I am sick and blogging.

I was just reading some friend's blogs and then some new comments on my own. So I thought I would answer one of them before I try and rest...and my computer battery dies. My beautiful sister asked what was the media of the 'The Lamented'. She guessed correctly! The woman is drawn on tracing paper and pinned with sewing pins onto brown recycled tissue paper. This is taped onto the piece of wood. The image hasn't fallen off yet so I guess that tape is pretty sticky. The background is a mix of oil and acrylic paints on the wood. I took a picture then resized it using GIMP (with the help of a cute physic major who is very computer savvy). The original is 12"X11". More to come! Must sleep. Thanks for all the responses.

dreaming in murals

A while back I had a dream of becoming a "Personal Home Aesthetic Artist". This title would mean that I would go into a home that the owner wanted to increase the beauty of, and tell them what they needed painted on their walls. This would include full detailed or no detailed murals to filigree borders to small filigree related embellishments. Through meetings with the owner and sketches we would create something that brings both of our personalities together and also the house's aroma. Well, I finished the first one...the one the actually sparked this idea, months ago. Well, I am uploading it today. It is on a wall of a two level stair. If that makes any sense.

Anywho, the image might look like a trapezoid because it was hard to photograph, but I assure you, it is a large rectangle.

tree detail

floral filigree detail

I am thankful for that opportunity and looking forward to others.

first Sojourn devotional cover

The Lamented


“Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
the wormwood and the gall!
My soul continually remembers it
and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind,
and therefore I will hope.
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul
‘therefore I will hope in him.’” Lamentations 3:19-24

The lament is from the lamented daughter of Zion. In the first verses of Lamentations, Jerusalem is referred to as a princess who has become a slave. Later verses show God’s wrath poured upon the rebellious people through the image of a rain and the reality of graphic bloodshed. Desolation stands where a once beautiful city now lays slain. One motif that has stuck with me is God’s glory shown through fire, gleaming metal, and flashes of brilliant light throughout Lamentations and Ezekiel. As I read these passages, my heart became increasing heavy under God’s judgment of Israel but mostly His majesty and power. However, “the Lord will not cast off forever” as in Lam 3:31. To the repentant He gives hope, mercy and grace. The girl in the picture is the mournful daughter of Israel but also this daughter of God that I am through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. I encourage everyone to read Lamentations and Ezekiel to increase their view of our Lord’s power and awesome majesty.

project update

Good news on the "let me rip up an old book and make a new piece of work" piece. I have started drawing on it!!! This is it so far:

The whole of it before the black lines of delight.


This is the start of the main skeleton. I was thinking of adding smaller ones as well. Any thoughts on how complete I should make this skeleton? Pretty realistic or (as it is now) some parts missing?


thank you for your time.

writing on literature

why not?

what's new:

the book.

Yesterday: the deconstruction.



the new creation (or part of it) how it will appear on the wood, perhaps not so tall and without my feet.
i am pretty excited about doing this piece. the finish date is in October...October what? perhaps it will be a Halloween present.



Today: Quills Coffee through my camera lens

after some time of silence.

Is it so horrible of me, having bought a book published in 1909 (for less than 10 bucks), and knowing that I have no interest in the content of it...cutting the pages out for the sake of art?
The Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay Vol. II. It is a beautiful book, such lovely feeling pages. Just perfect for drawing on top of. OH, how I am torn. I was just skimming through it and stumbled upon this sentence :

December 26th- I bought Thackeray's 'Rebecca and Rowena'- a very pretty, clever piece of fooling; but I doubt whether every body will taste the humor as I do.

"clever piece of fooling"/"taste the humor" who talks like that now days? I cannot take the time to read this 500 paged volume. But I can use it in a piece of art where if one wished, they could still read some of the entries. It has beautiful typed letter which were pressed into the pages by typewriter or letterpress (shout out to Newsies), which means there should be misspellings and perhaps more letter mess ups. oh the history fills me with glee.
Desire to have drive to read all the letters and journal entries flows through me. But I know it is a lost cause. I can always buy the completed two volumes online at ABEbooks later. Sorry to all the book lovers out there who will forever have a lowered opinion of me for this inhumane act.
forgive me.

"Not this, but the Maker of this, is the Desire of my soul" - John Piper talking about the universe
i use it now because in Him and through Him all was created, visible and invisible (Col 1:16).

creating is exciting.

-ms jarboe