The Year of GRACE - 2009

My family has decided that 2009 will be our "Year of Grace" towards ourselves and others.

To do our best and give ourselves a break and extend that to everyone we meet. To stand by our principles of truth and love, not tolerate evil or hate but to meet both these extremes with grace and mercy. Life unfolds one day at a time, even moment by moment I want to aspire to experience those moments.

In my personal and professional life I will afford myself the grace I deserve and extend that to others. Allow myself to fail, fall short of the mark and change the expectations of myself and others. In the times of uncertainty in which we live, we all need grace, kindness and acceptance in our daily lives. Our lives are like a stream down a mountainside it does not go in a straight line from here to there. I want to no longer seek some big 'cure' for life's experiences but to know that every experience is what makes up our lives.

It is only our daily bread that we are encouraged to ask for.
The present is the only time in which any duty
can be done or any grace received.

- "The Weight of Glory" C.S. Lewis

What is 2009 your year of?

Storms of Dec '08 & Jan '09

Now that the snow has melted and the flooding has receded here
are a few more pics to remind us all of the power, beauty and
danger that can come unexpectedly upon our lives.

You have established all the boundaries of the earth ; You have made summer and winter. Psalms 74:17 NAS

Prayers ...

On this day where history was made in our country, I would like to offer up prayers and hope for,

America
Our New President
All Peoples
Our World

That God will favor each one with blessings and wisdom.

The Spirit, Life & Emotion within the 'Eyes'

This is a pencil drawing I have done of a monkey and everyone always comments on the eyes. I endeavor to capture the spirit, life and emotion when rendering the 'eyes' in my subject matter. I often portray my subject looking straight on, as if staring back at the viewer. Sometimes, the angle of the head my only allow one 'eye' to be visible, but still the intent is that the subject is peering back at you.

I like and admire the honest and straight forward. The ability to look someone in the eye regardless of the circumstances. I try to live my life that way and look straight ahead and face life, whatever comes, both the good times and the bad. Stayed tuned for more pieces where I try to capture the spirit of the 'eyes'. This piece of art work is available on many products at our website, http://www.cafepress.com/graceunveiled. (Copy and past the link in your browser)

Creatio ex nihlio and Art

'Creatio ex nihlio' is Latin and translates to creation out of nothing. I believe this is how God created the universe, when there was nothing save God, He made everything there is out of nothing. That is one of the ultimate mysteries.

Being a child of God, I wish to follow my savior into battle. However living in a fallen world and being a sinner, I allow so much to stand in the way of my true potential. I often feel overwhelmed when standing before a blank piece of paper and trying to put down the images in my head that begin in my heart. What God has accomplished is truly amazing!

Looking at the beam and looking along the beam are two different things. Looking at the beam you see an illusion of reality, looking along the beam is where the truth lies and is leads you to the truth.

The creative process can begin with an end result in mind or the result may change as it progresses until it looks nothing like the original idea.

I try to live the possibilities and not be stopped by the limits. The joy that can be there in the pain, the beauty in the mundane if only we could truly see. I encourage you to stop and look to live the moments, to feel the joy and yes even the pain. For art can only faintly portray the life we were truly meant to live.

-

"Good painting is nothing but a copy of the perfection of God and a recollection of His painting." -Michelangelo

January 2009

A new month and a new year! Listed below are my seven favorite things for the month of January, in no particular order:

• The love and joy of spending another year with my beautiful wife
• The laughter and surprises of watching my daughter grow
• The memories of things accomplished, shared and lives touched
• A good book or movie on a windy rainy winters night
  
• The beginning of a new PBR season
  
• The beginning of a new year of cycling (gotta start riding!)
• The endless opportunities that are ahead

To get yourself started watch this video "The 5.75 Questions You've Been Avoiding", from Michael Bungay Stanier's website Box of Crayons. Click on this link

http://www.fivebigquestions.com

or copy and paste it into your browser. This short video has helped me to think about the important things and to refocus. Lets all resolve to do our best on one important thing in our lives and to eliminate one needless thing in 2009.

Let Your Imagination Engage

What do you see in this photo?

This is an up close picture of a fire charred stick that resembles a horse head. Add a torn mat and a light brown tint from photo shop and you have what could easily appear to be a vintage old photograph.

Snow Storm of Dec '08

A few pics we have taken of the snowstorms over the past few weeks!
More to come!

As I make this blog post it is currently snowing again! God's ways are definitely not our ways, because this is not a typical winter for the west side of the mountains in the Pacific Northwest!

Happy New Year 2009

A new year has dawned, spurring new hopes and dreams. Each day gives us the opportunity to go forth, begin again and step out in the pursuit of our God given dreams and desires.


(This is an acrylic painting of a sunrise over the city heralding the coming day, simple and beautiful moments that we so often overlook in the rush to begin our days and the hectic pace at which we so often live our lives.)