Bluebird

This is a small painting, but I had lots of fun with it. Once again I am amazed by the beauty of birds, and how God can place such care into each of these tiny creatures.

Soli Deo Gloria
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Flecks of Gold

I finally took some pictures, so here is the first painting I did this summer:

Every time I see the birds in my backyard I am amazed by God. The incredible creation that each and every one of these tiny birds is, and on top of that each one is immensely beautiful.
Luke 12:6

SDG
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Coming Soon!

Hey everyone,
It's been a crazy summer so far! Sadly I've been so busy with work, school, and friends that I haven't done as much artwork as I would have liked.
However! I am done with my job, and I've been painting a lot the past few days. I am hoping to get some pictures up as soon as I can get good photos of them!

Till then enjoy the rest of your summer!

SDG
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Light of the World

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven"

~Matthew 5:16~

This piece is possibly the one piece I am most proud to call my own. It challenged me in ways I did not expect, but it has blessed me in countless other ways.

I was told to propose an impossible project, and so I did.

"I want to paint the faces of the people on the earth." That was my response. To cover the earth in light so the the earth would become a living portrait and beacon


I was then told to make that impossible dream I had proposed into a present reality.
And so I did.

I made a 3 foot sphere to set the stage for my project. And then a drilled away to paint those portraits of light I had imagined. Finally, I finished.

I have only one thing left to say about this project. The most important thing I can say:
Thank God. Thank God for the blessing and vision He gave me. Thank God for the beauty of life and light and His earth. And thank God for the gift He gave me for the ability to do this


My hope and prayer is that you see the beauty, and that you Praise God for what He has done, and what He alone can do.



Soli Deo Gloria
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Quarai

This is a watercolor of one of my favorite places in New Mexico (Well, the places I have been to and remember at least).

I love to look around ruins like these because they have become beautiful through time. It isn't the building that interests me, it is the chips and fallen bricks that create an intricate, shifting, dancing pattern on the walls when the sun hits them and turns them fiery red. It is the tiny shafts of soft green that spring up at the roots of the walls, and the windows and peepholes where time has taken its toll.
My favorite time to visit is at sunset when the richest colors glow off the rocks and trees and the sky all around is brilliantly blue.
As much as I love this picture it could never do justice to the beauty God paints upon man's frail crumbling structure each and every day.

Soli Deo Gloria
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Lent through Easter

Lent = The past 40+ days leading up to Easter.

The Bad:
-I didn't follow through on my Lent commitments to read the New Testament or complete my 40 day drawing challenge.

The Good:
-I definitely saw God working in me over this time, blessing me through old friends and newer friends, using them to bring me grace and healing.
-I did not get on Facebook, which freed up time - Which I promptly filled with schoolwork and other diversions.
-I worked on an art project - finishing it on Easter, which has been a huge joy for me to work on, and as such a huge blessing to me this semester.
-I was asked to use my art as worship, which as crazy as it was, I did enjoy, and I hope it helped people to connect with God in some small way.

In the end I wish I had done a lot better with my original plans of drawing and reading. But I know that God still used this season to help draw me closer to Him in more ways than one, and for that I am able to rejoice in the Lord.

Happy Easter!

Soli Deo Gloria
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Hello to my followers and anyone who happens to check this blog out,
I wanted to let you all know that a lot has been going on between family, school projects, and health the past couple of weeks and I have not made the time or had the energy to continue the 40 day drawing challenge up to this point.
This isn't an excuse. I should have been able to make time, but it is an explanation for why I have not posted anything to those of you who wanted to  see my work.

I also have a big project coming up that will be keeping me busy outside of school all the way through Easter, so I might not be able to get back to the challenge right away. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to it soon, or else pick it up again this summer.

Soli Deo Gloria
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Day 2

Here is the update on how things are going.

First:

Read Matthew chapters 8 through 12.

The gospels continually amaze me.All the miracles of Christ that I seem to forget every time I read them, and the way that Jesus was able to answer every charge against him with perfect calm.

Second:

Here is my second drawing. Today was the day to draw my favorite animal.

So far I have been having a blast with this project and I am super excited for the rest of this season of Lent.

