I haven’t blogged for a long time. Almost 4 years. This blog was originally created for my art. I used it to develop ideas taking them from concept to finish. Concept art is something I studied at UTD. In fact every studio class I took at UTD I printed out this blog and put it in my notebook.

The process I learned is helpful to me as an artist of faith. Right now I am in the beginning stages of developing an idea for an art show at Park Cities Presbyterian Church this fall. I have until August to develop a piece based on the scripture Micah 6:8.

He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?              (NKJV)

I started this morning by reading the verse in context of the whole book of Micah. I am insistent that scripture always be placed in context when studying a verse. That means actual context and historical context. More on that later. I have immediately found that the verse has a different meaning than I first thought because it was written to a king, not an ordinary individual, but someone who has the power to change things. I have in my mind a general idea that the verse is a call to radical obedience to God.

I have some images in my mind, but that may change as I study.

My latest works have been watercolors. I am currently trying to put together a watercolor class. This painting seems to be an oil painting. But maybe a drawing or another mixed media piece.

I will get back to the Nasher

I won first place in the Park Cities Presbyterian Church Art Festival. I have been writing a lot about being an artist. I have been telling people I am an artist. I know that probably seems vain, or unnecessarily. But I need to. Because I am becoming that, and I don't feel like I am there. But I did Saturday. And I feel an obligation to continue this journey, because it seems like an open door.

I want to do art ministry, this will help me.

So many things are happening to me, some apparent, all in process but much in the background for now. There are things I want to tell everyone about, but not yet. I am trying to adjust to my new life, it is good. Very good.

I just want to say, I am very, grateful to Jesus who never left my side and reminded me that He called me. Now that there is some evidence of that, people have to admit it. I tell you He has been at work. He was there when I could only roll up in a ball and cry in bed. He did not leave me there. He is faithful and good. My next art piece is about being raised up from depression into joy and fullfillment. It is about worship.

What I saw after my name was called in a church full of people was me in the fetal postition having been stricken over and over and knowing that Jesus brought me to that place that night. Now that is art.

It wasn't enough that I won the award, my art was used in worship at my church and at Park Cities. I think He just wanted to drive home the point. I was honored. Deeply honored and I want to say thank you Lord.

Work as Art

It is either this blog or therapy tonight. I worked on art work for the PCPC art show tonight. It was so much like work. And work was really rough today. We got busy and all the usual challenges were there. It was nice to have some distraction. I haven’t had much sleep this week. I’ve stayed up reading, had trouble unwinding after class and then just had a lot on my mind. I haven’t talked to my counselor for about a month and I know I need to. I miss her because we are really just friends now. She is writing curriculum for an online Biblical Counseling course, so she is busy. She has taught at DTS and is a writer. She is always a great encouragement to me.

For the art tonight I took the new scan that didn’t lose the grayscale and once I found it on my hard drive I cut out the drawing shape in photoshop. Next I had to find the background photo on my hard drive and resize it and put it through a watercolor filter. Then I placed the cut out drawing on top. I moved it around a bit. Then I tried to find where I wrote down the finished size that I submitted when I registered for the show. It is nowhere to be found. I made a new size up and hope it is close. 22 x 28 inches. I am writing here in case I ever need to know what the finished size is like when I buy stretchers and a frame.

Next I resized the artwork and saved it as a jpeg, CYMK. That is because the printer will convert it if I don’t. I want to convert it myself. It is a graphic artist thing. I want the control, not to give it to the machine. Then I saved the file in a smaller size in RGB for the web. This all takes time because the file is BIG. Writing this out makes it sound simple, but I almost crashed photoshop when I converted the file to a pdf for Kinkos. I have to walk away from the computer when the large files are converting, resizing or saving. I plan to take the file tomorrow to have it put on canvas.

Interestingly enough the day I redid the scan and decided to go for the canvas my friend Tim came into the print shop to work on some of his products and he wanted to show me his canvases. He does something very much like I do on canvas, so he gave me the inside info. And I discovered watercolors work best on top. So I was very excited and thought Tim’s visit was a God thing.

Now I need to find out when the banner people are at Kinkos. And then the next step will be to add watercolor on top of the canvas. I am going to have three canvases made. I also plan to have some done on the color copier at work. I need to resize the artwork for that and I don’t think I can handle that tonight. It has just been too long of a day on the computer doing work.
On a brighter side, tomorrow at work a lady from a church in Plano is coming to drop off files so I can design them a brochure. That will make me happy. Also I made arrangement with my artist friend Brenda to go gallery hopping on Saturday. She has been a friend to me in a time when I really did lose most of my friends. She is a pretty cool lady, but her sticking it out with me make me love her even more.

It amazes me how writing like this calms me and helps me put things into perspective.

Tweaking

I added some contrast tonight because I didn't take it to work to scan. It was raining and I didn't want to risk it getting wet.

I plan to take it tomorrow. There is an older gentleman who comes in everyday. He doesn't believe in God. Every once in awhile we talk about spiritual things. I want to talk to him about the drawing. He asks me everyday about my classes because he used to teach college classes. The Lord has put it on my heart to tell him about His love. I think that is what the drawing is about loving kindness or compassion.

Went to look up the word I am talking about online and I came across Matthew Henry. I need to put this into my own words, but somehow through the art I want to tell John * how huge God is and how solid is love is.

