I have just started my second quarter at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. In my first quarter I encountered many thoughts and ideas. The most readily applicable to the majority of people is the Rule of Life. This phrase is frequently used to describe the guidelines used as as the construction blocks for your time, actions, interactions, and resources. Encompassed in the Rule of Life are concepts of rest, simplicity, lament, honoring the body, listening, stewardship, solitude, silence, guidance, and discernment. I have been creating a Rule of Life for myself for years without calling it that. I venture to say that with some reflection you have too, consciously or subconsciously. I crafted my first overt Rule of Life in 2012 and called it Rules for Healthy Living. It was followed by a revised list in 2014. My current list is very much streamlined as evidenced by the image about, but no less comprehensive in scope as each word is an inclusive umbrella term encompassing many regulatory elements common to the Rule of Life ideology:
Read: Guidance, Discernment, Lectio
Pray: Listening, Guidance, Lament, Discernment, Examen, Stillness
Rest: Honoring the Body, Stewardship, Stillness
I encourage you to consider what rules are governing your life. Are they taking you in directions that are helpful and constructive? Do you want to be going in another direction? Prayerfully ruminate on what your Rule of Life is. Write it out and place it somewhere as a reminder of the direction you want to be moving in. I made a little sticky note on my computer desktop since as a student I am looking at that screen for hours every day. 

I have been documenting the winter flowers that bloom, mostly in my backyard, during the LowCountry winter. I recommend checking out the images on Instagram, as they are sure to be the cure for what ails you. Originally I thought I would just post for the 12 days of Christmas, but the blooms have been just too lovely, so the project will continue as long as I find flowers. 

I am taking some time off from posting here to spend time with family & deal with some ongoing health issues. The #40DaysOfPrintmaking will continue on Instagram. 

Yes it is Thursday. No I am not sharing a painting. Great Story huh? I carved some linoleum this week & wanted to share it instead. Did any of you live thru great stories this week? Let me know in the comments! 

This started as a painting with Dr. Ph. Martins Radiant Watercolours, but morphed into a photoshop experiment. Let me know which background color you prefer & I will upload that version to society6: cobalt (pictured above), mustard (bottom left), or midnight (bottom right). 

I have always loved portraiture, with particularly strong leanings towards Fauvist use of color. I forget how much I enjoy the process, & in an attempt to be less serious I present you with these faces. Which if you ask me still look pretty serious despite their vibrant colors. My senior thesis in high school was a show composed entirely of vibrant faces with bright red apples hanging on turquoise thread in front of them. The string & apples provided enough of a veil so that you would have to stand in a specific spot to see the portrait & thus the person. A lot like life, right? The apple temptation proved too much & another student tangled all of the threads by throwing the apples, not a wonderful moment. But at least it fit metaphorically. That AP Art portfolio was not graded highly & since then I have shied away from the faces. However the process is less laboured, much more free & that counts for something. I think the faces will be around for awhile now. Hope you enjoy color! 

In the interest of pushing myself outside of my comfort zone & to test if the forms I am using in the aerial view series stand up without affect I produced a blue painting. It reveals that some areas need more work, but that the underlying structure sans salt is solid enough to keep exploring. Experimental success is always encouraging.