TAACCL Juried Open Exhibit

Today was so exciting for me.....well....actually not until this afternoon. This morning I was somewhat nervous about our critique for our 15 journal drawings. But, everything went fine I also turned in my final project for my Design Comm class and will post that sometime this week. It has been a long semester for me. Probably the most work I have ever produced in such a short period of time, but I have learned alot. Though things were stressful and sometimes disheartening, I have gained a greater appreciation for life and light.

Saturday I submitted 3 of my drawings to the Texas Art Alliance Center in Clear Lake and found out today that two have been accepted to the exhibit. I am so excited! It is really a nice ending to this years work. There is an opening reception for artists and the exhibit on December 4th (A week from Thursday) from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM. Both drawings that were accepted by the Jurist are small landscapes that I did for a 4 Drawing series.

Thank you all for your encouragement.....I know I am blessed to have so many supportive family members, friends, and mentors!!

Musings and a Picture

Today I am officially exhausted. Both myself and my house are covered in charcoal dust.....sigh....

So I went shopping. I mean, what else do you do when you need a pick me up? It was strange to go to Target and not see very many people out there doing holiday buying.....very disturbing, or not depending on how you look at it. This morning I was emailed a list of store closures for January 2009 and if this list if authentic, things do not look good for a lot of retailers or consumers. We live in strange times.

My shopping trip just turned into a walk for exercise as I ended up not buying much other than food items and gifts for our grandkids. I think that stuff is so over rated.....I haven't felt the need to buy anything new since "IKE"........It just somehow seems wrong to spend money on new or nice things when so many are doing without or using hand-me-downs. Well....I suppose with all that is going on in the economy and the market it is good to be frugal!

Well here is my drawing from class today. Poetry in motion for the word "love." Enjoy your weekend!

More Art

These are not the best pictures I've ever taken, but I am just so swamped with projects and extra assignments. My 15 days of drawing are almost done! I am so looking forward to THANKSGIVING and CHRISTMAS!!

This piece was inspired by Lehi and Nephi's vision of the tree of life and our orchid tree, which we almost lost in the Hurricane this year.

I titled this piece, "White Fruit."

This last piece was inspired by our Sacrament Hymn from this past Sunday, Hymn 192.

Look Who's 39!

Yep, it's our Ernest.....love this picture!

Here we all are waiting for the burgers that Jeannie brought over for

Ernest to grill on his Weber!

After the festivities Charlie and Jeannie's girls tease their Grandma! That's Ivy, Reagan, and Jocelyn. Must be Reagan's new thing because she gave me this "face" when she first came over!

She is so fun!

Hmmmm.......

Not sure how this turned out but here are a few more of my 15 days of drawings. Below is a landscape with a subtle intro of a WWII Japanese bomber....well, this was a reminder to me of our visit to the valley in Hawaii where the Japanese flew through before hitting Pearl Harbour.

This is a drawing done from the thought, "an eye single to the glory of God," again a subtle intro of a figure in the dark charcoal.

I happened to be looking up one night this week and the moon was full and those wonderful clouds were highlighted. Not sure what to make of the grid but I call this one "Full Moon".

Okay, don't freak out about this one, but this was an 18 x 24 charcoal with color done in class yesterday. We were to combine a serpent and Adam and Eve into a composition together.

All in all, I am learning alot through drawing everyday but I know I have a long way to go. I am REALLY looking forward to having my days back!

This is So Right On and What WE are About!

I found this on a friend's blog today (Thanks Angela!) This is why we make movies and perform puppet shows!

Phil Vischer , the creater of Veggie Tales and Jelly Telly , said this today:

The problem with kids media today isn't that it is evil, it is that it is vapid. Empty. Pointless. It is empty calories. Frosting. Creme filling. Glaze. It has nothing to say to our kids about life on this earth or the God that made them special and loves them very much. And our kids consume it endlessly, on average, three hours per day.

We can do better.

Kids media can inform and shape while it entertains. Heck, Sesame Street figured that out. Mr. Rogers figured that out. But that was forty years ago. Kids media today lacks the will to teach kids anything. Yes, the shows on Nick and Disney are racially diverse. The characters recycle. But beyond that, they are mute.

We can do better. We can show kids the real world - a world where God exists and has something to say to us, if we will just stop and listen. A world where amazing people commit their lives to the work of the church and the benefit of others. A world where celebrity pales in comparison to generosity.

Go here and read more about why he does what he does. I appreciate it.