Pics of stuff...

all of the below were found in the trash...

Downstairs:

Paint brushes that I'm trying to save by immersing them in Vinegar (they're hard due to paint drying on them) and a tube of modeling clay... I'll probably pick up several more in the near future.

a brand new fridge (used one year). On its way to the Friars in the Bronx...

My Room:
The whole kit, note the five pieces of wood in the back that is one 84inch stretcher, two 60 inch stretchers (which I found at school, and don't match, unfortunately) and two 40 inch cross beams standing straight up.

The acrylics and one art bin that I found...

The Oils in the same art bin's pull out tray.


Some photopaper, White business cards and labels, a grid ruler, a T-square, and some resume paper...

Several paint brushes, some blue duct tape, the rest of the t-square and note cards...

another brush, another tray, and another art bin, with several pencils, rubber cement, rubber cement thinner, surface sanitizer, mechanical pencils, some "shims" (for stretchers) and a prismacolor pen.

an architecture book, some sand paper, a canvas box, and a triangle.


The new mouse (okay so it quasi works...)

Michelle's stuff:

An office chair sans one original wheel... I found a replacement the day after ;-) Still in my downstairs...

Stuff at her place, some fabrics (some of it has already been used to make costumes for 14 ish kids in her class for the sound of music), a green chair, a clip lamp, a floor lamp, and a oscillating fancy fan..

Her tub after clean up of the oscillating fan (we took it apart and cleaned it... cause it was duuurty).

Things not shown, Yet:
Mine:

Several canvases, matched stretchers, pieces of wood, papers, and drawing books.
Michelle's:

Two other pieces of fabric, four rugs (two throw rugs, two area rugs), a traditional Good fan.

And most of all, my love for a woman who when she found out I was dumpster diving for cool stuff, didn't mock me, but got excited and laughed, and then went with me and looked for stuff (albeit not actual dumpster diving, but dumpster looking and taking) as we would walk to and from various stores.

She's fantastic!

College trash

So you're mom always tells you never play in garbage...
but I spent several hours this past week doing just that and...
it paid off, quite nicely

35$ optical wireless mouse (works perfectly, even came with battery, owner apparently couldn't get it to work... oh technology.)
Refrigerator (Cleaned out and everything! I got it when I talked to some people moving out... they were going to get rid of it so I took it...)
Lamps
Oscillating fan
Designer fan
Rugs
Paints - oils and acrylics
Paint brushes
Papers- Vellum, Newsprint, sketch, drawing
2 Artbin Art boxes
Paper Cement
Paper Cement thinner
Canvases/stretchers
Architecture book
note cards
Resume printer paper
Business card printer paper
Label printer paper
Triangle
T-square
pristine Yards of silk pink, purple and fancy patterned
etc.

The things art students throw away...

also to all you women out there... YOU HAVE TOO MUCH UNDERWEAR. How do I know this? I kept finding womens underwear everywhere, not a single pair of mens underwear and I even found a BRAND NEW package of womens underwear in the dumpster... Womens underwear was perhaps the single most common item I found while looking for art supplies.

Forgiveness

"Our Father who art in heaven...
Forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us."

So we all probably realise that this means that how we forgive is tied to how God will forgive us... BUT...

Ever notice that it doesn't say :
"as we forgive those who trespass against us and ask for forgiveness "?

I hadn't really, until just now.


(about the painting: This is my most recent work completed last Wednesday in class, it's acrylic on wood... The painting is entitled "Conversion". It discusses sin, redemption, and conversion. (the gray is not part of the painting, it is just a digital background) )

India...

So I've been working on a document that is a guide to serving with the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata... after an inspiration to do so at the Spy Wednesday mass (did anyone else not know that that's the name of the Wednesday of holy week?) The booklet is up to forty pages... though that's a rough rough rough draft... and needs serious editing and addition.

And as I work, I feel like I'm supposed to go back... my heart is drawn. But how do I go when I don't think I could gather that amount of money so easily??? God will have to provide an opening. But if nothing else, I'm helping at least two people get to India this year... and with the finishing of this booklet, perhaps many more.

These glossy shoes.

These glossy shoes
They dance
Ahora y aqui.
In Mexico
My shoes were worn
Tired and holy.
Yet they danced
to the sound of
my daughter's cries.
Mi Bonita.

In the desert
I wore new shoes.
My wife bought them.
In the mountains,
Across the Rio,
They danced
Each time my
Heart looked down.
Mi Amor.

In the city
My shoes carried me.
Each morning I woke
I'd pull my pillows
To my feet
Wash my face
and step into
El cielo frio y azul .

My shoes stood the corner
Hoping to be chosen.
Wondering what I would
Do today.
Pacing. Praying.
They carried
Sacks of wheat,
Corn and soy.
Dug holes
Built fences.
Painted.
Yet most of all
They carried
Mi casa.

