C H A D B L O G

piano

2011-11-28T17:42:00.001-06:00

You brought me this piano when I was only nine

and when I touched the keys upon it my face began to shine

now I can’t thank you enough for the stories I would find

when I played that new piano and escaped inside my mind

You gave me an instrument that sent songs into my heart

yet when I think back on it I find it played a bigger part

the piano wasn’t ornate it had no would carving design

and the bench was nothing special, but for me it did just fine

the piano would not be welcome in concert halls or places well refined

it was just a simple sturdy upright that I would learn to play in time

And it put a new song in my heart

and in the darkness the melody was a shard

bringing hope when life was hard

and I would find it’s not the flashy things that shine

it’s what’s inside that resonates more loudly over time

Twenty five years later with my hand upon familiar keys

I close my eyes in hope to find some peace

I walk into a melody and I am lifted

I walk into a melody and life is sifted

complications erased

dissatisfactions have no trace

chords untangle inside my mind

and I think back to another time

when you gave me this piano and my face begins to shine

It put a new song in my heart

and in the darkness the melody was a shard

bringing hope when life was hard

and I would find it’s not the flashy things that shine

it’s what’s inside that resonates more loudly over time

llama wool

2011-10-31T20:47:00.002-05:00

Llama wool is used to make many colorful fabrics in Peru. First, the dies are extracted from a cactus plant and stored in large containers. Next the wool is placed inside of the containers and then hung out to dry when enough of the dye has been absorbed. The wool is now ready to be used in making the colorful fabrics such as hats, socks, sweaters, bags and toys.

broken people

2011-08-16T08:53:00.001-05:00

Broken people in these seats
Broken people at your feet
Tears flowing down
where words are not yet found
In this moment, in this place
we sense love in your embrace

cusco

2011-08-06T09:53:00.001-05:00

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, Cusco is picturesque.

savage wolves

2011-07-26T21:49:00.004-05:00

Savage wolves are running with white teeth showing.
Saliva mixes in their mouths and drips from their tongues.
Paws beat rhythmically against the ground with increasing weight.
Breaking through brush they appear dimly under a moonlit sky.
Increasing in speed with new found freedom,
they run hard through the field approaching the prey.
Letting grunts and snorts be heard, they desire only one thing.

A bleating cry rises up from an ewe like a flare in the sky.
More bleating is heard and now scampering signals incoming danger.
Those who run away from the heard will surely be devoured.

But alas, there is another stirring in the brush!
A new shadow is spreading, covering the heads of the sheep.
Sharp facial features traced by the moonlight emerge from a hood.
A strong, sturdy staff is gripped in a hand as if to be used as a club.
The shepherd strikes out to defend his sheep
and no one will snatch them out of his hand!

miraflores

2011-07-19T19:55:00.002-05:00

Founded in 1857, Miraflores is Lima's prosperous commercial hub, boasting shopping zones, theaters, art galleries, flowery parks, craft markets, cinemas and the city's highest concentration of cafés.

The roof terrace at Larcamor shopping center has a reflecting pool and spectacular views of the coast.

A view from the clifftops overlooking a pier containging shops and a seafood restaurant.

A modern sculpture stands near the coastline.

This bridge is a gateway to the coast for those driving down Avenido O. Benavides.

Inaugurated on February 14, 1993, Parque del Amor is devoted to the old Peruvian custom of courting in public gardens.

picture of you

2011-06-02T08:46:00.002-05:00

Complexity, diversity, unity and harmony

it all seems to come to me when I think of you

it all stands out to me when I'm with your people

like ceramic tiles of many hues

we make up the picture of you

haiti faces

2011-05-23T21:24:00.011-05:00

A boy from the village plays with an old bicycle rim.

A girl poses in the shade at the pavilion where others have come for medical assistance.

A cute little boy carries goods on his head.

A girl watches from the nearby bleachers.

A boy hangs from the rafters.

arm

2011-04-12T19:08:00.003-05:00

After the accident on my bicycle my arm was hurting. Movement was restricted and my hand was swollen. The x-rays showed that no bones were broken, but the x-rays could not reveal the pain that I was feeling. The medication that I was given caused me to be dizzy and I vomited once. The following days revealed to me just how difficult it would be to live with only one arm. I was unable to do the most menial tasks such as remove a lid from a tube of toothpaste or tie my shoe laces tight enough to stay together. Turning a door knob would send sharp pangs throughout my entire arm. It was miserable and I was humbled by my limitations.