As always, I hope everyone enjoys these posts!

Soli Deo Gloria

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40 Days

Alright everyone,
I mentioned in my Canaletto post that I would be doing something a little bit different in the future (meaning now).
Today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. From now until Easter I will be fasting from Facebook, reading through the New Testament, and completing a 40 Day Drawing Challenge.
Here you will find my updates about what God is teaching me and how I am growing spiritually and artistically.

So here goes:

Day 1
I read through Mathew 1-7 Mainly focusing on the Beatitudes. I decided that for the most part I will be using my often wasted time on the bus to complete this part of my challenge since it is a way for me to focus on God early in the morning before my day really gets going.
Second, I learned that I spend more time than I thought on Facebook. Not that I am constantly using it, but I do have it running in the background a lot. Instead, I used the time I am usually on to do some reading and have a better conversation with my friends.
Third. I drew one of my least favorite things - well. The thing I hate to draw the most.  :)
Day one of my challenge was a self portrait. And finding myself with an abundance of time (no Facebook again) I did a second fun picture on the bus ride home:

Personally, I think it looks more like me when it is upside down...
This would be an excellent point to comment on because I would love to see what everyone else thinks  :)

And here is the fun one that I did later on:

Not quite as detailed... But I really don't like drawing my face  :)

Please vote on which one you like more!

Soli Deo Gloria
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Canaletto

If I had to pick my favorite drawing from the past year this would be it.

This is a detail copy of a Roman arch originally done as a charcoal wash by Canaletto.
Although it is a master-copy piece, it is one that I learned a lot from all the way through, both about technique in general and about the way that I tend to approach my artwork. Because of that I think this has been one of the most important pieces I have ever done.

I certainly hope everyone enjoys this piece  :)

Soli Deo Gloria.
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My Father Always Said...

This post is a little bit different.
It isn't about what my dad has always said to me. It is about the story My Father Always Said, by Mimi Schwartz. For my English class we were assigned to create a drawing response to a scene from this short story. When I got to this scene I knew I had to draw it. If you are at all intrigued by my picture I would recommend you read the full story. If you do, please come back and let me know what you think of the story, my drawing, or both.

Soli Deo Gloria

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P.S. - I am not sure if you can find the story online. I will continue to look, until then, if you are interested let me know as I have a copy.

 - James

Wings

I suppose it is about time that I break out one of my pieces that I really loved from last semester. I definitely had a lot of fun on this one, and I hope you all love it as much as I do:

James
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Soli Deo Gloria

Charcoal Still Life - #2

Alright. Here is another charcoal still life. I really enjoyed this one because it combined three things I love to draw, but still challenge me. A sphere (Technically it is there.. It is peeking in on the left edge), flowers, and glass. All things considered I am happy with it. A few things I could be happier about, but that is a  never ending problem for artists  :)
I hope you enjoy it!
James
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PS.
Sorry it is crooked. Couldn't get a better shot head on so the angles are funny  :)

Art

I hate art. Now this is a paradox about me, because some of you may have noticed that I love to draw. In fact. I just happen to love art.

That is the reason that I need to write this post. I need to write down and share what I feel about the concept of art.

Merriam Webster's definition of art:

-skill acquired by experience, study, or observation

-the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also works so produced

Noah Webster defines art as:

"The disposition or modification of things by human skill, to answer the purpose intended. In this sense, art stands opposed to nature."

(Notice the word skill. I'll come back to that later)

Now I of course will be stepping on some toes with what I have to say in the rest of this post. I have warned you all.

But I have reached a point (second semester. It took so long) in which I already find myself questioning the definitions and ideas of art that are prevalent at least among many of my teachers. This idea can be summed up by one of my text books quite simply: "Art is anything that is not necessary to survival or reproduction"

Now. Under this definition just about everything is art. Here is where I run into a problem. I am more than willing to accept the idea of art in a very broad range of subjects, situations, and  styles. But I have set standards in my thinking. These standard are of skill and beauty. One of my favorite definitions of art (loosely quoted from my high school art teacher) is that anything can be an art. IF it is done beautifully. That doesn't mean it will necessarily end up looking like a perfect sunset. By beauty I mean: of a particularly graceful, ornamental, or excellent quality. (Merriam Webster). There is art in being a mechanic and fixing a transmission. But that art is defined by the quality of the mechanic’s work, not by the fact that he did something to a car. It is an art because he did that work well, and because of the skills he has that I do not have.

