Trying a New Look

Today I watched Kung Fu Panda. While watching the ending credits, which are amazing by the way, I wondered about the dark Kanji and Chinese characters on the warm backgrounds. And I thought I would try my Signature in the same style. So, here it is. Not bad. A little bare for design...but I don't know actual brushwork, nor the language of the Chinese. And I don't want to have this look too silly. This way captures my original design for my Signature, Which was originally meant to have somewhat of a brushstroke dynamic to it.

Also, lately I have been feeling like my light against dark designs for my signature and my websites...needs to have a break. This Dark against light theme....might be a direction to go. Hm, I wonder. :) Enjoy.

P.S.  I had to change the 's' on Williams...the curve was backwards. Oops.  My wife caught it. Thanks Nadia. :)

The Touch of the Masters Hand

(Originally posted in my old art blog...but worth a post here, even without any art)
Sunday always has good experiences and stories for me...good lessons of life if nothing else. Today in church, one of the speakers (who amazingly also teaches my son in first grade) quoted the words below.

'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile: "What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar"; then, "Two!" "Only two?
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three—" But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice,
And going, and gone!" said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand
What changed its worth." Swift came the reply:
"The touch of a master's hand."
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine,
A game—and he travels on.
He's "going" once, and "going" twice,
He's "going" and almost "gone."
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's hand.

What more can I say? As an artist, I think of how my skill is like an old violin sometimes...and I wonder what my artistic ability is worth. I ponder my worth on more personal levels too...and wonder if I have too often heeded the thoughtless crowd. How important it is to learn of our worth as the Master knows it, and to never auction ourselves cheap...though battered, scarred, covered in dust, and out of tune, how great our worth in the Masters hands!
May we all look to Him...and let all other opinions wash away...even if necessary, our own.  Happy Sabbath.

(Quoted from talk given by Pres. Boyd K. Packer
at: http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-183-10,00.html)

So, today in church I had a chance to doodle while I listened to the different speakers. I used to do this more often to stay awake. But that was more due to my late nights doing art and then getting up early for church than anything else. Now that I have 4 children, my wife and I have our hands full, so I do not get to doodle much any more. lol.

Well, I hope this is beginning to make for a more devoted sketch blog. I hope to get many more of these. I actually do a lot of this. I still need to scan in old ones and put them up too. But that will come in time. :)

Just last night. Looking at paintings of clouds and then hubble telescope images of nebula. Basically you see a mountain in the painting that is snow covered fading into edges of darkness. Maybe I'll work this idea out more later. For right now, it is just a study. I was inspired by Josh Clare's work mostly.

Enjoy!

While waiting at the Bank

No, I do not intend to make a "While waiting at"- run of artwork, but it seemed to happen twice in a row here. I simply ended up waiting in the chairs at the Bank to meet someone who was finishing up with a previous customer. I was feeling very "landscape-fine art-ish" at the time and so they are simple landscapes.  I often get pinched between wanting to paint something like this, and making money doing something I know how to make money with. But the day will come when they are one and the same.....right? :) These were done in the blue BIC pen style. Since I found my pen stashed in the visor of my van I can do these again. I have micron pens too, but felt tips don't do the same for me as much as the simple BIC ball point pen. Enjoy.

While waiting at the Hospital

So, while I was waiting at the hospital for the nurses to tell my wife that our 4th child wasn't ready to come into the world....I sat staring at the sink. This was the second time we had been in on a false labor, so I was familiar with the sink. I saw this after running through my mind how ridiculous life can get. :) Oh, the things we see.

For a Friend

I recently had a friend ask me if he could have a print of my work. He offered to pay for it, and when I told him he could, he chose my old Wizard of OZ painting. He had it printed, bought a frame and hung it in his sons room. After that...and this cracks me up...he realized that his son had never seen "The Wizard Of OZ". So, he had his son watch it soon afterwards. Now my artwork can really be appreciated. :D We have great friends, my wife and I. Hope everyone is having a good summer.

Photography?

Yes, I do happen to carry around a camera on occasion. I also have a 2 mp camera on my cell phone too. These photos were some of those I took with my phone going down the road. I really like clouds, so if there is a question about these, I like clouds. I think about painting large paintings of clouds...if I had the time, or if that could make me money. Anyway, I hope my amateur photography will be accepted here. :D Take care everyone!