The sling on my arm was a constant reminder of those limitations, but it also reminded me of that the Lord takes pity on the weak and needy (Psalm 72:13). After all He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). That is why Paul said “I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Also, David was not the first born heir to the throne and he had the least worldly experience being the youngest of his clan, but God looked at his heart rather than his accomplishments. David’s heart would stand up to a giant and show forth God’s greatness through utter dependence. David’s heart would also be humiliated when confronted by the prophet Nathan and rely upon the strength that God provides to bring restoration (Psalm 51:10-12). This is the kind of heart that God desires for “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart [He] will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).

My arm is doing much better this week and I’m sure that I will soon forget about the pain that once plagued me, but I hope that I continue to be dependent upon God as though I can’t do anything without him.

bringing life

2011-03-17T23:00:00.002-05:00

Come and blow the dust from my pages
turning to places where sun has not yellowed
revealing stages of past ages
now merging into the present

Come and smear the oil on the leather
restoring that which was once hard
brining life to that which binds
the mystery deep within

haiti landscapes

2011-03-09T20:22:00.015-06:00

The sky and ocean are bathed in sunlight.

Two trees at sunrise.

A view through the trees.

At the beach.

Early morning hills.

unkempt hair

2011-02-23T17:45:00.004-06:00

Hey there man with your unkempt hair
What brought you here where people stare
and unkind words linger in the air
Did you swallow hard when you entered that door
Did you think you’d find what you’re looking for

Well I've got two hands and I've got two feet
and I'll walk to you so that we can meet
and I've got this heart beating in my chest
so I'll extend to you my best
cause life is hard and could get worse
if you leave tonight with any more remorse

partly cloudy

2011-01-24T18:49:00.007-06:00

Sun setting through the window
shimmers golden hues through the sky and streets
Wet pavement reflects the beauty
while beads of water swell and then streak
Silhouetted trees and street lights contrast the brilliance complete
Wonder still exists in the everyday ordinary things

breakfast nachos

2010-12-16T17:46:00.006-06:00

Sometimes scrambled eggs with cheese, sausage, bacon, and salsa area served with a few tortilla chips sprinkled on top and called "migas," but I prefer to put the tortilla chips in first with the ingredients added on top to make breakfast nachos!

dogs and pigs

2010-12-01T17:32:00.002-06:00

A dog is a dog
it will return to its vomit
A pig is a pig
it will return to the mud
An unregenerate man is unregenerate
he will return to his sin

Morality and good works
are not enough to amend
the soul that is condemned
Feast no more at the vomit on the floor
rise up out of your mud
come to the one who will atone with his blood

continental gin building

2010-11-15T18:03:00.013-06:00

This past weekend I visited the Continental Gin Building for an Open Studios event where twenty three artists had the doors to the studios open for guests to view or purchase their works. Walking through the building at dusk with golden light pouring through the windows, I felt like I had been transported to another time.

joy and strength

2010-11-01T08:50:00.003-05:00

Wind rips across the water suspending a seagull in mid flight
climbs up the hill to where I sit and scatters the pages of my notes
Warm sun reflected in the water now blinding in my eye
beaming down upon my skin making me warm inside
I have joy in the sun and feel strength with the wind
a dichotomy of things living deep within

shadows

2010-10-11T19:10:00.019-05:00

Photographs are limited in their perspective. They focus on a single subject and present views that extend to the edges of the frame only. Like a photograph my view in life is limited. I can only see so much. The shadows in these photographs point to something beyond the edge of the frame. They serve as a reminder that there is something more.

ending and beginning

2010-10-04T09:29:00.002-05:00

Sun setting
golden window pane
remorse growing
unable to explain
the day is ending
unable to refrain

Stars glowing
in the night time air
hollow feeling
rises without care
empty longing
that I can’t repair

Morning calling
to my night time eyes
rain is coming
falling from the sky
a new beginning
that I can’t deny

industrial images

2010-09-16T18:13:00.018-05:00

Sometimes photography is the quest for beauty in the ordinary.

galleria

2010-09-08T18:17:00.014-05:00

The Galleria Mall in Dallas was opened in 1982 and has remained a successful enterprise for almost thirty years.