So this is my definition of art:

Creating something beautiful by doing it deliberately. To create a piece of excellence in all aspects of that craft, trade, or action to the best of one's ability and with all of one's skill.

If I can see that in someone's work, I know I am looking at art. But at this point I cannot accept that everything holds the status of art, simply because it does not lead directly to my very survival.

Now let me clarify my opening statement.

I love art. It is a passion that God has given me, and I hope and pray that that passion can be seen in my work.

And this is why I hate art. I hate the direction art has been going, and is continuing to go. We live in a culture where the standards of quality are disappearing. And it has come to infect the world of art. Art should be the epitome of a culture. I don't care if I become famous for my art (although that would be definitely be cool) I care about striving for the highest goal. Striving to show what God can do through me. Striving to create real beauty. Not just a pretty sunset, a product that anyone can look at and say. "That is excellent" a product that might one day let me hear the words, "well done" from the lips that matter most.

If anyone reads this, I would love to hear your opinion.

And have a great day. =)

--James

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Graphite Still Life - #1

Hope you all enjoy!
I wish I could have gotten a better photo, but I can't claim fantastic skills in everything.
As always, I hope that this picture encourages, blesses, or inspires you.
And of course, enjoy!
<><   SDG   ><>

Charcoal Still Life - #1

Well. Once again it is time for another post of my work.

This is my favorite out-of-class piece from last semester. It was a short assignment, and I had a lot of fun working on the canning jar, but overall it turned into one of my nicest pieces.

An Exercise in Surrealism

     I took Art Practices I this past semester. It was a good class. I wouldn't take it ever again. However, one of the cool projects we had to do was create an imagined landscape.

     I had a lot of trouble with this assignment. For one thing I was never much of a surrealist artist. For another we had to use acrylic paints which I have never really enjoyed painting with. I did like this picture though. Something about the idea behind it has been in my head for years, and this project gave me a chance to finally get it out on canvas. Someday I may come back to it and try to work out the idea again, but for now, enjoy!

Soli Deo Gloria

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Conte Still Life

      Here is one of the last large scale drawings I did last semester. It was an experiment for me in using conte crayons. I am not sure how I feel about the medium yet, it isn't my favorite, but I like the way this picture turned out. 

Enjoy!
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Ondori

Another one of my older pieces, I need to borrow a camera before I can get anything new out, but I have a few more pictures I can show off till then.
Still, this is one of my favorites, and probably always will be, I have always loved to draw birds, and this is one of my best.
As always, enjoy!

James
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Artwork One

Alright.
I said I would get something up this week, and hopefully I'll get some more up soon. This isn't a recent piece, but  it is a personal favorite of mine:

Beta

I feel like I should post something today. It has been a few days, and a pretty fun year.
I have been excessively lazy since I was on break and I don't have any art ready to post yet. I'll get on that this next week and hopefully have a bit of my work posted before spring semester starts.
In the mean time I have kept busy, and thought I might share some of my escapades and adventures with my friends that are a must for every well-rounded individual.
Build a tennis ball mortar
Play Settlers of Catan
Go snowboarding or skiing
Read (book seven at the moment!)
Hang out
Read some more
Build fires
Take an accelerated class in which you learn about:
-a- The stupidity of English Spelling
-b- The truly wonderful world of Phonetics
-c- The versatility of 4 letter words
Eat wonderful food
And above all, sleep in every day you get  :)

All in all it has been a wonderful break. At this point I wish it had lasted a few weeks longer, but still a wonderful break filled with the blessings of family and friends.

 - dzejmz

Inauguration

This is the beginning.
My blog of life experiences if they ever become exciting enough to share. And a chance for me to show off a piece of who I am through my art and writing such as it is.
I want you expect a lot from this blog.
My dream is to encourage you with the beauty God reveals to me, and my hope is that you can encourage me to always see that beauty.