Tuesday, October 22, 2013

joy spills

        a lesson is being built for my youth wednesday night. in the days leading up to it, my mind feels like it has been hidden in his cloak. keeping my thoughts still, staying within the boundaries. (double click to see details enlarged)
my prayer is this:
 
 
     as a grownup i struggled with bitterness issues, personal choices to hang on to karl grudges. And then god came in and brought release to personal pain...in tears and healing, and with it, his peace and new joy. this tune came to me in 1991 with new impressions laid out top of my being. he restores my insecurities, my pain, my bitterness. he forgives when i ask for his help. and his tears and joy are worth all the counselling and prayers. (beloved video below)
 
    

so, my doodles embellish the hand-lettered song sheets that the youth and I sing from.
 
 
 new calluses are forming on fingers that haven't held metal guitar strings for a while
 

 
a tune that comes to me when I am loading the suburban with lunch containers from the high school or when I am driving home after work (video next)

 
when I first scoped out the youth room one sunday morning
two songs came to mind: "beauty for ashes" & "joy is a flag."
these premonitions and impressions have me all excited.
i am seeing living water flow from students as they open themselves
and share the impressions that come.
The portions I journal for myself remind me
that
this is really
happening.
a grownup can be broken open
and amazed each time 
this precious entity presses in.
 
 
Two minute medley. Beauty for ashes (Bob Manzano, 1979)
Joy is a flag flown high from the castle of my heart (Author unknown)
 
this zone blesses my day

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

he was my design teacher at unl

       Since I am a subscriber to Kietchel Fine Art, this Youtube interview link was sent to me, and I decided to embed it here. What Jacobshagen says about being out in the elements resonates with me. He was out there doing it long before I was ever interested in painting.



    Keith Jacobshagen was my design teacher at the University of Nebraska between 1974 and 1976.  One Saturday I was sitting on the floor at the Kietchel gallery, staring at and drinking in a large sky Jacobshagen had painted. Man, oh man. It was a good 15 minutes of studying it with my eyeballs, and worth every second of it. I am delighted that he still paints and keeps it fresh.