This one has close to 175 hours in render times and postwork. It was a monster. i'm going to print it on a 4'x4' canvas. Tell me what ya think.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Sam that Taxi driver
Our last trip to LA was a lot of firsts for the boys. First trip in an airplane, first trip to Disneyland, first time meeting new in-laws. So Saturday night we decided to go out to a nice restaurant another first for the boys, and arrive via taxi, yet another first. This is where we met Sam the taxi driver. Nessa and the boys piled into the back and I climbed into the front seat, it’s easier to get in and out.
I love talking to taxi drivers. That’s the real reason I like to sit in front. I have had some of the most amazing conversations with taxi drivers. I have had some of the most amazing weird conversations with taxi drivers too. I go into total interview mode, its fun; I recommend it to everyone who ever rides in a taxi.
“So I notice your accent Sam, where are you from?”
“well… it’s a small country in the Mediterranean.”
“hmm… Greece?”
“No no no, umm, lets see it’s just west of Syria”
At that moment I realized just how little I knew of the Geography of the Middle East, and I have to admit was a little embarrassed, but I guessed anyways… “Turkey”
“No no no turkey is to the North. Our president was recently assassinated, it was big news”
“I’m sorry Sam I’m just not up to snuff on the Middle East”
“I am from Lebanon!” he said with a proud smile.
Well, in my brain the only thing that registers with Lebanon is Beirut and embassies and snipers and bombings and such. Not wanting to go that direction I ask him how long he has been in the US.
“twenty-four years” he says. “I came to America to get an education. The president of Lebanon was a very smart and wealthy businessman, and he offered anyone who wanted to come to the United States to go to college fifty thousand dollars. This was not a loan he gave you the money. The idea was that you would bring your education back to Lebanon. He was tired of the violence and was very peace minded, and he was rich! He didn’t want any more fighting. He was a very smart man.”
“And generous too it sounds like”
“well he was very smart.”
“and you don’t have to pay the money back?”
“nope.” “Actually…”, he said handing me a pamphlet from between the seat. It showed a distinguished looking man and a bunch of words in a language I couldn’t read.
“Sorry Sam I don’t speak Slavik”
“It’s Lebanese!”, he said with a laugh. “It’s the son of the former president. There is an election coming up, and he is calling all of the people his father sent to The United States to return to Lebanon and vote. He’ll even buy the plane ticket.”
“Huh?”
“Ya he will by the plane ticket so that I can go vote in the election. It’s a very important election.”
“are you going to go?”
“I don’t know”
“Do you have family there?”
“yes and family here too.”
“oh, are you married?”
“yes, that’s the problem, my wife won’t go with me”
“How come?”
“well… Lebanon holds on to a lot of tradition when it comes to women, you know, wear black, hide face, walk on other side of the road”
“really, so it mostly a Muslim country?”
“no, fifty - fifty probably Muslim, Christian”
“so then why the laws?”
“it is a very old country, with very old laws”
“I see, how did you meet your wife?”
“Well I was going to school in Boston…”
“What were you going to school for?”
“engineering”
“You’re an engineer?”
“yes I have a Bachelors in electrical engineering”
“and you drive a cab?”
“You do what you have to do, I have a business, a store that sells imports. Business is not so good right now. I have to pay the bills you know?”
“all too well, so your wife runs the store while you drive a taxi?”
“yes and the kids help too”
“How many kids do you have?”
“Three, three girls.”
“oh man, poor guy, you are OUT… NUM… BERERD.”
“you’re telling me!” (laughs)
“so you met your wife in college?”
“no I met her in Canada.”
“huh?”
(chuckles) “ I met her working for the United Way in Canada. She was here on the same program.”
“So you fell in love and moved to California.”
(laughs) “yes and moved to California.”
“Why California, why didn’t you go back to Lebanon?”
“Well like I said, thing are not so good for women there, some laws are very old, and she, well she is used to her freedoms here. We had a friend here so we packed up the car and drove here.” “so you are staying here for her.”
“yes and for the children.”
“That’s what Dad’s do”, I said
He paused and looked at me for a second, “yes, I guess that’s what Dad’s do.”
