.

Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Kenya; Isiolo and raised in Thika.

Tell us about what you do: your business model and the art mediums you use.
I basically offer my artistic services(portraits),varying from people's individual commissions to company projects.My services are run mainly through online social platforms where I find majority of my clients.Referrals from others also play a large part in creating my customer base.Most of my work is done  in graphite and charcoal. I am however not limited to the two.

When did you start doing art?
Practically, I'd say it's when I started learning how to read and write... that is at least the earliest memory I have of myself  doing something artistic.Going with a number, around 5 years old .From there it has been learning and learning everyday up to to where I thankfully am today.

What kind of creative patterns, routines or rituals do you have?
I normally pray  before starting any artwork.I prefer working on artworks early in the morning or late in the night;fewer distractions and better concentration  during those times .Though that is not my only preference. I find myself listening to music all through the entire creative process.Music is important to me.

Do you do paintings?
That's what am currently trying to familiarize myself with .I'm hoping to get better with time .

Which other art types would you like to pursue but haven't?
uuuuhm!I honestly don't know... I've tried my hand in quite a number.I'll find out.I guess
maybe I can come up with something out-of-the-box myself, who knows?

How do you deal with "artist blocks"?
I go out and play football;to jog up the brain and body. For me it has helped many times. I can also just lay back and enjoy music.

What do you think about the Chorwa Arts platform?
I believe it is an innovative startup with a good vision of the future of  arts here in Kenya and beyond. I am hopeful that it will grow bigger and bigger with time.

Which would you say has been your most favorite piece you have done so far?
I have several; it is hard to point a finger on just one. Here are some:

Who do you look up to in the art scene?
A number of people;Bujusanii, Andrew Kamiti, Elias Mung'ora, Bankslave...

Lastly, what advice would you give upcoming artists?⁠⁠⁠⁠
Whatever the branch of art you are in, do it because you love it... then thank the one who gives you the life to do it,everyday.


Here are some of his artworks. Check out Chorwa Art Page for more. If you have any inquiry or comment,leave it on the comment section below.

I sold my first painting to a teacher for Ksh. 2000

Cyprian kiswili a. K.a The kharsh Art is an illustrator, designer, contemporary painter and  a portrait artist. He also does a special kind of art called Mathogothanio art which involves scribbling. He has a huge social media following and I talked to him about his life and art
. 

What are your full names?

Cyprian Kiswili.

Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Machakos, but grew up in Gachie and Ruaka.

So when did you start doing art?
I started drawing aged only 5 when i got my first pencils, i would scribble stuff everywhere.

When did it start getting serious?
I got serious with my art back in high school. This is when i sold my ever first art piece. This hugely I motivated me and from then, i started creating constantly.

For how much did you sell it for?
It was a canvas painting. I sold it to a teacher at kshs 2,000. Haha..

Do you do art full time or do you have another occupation?
I am a student. So besides studies, art is all I do.

What do you major in and in what institution?

I am taking BA Design at The University of Nairobi. Currently a third year student.

Which are your mediums or art categories?
I am am an illustrator, designer, contemporary painter and portrait artist. My favorite media is acrylic paints so i guess that shifts my priority to painting. I also enjoy working with graphite and charcoal i.e in creating portraits.

Which art medium would you like to pursue but haven't?
Oils.  I admire works from local oil-base artists. Graffiti cans too is another. I'm hoping to try it out this year.

What message do you try to communicate in your paintings?
Every piece of my work comes with its soul. Most of my works however, speak on culture-appreciation, peace  and originality.

What challenges do you face as an artist?
As a young artist, growing your brand and creation of an own style takes some time and it isn't easy. The other challenge I'd point out is few art platforms. I believe this can be improved if the local population appreciate art more.

What's your view on the  Chorwa platform?
I think it is an excellent idea by such a selfless individual. In the current world, you dont oftenly expect people to be this supportive and expect nothing in return. We can only wish nothing but blessings to all involved in its running. Continue supporting the local art scene Steve and your co.

Who do you look upto in the art scene?
Internationally, Austrian painter Voka while locally I am inspired by painter Yegon and artist Elsardt Kigen.

What advice would you give any upcoming artist?
Simple; Keep practising and always strive for originality. Never forget to always talk to God on this gift he has given you. 

Okay, finally, which would you say was your best art piece and why?

Thats a hard choice. But i'll settle on my painting titled 'market day' it was an experiment of an original style and i was shocked by the tremendous love it got from people. It sold barely two weeks old in an exhibition at The Nairobi Museum.

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Cyprian is featured on Chorwa Arts. 

Chorwa Arts is a marketing platform for artists and art lovers. We are a talented team of artists dealing with various art mediums ranging from animation, paintings, pencil arts, biro arts etc.  Find us on Facebook :Chorwa Art Page, Instagram :@chorwa_art or www.chorwa.co.ke.