A canvas mobile along the main corridor screens and reflects the sun.

Circular lights above a common gathering space.

Escalators move people from one level to the next near the ice skating rink.

A wall display at one of the many department stores.

Strong vertical elements combined with skylights focus the attention upwards at appropriate intervals for access to the retail outlets.

solace

2010-09-01T08:48:00.001-05:00

There is a solace I have found
I wear it like an evening gown
it glows and glitters
and shows your worth
the fabric comes from virgin birth

It covers completely
from head to ground
and protects from dangers
all around

It always goes with me
so that I might remain
it never forgets me
like a chorus refrain

gourdough's

2010-08-26T22:39:00.019-05:00

Last weekend's trip to Austin yielded some excellent eateries. One of which was Gourdough's, famously known for their exotic donuts.

The tag line says it all.

The menu provides both savory and sweet donuts.

I tried the Flying Pig (bacon with maple syrup icing) and the Porkey (Canadian bacon, cream cheese and jalepeño jelly).

One last picture of the afternoon indulgence.

flip happy crepes

2010-08-22T21:36:00.024-05:00

Yesterday I took a road trip to Austin and went to Flip Happy Crepes where I found delicious hand-made savory and sweet crepes being served out of an Airstream trailer.

A blue tarp stretched between trees provided shade for scores of people at picnic tables playing board games and enjoying the goodness of Flip Happy Crepes.

A line was forming by the chalkboard menu.

After placing your order you could grab a beverage out of the ice box.

I tried the Moroccan Chicken Crepe and the Three Cheese Crepe and wished they had a Flip Happy closer to where I lived.

negative space

2010-08-15T19:29:00.007-05:00

I drew only the shadows of a bottle so that the viewer's eyes would imagine the remaining areas based upon the familiarity of the object. Sometimes omitting lines can make a composition more interesting.

some days

2010-08-03T17:12:00.004-05:00

Some days are like a penny
down in a wishing well
all our little hopes
washed up in a drain
resting in a sea
of tarnished copper

unicoi state park

2010-07-27T19:09:00.012-05:00

This June I traveled to the Unicoi State Park in the Chatahoochee National Forest. Here are a few photos taken along the trails near Lake Unicoi.

life

2010-07-01T15:12:00.001-05:00

Sometimes life will lead you down a darkened path
Sometimes life will leave you with bloody aftermath
Sometimes life will bring you where you don’t want to go
Sometimes life will tell you things that you don’t want to know

Life exists without you
Life exists within
Life it is a mystery
but life can be your friend

Sometimes life will give you what you don’t deserve
Sometimes life will grant you peace without reserve
Sometimes life is better than the day before
Sometimes life will give you wings upon which to soar

Life exists without you
Life exists within
Life it is a mystery
but life can be your friend

birds

2010-06-14T21:59:00.013-05:00

An ode to Hitchcock.

storefront for art and architecture

2010-06-01T18:26:00.014-05:00

The Storefront for Art and Architecture by Stephen Holl was installed in 1993 at the street level of an existing building in New York. While reminiscent of the market areas that open up during the day and close off during the evenings, the irregular openings filter light into this unique gallery space. Conversely, during the evenings the light spills out from the interior onto the dim lit streets. This project was helpful to me in thinking about the spaces outside of buildings and what can be accomplished to engage the interior and exterior of a building. Here's a few drawings I did of the project back in college while working on my thesis.

high five

2010-05-16T17:20:00.011-05:00

The High Five is a five level interchange in Dallas connecting two of the busiest roadways in the city. At certain times during the day the forms of the bridges cast magnificent shadows that contrast poetically with the lighter tones of the painted concrete surfaces.

head in the rafters

2010-04-29T18:11:00.001-05:00

Sitting in the pew
with my head in the rafters
wondering what happened
to the happy ever afters
not knowing where I’m going
yet going without leaving
your presence can’t escape me
I’m consumed yet I am free

thanks-giving square chapel

2010-04-15T17:33:00.018-05:00

Ominous birds perched along the outside shell sit in stark contrast to the livid colors of the interiors.
The "Glory Window" spills color into the room at different increments throughout the day.
The "Glory Window" designed by Gabriel Loire of Chartres, France, directs the focus upward.
A close up detail of the stained glass.
The "Spirit of Thanksgiving" glass etching by John Hutton hovers over all who enter the chapel.

