When I was two years old, I made my first drawings.  My mother recognized right away that there had finally been an artist born to a family full of accountants.  I had, at two years old, drawn people with hair, fingers, eyes and even eyebrows.  As I grew, I realized more and more that there was nothing ordinary about my artistic ability.  It was a gift from God.  In the early years of my life, I knew I had a calling to serve through this gift.

Since my childhood, I have felt the presence of Angels near me.  Sometimes it would be the distinct feeling of an arm around my shoulders, sometimes just a feeling of being protected.  But always, I knew they were real and watching over me.  I knew God had sent them to us as friends and protectors, to help us get through the challenges of Life.

Over the last ten years, I have come into an awakening experience and my relationship with God has flourished.  With this experience came a strong feeling that the angels I had always felt near me were asking me to help with a very important mission.  They are aware of how negative we are about ourselves, others and our world. 

   
 

I feel that the Angels want us to know how wonderful we are.  They want so badly for us to see ourselves the way they see us:  as beautiful, Loving, Light-filled children of God who are so worthy of God’s Love.  They want us to know that we are never alone and that there is nothing to fear.  They want us to know how much God Loves us. 

I admit that I have struggled with my own self-Love issues throughout my life and that, in fact, I still do.  I understand how difficult it can be to see yourself as good and worthy of God’s Love.  So I set about using my gift of art to create what I call “Angel Portraits.”  Sometimes I feel inspired to do a portrait and the image I see in my mind will literally draw itself on the canvas in a matter of minutes.  I feel strongly that the Angels help me to do this and that they literally guide my hands.  Often, I joke that it feels as if there is a long line of Angels waiting to get their picture made. 

The “Angel Portraits” don’t stop there.  As part of my desire to help people to see the amazing being that they are, I have also begun to do portraits of living people as Angels.  Seeing yourself drawn with wings and Celestial clothing has been, for the people I have drawn, a very powerful experience.  It is my great hope that I will be able to assist more people in seeing themselves as Heavenly beings. 

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Angels walk among you unaware?”  Well they do.  I believe that we are all Angels.  All we have to do to be an Angel is to Love ourselves and Love all the people around us.  All we have to do is live in Truth and Integrity each day.  Sound like a daunting task?  Is it really? 

I challenge you to start today.  Be Loving to yourselves.  Be Loving to everyone around you.  And dare to look in the mirror and see an Angel. 

Blessings to you, 

Leigh Anne Marshall

 

Leigh Anne Marshall was born in Houston, Texas.  She lived in New Orleans, Louisiana for two years, graduating from Loyola University and returned to Houston in 1998.  She currently still resides in Houston, Texas.  She is inspired to create angel portraits as a reminder that there is a magnificent angel of Love and Light within each of us.  Practicing Love in everything we do brings that angel forward.  Leigh Anne wants to remind everyone that no matter who we are, all of us have the potential to touch lives and be angels for each other.