I love talking to taxi drivers. That’s the real reason I like to sit in front. I have had some of the most amazing conversations with taxi drivers. I have had some of the most amazing weird conversations with taxi drivers too. I go into total interview mode, its fun; I recommend it to everyone who ever rides in a taxi.
“So I notice your accent Sam, where are you from?”
“well… it’s a small country in the Mediterranean.”
“hmm… Greece?”
“No no no, umm, lets see it’s just west of Syria”
At that moment I realized just how little I knew of the Geography of the Middle East, and I have to admit was a little embarrassed, but I guessed anyways… “Turkey”
“No no no turkey is to the North. Our president was recently assassinated, it was big news”
“I’m sorry Sam I’m just not up to snuff on the Middle East”
“I am from Lebanon!” he said with a proud smile.
Well, in my brain the only thing that registers with Lebanon is Beirut and embassies and snipers and bombings and such. Not wanting to go that direction I ask him how long he has been in the US.
“twenty-four years” he says. “I came to America to get an education. The president of Lebanon was a very smart and wealthy businessman, and he offered anyone who wanted to come to the United States to go to college fifty thousand dollars. This was not a loan he gave you the money. The idea was that you would bring your education back to Lebanon. He was tired of the violence and was very peace minded, and he was rich! He didn’t want any more fighting. He was a very smart man.”
“And generous too it sounds like”
“well he was very smart.”
“and you don’t have to pay the money back?”
“nope.” “Actually…”, he said handing me a pamphlet from between the seat. It showed a distinguished looking man and a bunch of words in a language I couldn’t read.
“Sorry Sam I don’t speak Slavik”
“It’s Lebanese!”, he said with a laugh. “It’s the son of the former president. There is an election coming up, and he is calling all of the people his father sent to The United States to return to Lebanon and vote. He’ll even buy the plane ticket.”
“Huh?”
“Ya he will by the plane ticket so that I can go vote in the election. It’s a very important election.”
“are you going to go?”
“I don’t know”
“Do you have family there?”
“yes and family here too.”
“oh, are you married?”
“yes, that’s the problem, my wife won’t go with me”
“How come?”
“well… Lebanon holds on to a lot of tradition when it comes to women, you know, wear black, hide face, walk on other side of the road”
“really, so it mostly a Muslim country?”
“no, fifty - fifty probably Muslim, Christian”
“so then why the laws?”
“it is a very old country, with very old laws”
“I see, how did you meet your wife?”
“Well I was going to school in Boston…”
“What were you going to school for?”
“engineering”
“You’re an engineer?”
“yes I have a Bachelors in electrical engineering”
“and you drive a cab?”
“You do what you have to do, I have a business, a store that sells imports. Business is not so good right now. I have to pay the bills you know?”
“all too well, so your wife runs the store while you drive a taxi?”
“yes and the kids help too”
“How many kids do you have?”
“Three, three girls.”
“oh man, poor guy, you are OUT… NUM… BERERD.”
“you’re telling me!” (laughs)
“so you met your wife in college?”
“no I met her in Canada.”
“huh?”
(chuckles) “ I met her working for the United Way in Canada. She was here on the same program.”
“So you fell in love and moved to California.”
(laughs) “yes and moved to California.”
“Why California, why didn’t you go back to Lebanon?”
“Well like I said, thing are not so good for women there, some laws are very old, and she, well she is used to her freedoms here. We had a friend here so we packed up the car and drove here.” “so you are staying here for her.”
“yes and for the children.”
“That’s what Dad’s do”, I said
He paused and looked at me for a second, “yes, I guess that’s what Dad’s do.”
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Some of my art.
I presented two pieces of art this year at the "Erase the dark" Music art and film festival. The response blew me away, thank you guys. It was the first time I had publicly displayed anything I had done in this medium, ever. It was a step of faith for me. So then recently there something someone said. I can't remember who, maybe it was Dan Lance. Something about how we keep all of our art to ourselves, never sharing it with anyone, and why did God give us such things if not to share... Well, right here guilty. So I decided I was going to share some stuff.
These are the ones I presented...
