Part II: A Broken Heart Makes For Good Art

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The written word in your own handwriting (no matter how bad) can add an element of the artist's voice. Pick wisely, or you may sound dumb. In the end I may not have any of these, but for now, it is giving me something to think about. Just in case you want to see what it really says, look below.

John and Paul...the other Paul!




⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
⁴² So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in mortality; it is raised in immortality:

1 Corinthians 15

Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
Ev'ryone come on

John Lennon "Instant Karma (We All Shine On)"



¹⁰ ...prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
  
Malachi 3

 “If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, Infinite. 

William Blake, the Marriage of Heaven and Hell

 
Rise up this mornin',
Smiled with the risin' sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin' sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin', ("This is my message to you-ou-ou:")
Singin': "Don't worry 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."
Singin': "Don't worry (don't worry) 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"

Bob Marley Three Little Birds

Top Five - List No.6 ~ Loves of My Life

My older boys are getting to the point in their lives were they're getting girlfriends. Only one has got his heart broken so far, the others have pretty much stuck to shallow waters. It's really alright. For guys it's normal to play it safe. I try to tell them it's Ok too to put yourself out there. It's out in those deep waters were you have the best experiences.

I whole heartedly believe in...
"It is better to have loved and lost, than to never to have loved at all"

Sometimes you've just got to go out there and get your heart busted...

With Becky, I was way out of my league.
When I finally mustered up the courage to talk to her; we hung out a lot before we went on our missions, we wrote the whole time, and when she got home from her mission we dated more seriously. I was a great dancer, but not good enough.

Vicky took my breath away the moment I saw her.
She was with some geek at a dance. I couldn't take my eyes off her...I'm sure that pissed him off. We didn't speak. The second time I saw her she was in her mother's living room. Time stopped...but we still didn't talk...but the third time! We were sitting in her Mom's car, and we talked! For hours! We talked about everything: God, the universe, and spaghetti! It was wonderful. That was it. Sometimes life just hands you a moment!

Coming out of a divorce, my parents dieing, loosing my house, unemployment and bouts of deep depression, I was "tore up from the floor up". It had been years since I dated. I hadn't a clue what to do anymore. Enters Terri!
I could have met her anywhere: when we were kids, or going to the same high school or as adults, it wouldn't have matter, I couldn't have helped falling in love with her. That's just how it was!
...and can we talk about "Crash and Burn?" Epic!

Your first love is nothing like any other. Flames burn brighter, ice cream is colder. At 50 I can hear our song and I'm flooded with Tammy memories. Sorry for her and for me, I learned more about what not to do than anything else, but when we see each other these days, she gives me a big hug, we talk and we quietly remember way back when.

Which brings us to number one.

As good as any of the others on this list were, they don't reach the depths of my heart as Jennifer did. Thank you for 7 beautiful children. I am blessed for knowing her, and being apart of her life for as long as I was.

Before I go, I'd like to give a shout out to Elena who didn't make the list, but is still note worth. She is the sister of my soul, a fellow artist, and full time inspiration!

Let your life power your art. The good the bad, the happy and sad. Don't hide from any of it. You'll be glad you did.

No.5 Becky ~ "Out of my league"
No.4 Vicky ~ "Love at first sight"
No.3 Terri ~ "The muse"
No.2 Tammy ~ "First love"
No.1 Jennifer ~"Handed my ass to me on a plate!"

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Amazing! Who would of thought?!

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Part I: A Broken Heart Makes For Good Art

Someone I know came back from a concert where the band, which was known for their dark and moody music, was noticeably playing happier songs. The singer, who was also the lyricist, was in a happy relationship when he wrote the new album she commented...

...and then she said “a good life made for bad art.” I think she may be on to something.

We’ve talked to death art as therapy last year, so I’ll try not to repeat myself tonight, but that person is right in that case. A shift in your mental health or mood the wrong way may force you to look for a new career! 

As for me: I got good ideas that keep coming, I got the new job, I've got the kids to keep me going, and I'm not dating :) I'm good. Moreover, I'm such a moody bastard, I can't seem to stay in one place for very long anyway, so I think I'm Ok. 

This is the rough draft for my next piece. It seems to be fueled by a little Doors, a little Bob Marley and a pinch of John Lennon ~ I'm cool with that ~ 

"We all shine on..."

...check back here for updates. ~ Cheers!

Rough ides stage of  "Self Portrait No. 14"

When Monkeys Fly Out of My Butt

12 Monkeys

Something I've been toying with for quite some time.

Tails of a Reluctant Mermaid

...So I had this great idea, the piece turned out wonderfully, but the girl that inspired the project thought it was too romantic of a notion for our relationship and it blew up in my face.

...but I was just being an artist.

We work together and talk and stuff, so I had lots of opportunity to talk to her face to face and look into her eyes. She's a classic beauty with striking blue eyes.

The image just came to me one night, just like you see above here. When I told her about it, and then showed it to her, she didn't say anything!

...I knew I was in trouble.

What's cool about this project is I could have sat her down in a room with nine more artist, and all ten of us would walk out of there with a piece quite different from each other ~ each with It's own voice.
Well, she eventually thanked me for it and told me she liked it.  In a days or two afterwards I got the "We're just friends" talk, and then she stopped talking to me altogether. Oh well.

In the end, I got a really cool piece even if I did piss off my muse.

Pen & Ink

We Won The Science Fair