Another Thought

A while back we went to see the movie "The Tale of Desperaeux." While it was good, I couldn't help but thinking that it was somehow lacking and that the book must be infinitely better.

Anyway...just before seeing that movie, I had watched "It's a Wonderful Life" during the Christmas season.

And while it may seem unusual, the two share a common idea: Vice is oppression.

In Ratworld, all wickedness is allowed and even encouraged by the overlord of that place. But he wants rats to be be "rats" in order to keep them under his thumb. It galls him that one rat remains civil and refuses to act "as he should." For that rat is free. That rat is not burdened under the mindlessness of acting despicably.

In his vision, George Bailey sees "Pottersville." Potter was always interested in the poor, but not in the manner Bailey was. Potter needed the riff raff to fund his enormous economic machine; he wanted them for their money--what little they had. And while he chided George for breeding "a lazy, discontented rabble instead of a thrifty working class" when George is removed from the picture, Potter seeks to keep the peoples' heads down by plunging them into all sorts of debauchery. Bedford Falls vanishes into the darkness of bars and cabarets that is downtown Pottersville. Potter knew that to keep people busy about little, disgusting things, they would then be so shamed, so weary and lifeless, that they would never look about them to see the squalor they were in and decide to do something about it. Sin and vice keeps one down. Sin is oppression.

The difficulty with all of us is that we tend to heartily agree with Hebrews 11 and see that there is "pleasure in sin for a season." We want the pleasure. We want the season, however brief it may be. If only we would luck up, we'd see the muck closing in on us and reach for something better. True...it's something harder, but it's better.

"Thanks be to God..." as Paul says "who has delivered me from this body of death." For we know that "if the Son has set you free, you are free indeed."

Be free.

A Thought

"Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" -Mary Oliver

"You're Getting Borderline Creepy with This Skull Thing"

Or so said Josh when he saw the deer skull I just finished cleaning up (center of the table, horns sawed off and jaws as yet unattached). Also recently added to the collection, a coyote (front left corner of the table, the single jawbone I have for it lying next to it on the right). Along with a couple skulls I borrowed from school, the count in this picture is up to 12 skulls (if you count the deer rack). There is a sheep, a ram, 3 cows, a beaver, a raccoon, an opossum, and a javelina. Each one has a story, whether it be a simple reminder of a friend who gave it to me, a ridiculous tale of intrigue, or a link to a past time and place (like the cow skull painted gold, which is actually my first skull, and was found in a storage space of the Saint Paul home I purchased years ago, left by the previous owners).

Maybe it's the "Memento Mori." Perhaps it's seeing how things work and how they're put together. Maybe it's the fact that such a hobby/collection is a little bit off-beat and strange, which is always appealing to me. In any case, it's something I enjoy, and perhaps I'll share more about my interest in it in the future. For now, it's a "Snow Day" (ice, really) and school is cancelled, so I think I might go take a nap. I'll leave you with a few of my favorite shots from Seattle (a combo birthday/anniversary/birthday trip HM and I took over this past weekend).
My beautiful wife (so hip and cool with her big glasses and nose ring) walking past a screen in the Olympic Sculpture Park on the waterfront of the Puget Sound (with downtown Seattle seen through the screen behind her). I got up to take a picture of a NW coast tribal mask that was on our ferry ride back from Bainbridge Island, and as I walked back to our seat, snapped this picture of my bride peacefully lounging in the soft light.
I learned a couple things over the weekend: 1) Black Velvet (tap Guiness and tap Cider mixed together in a glass...somehow the two separate because of the gas used to pour each) is one of the greatest drinks known to man. 2) "Fado" in downtown Seattle will forever be one of my favorite restaurants. Our single, chance visit to this awesome Irish pub/restaurant was incredible and one of the highlights of the trip. 3) I don't look particularly good with long hair. And no, it wasn't a sudden realizaiton, but a final resignation to a fact. It was never really about looking good, though--more of an experiment. And so on Thursday, before we left for the trip, I ended my two year test and shaved my head. 4) After 9 years, my wife is more beautiful and I am more in love with her than ever before, and really, more than I ever thought possible. I love you HM!

He's At It Again

My brilliant first born loves to create and he just finished an artwork at school that you can see here.

Please visit and comment--he loves to hear from you!

Finally, Some Practice

As I've mentioned before, much of my time this year has been consumed by teaching AP Art History. But just prior to Christmas break, I took some time to do a self portrait. I had to complete this portrait because my friend Josh challenged me to a "Beard Off" (in both the competitive and literal senses). Fortunately, I was able to complete the beard portion of the portrait in order to allow me to shave. The final result was something akin to an Amish punk rocker. Needless to say, Josh was outvoted in each and every class as to who had the most ridiculous facial hair.
Before:
(upon realizing that the beard/hair combo now looks more like a lion's mane)

During the School Day:
(Josh's attempt)
(with our friend Bobby; it's a bit like the "Three Ages of Man," only it's the three stages of hair and beard)
(and the beard continued to progress throughout the day until it reached this point)
(at day's end with my friend and lifting partner, Chris--who was born on the exact same day as me, incidentally. Although we lifted that morning, he didn't even notice I had shaved down my beard; but, in fairness, it was 5 am)

I had assumed that, despite my inability to finish the whole self portrait, I would have time to complete it over Christmas break. However, during the break we went to Colorado. We enjoyed snowboarding (Brennan skied), snowshoeing, sledding, and general snow frolicking.
(one of my favorite pictures from the trip; this was the boys' first venture out into the snow. Here they are just "chillin'." Get it, "chillin'?!" I'm hilarious.)
(acting connoisseur-ish with Kyle (and his wife Leah) while sampling the fare at Glenwood Springs' "Brew Pub")
(with my honey ski bunny on the slopes)

Well, following the trip, there was much to be done in order to get ready for school. So the portrait wasn't completed until yesterday. I am aware that it has some problems, and it did not turn out as good as I wanted it to. In addition, since the chin and left side of the face (on the right, as you look at the picture) were completed in one day and the other side completed in another, they look different and somewhat incongruous. Finally, the portrait is one piece of a larger work that still remains to be completed (hence the gold background is not yet finished), but I will post pictures of that later. Alright--with those disclaimers made, here you go.
You'll have to compare back to pictures from the first part of the post to see how accurate it is. While it is an improvement from paintings attempted prior to my atelier training, it is a far cry from where I want to be. Just proof, I guess, that my lack of practice is truly detrimental. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think.