Here are some others I have been working on
(click on the image to see it bigger)
this one is not done I need to photoshop in some splashes and birds and well, some pirates!! :)
This one is called "Red Sky at Night" I wanted to capture the largeness of the ocean and the clouds, this will be printed on a large canvas, probably 3 or 4 feet.
This on is call the Vigil. another work in progress, I am in the final render stages and have completely changed the armor and major work still has to be done on the tree to make it look more real.
This was a quick work I did, well less than 6 hours... I was playing with sepia tones and smoke and frames in photoshop.
Nessa and I did this one together it was tons of fun! This one will also be printed on large canvas.
These are two stages of one that i am working on right now, the bottom one is close to what i want but I need to work on the light and shadows, and some more work needs to be done on the jewelry. The whole thing is not quite dark enough for me yet.
What can i say I have a thing for old sailing ships. This one is another canvas print.
I love the sun and sky in this one. If I come back to it, I might change out the future landing pad thingy for a castle or something...I have a bunch more but this is a start. I will try and post the finished ones of the ones I am working on right now when they are done... I'm over 160hours into the one I'm calling the Vigil and still have some work to do. Thanks so much for looking!
Friday, September 5, 2008
My Blogs...
I have tried to move my blogs to this forum, but... eh. Come visit me at http://www.myspace.com/leadvox . Say hi, and all that...
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
To define the turtle...
To define the turtle, the rabbit stopped on the path. Well not really stopped, 'cause rabbits have a hard time sitting still, but more slowed to a point where the vision of the turtle could completely fill it. And in the looking it saw a hard shell on the outside, a house that it took with it wherever it went. No wonder it goes so slow thought the rabbit, look at the size of the house it takes with it everywhere. How much faster would it be if it could escape the house! So it went up to the turtle and circled it a few times, the turtle didn't even look up such was it's steady pace. Finally the rabbit could take it no more!
"Turtle!" It cried thinking that surely something that moved so slow must also be deaf...
"Turtle!" It said again…
"yes?" Said the turtle, not slowly but then also not quickly, more… softly… yes softly is the proper word… no no no gently is more correct I think… anyways…
"why do you carry your house everywhere you go turtle?" the rabbit asked.
"that's quite a question", the turtle responded… gently… "come back tomorrow and I shall tell you why".
"Why must I wait for tomorrow!" the rabbit screamed, not in a mean way, just thinking the turtle deaf. Rabbit wasn't impatient It just hopped fast.
"well? I am a turtle and I am one to think on things before responding hastily" the turtle replied.
"that's silly" screamed the rabbit.
"If you think so then I am ok with being silly, see you tomorrow. and rabbit?"
"Yes!?!"
"I'm not deaf"
The rabbit stopped and stared at the turtle as it trudged along the path, one foot in front of the other and thought on all the turtle said, for about 5 seconds. Then it hopped away to do what rabbits do…
The next day It found the turtle on the path and hopped excitedly up to it, for it was glad to be getting to know the rabbit and was eager to learn more about him.
"Good morning turtle", the rabbit said not quite so loudly as to hurt the turtle ears. It was already amazed that turtles weren't deaf, it just always thought they were…
"Good morning Rabbit" turtle replied, head down trudging along the path.
After a time of hopping around the turtle, rabbit finally could take it no more.
"Well?" said rabbit.
"I have thought much about what I would say to you today rabbit. I have pondered your question and the depth of it and have come to some conclusions." At this point the turtle stopped on the path and sat. Well… as well as turtles can. "My shell protects me. I am safe wherever I go. I can store up much and hide much in my house, and it helps me to feel safe. I have thought that it also makes me strong, you know, from carrying the weight of it around everywhere I go. But I am beginning to think that being safe is not always the wisest of choices, and I am beginning to question that it really does make me strong... Although it keeps me safe from harm, it also keeps my wounds from healing as no sunlight ever breaches my shell. It's kind of dark in here and I get very tired and weary from the wounds that never heal." At this point the rabbit saw something amazing and well, not so much wonderful as interesting to behold. The turtle poked his arms and tail into his house and squeezed himself completely out of his shell. The rabbit immediately saw the scrapes and blisters on the turtle. The constant struggle to carry that heavy shell must have been enough to cause those wounds, but he could see that many… many of the hurts had been there for some time, and it was sad. Seeing the look of the rabbit the turtle was inclined to speak and so he did. "I am tired rabbit of holding on to this house. I have been getting blisters from trying to comfortably move myself around and I am tired and I am sore. It will be good to be out of my house for awhile, but I must admit it's a little scary. I will have to trust that I will be ok out here and have faith that the sunlight will heal me." The turtle then sighed a big sigh and smiled. The rabbit smiled too and began to hop away content with the turtles answer and all of a sudden hungry for cabbage. Ribbit took no more than three or four hops when the turtle called to him. "Rabbit?" Rabbit stopped on the path a moment and looked back.
