The fact that God is light sets up a natural contrast with darkness. If light is a metaphor for righteousness and goodness, then darkness signifies evil and sin. First John 1:6 says that “if we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.” Verse 5 says, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” Note that we are not told that God is a light but that He is light. Light is part of His essence, as is love (1 John

"Ol' Smokey" By Eric Buechel, Watercolor on Paper, 2018, 22" x 30". The photograph I worked from is courtesy of Donna Rose. Ol' Smokey is quite the nostalgic truck. She has been in Cumberland County, Tennessee since 1950. Mr. Shields purchased the truck from the original owner in 1970 and has owned her since. Mr. Shields son, Dennis, remembers the truck as a distinct part of his childhood; in a sense, he and the truck "grew up" together. Ol' Smokey eventually ended up in a

"Sunday Morning In Nashville", Oil on Canvas, 28" x 40", 2018 Again I chose to paint my favorite city and a section of its skyline. I know it may sound strange, but it's the quiet time in Nashville that I love the best. It's seeing the people of this beautiful city in an unhurried peaceful Sunday morning that interests me the most. The scene I painted here is near the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. It's also the sixth time I've painted this area of the city. Eric Buechel Fine

Here is my entry for this years exhibition. It's titled "The Honey Bees' Immeasurable Importance To Mankind". Mixed media, 2017, Size: 29.5" x 31.5", Watercolor, Ink, Oil Paint, Acrylic and Wax on 500 lb. Arches Watercolor Paper (Details). I again decided to use my favorite model, my wife, who is wearing the brightly colored turquoise socks. I placed the beekeepers in an unusual location to emphasize the vastness of the worldwide problem of colony collapse disorder. My wife