shadows

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

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

galleria

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An ode to Hitchcock.

storefront for art and architecture

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

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

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

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

Study of different drawing techniques.

downtown dallas

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

contrary to nature

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

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.