The Lord descended by some open token of his presence and manifestation of his glory in a cloud, and thence proclaimed his NAME; that is, the perfections and character which are denoted by the name JEHOVAH. The Lord God is merciful; ready to forgive the sinner, and to relieve the needy. Gracious; kind, and ready to bestow undeserved benefits. Long-suffering; slow to anger, giving time for repentance, only punishing when it is needful. He is abundant in goodness and truth; even sinners receive the riches of his bounty abundantly, though they abuse them. All he reveals is infallible truth, all he promises is in faithfulness. Keeping mercy for thousands; he continually shows mercy to sinners, and has treasures, which cannot be exhausted, to the end of time. Forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin; his mercy and goodness reach to the full and free forgiveness of sin. And will by no means clear the guilty; the holiness and justice of God are part of his goodness and love towards all his creatures. In Christ's sufferings, the Divine holiness and justice are fully shown, and the evil of sin is made known. God's forgiving mercy is always attended by his converting, sanctifying grace. None are pardoned but those who repent and forsake the allowed practice of every sin; nor shall any escape, who abuse, neglect, or despise this great salvation. Moses bowed down, and worshipped reverently. Every perfection in the name of God, the believer may plead with Him for the forgiveness of his sins, the making holy of his heart, and the enlargement of the Redeemer's kingdom.

Finished

For Now.

This will be a mixed media piece. Mixed media just happens. We will see where this one goes. I also need an artist statement.

Rendered

Looks like it is going to happen, I need this done tonight. Scan tomorrow at work. Scott says more contrast in the face, especially his. Yes.

Drawing and Listening

Drawing Two

I have to finish this part of the art this weekend. I need to submit next Sat by noon. It doesn't have to be complete, but I have a lot to do.

I am enjoying this. I forget how much I love to draw.

There is something about drawing a face. It takes a little bit of courage or respect. Especially if you know the person. I started to draw wondering how I could do it successfully, I didn't know. I just did it. That is a sort of fearlessness. I can't say faith, but a suspension of judgement. Just do it. Well, it worked. I tried to observe the reference drawing as carefully as I could. And there is a face.

I am always amazed. When something works, I never feel like I did it, but it just happened, I allowed it to happen. I guess it is a gift.

More Thought on the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan

I have a lot on my mind, but this is the second week of school and I am tired. So I want to go to bed and I want to write. I might not make any sense.

I couldn't think of anyone better to model with Scott as the Father in the Prodigal Son than my pastor Dave Jobe. There are several things he has said in sermons that have stuck with me and have become a part of me, I hope. Last year when he talked about getting back in the game and this year when he talked about believers needing to enlarge their defintions of family. I think personally both these statements deal with the themes in the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan.

I am particularly attracted to the story about the Prodigal Son and I think the photos we did are strong images. Tonight when I left my art lecture class I was so full of thoughts and connections I had a clear vision of where the art needs to go. I realize I struggle with seeing God as loving as I am going to portray Him as in the Embrace. I started to see how I box Him in and want to contain Him. Then I thought of the crates or boxes that homeless people sleep in and I decided I want both the pieces framed in a photo of a crate or cardboard box. I just thought particularly with the Good Samaritan and the question, who is my brother and my interest in the homeless. Also Bryants ministry to the homeless makes that reference appealing to me.

I thought of the Prodigal Son in a crate and I think even if I frame or contain the image it will remain strong and that it will show that we can limit God, but His love is so appealing, it can't be diminshed by us.

I had these thoughts while I passed under the trees at the place where God Speaks to Me. And I cried because I know as I passed through the spot He spoke to me very, very clearly about the art work.

He also spoke to me during the lecture. More on that later.

Process

Started the process for my mixed media art for the PCPC Artfestival 2009 entry. Bryant showed up tonight and so I had him pose with Scott for the portrait part of the Good Samaritan. We were trying to decide who should be who. It was dinner time and Bryant asked Scott for some food. Scott said "NO." He was giving Bryant a hard time, but that clinched it, Bryant is the merciful stranger and Scott, well, he needed to be beat up.




Who is my brother? Well, they sure act like they are brothers. I kept telling Bryant, "get closer, like you are going to whisper in his ear."


Next I will enlarge the photo to the size I want it and trace a fine outline. If I can use a light table I am happy. This gives me good placement. Scott says I cheat. It feels a little like coloring to me, but I have to remember most people cannot do it not matter what they trace.

Last years rendering... Tomorrow night the Prodigal Son photo shoot.

What's Goin' On

Gray sky morning
Frozen fingers
Crossing

I wanted to talk a bit about Greg’s gallery class.

For those of you who don’t know the Art Barn as we call it in the Arts and Humanities, Arts and Performance side of the campus at UTD, has a large space at its center which is the gallery. When Greg Metz my instructor came to UTD about 14 years ago, it became his charge. At that time very little was done with it. Greg has created an interesting history of shows. They are always contemporary and always different. The calendar includes several student shows and shows that the full time instructors curate.

The Gallery class started off based on a class at UTA where a group of students help run the gallery there. The class at UTD has evolved from that to one that includes speakers, museum trips, gallery hops and lots of volunteer hours in the arts community. Bottom line we get to meet a lot of interesting people that make art happen in Dallas. We will be hanging shows and helping at art auctions. This is a very welcome change of pace for me.

On the personal art front I am trying to arrange a photo shoot for my submission to the PCPC Art Show. The two parables I have chosen are the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan. Hopefully this weekend I will be meditating on the text and writing about it. I have some idea in my mind about the Prodgial Son and what I want to do in that art.

That is where it starts. There is a picture in my head that I will aim at, but it never happens, something else does, always an adventure.

I have been going over in my mind the possibility of teaching art in my home. I would love that. Not sure if it is the time, I really don’t have a lot of time. But it is there in my mind.

I teach at the shelter tomorrow. I have to get down what I am doing. Tara and I talked about painting with oil pastels. I got the oderless mineral spirits today at Home Depot and I need to get some new reference stuff together. I need something for the other class to do. I may actually give in and do how to draw. For some reason when people sign up that is what they expect. I am so grateful to have Tara as a student because she loves to experiment and would never ask to do how to draw.