"yes turtle?" it said
"Thank you for asking me that question."
"huh?"the turtle chuckled at rabbit's response.
"will you hop with me awhile?"the rabbit, happy to have made a new friend slowed his hops to be beside the turtle.
"I think that would be nice, do you like cabbage?" Said Rabbit
"I have never had it, but I am of a mind to try something new" said turtle and together they made their way down the path. Rabbit noticed that even without his shell Turtle still walked very slowly.
"Turtle!" It cried thinking that surely something that moved so slow must also be deaf...
"Turtle!" It said again…
"yes?" Said the turtle, not slowly but then also not quickly, more… softly… yes softly is the proper word… no no no gently is more correct I think… anyways…
"why do you carry your house everywhere you go turtle?" the rabbit asked.
"that's quite a question", the turtle responded… gently… "come back tomorrow and I shall tell you why".
"Why must I wait for tomorrow!" the rabbit screamed, not in a mean way, just thinking the turtle deaf. Rabbit wasn't impatient It just hopped fast.
"well? I am a turtle and I am one to think on things before responding hastily" the turtle replied.
"that's silly" screamed the rabbit.
"If you think so then I am ok with being silly, see you tomorrow. and rabbit?"
"Yes!?!"
"I'm not deaf"
The rabbit stopped and stared at the turtle as it trudged along the path, one foot in front of the other and thought on all the turtle said, for about 5 seconds. Then it hopped away to do what rabbits do…
The next day It found the turtle on the path and hopped excitedly up to it, for it was glad to be getting to know the rabbit and was eager to learn more about him.
"Good morning turtle", the rabbit said not quite so loudly as to hurt the turtle ears. It was already amazed that turtles weren't deaf, it just always thought they were…
"Good morning Rabbit" turtle replied, head down trudging along the path.
After a time of hopping around the turtle, rabbit finally could take it no more.
"Well?" said rabbit.
"I have thought much about what I would say to you today rabbit. I have pondered your question and the depth of it and have come to some conclusions." At this point the turtle stopped on the path and sat. Well… as well as turtles can. "My shell protects me. I am safe wherever I go. I can store up much and hide much in my house, and it helps me to feel safe. I have thought that it also makes me strong, you know, from carrying the weight of it around everywhere I go. But I am beginning to think that being safe is not always the wisest of choices, and I am beginning to question that it really does make me strong... Although it keeps me safe from harm, it also keeps my wounds from healing as no sunlight ever breaches my shell. It's kind of dark in here and I get very tired and weary from the wounds that never heal." At this point the rabbit saw something amazing and well, not so much wonderful as interesting to behold. The turtle poked his arms and tail into his house and squeezed himself completely out of his shell. The rabbit immediately saw the scrapes and blisters on the turtle. The constant struggle to carry that heavy shell must have been enough to cause those wounds, but he could see that many… many of the hurts had been there for some time, and it was sad. Seeing the look of the rabbit the turtle was inclined to speak and so he did. "I am tired rabbit of holding on to this house. I have been getting blisters from trying to comfortably move myself around and I am tired and I am sore. It will be good to be out of my house for awhile, but I must admit it's a little scary. I will have to trust that I will be ok out here and have faith that the sunlight will heal me." The turtle then sighed a big sigh and smiled. The rabbit smiled too and began to hop away content with the turtles answer and all of a sudden hungry for cabbage. Ribbit took no more than three or four hops when the turtle called to him. "Rabbit?" Rabbit stopped on the path a moment and looked back.
