Shooting Range

I proudly support the 2nd amendment! :) 

My little bro shooting his .223 up the canyon.

Amo.

There were lots of cacti.

 Old boots.

I shot my lil' 22 rifle. 

We had ELVIS SHAKES!
(A delicious blend of chocolate, bananas & peanut butter) 

Josh Garrels - Music

Josh Garrels is one of my increasingly favorite artist! This song is one of my favorites!! Give it a listen. :) It has such a beautiful sound - something that paints a bigger picture. Almost hymn like lyrics. Mmm. So rich.

40 Days For Life

Starting September 25th-November 3th
Mankind is unique in all of creation because we were made in God's image (Genesis 1:26-27 and 5:1-2). This is true of the entire human race & every member of it without exception, including unborn children. The sanctity that God's image bestows (even after the Fall) on each & every human being, is affirmed by the prohibition on taking human life in Genesis 9:6. This prohibition became reinforced as the sixth commandment states: You shall not murder. (Exodus 20:13). This is the fundamental pro-life position: that every human life, in every stage of life is sacred! Please pray with me, not only during this event, but everyday & always, to save the lives of children the world doesn't want. Please pray with me, that our country's leaders' & abortionist's eyes would be opened & they would truly see what they are doing. Please pray that God would grant us repentance & judge us not to destruction. Please pray & vote prolife!  www.40daysforlife.com 

~GB

Composition

So. I took an advanced oil painting workshop this month. It was awesome. The instructor is a phenomenal painter & teacher. I didn't really learn that much, but just hearing what I already knew repeated was great for me, & being surrounded by other enthusiastic artists was very inspiring. As we were painting, in the studio & en plein air, we talked a lot about composition, & how a good composition is the no.1 factor in having a good painting. Many people can paint, but you have to be able to draw, to truly paint. Below are several examples of composition. I've mentioned Edgar Payne before; he's so good— here are some diagrams taken from his book: 

sketchy example ^^ 

think about it.

 The foundation for painting:

1. Composition
2. Value light vs. dark
3. Underling drawing 
4. Color scheme 
5. Texture                  

      ⬇

Have a theme, make a statement. Create a story & setting—   

    start⤵ 

Development ⇢

buildup ☟ 

           characters

<main event>  

                     ↳ find an exit for viewer↴   loop hole 

                                    that revolves back to start⤴ 

"Christina's World" by Andrew Wyeth. This is an excellent triangle 
formation can be seen here. With your finger, cover up one of 
the houses. See how instantly the composition becomes uninteresting? 

"Beartooths Near Red Lodge" a quick painting by (me) This composition I'd consider a Circle. Your eye follows the yellow grass path, up the leaves of the tree on the right, down the top of the mountains, around the edge of the dark clump of trees (left side) back to the foreground.

Balanced scales. "The Last Supper" Leonardo Devinci starts to 

combine the Eastern style of a central object that has symmetrical balanced formality, with the gothic Western style of vertical lines throughout the 

composition, adding dimension, or a false feeling of depth. 

Radiating lines; offset & simplistic. Remember the rule of thirds.
Something off set is more pleasing to the eye, then something dead center. 

Radiating lines. Van Gogh sure must have wanted us to really look
 at those woman! See how everything is pointing towards them?

Check out my pinboard of ART to see art I like! 

Watercolor by John Singer Sargent. This composition could be considered a tunnel. The pathway of water draws the viewer further up & further in.  

S or Compound Curve. Oil by Bob Rohm. See how your eye lazily
moves back & forth across the canvas. 


Balanced Scales. Everything symmetrical & radiating outwards from the center.This reminds me of child's drawing of a sunshine. A sunshine drawing is so simple, yet anyone who saw it could tell you exactly what it is. The same thing goes for stick figures. People don't look like that. But whenever a child draws a bowling ball circle for a head, & adds a few straight lines coming out from out; immediately the viewer knows it's a person. A child sees the reality beyond surface or fact. When you really begin to look at simple objects, you see how everything is simultaneously relative & abstract at the same time. This paragraph probably lost you, didn't it? (hehe.)   

Spurgeon Wisdom—

Better have two lights than only one. The light of creation is a bright light. God may be seen in the stars; his name is written in gilt letters on the brow of night; you may discover his glory in the ocean waves, yea, in the trees of the field; but it is better to read it in two books than in one. You will find it here more clearly revealed; for he has written this book himself, and he has given you the key to understand it, if you have the Holy Spirit. Ah, beloved, let us thank God for this Bible; let us love it; let us count it more precious than much fine gold.