railroad spike

2010-04-01T17:10:00.005-05:00

Study of different drawing techniques.

downtown dallas

2010-03-15T18:02:00.022-05:00

Things I saw while walking around the downtown area of Dallas.

contrary to nature

2010-03-01T18:21:00.003-06:00

Contrary to nature
and by my nature
I’m a wild olive shoot

I’ve been broken
with no words spoken
I’m separated from the root

Contrary to nature
and by my nature
I’ve been grafted in

A divine appointment
A holy anointment
I’ve been grafted in

Now I’m a partaker
of all good things from my maker
it’s the root that supports me

I'm no longer forsaken
deprived and mistaken
it’s the root that supports me

It’s love and it’s kindness
true joy in his likeness
I’ve been grafted in

It’s irrevocable
unnegotiable
I’ve been grafted in

record snowfall

2010-02-13T15:09:00.018-06:00

The biggest snowfall to ever hit Dallas was an accumulation of over twelve inches of snow. Here are a few photos that I took near where I live.

i pour myself out

2010-02-01T00:04:00.003-06:00

I pour myself out
a cup is filled
a cup is poured out
an ocean hardly notices

Insight is best
when held deep within
unleash it and find
it dissolves to no end

canyon creek prysbyterian church

2010-01-15T00:55:00.014-06:00

During the summer of 2002 I worked for James E. Langford as an intern architect. A lot of the work that his firm was doing at the time was ecclesiastical and I was fortunate enough to work on the construction documentation phase of the Canyon Creek Presbyterian Church. The building, while modern, is based on classical proportional design elements.

A cantilever portion of the building provides shelter for people being dropped off by automobile.

The steeple is central to the design of the church and is also the main structural component of the auditorium.

View of the exposed steel steeple.

Light is used to direct the focus upward.

The roof fans out from the steeple like an umbrella.

hand drawing

2010-01-03T18:44:00.003-06:00

A pen and ink drawing of my own hand.

street lights

2009-12-15T18:35:00.014-06:00

Street lights reflected on wet pavement make for an interesting composition.

pencil drawings

2009-12-01T18:46:00.017-06:00

Here are few drawings of objects on my desk. The pencil holder is leather and filled with marbles so that it can be used as a paperweight. It has a zipper where you can remove the marbles (in case you lose yours). It was handed down from my grandfather.

Number 2 pencil.

Pencil holder
rough sketch.

Pencil holder
final drawing.

fall trees

2009-11-21T00:03:00.015-06:00

Signs of fall in Dallas.

winter day inside my heart

2009-11-15T15:12:00.004-06:00

The ocean is as gray as the sky
white sails unfurl with a deepening sigh
origami pushed forward by the wind
floating free with no sight of end

This is the winter day inside my heart
unfurling every precious thought
lifted up with breath-like wind
onward going my prayer ascends

architectural aesthetics

2009-11-05T08:23:00.012-06:00

Photographs from around the Dallas area.

grandfather

2009-11-01T18:27:00.003-06:00

Today I realize more fully the impact that my grandfather had on my life as a child. My parents separated when I was young and I grew up with my mom and older sister. While my dad continued to keep in touch with me my and sister, I wanted/expected much more from him than the occasional phone call or weekend holiday visit. I felt that I really didn’t know him and craved to have a father figure in my life. There were seasons where I looked to men at church and found qualities that I desired in a father, but those were only seasons and I desired a father-son bonding that really didn’t fit into those contexts.

After my grandmother passed away in the early eighties, we began to spend more time with my grandfather as a family. Almost every Saturday morning he would drive his truck over to our house for a pancake breakfast. Afterwards he would often take me for a ride in his truck to run an errand, get our haircut together, or go visit a family friend. I didn’t realize it then, but this Saturday morning ritual provided a father-like bonding experience for me that I would grow to cherish.