Last week
I bought new
Shoes.
Y mi alma canta
And these glossy shoes
Dance to the baritone
Of clanging
Plates
The tenor of forks
Clinking with spoons
The orchestra of the
Stove and dishwasher
And the bass
Of water
Dropping
Unto
My
Glossy shoes.

The music makes
Them dance.
Because, now,
I will
Be home
Por mi Bonita's
Cumpleaños.

These glossy shoes
They dance
Ahora y aqui.


-----------
Translations:
Ahora y aqui. ~ Right now and Right Here

Mi Bonita. ~ My Pretty One.

Mi Amor. ~ My Love.

El cielo frio y azul . ~ The sky cold and blue.

Mi casa. ~ My house

Y mi alma canta. ~ And my soul sings.

Forks ~ tenedores

Spoons ~ cucharas

Por mi Bonita's ~ For my Pretty One's
Cumpleaños. ~ Birthday.

Photos: Day 24: Geneve: trop pas. Paris: trop cool

(so I'm finally catching up on my Winter trip posts...)


This statue was given by the people of Geneva to the people in Geneva for the commemoration of their return into the swiss confederation, after they left a few years before. I'd like to suggest two titles for this statue... 1.) We like to pat ourselves on our backs and celebrate our fickleness. 2.) We can't find anything of import to celebrate. (Apologies to my swiss friends and all you swiss-o-philes).

At first glance at these flags, I thought... the UN? but that's in New York and The Hague... then I realised, oh yeah, and Geneve.

Calvin's Cathedral... (St. Peter's in Geneva)

Some beautifully painted woodwork was to be found inside...

As well as "Calvin's Chair" just me or does anyone else notice a disparity in any comparison between Calvin's Chair and St. Peter's Chair... two examples... one sheer beauty... have you seen St. Peter's Chair? (well you should have I posted a picture of it in January). And two... Claim of Authority (i.e., Name) Hmm... St. Peter an actual apostle ...

The Chapel was pretty and gave me a way to imagine how churches used to be painted inside...

"The jet" or something like that... caused a beautiful rainbow!

And beautiful swans were gathered at the edge of the park

The Lunch I brought on my escape from Geneva... A yougurt drink, Virgin Cola, a sandwich of some sort (Salmon Horseradish?), and CHEESE! Oh and Meds. Not too shabby.

Upon arriving in Paris, I spent some time trying to figure out how to use the pay phones... they didn't accept change... so after trying to figure it out for awhile and asking help from some people I finally was directed to a store where I bought a Calling card... (DUH) Since my credit card wouldn't work without a Smart Chip. Then once I got a hold of Gael, I managed my way through the Subway to his place... while exiting the subway I noticed graffiti in a place that seems primo... yet one that I've never seen before... on the escalator stairs... it's like a moving advert... who wouldn't want to tag there?

Upon exiting the system I noticed the welcome of Paris... They love me so much that they put my name in lights all over the city! We will definitely have to fix their choice in colour, but I'll let it slide this time.

Gael with his GAMBAS! He's an amazing guy, you should meet him! Either in Paris or India!

And this guy... with a great French meal in front of him...

And a great French desert!

Cell phone photos

So This post is all about the straggling photos on my cell phone...

These are my paintings from week 2(?) displayed for the class critique.

So a few weeks ago Holly, Mitch and some other ISU students came up to Manhattan for spring break... and we came across the largest set of stairs I've seen in NYC yet... while we were half way through a mile uphill detour which could have been solved by sucking up my pride and turning back to the subway station and taking the elevator up...

This is Holly and that is holly. A very big holly.

Beautiful St. Michael at the Cloisters in Northern Manhattan... So beautiful... it reminded me of my wonderful girlfriend. (Her patron saint is Michael).

MASSIVE PAINTING UPDATE

So for the last five weeks we've had a model in my art class... (week 4 we had two and at one point three models) and my teacher has been trying to drill non-dominant hand/negative space painting into our heads... all of the below are non dominant (left handed) unless otherwise stated (to the best of my recollection) and are all displayed in the orientation that I painted them (thus some look upside down, because I painted them upside down.)

week 2

(tools: a spoon and a foam brush)

(dominant hand)

(same pose, non dominant hand)

(Painted with fingers)

(Painted simultaneously with both hands {left hand on left side, right hand on right side}, then each side is touched up with the opposing hand, i.e., the left side of the painting is touched up with the right hand)

(painted without looking at the paper and with a rag)

week 3
I was really really really sick... thought I was going to have to see a doctor... ugh. so I was obviously in bed at home.

week 4

(dominant hand)

(Top right half: non dominant hand painted upside down, Bottom left half: dominant hand painted right side up)

Week 5

(A spoon, a foam brush and a palette knife.)

(dominant hand)

Also, if you can't tell I got bored with doing the same basic thing over and over and over again... so I kept trying to think of new ways to stimulate my tired mind. This past Wednesday I was bored on pose #2 onwards... for the most part.