Safe in the Lord

When I explained that I was there to paint the scene across from me, they couldn’t figure out why. They would soon learn why. I began with the pen & ink drawing, during which time they stepped away from my easel to make (what appeared to be) a drug sale. When I saw that, I prayed quietly and asked the Lord if He wanted me to stay, knowing that things could get dangerious. I got the green light to stay, so I continued with the artwork.

When they returned to check on my progress, I turned the conversation from art to Jesus. “I’ve all that heard that before,” said one of the guys quoting a scripture out of context. “You may have heard it, but are you living it?” I asked. “I don’t need that,” he answered in a very snarky way. I said, “Ok,” and turned to the other teen and asked, “What about you?” He shook his head ‘no’, so I returned to my painting. They eventually wandered off to the entrance of the liquor store. Soon a man stepped out of the liquor store and stood at a distance and watched me. I continued to paint.

Foxy Lady

Customers came and went from the liquor store. One was a man driving a pickup truck. He went into the liquor store while his passanger waited in the truck. She watched me for a moment, then got out and walked over. She was wearing a halter top and a tight skirt so short that it could have been a handkerchief. I smiled at her and returned to the painting. The moment she saw the painting, she began to shower me with compliments. “Thanks. It’s a gift God gave me,” I responded. “What gift did God give you?” “I’m a dancer,” she replied.

We chatted for a while, but when I learned that she was more interested in her daughter’s success, I asked if I could pray for her daughter. “Yes, please!” she answered. “But first, is there anything I can pray for you about?” I asked. “I need a job.” she said. “Are you saved?” I asked her. “Yes, I gave my life to Jesus in Texas,” she answered. I knew she was telling me the truth, so I prayed for her and her daughter. I usually keep my eyes open when I pray for people out on the street, though she had her head bowed and eyes closed. I noticed that the man she was with came out of the liquor store with a six-pack of beer and got back into the truck. When I finished the prayer, with tears in her eyes, she threw her arms around my neck and thanked me profusely. She added, “Why aren’t there more people like you?” I didn’t quite know how to answer her at first, knowing it was the Lord in me and keenly aware that there were too few Christians taking the love of Jesus to the streets. I handed her a Talent Search tract and simply replied, “It’s Jesus.” When she rejoined her companion and they drove away, the man looked at me, but I didn’t detect any hostility in his eyes.

Mockers Can’t Stop You

I returned to my painting. Soon, a man came toward me riding on a bicycle. He stopped and we began to chat. I was also joined by the trendy-kids again. When I turned the conversation with the biker toward Jesus, the man listened intently. I asked him if he wanted to invite Jesus into his life, he said, “Yes.” I told him I would lead him in a prayer of salvation. As we began to pray, the two guys began to mock and taunt him. I paused and told the man to ignore them. When we finished praying, the kids simply walked away. I asked the man if there was anything else he needed prayer for. He showed me his swollen hand and said that he had the gout. I laid my hand lightly on his and prayed. Before he rode away, he said that the two kids didn’t know if they were boys or girls. I looked over at the guys who had now joined some of their friends. They did look too pretty to be men; even young men.

Before I packed up my gear and drove away, the man who had earlier stepped from the liquor store came to my easel. “What are you doing?” he asked bluntly. “Painting,” I replied and handed him a Talent Search tract and asked if he worked at the liquor store. He said he was the owner. He looked at the tract and walked back into the liquor store.

February is Black History month, and communities across the United States celebrate in various ways. One can find festivals, concerts, vending stands and more. A parade is a popular way to honor Black History Month.

This particular Black History Month Parade started on the southern border of Altadena, CA and traveled down Fair Oaks Blvd. into Pasadena. I pitched my easel on the corner of Fair Oaks and Washington Ave. to paint and share Christ with people attending the parade. A group of teens were nearby, so I was hopeful that I would get an opportunity to talk to them. I had a very brief conversation with a young lady and handed out Talent Search tracts to several of the young men.

Lo Rider ‘Floats’

One of my favorite ‘floats’ in the parade was this lo-rider ’59 Chevy convertible. It reminded me of my  teen years when I owned one; except it wasn’t a lo-rider like my previous Chevy which was a ’57. I bought the ’57 Chevy  for $250 in 1968. I dropped the front end (no lifts), but an 8-track tape in it and cruised South Central LA. I later traded my ’57 for the ’59. How I wish I would have held on the the ’57.