-Charles Spurgeon

A doggerel verse on gardening:

Her wild garden grew, viridescent in hue,

Cowboy hat worn proudly, a song she sang loudly,

Underneath clear sapphire skies, as the bees hummed contentedly—

Weeds were abundant; the morning glories' stranglehold,

Sought to pull her plants down.

Long lasting days, a golden summer haze,

Garden-gloves worn and thin, dirt under her skin,

Sun beams coruscating down, the earth's crusts packed hard—

Thirsty plants weakened, vines holding ever-fast,

She weeded and pulled to no avail.

Evening light dim, cool mist drifts in,

Denim jacket worn and faded, unruly hair quickly braided, 

Crickets' shrill chirring heard, as the distant river roars—

Sunset's blush quickly fading, tired back straightened,

Empty wheelbarrow she filled again.

A day now ended, moonrise splendid,

Dusty boots worn and battered, her hopes now shattered,

The stars lambent overhead, her garden was a miscellany—

When all was said and done:
Bit of everything, and a great deal of none,

The mosquitoes drove her inside.

the end?

-GB

Music - Winterpills

Beautiful song…. Singer/songwriter style. I love the soft vocals.

Dragonfly

took this pic out in the garden— 

Hiking to Hairpin Lake

We tent camped the night before… got an early start on the trail…  

Amazing view from the jeep trail that we took up the mountain. 

the trail up the mountain ...

Stopping for a break - the road was so rough, it took an hour to go 7 miles. 

Looking across the steep, deep valley to the other side - another road going up. 

View from the jeep trail - you can see the original road that we started on down below. 

The start! 4 miles of steep down/up hill. The flowers were beautiful. 

View from hiking - there were LOTs of little high mountain lakes up top.
We hiked by and around them, going higher to "our lake". 

We found a snowpack cave thing - the creek was running through the snow.
It was really cool. The guy in the pic walked through it and over it. 

Hiking across the little valley—
The tundra was super soggy and there was still a fair amount of snow - even in July. 

Final destination: Hairpin Lake, a long narrow like that lies turned in and out of a boulder field.  

The five of us ate lunch, fished and messed around for a couple hours by the lake. 

But then giant storm clouds started rolling in and we started the 4 mile hike back to the vehicle. We made it back JUST in time - literally as the last one of us climbed in the vehicle and shut the door, the storm clouds caught up to us. There was a HUGE downpour and hail, thunder and lighting. It was really cool - being up so high, right in the middle of the storm…. The roads did get slick on the way back down, so it took another good hour on the seven mile long jeep trail back to the camp ground. :) *good memories*

-GB

Little Animal

CAT, n.

1. A name applied to certain species of carnivorous quadrupeds, of the genus Felis. The domestic cat needs no description. It is a deceitful animal, & when enraged, extremely spiteful. It is kept in houses, chiefly for the purpose of catching rats & mice.                                                            

 -Noah Webster 

From his description, I doubt Webster liked cats. I think cats are awesome. Meet Nimby, our dear little blimp. She likes to hang out on top of the piano, eat & sleep. 

quite moment

O Lord, our Lord, 

   how majestic is your name in all the earth! 

You have set your glory above the heavens. 

   Out of the mouth of babies & infants,

you have established strength because of your foes,

   to still the enemy & the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

   the moon & the stars, which you have set in place, 

what is man that you are mindful of him,

   & the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower then the heavenly beings 

   & crowned him with glory & honor. 

You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; 

   you have put all things under his feet,

all sheep & oxen,

& also the beasts of the field,

     the birds of the heavens, & the fish of the sea,

whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 

O Lord, our Lord

    how majestic is your name in all the earth! 

-Psalm 8 

The sunset's afterglow illuminated the sky in shades of purple mixed with pinky-yellow. The air temperature started to cool down, but the ground is still radiating up the warmth of the dry hot day. I took a long leisurely walk, just as the moon was rising above the horizon. It was beautiful. Quite. Serene. Just perfect. 

Day of Rest?