My grandfather was a man of few words, but what I learned from being around him was invaluable. His humility, kindness, generosity, and compassion drew me towards Christ and made me want to be around him more and more. Sixteen years after his death, I realize that I would not be who I am today without his involvement in my life. The debt I owe my grandfather is the continuing debt to love others as he loved me when I was a scrappy little kid with not much to offer in return.

city soil

2009-10-15T08:44:00.002-05:00

Slide between the bushes
step across the street
go on back to the place
you feel you can retreat

It’s been a long, long night
these days have taken their toil
and you’re not sure you will exist
another day on city soil

The promise was deceptive
but you anchored down
into the hope
that things would one day change

It’s just like California
and the promise of pure gold
but the smell is not the smell of gold
it’s just the city soil

It’s just the city soil
it’s hard under your feet
like the souls that walk upon it
looking for a safe retreat

So go and wave your white flag
send a flare up in the air
let them know you don’t belong here
it’s just the place in which you dwell

middle east

2009-10-05T08:25:00.023-05:00

It has been almost ten years since I traveled to the Middle East, but many of the sites and places visited have stayed with me over the years.

A gate leading into the market area of the Old City Jerusalem.

The remains of a Roman coliseum located in Himmeh, Jordan.

The gold plated roof of the Dome of the Rock mosque in Jerusalem.

Roman ruins discovered in Jarash, Jordan.

The agora located in Jarash. The torch in the center of the market area remained lit constantly.

new american man

2009-10-01T08:45:00.003-05:00

I am the new American man
Met my wife in Japan
Adopted three kids from New Zealand
And made my home in Switzerland

Well we are all Americans
And we are all international
We all come from different places
But share the same distinct lineage

Well it may be surprising
That I was born in India
I grew up Russian Orthodox
On the coast lands of South Africa

Well I’m the new American man
And my life’s far from bland
The melting pot don’t seem to melt
It just gets richer as it stands

I am the new American man
And I know where I stand
No two cars, one point five kids, pet in the yard
or boring American plan

texas sized

2009-09-19T14:30:00.017-05:00

The 52 foot icon of the Tesax State Fair: Big Tex.

A 75 gallon hat sits on the head of Big Tex.

At 212 feet the Texas Star is the largest ferris wheel in North America.
High Jack the pirate balloon as seen at the Plano Balloon Festival with Oggy the Dragon in the background.

Pandy the panda balloon resting on the ground at the Plano Ballon Festival.

cassie

2009-09-15T08:14:00.001-05:00

I imagined her in the library
she is not cold
she is warm
and she is glowing
she is confident
and full of knowledge

Life is ending
and hers is beginning
fateful chaos
mingles with mystery
her life is history
and yet she lives on

spring flowers

2009-09-05T23:14:00.021-05:00

A monarch butterfly purches on a crape myrtle flower.

Tulips up close.
Flowering branches above.

A rabbit rests in the shade for a moment.
Spring blooms at the arboretum.

sorrow

2009-09-01T08:33:00.004-05:00

Sorrow surrounds me
and swallows me whole
darkens my days
and prolongs my nights
fills me with fears
and scares me frights
keeps me bent
toward lowly sights

Sorrow sings to me
and connects with my soul
shows me my bareness
with utter distaste
reminds me I’m broken
and full of mistakes
keeps me buried
in failure’s wake

Sorrow escape me
you’ve taken your toll
ransacked my days
and stolen my nights
take back your fears
and take back your frights
I’m looking up
toward higher sights

ethiopia landscapes

2009-08-25T08:23:00.002-05:00

The road in front of the church.

Trees provide shelter from a hard day's work.
A typical village in the Rift Valley.

The majority of the land is government owned.
Tree branches stretch out like a man's arms when waking from sleep.

ethiopia heartaches

2009-08-20T18:51:00.016-05:00

Shoes are considered a luxury in this area of the country.

Clothes are worn long beyond the point of shredding.

Diseases often abound when feet go unprotected.
The hesitancy of these hands say much more than facial expressions.
A pair of sandals is a good fortune to those who can afford them.

absense

2009-08-17T13:05:00.004-05:00

Absence surrounds me

hangs over my head

creeps up my stairs

and slides in my bed

where it plagues my mind

and torments my soul

leaving me empty

with nothing to hold

so I struggle and fight

to make sense of it all

but I am afraid

that I am much too small

ethiopia faces

2009-08-07T11:42:00.008-05:00

A girl on the side of the road just outside of her village.
A balancing act.
A kind man.
Boy from a village in the Rift Valley.
A shepherd boy holding his whip in his right hand.

ethiopia places

2009-08-05T19:21:00.011-05:00

View from the hotel in Addis Ababa.
The market along the road in Addis Ababa.
Detail of window at church in Asella.