On the Wall

There was an older man sitting on the wall behind me. I could sense that he was watching me paint. When I finished the painting, I turned to him and asked if he liked to paint. That is often my line of introduction that usually leads to a conversation about the talents God gives and ultimately (hopefully) an invitation for the person to receive the Giver of talents; Jesus. The man seemed to be on the wall both literally and spiritually. Although he did acknowledge being a Christian, he didn’t appear to display the joy that should come from having eternal life. Nevertheless, he was polite as he listened to me share with him.

I joined a couple from our church for an outreach at the Pasadena Convention Center. It was the weekend before Resurrection Day (Easter), and we were there to invite people to the service.

I pitched my easel in the shade of a street lamp and began to paint while my friends walked the area and handed out invitations. Eventually, the wife came to me and said that a security guard told her that she could not pass out any literature because we were on private property. That was news to me, for I had always thought that the convention center belonged to the city of Pasadena. While she was explaining what had happened, the guards joined us. When they told me I would have to move my easel, I told them about my assumption that we were on public property. He told me what he had told her, so I relocated my easel. That wasn’t much of a problem since the sidewalk was only a few steps away. Being firmly located on the public sidewalk and not blocking traffic, I continued to paint and share the gospel with passersby.

One Book Says It All

I met a young man and his mother. They had already been given a flyer by one of my friends, so I focused on giving them the word on salvation. The young man was saved and attended a church in Covina. His mother said she read the Bible, along with other religious writings. As I shared the fact of the Bible being God’s only written word, the son seemed happy that his mom was hearing this good news. I didn’t have the opportunity to extend an invitation for her to receive Christ, for a car soon pulled up and drove them away.

When I had finished my painting, I took it over to the security guards (far right dressed in blue). They seemed to be watching my every move. I showed them the artwork and invited them to the Resurrection Day service.

A Good Reason to Go

I had never considered going to the Doo Dah Parade until this year when I thought, “Hmmm, there will probably be some people attending who want/need to know Jesus.” Don’t know why I never thought of that before.

So, I packed my easel and headed to the parade route. Sure enough, there were plenty of people who seemed to have the need, but lacked the want. Nevertheless, I did my best to share the love of Christ with those who stopped to watch me paint.

Health Tip

I had a good time talking to one man who came to the parade on his bicycle. We chatted for a while. When I called him a young man, he said that he was probably no younger than I. Even though his hair and beard were gray, I knew him to be younger. When he asked my age and I told him I would turn 64 in a few days, his mouth dropped open. “How do you manage to stay so young-looking?” he asked. I knew that was my open door to talk to him about God. I told him that my relationship with Jesus was my key youthful appearance and good health.

The man, who was 44 years old, had some of the same unproven arguments about God and the Bible I’ve heard many times; such as: God works the same through all religions, the Bible was written by man and on-and-on. I’ve learned over the years that the best way to combat these erroneous reasonings is by the Book. So, I gave him scripture regarding Jesus. “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6, etc.

Although he didn’t receive the Lord that day, I believe the seed of God’s word sown in his heart will eventually bear fruit.

A Message to Men

Before the parade ended, I found a different spot to pitch my easel. I had an opportunity to talk to a male hair dresser and another male who confessed that he had no idea what his talent was. After talking to the hair dresser for a while, I invited him to attend church with me. I told the other male that the Lord would show him what his talent was if he only asked and trusted God.

The word, ‘Sonder’ was taken from ‘The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows‘. Kenturah used the definition of Sonder to stamp images of people onto a fabric panel. She also repeated the definition using binary code to stamp it onto a second panel. Finally, the third panel uses QR codes to create a self-portrait. The QR codes will also direct people to her web site. In addition to the panels, Kenturah created and installed three light boxes which featured portraits of some of the panel cast.

The show opened March 7th to a large and enthusiastic audience. Papillion Art Institute is located at 1835 South Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm and Sunday from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm. It is a must-see.

Sonder – What Does it Mean?

Below is the definition of Sonder, which is repeated countless times in the creation of the artwork:

the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk

I pitched my easel to paint en plein air in two locations. The first was the corner of Woodbury Road and Fair Oaks Ave. My second stop, where this painting was completed, was the corner of Washington Blvd. and Fair Oaks Ave.

The low-rider car in this scene is a ’59 Chevy. I recognized it immediately because I used to own one, except mine wasn’t a convertible. My friends called it ‘the boat’ because is was so big.

Parade Painting

I’ve painted on parade routes before, so I knew I would have an opportunity to pass out a bunch of Talent Search tracts, which I did. However, it is not the best environment to strike up a conversation about spiritual matters. That’s because people’s attentions are usually focussed on the parade floats, bands and other activities on display.

