Happy New Years

This year instead of a resolution I am going to look back on the blessings of this past year.

I am going for hindsight rather than foresight.

Check back in a day or so :)

MIKA

This past week in the midst of the fiercest WOW TCGing that I have ever been, and probably will ever be a part of my friends the Curtis's, Matt and Amy, introduced me to some wonderful new music! It is called MIKA, and I fell in love. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

If you like Queen I think you will enjoy this.

Holidays & Doodles

Now that the craziness of the holiday season is over I can sit down and do a little blogging. First off I had a wonderful Christmas! The Lord is just too good to me, I do not deserve it. I started the Holiday season a week early when my cousins from Idaho came down for the week before Christmas. Jenna flew down to Ontario Friday evening, after she settled in we went and saw I Am Legend (it was good, not great, but good) with a group of mine and my brothers

We walked about Vegas taking in the sites. It was fun! And to my utter surprise I learned from a certain nanny that Rita and Bre were going to be in town! So after the family went to sleep I went off and hung out with them. We walked, talked, and nerded out about Harry Potter where eventually ended up in a Coffee Bean until like 3:30am talking about how my Sophomore year math teach murdered his wife in Vegas like 2 years ago.

While talking and drinking my latté I finished this doodle, "Warrior Jungle Pixe" and... friends. Saturday we drove to Las Vegas to meet up with her Dad and Brothers.

...and managed to rough up this. "Man-ish Mermaid".

After Vegas I spent the week with my Cousins having fun, talking about "making poppish", and asking minorities about food they were eating. We capped off the week with a Christmas celebration before they went home, and saw Juno (it was wonderful and excellent and I will buy it on DVD). We then headed to the High Desert to spend Christmas eve with my Mothers side of the family. It was a blessing to see everyone in the same house, I love Christmas for that reason.

I did some drawing up there too, I may submit the creepy one for a threadless design. Let me know what you think.

It is my version of Sleeping Beauty. I had so much fun doing my own version of Snow White that I thought I would do my own version of a few fairy tales. Below is Alice from the Wonderland books. I don't care for any of them just yet, but I am getting closer.

Thanx for reading my long blog. :P
(If you even read the whole thing... Lords knows I probably wouldn't have :P)

Happy Christmas

(An old illustration from like 2003, I am away for my computer cut me some slack)

I am up here in the high desert with my family, and as I took a nice hot bath on this wonderful Christmas Eve I began to reflect on what a blessing it is. No matter how "commercialized" or "secular" it has become over the ages it is still a beautiful event. I can't think of any other reason that families and friends flock together, besides the occasional wedding or funeral. There is something simply beautiful and wholesome in loved ones getting together to share a meal. Even if you don't hold ownership in this Religious Holiday you have to admit the good it can do and the beauty it can bring out in people. I know some people dread the holiday season as it can be a very dark and lonely time, but the Lord can use this loneliness. He can reveal that loneliness for what it is, a void in their life. A void Christ can fill. Christ's premier ministry on Earth was so powerful we still to this day feel the echoing power of His words and teaching...He split time.

Snow White

(click to see the larger version)

Today is the day of animated gifs. Here is the colored version of my previous post.
I had a blast doing it. I hope you all enjoy my version of Ms. White.

Merry Christmas

It is Christmas time. I love Christmas so much.
This year is really teaching me about the season, I simply don't have the financial freedom to do much, or any really, shopping. This year I hope to just spend time with family and to relax and get away from some of my worries, and to really just rest in that fact that the Lord will provide for me, and that He hasn't let me down yet.

The Singing Epiphany

My car seems to be a place of insight for me as of late. Well maybe insight is too strong and sweeping of a term, "insight" has such a strong connotation that it almost seems that is communicating a new truth or at least fact. Now that I think about it epiphany seems a more appropriate term, it implies something much more personal and intimate. I doubt my observations and ranting apply to many other people than myself.

