Ojalá, Selah, Lateda

IF: Clandestine

Clandestine Truth Digital Collage Illustration Friday’s word this week, Clandestine, automatically brought to mind an old friend of mine who goes by a similar name. It seemed appropriate though perhaps a bit spooky that on the same Friday I found an old box in my father’s attic. It contained all the letters she and her husband wrote me in 1995 as well as my journal. For thirteen years I thought she was indeed the clandestine one, secreting plotting and manipulating situations to steal my soul-mate. But last night as I worked on this image and read our old words I finally realized that though perhaps her methods were unconventional they were not covert. The only secret from me was that I was not wronged. In fact I was shocked to tears last night to see how wrong I had been. I am humbled and ashamed.

IF: Similar

“Though she admitted that her reflection was probably similar,  she could never be convinced it was equal to what the rest saw.” 

For Illustration Friday: Similar

Pen & Ink & Digital Collage

I ‘Heart’ Photoshop

In classic painting wagon wheel fashion tonight I did not finish decorating my tree. I did not finish writing my novel. I did not wash nor fold clothes. I did not work on any of the unfinished paintings or paper maché projects laying a round the house. I did not even wrap Christmas presents or make that list of the batteries I need to buy to make said Christmas presents work. No instead I played with myself in photoshop to see what could happen. I was on the phone with my Mom for the last part and I couldn’t make her understand why it was I was doing this. I told her it was political, which wasn’t really what I meant. She asked if it was a game and I said not really, but I still couldn’t explain it to her. I’m pretty sure I’m making some sort of cynical statement but there’s still a good possibility I’ll dig out the makeup to wear to church tomorrow.

If: Balloon

Edited: 12/03/08
The brightly colored heads that I posted yesterday make me cringe to look at them today so I redrew in the faces on white air heads. Now at least it’s a little more my style.

For Illustration Friday: Balloon

Vector Image created in Adobe Illustrator

This is based off my submission for IF’s Sail, but it took on a style of its own that is much more cartoon-like than what I usually do.

IF: Opinion

“It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man,
but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”

Matthew 15:11 (ESV)

For Illustration Friday: Opinion
Mixed Media: Pen & Ink with Digital Collage

IF: Pretend

“Every autumn she tried to focus on the past,
and sometimes she would even pretend she could change it.” 

For Illustration Friday: Pretend

Pen & Ink  

NaNoWriMo - Over Halfway!

I’ve been so busy writing on this weird little novel of mine that I haven’t done much of anything else. But tonight I hit my word goal for the day before I was completely exhausted so I thought I’d try a little blogging. This experience has been so intense, very much a roller coaster.  Friday night I put the kids to bed early and threw a party for myself in the front room. As they say in Mexico, or at least in the part I knew, “Fui muy muy happy.” I then wrote and wrote and wrote, almost catching up all the words I had missed writing when we went to Chattanooga last weekend. But on Saturday I didn’t feel so great (no tan happy el día después, bleh) and I decided that everything I’d written was complete drivel and I should just throw in the towel. I don’t know how many times I repeated the mantra of “quantity not quality” but I managed to re- convince myself that I would rather write a bad novel than no novel at all, or worse half a bad novel. So I muddled through and then last night the words flowed easily and I even thought they sounded good. It’s funny, I was more excited about the re-reading and editing process that will start in December when I thought everything I was writing sounded stupid. Now that there are parts that I think may be good I am much more nervous about getting to the point of actually reading them. I feel the same way about my morning pages. The next task I have to do in The Artist’s Way is to start going back and reading what I’ve been writing in my little books since September 1. Yikes.

IF: Wise

“The wise man built his house upon the rock

The wise man built his house upon the rock

The wise man built his house upon the rock

And the rain came tumbling down”

For Illustration Friday: Wise 
Pen & Ink & Digital 

Yes we did!

Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart. 

- Martin Luther King Jr.,

Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, Dec. 11, 1964.

This was the quote in a daily emails I get from sojo.net yesterday. I think they picked it perfectly. Because of where I live and who I work and worship with I haven’t been able to be as openly giddy about the election results as I would like to be. But this weekend I’ll be seeing all my family as we gather to celebrate my Grandfather’s 83rd birthday and as long as my step-father or sister-in-law aren’t close by I’m ready to do some full out celebrating for the change we are going to get.   

IF: Vacant

“She knew she felt vacant. She knew she was missing something.
But she was still a long way off from figuring out what it was.”

For Illustration Friday: Vacant
Pen, highlighter, and white-out on scanned, enlarged and printed church bulletin doodle