"yes turtle?" it said
"Thank you for asking me that question."
"huh?"the turtle chuckled at rabbit's response.
"will you hop with me awhile?"the rabbit, happy to have made a new friend slowed his hops to be beside the turtle.
"I think that would be nice, do you like cabbage?" Said Rabbit
"I have never had it, but I am of a mind to try something new" said turtle and together they made their way down the path. Rabbit noticed that even without his shell Turtle still walked very slowly.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Disciplines
Wellness...
To think we can be on a path to attain the character of Christ and not embrace the spiritual disciplines is like saying I want to be a Doctor but I'm not going to take anatomy. The character of Christ is the Christian term for essentially attaining spiritual nirvana. Christians believe that Christ was the only instance in history of Human perfection. He was nirvana incarnate, God in human form. So to be "Christlike" is essentially saying to learn from the best at how to attain spiritual wholeness in our time here on Earth. It makes sense to me that the easiest way to do that is to do what he did. So we read what he did and do what he did and it should all come together that we will have similar results as he did, Right? so what did he do? He fasted and prayed, people were healed. He spent time alone, he received visions from His Father. The challenge is that we have been told to do, but being such children that when told to simply "do" we resist. Let's admit it no one like being told what to do. The enemy is at work here also telling us to "don't". He even uses the gift of grace to justify our lack of action. But the simple truth is that the disciplines work. They teach us, and grow us and a paradigm shift in perspective needs to occur so we can realize that they are an integral part of us advancing on our path. Actually they are huge bridges that fill in gaps, they are the physiology classes so we can recognize how the body works. They are a voluntary step to wisdom. Much wisdom and understanding are gained through change. Being creatures of habit we abhor the ideas of it. Change = yuck. The enemy knows this and works to keep us in our safe little shells knowing that to not move forward is to move backwards. To simply create in us a place of comfort on the path, he can attain victory. By getting us to do nothing, he wins. So the disciplines are a way to consciously create change in us, a way to force our spirit up the path. The results are palpable, seriously. The experiences of them real. The Victories very evident.
See the difference I think is that we don't "do" to simply do. We do to become.
To think we can be on a path to attain the character of Christ and not embrace the spiritual disciplines is like saying I want to be a Doctor but I'm not going to take anatomy. The character of Christ is the Christian term for essentially attaining spiritual nirvana. Christians believe that Christ was the only instance in history of Human perfection. He was nirvana incarnate, God in human form. So to be "Christlike" is essentially saying to learn from the best at how to attain spiritual wholeness in our time here on Earth. It makes sense to me that the easiest way to do that is to do what he did. So we read what he did and do what he did and it should all come together that we will have similar results as he did, Right? so what did he do? He fasted and prayed, people were healed. He spent time alone, he received visions from His Father. The challenge is that we have been told to do, but being such children that when told to simply "do" we resist. Let's admit it no one like being told what to do. The enemy is at work here also telling us to "don't". He even uses the gift of grace to justify our lack of action. But the simple truth is that the disciplines work. They teach us, and grow us and a paradigm shift in perspective needs to occur so we can realize that they are an integral part of us advancing on our path. Actually they are huge bridges that fill in gaps, they are the physiology classes so we can recognize how the body works. They are a voluntary step to wisdom. Much wisdom and understanding are gained through change. Being creatures of habit we abhor the ideas of it. Change = yuck. The enemy knows this and works to keep us in our safe little shells knowing that to not move forward is to move backwards. To simply create in us a place of comfort on the path, he can attain victory. By getting us to do nothing, he wins. So the disciplines are a way to consciously create change in us, a way to force our spirit up the path. The results are palpable, seriously. The experiences of them real. The Victories very evident.
See the difference I think is that we don't "do" to simply do. We do to become.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Life group
Derrick spoke in our group on Monday night about the Apostles and how they would go out in groups and spread the good news, and then come back together and hang out and share what God had done, and encourage one another, pray for one another, bear one anothers burdens, laugh together, share meals, share LIFE together. I got up to check on the kids and turned the corner and saw all these shoes and it hit me. We're doing that... and it's amazing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)