A new Crucifix

Here is a crucifix I am finishing. With the Franciscan spirit in mind of austerity and simplicity, it is made to look poor,  simple and hopefully devotional. The corpus was a challenge. It is modeled in 'super sculpey around a wire frame. initially I was going to make it to realistic proportions but as I worked it, it began to take on a long extended feel which gave it  a sad and pitiful look. Even though the muscular structure is incorrect something said to continue in the form it was going in.  I still have to attach it to the cross. The crown of thorns was made from some old rusty wire I had.

A Lone fairy

One of my more detailed storyboards that I do for a living. This particular one  shows a lone fairy in the woods passing by a stream with waterfalls.

New greeting Card

Here is a greeting card I just had printed. I thought I would take one of my drawings and see what it might look like on a greeting card. I don't like the over ' commercialization' of art –and here I am doing just that.  No coffee mugs, Tshirts or bags, I promise!

The Angel

Found this pen and ink drawing I had done while exploring a story idea. The story never materialized  but here is one of the drawings.

Martha Argerich-2nd movment of Ravel's Piano concerto in G

The virtue of Music

A page from my sketchbook.

As I post this, neighbors across the way are playing music. It is rock and roll. What is it about loud, too often bad guitar playing that young boys are drawn to? What is it about loudness that says that it is good?
Where are the parents when children show interest in music? Why not a cello, or a harp or perhaps a lute or nylon string guitar? Why aren't the kids saying, 'teach me about the orchestra'?

Why must it always be electric and not acoustic?

little boy seeing a bad spirit.

Just found this old Illustration I did of a young boy avoiding temptation with Rosary in hand.

more pen and ink drawings.

There never seems to be enough time to explore drawing. All my life I have drawn starting when I was a kid copying characters from Mad Magazine in the 1960's. I never took drawing seriously until I started keeping a sketchbook 25 years ago. Now, it is part of me. Here are a few sketches. I like the human figure and the story we all tell.

News flash: M. Louis Jadot released from Prison.

PARIS - Late last night, M. Louis Jadot (the famous thief) was released from Prison by the Warden on account of good behavior. M. Jadot had assured the state that he had sworn off his former life of crime. However, it is now being reported this morning that upon his release, a commotion broke out at the prison gates. It appears that the Warden realized, albeit a tad too late, that his false teeth had been stolen right out of his mouth. The suspicion points, most unfortunately, to M. Louis Jadot who was sent to prison 1 year ago for stealing the same. A nationwide manhunt for his arrest has just now been ordered.

Louis Jadot

Meet M. Louis Jadot.  A rather odd little fellow is this one. Forever getting thrown into prison and escaping only to be found again and the cycle continues. What's strange is that Louis gets caught in the oddest places; a monastery where the police notice an odd black ball trailing behind his long Black Monks habit; a circus where it is discovered that one of the trapeze artists has a ball and chain hanging; or at the opera where a tenor seems to walk rather oddly dragging a big black ball and chain. He was even once caught while performing in Swan Lake, the giveaway: his pirouettes knocked out six of the nearby dancers on account of the heavy ball that swung wildly.

Ah, poor Louis! Alas, all he wants to do is have fun in life but can't help but steal watches, false teeth, wooden legs and other trinkets of his travels.

What animation is capable of..

I'm feeling Wacky

I felt a need to do a silly drawing to show that I still have a wacky and lighthearted side.  What do you suppose this little guy is thinking?

Fr. Peter Banks OFM Cap. and Mission Santa Ines

This past weekend My wife and I went to visit my good friend Fr. Peter Banks at the old Mission Santa Ines (Santa Inez) near Solvang. The Mission lies inland from Santa Barabara California. It is the 19th of the 21 California Missions and is run by the Capuchin Franciscans. My good Friend, An Irish Capuchin and lover of the poor, Fr. Peter Banks, was there to greet us. He is the vocations director for the Capuchin Order in the Western United States. He would rather be serving the poor in Watts,( where he had been for many years) but he has been called (no doubt by his humble being and love of Jesus) to serve as vocations director. Here are some pics from the visit.

Art and Adventure: Bunny Hunting

Ben Hatke's latest little comic strip of daily life with his kids. Check it out.


Art and Adventure: Bunny Hunting

in progress

Being Good Friday I wanted to show this. It is a digital painting (sorry). I still have images to add

around the Corpus.

The beauty of Music

The sound of the Italian style Triple Harp is wonderful. Here is a performance by Maria Cleary on harp and Davide Monti on baroque violin. Their duo is called Arparla.

They don't come much cuter than this!

Meet 'Grigio' (Italian for Grey). This most cute and sweet little fellow was dropped off at a shelter 3 days before Christmas. Last Sunday, Linnea could wait no longer for a cat (our 4 year old cat 'Mezzo' disappeared on Christmas day, taken away most likely by a coyote), so we went to a cat adoption at the local pet and feed store. As soon as I saw this little guy, I knew he was the one. So we broght him home and named him for his color.  But a little bumpy road lay ahead.  He was very thin, though active; yet we were given medicine to help him along. He stopped eating and drinking at one point and because of his frail size we became very anxious.  His little sweet heart was always appreciative and he loved to cuddle in linnea's lap for hours on end.  I figured it was time to enlist someone whom I knew could help this little fellow pull through- St. Padre Pio!  I felt a little foolish asking God, through his servant St. Padre Pio for help. With so much suffering and need in the world it seems trite to ask for the health of a cat - Yet God, who is the creator of all things big and small and holds them into existence finds no request to small if done out of love.  So I took out a 3rd class relic of St. Padre Pio, blessed little Grigio with it with the sign of the cross then placed the relic under his bed.

Within a few days or less, he began to recover quite well. Eating, and drinking became more frequent and he began to leap and toss about like a healthy little kitten. He is still small and delicate and probably will always be. Linnea and he have bonded tightly- as she does so well with cats. I am thankful to God and St. Padre Pio for the little fellow's health. His simplicity and meekness (is as much as a cat can aquire virtue!) truly remind me of the unfathomable love of the creator for his creatures.

Another note; the Ceanothus trees are in bloom here in Topanga and they are Spectacular. He is a picture of one on our hill side.

Fr. Peter Banks, Capuchin Franciscan and friend of the poor.

Click on the picture to see a PBS documentary about Fr. Peter Banks and his work in Watts, Los Angeles California. He is truly a fine example of one who follows the Gospel in the Spirit of the humble   and simple St. Francis of Assisi.

Be a good samaritan

We all are given a chance to help our fellow man. We don't have to do it in a big way as this short film by Catholics in Entertainment shows.

New! ICEL about to issue plain song settings for the Mass

Finally we might start singing Sacred music rather than religious music at our Masses! the ICEL (international commission on Ennglish in the liturgy) is comming out with plain song (chant) settings for the Mass. On the right column is a link to download the new plain song settings from the CMAA (Church Music Association of America). Though they aren't officially out yet, They have been given permission to email them out to those that ask. Finally! No more 'sugar-sweet' secular melodies that do nothing to bring the heart to compunction and Awe at the Sacred Mysteries.