Dirty laundry at the orphanage in Addis Ababa.

Clean laundry at the orphanage in Addis Ababa.

sadness in her eyes

2009-08-04T09:29:00.006-05:00

She comes across as joyful
but anyone can see
there’s sadness in her eyes
clever words flow from her lips
and flattery is her guise
like a freight ship she emerges

in the stillness of the night
stealing your next breath
then vanishing out of sight

thesis

2009-07-16T10:17:00.037-05:00

These are a few preliminary sketches from my thesis project in architectural school.

there must be more

2009-07-01T09:23:00.008-05:00

He leaves in a metal car
drives on a concrete path
only to park in a concrete garage
sets his foot in a marble lobby
and rides the metal hatch to the sky
where he sits by a glass window
looks out beyond and sighs
"there must be more
than what I've been living for"

She stands in a green field
orange sun rises in the east
walks along a gravel path
with a wicker basket on her head
takes a seat on a dirt floor
shells peas between worn fingernails
looks into the sky and sighs
"there must be more
than what I've been living for"

You spoke with a gentle voice
substance took form and life was born
water broke and flesh appeared
promised seed in word and deed
giver of life now in plain sight
bread is body and blood is wine
"Feast with me like never before
I am more
than what you’re living for"

concessioneering

2009-06-27T16:45:00.002-05:00

My freshman year of high school, I worked in the concession stand during lunch break. It kept my often task-oriented nature thriving and also kept me away from the horrifying things that were being served up on plates in the cafeteria. At the close of the school year I received a notice that I should attend the year-end awards ceremony for students because I had been selected to receive an award. My grades were decent, but not excellent. I played varsity tennis and soccer, but was not a stand out. I loved art class, but had not won any awards in the contests that year. I really had no idea why I was asked to attend the awards ceremony, but figured that the only way to find out was to show up and see what this was all about.

Well, after sitting through an entire awards ceremony where kids were honored for things such as maintaining a 4.0 GPA for their entire school career (grades K-12), never missing a single day of class (grades K-12), setting all time athletic records for the school and state, winning scholarships for notable colleges, etc., etc. the faculty member who headed up the concession stand stepped up to the platform. The microphone buzzed with feedback for a few seconds as if to say this was a hiccup in the ceremony or an add-on-award moment that would prolong your after dinner plans. She timidly announced my name to come up to the stage and receive an award for . . . "excellence in concessioneering!" I shuddered in disbelief and the room was suddenly cold without any noise except for a few muffled chuckles as I walked toward the stage to receive an award that even the name had been fabricated in a way that screamed "not really impressive". My attire of khaki pants and a white oxford shirt with a flowered neck tie suddenly made me feel like a McDonald's employee getting his name put on the employee of month plaque - not really a life time achievement award, but thanks.

Now I'm not knocking people who work in the fast food industry or throwing any cheap shots at anyone who does not fit into the context of white-collar-cooperate-America. It is respectable to make an honest living, lead a quiet life, and work with your hands to win the respect of outsiders. Maybe that is where it should end though? Do we really need recognition for simply serving and doing a job that brings some personal satisfaction anyway? It just seems a little overkill to recognize someone with a trumpet processional when that person is just doing the work required of them in the first place. Maybe that person is content to enjoy their work without all of the unnecessary fanfare? Maybe just a “thanks, job well done” would suffice?

the design

2009-05-27T13:01:00.005-05:00

There’s a whole lot of hollow inside this guitar
But it’s there for a reason it’s there by design
Without the hollow the sound could not resonate
Without the hollow the notes could not shine

There’s a whole lot of empty inside this cathedral
And its walls are as cold as stone
Yet your voice will carry through all the chambers
Filling every void space with a beautiful tone

