I finished it!

Art projects, for me, are opportunities to play with new mediums. Generally by the end of the experiment, I will have learned how to use it and whether I like the medium enough to use it again in the future.

My most recent experiment was with matte. I chose a paste that would dry clear and not shine, effectively just adding texture to the painting. This endeavor gave me a bit of a heart attack, as the matte goes on completely opaque. I was so scared that I would never again see the image that took me months to paint. Hours later as it began to dry the colors started to show through. It still took the painting a week to completely dry. Yes, I was stressing it the whole time.

My friend Nathan was the lucky candidate for the art as his birthday was coming up (and so also inspired the subject). Well, his birthday passed and so did his graduation. Luckily, I finished the painting before Christmas, and can now say that I was ahead of that time of gift giving.

Here is a picture of the finished product!

Song for november five

"Burn Out Bright"
Does it have to start with a broken heart
Broken dreams and bleeding parts
We were young and world was clear
But young ambition disappears
I swore it would never come to this
The average, the obvious
I'm still discontented down here
I'm still discontented
If we've only got one try
If we've only got one life
If time was never on our side
Then before I die
I want to burn out bright
A spark ignites
In time and space
Limping through this human race
You bite and claw your way back home
But you're running the wrong way
The future is a question mark
Of kerosene and electric sparks
There's still fire in you yet
Yeah there's still fire in you!
I keep cleaning up the mess
I've made I won't run away
I can't sleep in the bed I've made

Song for November Third

Equally Skilled – Jon foreman

I feel like a fruit-picker who arrived here

After the harvest

There's nothing here at all

Nothing at all here that could placate my hunger

The godly people are all gone

There's not one honest soul left alive

Here on the planet

We're all murderers and thieves

Setting traps here for even our brothers

And both of our hands are equally skilled

At doing evil, equally skilled

At bribing the judges, equally skilled

At perverting justice

Both of our hands

Both of our hands

The day of justice comes

And is even now swiftly arriving

Don't trust anyone at all

Not your best friend or even your wife

For the son hates the father

The daughter despises even her mother

Look, your enemies arrive

Right in the room of your very household

And both of their hands are equally skilled

At doing evil, equally skilled

At bribing the judges, equally skilled

At perverting justice

Both of their hands

Both of their hands

No, don't gloat over me

Though I fall, though I fall

I will rise again

Though I sit here in darkness

The Lord, the Lord alone

He will be my light

I will be patient as the Lord

Punishes me for the wrongs I've done

Against Him

After that, He'll take my case

Bringing me to light and the justice

For all I have suffered

And both of His hands

Are equally skilled

At ruining evil, equally skilled

At judging the judges, equally skilled

Administering justice

Both of His hands

Both of His hands

Are equally skilled

At showing me mercy, equally skilled

At loving the loveless, equally skilled

Administering justice

Both of His hands

Both of His hands