Back on subject, the other night while driving to Fresh and Easy to get dinner & dessert I was listing to a mixed CD that Emily burt me. Track 6 was a Nickel Creek song called "Doubting Thomas". I had heard it before, and as cliché as it sounds, I hadn't really listened to it. The lyrics were so moving. It said things that I knew were true, but through a perfect balance of neglect, pride, and subtlety I forgot. And now to take a page out of my dear friend Shane's book I am going to post the lyrics here on my blog.
(the bolded verse of the song is what really rung true to me)


NICKEL CREEK LYRICS
"Doubting Thomas"

What will be left when I've drawn my last breath
Besides the folks I've met and the folks who've known me
Will I discover a soul-saving love
Or just the dirt above and below me

I'm a doubting Thomas
I took a promise
But I do not feel safe
Oh me of little faith

Sometimes I pray for a slap in the face
Then I beg to be spared cause I'm a coward
If there's a master of death
I bet he's holding his breath
As I show the blind and tell the deaf about his power

I'm a doubting Thomas
I can't keep my promises
Cause I don't know what's safe
Oh me of little faith

Can I be used to help others find truth
When I'm scared I'll find proof that it's a lie
Can I be led down a trail dropping bread crumbs
That prove I'm not ready to die

Please give me time to decipher the signs
Please forgive me for time that I've wasted

I'm a doubting Thomas
I'll take your promise
Though I know nothin's safe
Oh me of little faith


( GASP! This is my first post in a over a year with out a drawing in it! Forgive me! )

The Smoking Paradigm

Last week while leaving Starbucks I noticed something on my journey from the coffee counter to my car door. There was a man sitting out front smoking, as I passed through the patio another man approached the smoking man and asked him to a bum a cigarette. Smoking Man was more than happy to help him out, but warned the cadger that they were menthol. Cadger replied that he didn't mind and that he was trying to quit anyways. By this time I was sitting in my car and as I was shut the door they were engaging in a legitimate conversation. As I drove away I surprised at how amused and blessed I was at this, and new understanding of how difficult it must be to quit smoking. It is both a physical and social addiction. Asfor my amusement, I think it was because these two grown men were engaging in a legitimate conversation all because they had common ground in tobacco. What is sad is that if Cadger were to have just sat down to talk to Smoking Man without asking to bum a smoke I hardly think they would have had the colloquy they did.

Disney Land Doodles

On Friday a group of friends went to Disney Land to hang out. It was a blast, but kinda sad. It was the last time for a long time that we were able to go to Disney Land with our friend Abby, because she is going back to Texas for a semester to spend time with her family and see her younger sister graduate. Anywho back to Disney Land, it was fun and I had time to do some doodling.

This first one is of Downtown Disney. I was sitting outside of the Jazz Kitchen waiting to be seated to eat me some lunch. While waiting for 30 minuets ‘‘ I took a few of them to draw this. Can you spot build a bear?




This second one is my version of Snow White. Disney's California Adventure (DCA) had a show on the Art of Snow White in there animation building. It was awesome and wonderful, so I drew this. It was fun. Oh and what better place to draw a Disney Princess than Disney Land?


(I might try and color her)

The Coffee Dilemma

Last week when I went into my local Starbucks and got my regular: a dopio espresso over ice. While adding a splash of cream to my dopio I took two napkins (Normally i don't take any napkins when I am drinking a cold drink, there is just no need). I get back to my car unlock the door and sit down in the drivers seat. I then turn my attention to my next task, moving an old Starbucks cup out of the way. I am moving the old coffee cup attempting to make room for my fresh cup of coffee. Apparently I angered that old cup from the night prior. In an act of childish misbehavior it decided to spill the remaining few drops of milk onto my passenger seat. I said to myself "Oh crap, milk! No, wait... OLD MILK!" In this panic I then I remembered that I had the two napkins! I was equipped to handle this little mishap! Take that you old coffee cup from the night prior! I know that I may be hyper-spiritualizing the situation, but to be frank (no pun intended) I don't care. It jogs along side of scripture in priceable; The Lord will not give us more than we can handle. And before we panic we need to look for what He has placed in our lives to help us over come these trials.