Wilderness

This is for my friends. Those of us who experienced Wilderness in Colorado remember this image. It was on our joyful run down the mountain after the peak. Some of us met Christ, found Christ, some of us got to know him better. I saw him in all my friends. We were running down the mountain, singing the "The Sound of Music" and it was so amazing. This style is Van Gogh with a little fauvism (the under layers are orange, yellow and red). This painting is supposed to move your eyes down the hill and up the mountains in the distance, and then brings you back down again with the clouds. I really tried to make the experience of this painting to be joyous and uplifting!

Child's Prayer

One of my favorite pieces this semester is a depiction of my memories of Papa. I was originally looking for a picture of his face in our family's photobooks but strangely couldn't find a picture of his face. And then I stumbled across a photo I think I took when I was seven of Papa picking up Angie to kiss her. It was perfect because 1) I can't really remember his face anymore, and 2) I remember his giant hands. I used the original photo, my drawing, and other photos to create a 70 layer photoshop picture. Over the picture I wrote a prayer for Papa. No one can read it, except God, Papa and I. The various elements are: lilies of the valley, History Channel, balloons from the hospital, tulips, planes, clouds, and only things a child would remember about a person. I printed it on handmade paper to give it an intimate feel that is fragile and also antiqued. I really love this piece.

The Drawing

The Print

A close up

Like mother, like daughters.

"I need some chocolate ...." - Mary

"Hold on Mary ... I'm on it. What kind would you like?" - me

Helping housemates in times of need with various varieties of chocolate. From one chocoholic to another - You're welcome.

God the Artist

God loved first so we can love others. It's a gift. And I was starting to see it everywhere.

Robert Indian created the piece "Love" in 1964. He originally made it for museum Christmas card and it began to be massed produced in corton steel. The first sculpture is outside the Indianapolis Museum of Art where I first saw it at Katherine's wedding. This pop art symbol has become recognized around the world. We see the word Love everywhere, but don't ever forget who created it for you first. A sculpture can never be love, it may read love, even look like love, but never be love. Artists like me continually fail to create what is real. It doesn't stop us from creating, we are just fully aware that the real artist is God. He sculpted love in the most beautiful way. One day we can watch God in his studio, sculpting, painting and breathing love into life. (I know I sound sappy and poetic, but it's really what I'm thinking!)

Robert Indian 1964

Scottsdale, AZ 2011

Someone in our house 2011

(This one made me laugh)

Black Hawk Reminder 2010

Angie's Valentines Card 2011

Becky's Mug

Refrigerator Magnets by Cecily 2011

Everything

LifeHouse - Everything

I love it soo much.

Installation Piece

For our installation project, Alev and I decided to work together to illustrate references to the Holy Spirit because Pentecost is approaching. The simplicity of white "doily" origami doves adds to the purity and upwardly pulling significance of the Holy Spirit descending on the disciples heads and then lifting their spirits high. It was awesome to bring our class into this area, those who were Christ Followers and those who were not. It's permanent home is the Newman Center (1, because it looks good there. 2, because it's impossible to move unless you're a genius at untying fishing line knots!).

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

"The Path to your Destiny ...

... lies in the MAGIC of your heart!"

Man you have got to love the inspiring quotes of Disney's Pixars Tangled. Today I finally got to paint a mural for a four year old Caitlyn. It was perfect, because my house is obsessed with Tangled, Caitlyn is OBSESSED with Tangled, and so am I! This was super fun!

"I like your boots"

Today was a good day. God woke me up to the pitter patter of rain. Bought a French Kiss Latte. Got a spring hair cut. Visited my mama at work. Said Hi to some Wyldlife girls. Wrestled with my pup Kallie on the floor. Made a beastly 5x3ft canvas stretcher. Wander Michael's craft store. And then I visited Great Grandma Flo...

From my experience she was a little off and sad sitting alone in silence. However she lit up when I told her who I was. We chatted, well... I mostly listened to her problems. It was kind of depressing, I moved away from the subject of worry and despair and told her I was wearing her necklace. She didn't know it was hers judging by the expression on her face. And expecting to hear a comment on how that was her necklace, she looked at my boots and the first positive thing came out of her mouth was, "I like your boots" (referring to my polka dot "1st grader" rain boots, as my mom would call them). Then she smiled and asked that if she could lay down. That was the icing on the cake. As I helped her walk a couple petty steps to the bed, I was overcome with the fragility of life before me. We shared a long hug. She told me that she prays so hard for her grandchildren. Every morning. Everyday night. How powerful, it was a cherry on the cake.

Finally!

