Creating a life that reflects your values and satisfies your soul is a rare achievement. In a culture that relentlessly promotes avarice and excess as the good life … a person happy doing his own work is usually considered an eccentric, if not subversive. Ambition is only understood if it’s to rise to the top of some imaginary ladder of success. Someone who takes an undemanding job because it affords him the time to pursue other interests and activities … is considered a flake. A person who abandons a career in order to stay home and raise children is considered not to be living up to his/her potential – as if a job title and salary are the sole measure of human worth. You’ll be told in a hundred ways, some subtle, and some not, to keep climbing … and never be satisfied with where you are, who you are, and what you’re doing. There are a million ways to sell yourself out … and I guarantee you’ll hear about them. To invent your own life’s meaning is not easy … but it’s still allowed … and I think you’ll be happier for the trouble. – Bill Watterson – Creator of Calvin and Hobbes

Mountains

A simple little painting for a friend.

In Progress - Mountains

Almost finished

In Progress Painting - Mountains

This is the beginning of a simple little painting I did for a friend. It's a small painting, maybe 9x12, and in oil. This is the first of 3 photos.

Book Cover

Several months back, I was commissioned to do a portrait for Raymond Goode. This was an oil portrait that would go on the cover of his newest book, 'The Pastor's Pastor.' Above the book is the completed portrait, and below, is the book itself. At the moment, I'm not sure of where you can purchase it, but once I find out, I'll place a link to it on this blog.

My Book

About 10 years ago, my best friend and I wrote a novel. There were events in it that was not "family friendly" and we decided upon completion of the novel, that it would be best if we didn't publish it. Last year, we looked over the novel and decided to go ahead with it. Upon editing it, I can't believe how much my writing has changed. I'm over halfway finish editing it, and hope to be finish by sometime in June/July. The only reason I'm putting this on my blog is because I will be doing the cover for it.

I will be uploading more work either next week or the week after that. I have made a large move in my life and unfortunately I have not been able to paint like I'd like to. Once I begin uploading artwork, I will most likely post on a biweekly basis.