charcoal in class sketches

sketches, drawin's, and paintin'

Laura Melancholy Burris

Laura is a 22 year old, aspiring artist living near San Jose, CA. Most of what Laura knows is self taught, however she has taken the opportunity to take a few classes at OCC. In January, she's venturing all the way to South America with two other girls to help people in need down there and to love on them through art. I've always been inspired, encouraged, and challenged by Laura through our friendship. She works in many mediums, but you'll see a lot of her pencil and charcoal work below.

Fancy Treehouse

Check her blog out. It's amazing! You'll probably end up browsing her site for hours because there are so many fantastic outfits that she throws together. She's brilliant! If you want, you can purchase her items on Ebay! What?! I know, right. Super cool girl with amazing fashion sense.

Meet Keslie

First off, I love her! Let's move to NYC together. You still in? Secondly, her style is freakin' adorable. Throughout the time I've known this lady, she's always been doing her own thing beautifully. She can pretty much pull off anything that she puts on.

the south can't handle our c-l-a-s-s

the losing of innocence

Psalm 119.133-136

Establish my footsteps in Your word,
And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.

Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts.

Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes.

My eyes shed streams of water,
Because they do not keep Your law.

Sisterly Affection

would bleed for her

would die to protect her

there's no other being like her

Tornado

short preview of process

this painting reflects the relationship

of a father and his child.

...

"Ensnared"

the concept around this series of hopeless

photographs captures the essence of how we are born

and live in a world of sin that strangles us.

there's no escaping it while living and breathing,

and even in death, without a Ransom,

we'll forever be tied up in it.

ultimately, what i'm getting at is that

we're trapped in a world of sinners.

you are a sinner.

yet so many of us believe that we're living

for our own kingdom in this world....

we trade our souls for this immediate life...

status

beauty

fame

sex

money

sexuality

drugs

you name it...

we're grotesque, selfish, disgusting men and women bound for everlasting darkness.

think about it.... everlasting darkness... complete separation from God... from the Creator... from the Life.

pray for sarah and the people of haiti

Imago Dei - Genesis 2

God created us in His image, but with strong distinctions between male and female... what can be gleaned from Genesis 2 on this subject?....

Man: Cultivator (vs15) "Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it."
- Man (Adam) named the animals and cultivated/kept the earth... the Imago Dei of man is seen as one who: brakes it, fixes it, recreates it, and takes it a step further... Man was created to grow, protect, and progress things.

Woman: Helper/Nurturer (vs18) 'Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.'
- Woman was created in God's image with the distinct nature to take care of/nurture. It's seen in the most fundamental way of her anatomy and it penetrates her heart. Woman was also created to be submissive to the man... woman = the weaker vessel (1 Pet 3, Eph 4).
22The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23The man said,
"This is now bone of my bones,
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man."
24For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

Also, from Genesis 2 (before the fall), it's conveyed that Man and woman are designed to be together and that interaction is needed between male and female. The 2 distinct parts can become one through the holy spirit....

as obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." 1pet1.14-16

upgrade, switch, no phone?

i miss that phone

my 'new' phone from the 90's

=

POS

the pursuit

sticky skin

smelly pits

o' my shins!

i will not quit

endurance has been

something i lack in

not to worry

i will not quit

o' for some gin

to battle my witts

head'uh spinin'

i will not quit

mouth grinin'

to You i commit

i see you laughin

but i will not quit

gather your banjolin

me, my violin

together we'll travel

we'll never quit

blink, and it's gone

Lookin' for things that she don't know

Curious girl; not born long ago

Tryin' to make best of what she see

She think she stands as tall as that tree

No fear of the world or its size

She learns to step with great pride

Afraid to fall, not at all

She don't have the capacity to recall

Not a bit, she's so small

Language learned some time before

Now words begin to take their form

Sweet little gal's growin' so fast

Childhood never ever lasts.

J-O-Y--US

simplicity

creation

beauty

love

.

Me

“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.”

genesis 2

god, love, discipline, obedience

he humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the lord. your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. thus you are to know in your heart that the lord your god was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the lord your god, to walk in his ways and to fear him.

dt. 8:3-6

GreenWeddingShoes

Kent Dorn - making it in the world of Art?

Graduate of AU in Painting/Drawing...

He's using old oils that have been tossed out or not good for someone elses use to create his vibrant pieces. Since the oils have dried out somewhat, it creates a lot of texture on the canvas. I think that his pieces are interesting because there is something unsettling about all of them. He has just been asked to showcase his art in a smaller but up and coming gallery in NYC called Freight and Volume.

http://www.freightandvolume.com/artists/artists.html#

Alexa Meade

23 year old Alexa Meade baffles my mind! She's an artist working in Washington who uses flesh and 3 dimensional space as her "canvas". She paints over all of it with acrylic paint and creates a 2 dimensional composition. She takes the realistic object and abstracts it into something less representational. It really is innovative and inspiring!

to see more check out http://www.alexameade.com/portfolio.html

thank you for the dance biscuits vest

PTL!

Wooooweeeee! The Spirit moves. Tonight, Rob became apart of the Family. I am so stoked. God is moving on this campus; prayers are being answered! Gosh, I am so excited for this year and all that it holds.

EPIC!

the sunfish

i feel like this takes some kind of skill level to achieve...

like you probably have to have some kind of decent balance...

and having no wind is pretty helpful (they aren't real sailors)

i like it though... a lot.

ps. 25:4-5

make me to know your paths, o Lord;

teach me your paths.

lead me in your truth and teach me,

for you are the God of my salvation;

for you i wait all the day long.

News, news, news

Elijah Scoop:
So, the doctors could not feel anything wrong inside of Elijah today. They said LOTS of blood in the urine and are sending it in for more testing. Next up : Scheduling an ultra sound. That is about all we know. They think it might be a kidney stone, which would be great. Testing still needs to take place. However, from the symptoms and after examining Elijah, this is what he thinks might be the problem. I hope that he's right.

Please continue to pray for Amanda and Josh: that they would find their confidence in Christ and for peace knowing that God is in control of the situation. Pray for Elijah and for the pain he's in and that he would find comfort from his family and from knowing that God loves him and has a plan and knows what's best.

Thanks guys.

Mucho mas amor!

Friends, please pray for Elijah. We have some health issues going on that could be pretty scary for all of us. We are going to be pursuing some testing this week to figure out what is going on. Pray for healing and for peace. Thanks.

not that kind of love

styli young man

dressed to impress?

i think yes.

matthew, you nailed it.

i wish boys dressed like this everyday.

amen.

do you have a second?

http://vimeo.com/11464499

hah! yessssssss

proverbs 23:17

Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But live in the fear of the LORD always.

ps. 22:23

You who fear the LORD, praise Him; All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.

wednesday nights for the next year will look something similar to this.... here i come senior 50 lbs

really? i'm delightfully surprised.

j.crew fall 2010