There’s a whole lot of lonely inside this heart
But it’s there for a reason it’s there by design
Without the lonely God’s voice would not resonate
And His love you would not find

insatiable thirst

2009-05-07T20:41:00.006-05:00

Insatiable thirst
I live with this curse
my life’s musical rendition
is never mint condition
it’s like an LP that’s scratched
and warped from the heat
so that the message is lost
and never mind the beat
the fact that you would love me
is an amazing feat

Insatiable thirst
each day it grows worse
and there’s no definition
for this mental condition
just a longing for home
never satisfied with things I own
always needing
always bleeding
you put your arms around me
and whisper that you love me

the crippled begger

2008-11-09T14:14:00.004-06:00

Here I sit beside cold iron bars
People pass by avoiding eye contact
My hand extended, yet receiving nothing
I can describe them all as well as they can me
But no one takes the time to let the association grow deeper

Often children will dare to come close,
But their parents beckon them away
Once a little girl reached out to touch my hand
I stared into her face and my eyes welled up with tears
Her father quickly brushed her up under his arm
But I will never forget that moment
It was more than anyone had ever given me
Her eyes of innocence were filled with compassion

It was just the way that I had pictured Joseph’s son
I never knew him, but I had heard the stories . . .
How he healed the lepers, gave sight to the blind, commanded evil spirits
Healed the sick with a single word, and walked upon the water
I heard that he would often tell those who were crippled to get up and walk
If only he were around today . . . if only I could use my legs . . .
I would not merely walk about with the same empty expressions I see on so many other faces

One day two men were about to enter the temple
I asked them for some money and they looked directly at me
I could not look back at them for fear, but the one man began to speak to me
I was waiting to be ridiculed for my request
I had grown used to this kind of humiliation
It was a small price to pay for the possibility of income
I would tolerate the slanders as long as I had received a few tokens by the end of the day

But the words that fell from his lips were not malicious
He commanded me in the name of Jesus to walk
He spoke with the same authority as the Nazarene and I believed what he said
Then taking me by the right hand, he lifted me to my feet
I felt a warmness and stiffness spread through my legs and I began to jump about
The same warmness shot into my heart and I was filled with awe
Tears streamed down my face as I began to praise God

All of my life I wanted to be healed . . .
To experience the touch of love’s hand and be free
Now I knew what it meant
For the first time in my life I could call this gate beautiful
I would now enter in with confidence

new york

2008-09-03T11:01:00.072-05:00

This year I spent Labor Day in New York. Here are a few photos from the trip

Yoko Ono's tribute to her slain husband, John Lennon.

The gothic revival of St. Patrick's Cathedral in upper midtown.

View of lower Manhattan from the top of Rockefeller Center.

Frank Lloyd Wright's landmark Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

View of Manhattan from Flushing Meadows in Queens.

joseph

2008-08-19T09:47:00.003-05:00

So there you stand in the presence of your family
holding back the floodgates of your heart
but now it seems impossible
to withhold so many years
of solace, separation and longing
for those you were not near

And you weep for your beloved Benjamin
and you weep among those you call friends
and you weep among those you call family
and it does not bother you

Is there any better plot?
Is there any better plan?
Is there any who could imagine . . .
that you would one day inherit this land?

And you weep for all of your brothers
and you weep among those you call friends
and you weep among those you call family
and it does not bother you

So go and prepare your chariot
go and meet your father Israel
go and fall down before him . . .
giving glory to the great I Am

And you weep in the presence of your father
and you weep among those you call friends
and you weep among those you call family
and it does not bother you

peter

2008-07-03T12:39:00.002-05:00

He was always the first to try
and often the very last to cry
yet he was the first to see
who it was that you were meant to be

And you knew that he’d forsake you
with bitter tears and three bold lies
yet your love for him was reckless
always there to restore the kindness
calling him a name that he was not
loosening every dead-bolt lock
to you he was the rock

living room

2008-06-18T09:47:00.010-05:00

This is a painting of a duplex living room where I once lived. Instead of painting the objects and the surroundings in their natural colors (realism), I choose to use warm colors for the room and cool colors for the objects in the room to add more contrast.

study

2008-05-22T18:36:00.022-05:00

The following paintings are from a series of studies where I experimented with foreground and background ambiguity. The sixteen small squares framed in the larger square either blend into the background or seem to jump off of the canvas.

Study 011 creates the illusion that the small orange squares differ in color.