I liked this corner because it is across from King’s Manor, which is where young people often hang out. I handed tracts to tatted-up young men and young women with ‘Juicy’ written on their butts. A couple of kids who sat atop a monument behind me hollered out questions as I painted. It was so noisy with the bands and all that I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

I also noticed over my shoulder someone sitting on the wall that separated me from the children on the monument. I didn’t turn to see who it was, but I could sence that they were paying very close attention to my painting. When I finished the painting, I turned to find an Hispanic man. I smiled and asked him if he liked to paint. He said that he did not know how. We chatted for a few moments, then I gave him a Talent Search tract and began to explain its contents.

Can I Know?

When I asked him if he was saved, he said, “I’m a Catholic.” “That’s ok,” I replied, “but are you saved?” He answered, “No one can know that.” I said, “According to the Bible, you can know.” I then told him about Romans 10:9: …that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

I enjoy coming to Brookside Park to paint. I often pitch my easel near the Rose Bowl. It’s a favorite site of mine not only because it’s very scenic, but it gives me an opportunity to talk to many park visitors about Jesu.

Today, I took my easel to the southern edge of Brookside Park to paint a scene outside the park. The painting above is of the Colorado Street Bridge. It has been the subject of many paintings by other artists throughout the years.

Colorado Street Bridge of Notoriety

The Colorado Street Bridge was built in 1913. In 1989, it was declared a seismic hazard after an earthquake in northern California and was closed. Only after four years and major retrofitting did the bridge once again open to traffic.

Colorado Street Bridge also has the inauspicious moniker of  ’Suicide Bridge’. Dozens of people have jumped to their deaths over the years from this bridge. I once talked a man off a bridge late one night less than a mile from here. It was clear that he wanted help because he was on the wrong side of the guard rail looking down on freeway traffic and in the site of motorists. Had he have been on the Colorado Street Bridge, he would have leaped into a deserted ravine.

The Art of Ministry

I worked quietly and alone for most of the hour spent on the painting. Near the time I was ready to pack my gear, a group of children and an adult came to have a picnic nearby. I thought I might have an opportunity to speak to them about Christ, but no one came over.

After I had my gear tucked neatly in my backpack and was heading for my car, a man approached and said that he had been watching me. He said, “I could see that you were painting and didn’t want to interrupt you.” I answered, “One of the reasons I paint outdoors is to talk to people. You should have come over.”

He asked if he could see the painting. “Of course,” I said. When I showed it to him, he seemed to truly admire it. When I asked him what talent God had given him, he said that he was a photographer. I learned also that he was a Christian and attended a church in the city (Pasadena).

My new friend said that his interests also included videography. He asked if anyone had ever filmed me painting outdoors (en plein air). I told him that only once had someone filmed on an inexpensive consumer camera. He asked if he could join me on the streets and document what God was doing through the artwork. I said that he could if it didn’t interfere or distract with the ministry to others. He said he would be very sensitive to that, so I gave him my phone number.

That was several months ago. I’ve not yet heard from him. Not surprising since most people I meet on the streets who promise to contact me never follow through. That’s ok as long as I know I’ve done my job of pointing them to Christ.

I was on the set of the 2 Fast 2 Furious movie directed by John Singelton when I did this watercolor. We were filming at Universal Studios. The set was built primarily for tricked-out sport cars mounted on a gimbal. The gimbal moved like a Transformer, tossing the cars (and its passengers) wildly in front of a green screen. My job was to touch-up the many scratches and dents caused by carless and/or harried crew members and car handlers. Not so easy when the cars had custom metal-flake paint jobs.

The cars were works of art. I was able to get some of the colors from the company who originally painted the cars, but had to mix others myself. I usually had five minutes at most between shots to mask, patch, sand, paint and dry before the 1st AD (assistant director) gave the order to ‘clear the set’. I had the grips place fans and suction tubing near by to rid the stage of the chemical odor so as not to offend the talent.

I’m still experimenting with methods on how to complete them. The days of me using strictly pencil and paper are over. However, going all digital has its limitations. For one, not being able to look at all the storyboards at one time (unless I print them) is limiting. Also, I have be very diligent with properly naming and backing-up files. File management tends to eat more time than I like, but it’s necessary.

The storyboard above was a combination of the old and new. I did the blue-lines on my iPad, then printed the sheet and inked it with a Sharpie. Also, since I’m working alone (at this time) and don’t have to turn this over to another artist, I don’t have to spend a lot of time on the details.

Whenever I’ve done short animations, I usually work traditional (ink on paper). However, since this is a graphic novel, I looking at how to best serve this medium. I imagine as I get further into the project a workflow will surface naturally. I’ll let you know.

If you look at an earlier render (below) of the Booklands brownstone, you’ll notice that it is primarily one brick texture. So, I added a flavor to it today.