Destinations Unlimited

On the path to discovery I have found that questions accumulate more than answers. With God in charge there is rarely a dull moment. There is frequently a new adventure around the next corner. There will always be mysteries and growth that come with the territory.

I wish I could say that after 4 years studying illustration plus 9 more of life experience, that I have it figured out. I wish I could say that everything in my life is perfectly in sync and that the answers are just ahead. Rarely does one door lead to a comfortable room, but rather a big room with many other doors. Some are eternally locked, thank God, and some are for opening. Knowing which ones I should pass through always give me a difficult time.


When it comes to creativity I have learned that every little limitation has its perks. Every eventual problem has an insightful unique answer. The more that I accept it and use it, the more of an advantage I find. So the next step is always being willing to try the next door. 


Our destinations are unlimited. The best way to see the opportunities is to trust an immeasurably wise God who knows where each door leads and which ones lead to a places that are better left untouched. And beyond that limitation know that every other choice is a mystery worth adventuring in to. So, our mission is always to trust God or succumb to stagnation? Which one would you choose?

The City Scene

Discovery is the best way to fuel your imagination. If you see something new or the same old things in a new light you propel yourself forward. Change happens in you and then innovation!

Daily I put this into practice in some aspect of my art. Sometimes its a process, a technique, an area of study, or a tool. 

The City Scene 3 represents a  still life practice that I use often. I need to learn perspective, so I set up a scenario that allows me to see it with my own eyes instead of guessing. When I set up these scenes I try to do something alien and unique with similar objects that  you could find around the house. I chose the China Marker because of its proximity to pastel and charcoal. It can bear some semblance to a black and white photo if used the right way. In particular, value was very important to this drawing. 

Be bold and try a different media, process, or subject matter. Be brazen and open to change. I guarantee you will see something new.

Cultivating Growth

One of the high priorities of my monthly schedule are the tasks involved in leading an art group. I have been leading Visual Sanctuary for over 3 years now. Each new challenge I face gives me new creative insight.

In order to lead with more authority in 2011 I took on an a design internship. It was both challenging and fun. Naturally, when you step out of your comfort zone you are bound to grow. When you face a new task that you do not understand you are bound to change. If you use your God-given wisdom you will eventually thrive. Its just that simple.

Visual Sanctuary is one of those things that I continue to do in spite of the downsides. In spite of myself some times, too. Why would anyone lead a visual arts group in a church of all places? Why not in a community? Why not at a college?

The simple answer for me was that someone needed to take initiative and invite artists where they are generally uncomfortable. The church in return needs to get used to artists being around again.

When God puts a call on your life you had better be ready. For artists this is especially true, because artists are not accustomed to being called. We vary rarely feel that inclusiveness that people serving in other ministries feel.

If you are an artist living in Columbus, OH I invite you to come out and be involved in our community. You will network, grow, see things differently, experience a taste of love that Jesus lavishes on all people, and create art in a group. Also, check out the entry information for the Cultivating Growth Show for this year. Its a quick deadline so jump to it quickly.

For in-depth information about Visual Sanctuary, click here: Visual Sanctuary Website

For a listing of current Important Dates for our group, click here: Visual Sanctuary Newsletter

For information about the Cultivating Growth Art Show, click here: Cultivating Growth

A Firmer Resolution And Other Base Facts

I look across my life and see many failed attempts at following through on resolutions and vows of various types. As an adult, I am no longer surprised by this. Each year that passes is a new understanding of my personal failures. I am sure that most people, like myself, come to this realization once they have left the comfort of their parent's home. I am sure that some realize much earlier than others.

The encouraging thing about failing at resolutions and goals in particular is that you learn to do them the right way. Each time you fail it is important to pick up and go at it again. I learned some very important tips concerning personal growth by using measurable goal-making from Chris Oatley's Artcast just this last week. You can click on this link to hear it: Artistic Growth Is Not A Goal...

The hard part about living your life, especially to be excellent in every area you can be, is that nothing really stays the same. The only exception is God and His goodness. We constantly have to be on our guard concerning everyday challenges. Is there a set way to do a task or requirement? Some times there is, but rarely. Life consists of improvisation in repition. You can do it well, if you have done something like it before. But do not count on it working exactly the same way. So, life feeds art. It gives us due inspiration, because like life, art is a continuous process of change and growth.

Don't give up on your goals! Firmly stand in the gap between your starting point and your goal. Be excellent in your career pursuits, your family life, and hold high the tenets of doing right by others in as many ways as you can! Stay the course, because none of us have it easy and from time to time we can learn from each other's failures.

7 Day Work Week

Hopefully, I won't have to do this again. It's easy to enter the week optimistically, but dreadful if you think about the fact that you have no weekend. I wouldn't recommend this lifestyle to anyone.

Inquire Within: Part 2, Life And Art

Not many times in my life do I remember other people approaching me and immediately engaging in conversation. Not unless I am actively doing something creative, that is.

The day after Thanksgiving I was still at my parents house struggling not to become too bored. So I borrowed my mom's digital camera and went for a walk to the park across the river in the town next to theirs. I went for the very specific reason of shooting pictures of the animals in the petting zoo. Because, I do not often get to go to the zoo anymore. This was a prime opportunity.

As I came around the fence I was trying hard to shoot through the fence, I encountered a woman feeding bread to the animals through the chain link fence. Her golf cart was full of cheap or reclaimed bread. She was popular with the animals. Then she started a conversation with me as if we were old friends. 

I admit, I was not too cordial to begin with. I just wanted to shoot pictures of the cantankerous animals that had very short attention spans. But she went on regardless of whether I acknowledged her too much. In the course of her conversation she mentioned how she had had a digital camera and that she wished she could post an up-to-date picture online. Regretably she didn't know how use her own camera. Not mention that a relative had borrowed it and never returned hers. I could only comment on how the camera I was using was not mine and I did not own one either. But, I missed something very important.

“Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10, NIV

This was the Exempla Vitae moment I referred to last week. This was the opportunity to do good by someone. A quick photo or 2 and some contact information to send her the photos could have been a blessing to her. A moment like this could create waves in someone else's life. This is where Life intersects Art. These are the times I live for.

My challenge to you is to think ahead about the gifts you have been given: time, talent, resources, knowledge, experience. Ask God what He wants you to do with these things. Imagine the possibilities of using them in unconventional ways. Write down and plan for such times as these. You will be surprised of the creativity utilized when you come to that time, nothing is ideal after all.

PEOPLE ARE...

Never mind the details. Don't waste your time with elaborate props. Get your characters on the page and have them interact. Actions do speak louder than words in visual media. And actions and reactions were divinely primed for use specifically in comics.

My friend Casey McBride and I tried all sorts of variations on Fill-in-the-blanks collaborations. Comic creators call this Comic Jamming. Late nights helped keep the process interesting. Casey is a trained animator and I am a trained as an illustrator. This activity always kept us entertained.You can see what he does by following this link: McBrideCasey.com.

Try this at home when you are stumped for an idea. Take 2 characters and put them side by side in 4 panels. Put different expressions on their faces and then go back and try to put words in the bubbles that make sense with the random expressions you chose. Then try it with another friend and pass it off to them to try. After that add as many people as you can. You will be surprised at the variety of original ideas you come up with.

Let me know what you come up with and I may link it to my blog.