Today was a big day, being april fools and my first class teach and all! God fooled us with the snow, Ryan fooled me with a yodeling pickle, Mary and Becky hung all my scarves in my room and switched my clothes with Jacques, and I tee-peed Mary and Becky's room!

Today I completed my first "Software for Students," Illustrator 1 teach for work. HALLELUJAH. I was so nervous I was going to screw up and choke since illustrator can sometimes be glitchy. I was tense, sweaty and had butterflies in my belly right before the class started. After a quick prayer to easy my tension and a simple smile from a one of the students, I was reminded to be confident and calm. Thank God. Since I self taught myself illustrator, it was kinda weird teaching it. But like they say, teaching is learning mastered! I finished the class with 4.5 star ratings!

I looked up some of my old illustrator projects. My favorite one is Ryan's CD cover design that we've been working on for the release of his CD "Finally A Ryano" (release date TBA). Alot of Ryan's techno creations allude to Scripture and have a catchy beat!

If anyone is interested in illustrator or photoshop (hint hint, LAURA), I'd be honored to have you set up an Ask a Trainer appointment with me :) haha

(note: this entire post is NOT an April Fools Day joke! It's legit)

not all who wander are lost

Yesterday Jacque and I wandered through a quaint neighborhood and came across hilarious discoveries. They could not go unnoticed:

What in the WORLD?!

Then I got thinking, my car Dawane is getting old. He has always been a trooper, espcially here on campus. However, he's been whining lately. I don't know if he needs his front wheels oiled or if it's the fact two parts of his belly have rusted off in the past year. I think it's his need for companionship. So I introduced him to Darlene.

you make me happy...

...when skies are gray (or it feels like winter when it should be spring)! I can always count on Donna for a boost right before the week begins. Not talking to each other for a week is a killer! Donna filled my morning with love, kindness and compassion; a fruitful relationship fueled by an amazing spirit. I was reminded of Romans after catching up with Donna today:

"Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." Romans 12:15

I'll never take for granted the blessed relationship we share as granddaughter and grandma, friend and friend.

May be a cheesy photo, but it's my favorite. (we were trying to suppress our laughter after the photographer positioned us like this)

AND THEN she gave me a "taste of grandmas house" that will last me all week unless that is, I share it with my roommates! (Imagine Laura's stare as I was taking pictures of the most delicious crackers on the planet)

just a whim

Once upon a Saturday afternoon, all the girls in the house were "trying" to be productive. Everyone knows we are easily distracted and jump on all opportunities to be crafty. So Mary suggested we paint something where the pepper drawings hung in the kitchen. OK!

Becky was playing the piano, Mary was reading the news, Nicole was entertaining us, Quinn was trying to stay focused on homework (then helped me paint), Laura was surfing beautiful wedding blogs (I think) and I was painting... guess we were all using our special gifts! Hahaha. Then Mary cooked delicious pineapple chicken on the stove top while Quinn and I finished the mural over it (kinda dangerous, but it smelt great).

Thanks friends for a great night! I love living here, I thank God so much for everyone of you girls.

(Even though we didn't have a proper before&after, we tried our best to take photos that looked something like DesignSponge photos)

Snapshot Memory

Taking Bailey for runs with my dad is something I've always wanted to romanticize in a piece of art. We would sit on the back of the truck to watch Bailey prance and dart through the field. We were often accompanied by a peaceful silence. It was a time to enjoy company with my dad as well as the vastness of nature that surrounded us. It may seem like a mundane activity to some but it will always be special to me.

In this project students were asked to appropriate another famous artist's work into our own using only found materials. I found a ratty brown frame at Savers and antiqued it myself. Then using collage and Wisconsin picture books, I created this David Hockey-like landscape. The collage helped create a sort of snapshot memory; each square is part of something larger. The squares get smaller and tighter to create a focus on Bailey who is a painted element. He is leaping from the landscape, away from my dad who sits on the truck bed. It's a tribute to my family's dog bailey, who we lost this past summer.

Hands and Feet

I was looking through my drawings, particularly the first two. My prayer is such:

Lord, fill me up with your breath and send me out with beautiful feet.

Although simple, it's really yearning for the spirit to enter our body and empower us to be God's feet. We are absolutely powerless unless we are filled with the Spirit. This week I had an abrupt awakening with how moving the Spirit is and how it moves in order to reach others. When we let the Spirit take over, it works in miraculous ways. In an almost out of body experience, you can do things you would never be able to without God's breath and words.

The Lord God sculpted man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils a breath giving (the spark of) life; and man became a living soul. -Genesis 2:7

Iron sharpens iron, such as a friend sharpens a friend. - Proverbs 27:17

…The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. - James 5:16