" A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God's work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness. When God's warrior marches forth to battle, strong in his own might, when he boasts, "I know that I shall conquer, my own right arm and my conquering sword shall get unto me the victory," defeat is not far distant. God will not go forth with that man who marches in his own strength. He who reckoneth on victory thus has reckoned wrongly, for "it is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." …Those who serve God must serve him in his own way, and in his strength, or he will never accept their service. That which man doth, unaided by divine strength, God can never own. The mere fruits of the earth he casteth away; he will only reap that corn, the seed of which was sown from heaven, watered by grace, and ripened by the sun of divine love. God will empty out all that thou hast before he will put his own into thee; he will first clean out thy granaries before he will fill them with the finest of the wheat. The river of God is full of water; but not one drop of it flows from earthly springs. God will have no strength used in his battles but the strength which he himself imparts. Are you mourning over your own weakness? Take courage, for there must be a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give thee victory. Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up." 

"When I am weak then am I strong, 


Grace is my shield and Christ my song." 

-Charles Spurgeon

Do we prepare ourselves for worship, like men preparing themselves for warfare? The Sabbath is a day of rest, set aside for worship, but even then, we are still at war. Not only on Sundays, but all through the week, we need to be relentless in rooting out our sins. We need to die daily to self while staying on the straight, narrow path the Lord has set us upon. We should acknowledge our weakness, & dire need of HIS saving grace in our lives. Do we put on the full armor of God before stepping out into the world? Are we trusting in the world, or in Christ? It's so very important to read & study the Bible. Without HIM, we're nothing. There is such a war raging around us! We need to be well disciplined, humble, & quicker then the enemy, while trusting in HIM through all things. No matter where we are in life, God finds us acceptable in the beloved. HIS loving mercies are so abundant! God blesses us, so that we in turn, may bless others. God allows 'bad' things to happen to us, so that we might seek after & glorify HIS name. He never gives us more then we can bare. Our plan 'B', is God's plan 'A'. Everything happens for a reason. HIS grace is sufficient for all things. A glorious bond & truth through Christ have melded us together. We are HIS adopted children. The Lord is so forgiving! Minute by minute, day by day, He forgives you & me, through the blood of HIS son Jesus Christ!  We simply must trust in HIM, serve HIM, & remember that it's not our will, but HIS will, that truly matters in our lives.  Thank you God!   

“For my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

-GB

Dirt Under My Nails

My garden is small, but there's a lot in it— 

carrots, chives, tomatoes, egg plants, sweet corn, green peppers,

pumpkins, gourds, cucumbers, bush beans, squash, zucchinis, 

sugar snaps, lettuce, onions, weeds & lots of rocks…. 

Gardening. The sound of the swollen river in the distance. 

 Birds chirping contentedly. No phone. Cowboy hat. Warm sunshine. 

Dry breeze. Hum of busy bees. Abundance of life. Ice water.

Hard work. Just me & the plants. I love the outdoors.

Planting, weeding & harvesting. Get out & do it, tend to your garden, whether it's big or small! It's the best kind of work, for one & all! It takes patience & effort, but accomplishes much. It's totally worth it—to have the satisfaction of knowing that your produce is organic & fresh. It's somethin' anyone can do, to promote your health, fitness & beautify a small patch of earth. I grew carrots for the first time, they did really well. I've always had some form of a garden, some years it's bigger then others. Just depends. I enjoy working outside, under the sun. Being physically tired after a day's work is quite satisfying. What's growin' in your garden? 

-GB

WWⅡ Veterans

Recently, I went to the airport, for a couple hours, with friends & family, (& about 300 other patriotic people), to honor our veterans. These vets fought & died protecting others & our country. Sadly, America is becoming the very thing they were fighting against. We (as a country, nation & people) are  in dire need; we've nearly lost what was once held dear. We have strayed so far from Christianity, & are becoming a sick people, who have been benumbed to the twisted  ways of the world. We need to stand fast, grounded faithfully in our believes, defying the world, as we endeavor to share Life & the Gospel. Our World War Ⅱ survivors are becoming fewer & fewer. My great-grandfather fought in the war; he passed away at the age of 84, when I was 12. On a lighter note; this night was a special occasion. Accompanied by a volunteer or nurse, 81 veterans were flown on an honors flight, paid by the government, to Washington D.C for a four day trip. They got to see the memorials, & receive honor long due. The decorated veterans were all in their 80s or 90s. The looks on all their faces were priceless, as the crowd went wild, & the band started playing. I felt very patriotic & glad that I went to wave my little flag & cheer for these courageous men & women, as they descended on the escalator.   