Study 014 makes the darker color squares appear to have greater depth.

In study 015 the right side of the painting has greater contrast.

color in painting

2008-04-19T12:08:00.012-05:00

I painted these pictures a few years ago, wanting to explore how the same subject can be interpreted differently through color.

let me build you a house

2008-04-09T12:49:00.004-05:00

Let me build you a house
the foundation is a solid core
and sand will be the floor
that transitions to grassy meadows
and green forests that are deep
ending in an ocean blue
it will surround you

I'll paint the walls with trees
and mountains of rock so big
that you only think of me
and the roof will be an endless sky
to remind you of eternity
the sun will rise each morning
to keep you warm throughout each day
while the stars will twinkle in the evening
just to show you're not alone
for you are living in my home

bootleg cake

2007-12-19T15:54:00.000-06:00

A few friends had been getting together on a weekly basis to watch the Band of Brothers mini series directed by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks depicting the story of Easy Company, the 101st Airborne Division in the army during World War II. To commemorate episode seven: The Battle of Bastogne, I baked a cake depicting one of the bloodiest scenes in the entire series. The cake was vanilla flavored with raspberry sauce for the filling. Ummm . . . tasty!

triquetra

2007-10-01T10:51:00.002-05:00

While at seminary I designed a model based on the two-dimensional illustration of the trinity known as the triquetra. This sculptural form of the triquetra is a more accurate model of the trinity because it is constructed in three dimensions. Each of the three equal arcs of the sculpture taper off to stand on a circular base at precisely three points in homage to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The sculpture, as proposed, would become a centerpiece of the Chafer Chapel Plaza just as the Godhead is the centerpiece of all Christian thought.

faces

2007-05-16T11:20:00.000-05:00

buildings

2007-05-08T16:44:00.003-05:00

austin

2007-04-25T10:05:00.001-05:00

What I saw when I was in Austin.

natchitoches

2007-04-12T20:21:00.000-05:00

In college I was part of a collaborative to document the entire historic district of the city of Natchitoches in Louisiana. In short it was an attempt to preserve and restore the architecture that still remained near the end of the century. Six illustrations that I did for the project were published in a pamphlet that was distributed at tourist information areas throughout the state of Louisiana. Later, these phamphlets of the North Louisiana River Parishes were bound and published in a full volume hard cover book.

biker chair

2007-01-04T09:45:00.001-06:00

When I was in college I took a furniture design class. The objective was to make a small piece of furniture where the cost did not exceed a hundred bucks. The chair that I made consisted of salvaged steel and various other parts that I was able to pull from the local junk yard. The idea for the chair was to provide a seat where a biker would feel comfortable while reclining in front of the television. It should, then, feel very similar to sitting on his motorcycle. In essence, his passion for being on his bike would now extend into the home. The fuel tank would hold 2.5 gallons of the biker's favorite beverage and would be syphoned directly to the biker's mouth. The biker chair won an honorable mention in the 1999 Louisiana YAYA Chair Competition and was featured for an entire summer at the New Orleans African American Museum of Art. After that it sat in my garage until the rust and shedding of the seat cover became so great that I decided to toss it. I also had limited living quarters at the time and had to make sacrifices.

eureka springs

2006-12-18T10:48:00.000-06:00

Last spring I got to travel to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, to attend a friend’s wedding. The ceremony was in the Thorncrown Worship Center which sits next to the famous Thorncrown Chapel designed by internationally renowned architect Euine Fay Jones. The Thorncrown chapel received a national AIA Honor Award in 1981 and is fourth on the AIA's Top 10 list of twentieth century structures.

View of the chapel entry.

Exterior detail of the chapel.

Interior view of the chapel.

Interior view of the worship center.

Interior detail of the worhsip center structure.

chicago

2006-12-14T18:25:00.002-06:00

This summer I got to travel to Chicago with a few friends. I was impressed with the architecture and took several photographs.
The John Hancock Building from street level.

A view of the North Side and Lake Michigan from the John Hancock Building.

Historic Michigan Street residence with a view of the lake.
Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic Robie House was probably the first ever residence to be designed with a steel beam to achieve a cantilevered effect.
Architect Frank Gehry's Millennium Park stainless steel sculpture.