to be whole...

 

acrylic

on streched canvas

“...until we allow not only elephants, 

but all living creatures 

their place in the sun, 

we can never be whole ourselves.”

― Lawrence Anthony, 

The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild

the silence that surrounds

acrylic on canvas

I had learned what I knew, 

the bare outline of the event, 

without asking questions,

 both fearing the pain that I knew surrounded the story 

and honoring the silence that surrounded the pain.

-Wendell Berry, That distant Land

...waiting...

acrylic on canvas

This waiting is messy, but one thing is clear: 

This waiting is not passive. 

This waiting invites us to hold the painful present 

and calibrate it with future hope. 

The waiting actively affirms the importance of life’s sorrows as 

the Man of Sorrows guides us through.

-Mike Ahn

wrung...and possibly broken

acrylic on canvas

 To love at all is to be vulnerable. 

Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken.

 If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give it to no one, not even an animal. 

Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; 

avoid all entanglements. 

Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. 

But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. 

It will not be broken;

 it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. 

To love is to be vulnerable.

C.S.Lewis

the silent scream

fabric and gel medium on layered wood panel

“Trauma is personal. 

It does not disappear if it is not validated.

When it is ignored or invalidated 

the silent screams continue internally 

heard only by the one held captive.” 

― Danielle Bernock 

Emerging With Wings: A True Story of Lies, Pain, And The LOVE that Heals

because sometimes you must...

Acrylic on canvas

When you're drowning, 

you don't say

 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight 

to notice me drowning and come and help me,' 

you just scream.

-John Lennon

the poor and dismissed... they heard it first

repurposed fabric, gel medium and acrylic on wood panel

• Yet as I read the birth stories about Jesus
•  I cannot help but conclude 
• that though the world may be tilted 
• toward the rich and powerful,
•  God is tilted toward the underdog. 
• 
  
• -Philip Yancey
• The Jesus I Never Knew

 

wrong will be right

“Right is right even if no one is doing it; 

wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.” 
― Saint Augustine

dismantled burlap

and discarded fabric scraps

on redeemed acrylic canvas

“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

alive when caught

The Call of the Disciples

 He calls us all to step aboard his ship,

Take the adventure on this morning’s wing,

Raise sail with him, launch out into the deep,

Whatever storms or floods are threatening.

If faith gives way to doubt, or love to fear,

Then, as on Galilee, we’ll rouse the Lord,

For he is always with us and will hear

And make our peace with his creative Word,

Who made us, loved us, formed us and has set

All his beloved lovers in an ark;

Borne upwards by his Spirit, we will float

Above the rising waves, the falling dark,

As fellow pilgrims, driven towards that haven,

Where all will be redeemed, fulfilled, forgiven.

-Malcolm Guite

They pulled their boats up on the beach,  

left them, nets and all, 

and followed him.

- Luke 5:11 MSG

For by the net of holy preaching they drew fish, 

that is, 

men, from the depths of the sea,

 that is, 

of [unbelief], to the light of faith. 

Wonderful indeed is this fishing! 

for fishes when they are caught, soon after die; 

when men are caught by the word of preaching,

 they rather are made alive.

-ST. REMIGIUS

fabric scraps

cotton fishnet (I did not order...)

 but arrived via Amazon anyway  (they did not want it back)

white acrylic on canvas

Inspired by The Call of the Disciples by Malcolm Guite

what Bilbo saw

re-purposed fabric on acrylic medium and canvas

24"X30"

“Such bees! Bilbo had never seen anything like them.

"If one were to sting me," He thought "I should swell up as big as I am!” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

re-purposed fabric on acrylic medium and canvas
24"X30"

a million spices

re-purposed fabric scraps and acrylic paint on canvas 
(12"X12")

re-purposed fabric scraps and acrylic paint on canvas 
(12"X12")

acrylic paint and re-purposed fabric scraps on canvas 
(12"X12")

“Bees do have a smell, you know, 

and if they don't they should, 
for their feet are dusted with spices from a million flowers.” 
― Ray Bradbury

parental advice

Acrylic on Canvas

Never fear shadows. 

They simply mean there's a light shining somewhere nearby. 

~Ruth E. Renkel

sharing at

apr (shadows)

ppf

gertrude

Gertrude is quite perturbed
that someone mistook her for a turkey...
and at this time of year! Honestly.

inkblot #9

acrylic

carotene

Carotene heading 

to the guillotine to be-

come Thanksgiving pie.

Inkblot #8

acrylic on inkblot

box turtle

The day the box turtle went swimming...

acrylic on canvas

Fine line

For Felix, 

the distinction between 

in 

or 

out 

is a fine line.


acrylic on canvas

Moses

acrylic on canvas

Moses the roach-killer
suspended
in mid-strike.

the troll

the troll

with the stolen

turban

is in no good mood

as he drags his bag of loot:

last night his big left foot

became a dragon's food

(hence the leg of wood)
behold

the troll

with the stolen

turban

acrylic on photocopied inkblot and cheap paper