 84 & in uniform, he walked down, shaking other's hands.

We need to remember these brave people, a hard working generation nearly gone. It takes a lot of courage to grow old. (Or as my late pappaw said; it ain't for sissies.) It takes courage to fight in a war, where decisions you make could be the death of yourself or someone else. They had a rough life, living through a war & the Great Depression. But they had their priorities straight.  At this moment, there are thousands of our soldiers stationed overseas. And there are thousands of veterans, living here in the country. While we need to always remember & honor these amazing people, we also need to remember that they fight for the external. As Christians, we need to fight for the internal, where it truly maters. We are internally waging in a holy war every day. Take heart! The Son of God goes forth to war with us. In Christ & through Christ, we are HIS saints, a glorious band, fighting for everlasting life. Though at times, the odds may seem set against us, we always need to remember that Christ is triumphant & has defeated sin, & has conquered the grave. Christ, who is living & reining, fought, & died, for our salvation! We are alive because of the Lord's mercies & loving grace. We all need to be courageous, fight with our whole hearts, all our being, & do everything to the best of our ability for HIM.                                                                

-GB

Teaching

This past week has simply flown by! (Dontchya love June weather?!) I had the awesome privilege of teaching art (basic drawing) at the Summer Art Academy; an intense week long art camp, for kids ages 8-14. It was such a wonderful experience, to be a part of so many kid's lives, brief though it was, sharing the gift of art with them! All of my students were amazing, & did wonderful jobs. It was fantastic meeting new people, parents & students alike, who had an enthusiasm for art. I had a total of 30 pupils, & taught for 4½ hours each day. I dearly love working with children & teaching; it's as much fun as it is challenging. I got a huge class room all to myself. It was on the 2nd floor of a large & creaky floored, unair-conditioned building on the beautiful campus of grounds :) Here's what I taught— 

• 1st class: Converting basic shapes (e.g. triangle, sphere, rectangle etc.) into fruits; shading with random hatching, curved hatching, crosshatching, dots, scribble & blending. 

• 2nd class: Drawing multiple objects: focusing on centering, composition, distance. Developing a critical eye for position, proportion, shapes, & relation. Using charcoal & pencil. 

• 3rd class: Positive/negative space, blind & semi-blind contour drawing with charcoal & pencil. 

• 4th class: Drawing textures in fabric; wrinkles in paper, folds, rough surfaces, smooth surfaces, reflective surfaces, in metal & glass, with charcoal & pencil.

• 5th class: Drawing symmetrical objects, with a ruler & measuring with a pencil. Review & discussion of previous classes. 

Soli Deo gloria- 

-GB

Hiking in the Mountains

  Line Lake is on top of the Beartooth Rocky Mountain range,
perched on the edge of a big precipice. (elevation 10,000 ft.)

Brightening up the earth's carpet— 
Were small & hardy flowers blooming on the spongy tundra.  

  The air was cool, views were breathtaking.

The guys built a fire. It felt wonderful. All 10 of us ended up
huddling around it. We ate lunch & fellowshipped.

It snowed & rained on us for the entire hike out. Very cold.  

*To compare size, that's a fishing rod & reel.

It was a fun memorable adventure. Even if the weather was crummy for part of the trip, I greatly enjoyed it. It's all about the people you are with anyways. There was still a good bit of snow up there. While hiking, we had to cross over a couple snowmelt creeks & trek across a huge snow-packed bank on the side of a very steep hill. I'm so thankful that the Lord kept us safe while we were out there. On the hike out, a few of us got ahead of the main group. Through the wind & sleet, I saw two grey wolves! One slipped over the hilltop quickly, & the other lingered a moment, watching us. The wolf was really big, & about 200 yards away.  

But unfortunately, my hands were so cold & numb, that I couldn't get to my camera in time. (It was actually quite alarming, by the time we reached the vehicles, I couldn't even open the car door with the key, my hands were so unresponsive. If you ever go out hiking, even in the middle of June, dress for {completely unpredictable} weather!!) We found lots of large wolf paw prints following our trail, in the snow. (That was kinda eerie, thinking the wolves had just been where we were.) *My cousin took the pic above with his phone—

-GB