Arizona Artist Jephyr (aka Jeff Curtis)

Memorial Day Memories And Pastel Pencil Bunny Photo Study

2020-05-26T02:12:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Remembrances And A Pastel Pencil Photo Study Of A Rabbit

A Young Patriot At the 2009 National
Memorial Day Concert At The US Capitol

Hope you are doing well and (if you're in the US) enjoyed your long Memorial Day weekend — and were surrounded by family and loved ones.

If you are a US military service member — or had or have one or more in your family — thank you for that service.

And to all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect this nation — I honor you — and offer gratitude to each family member and loved one for that sacrifice as well!

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With Memorial Day in mind — I'll share a few photos of my Grandpa and Dad.

I'm not sure what kind of military service my Grandpa did — but recently found photos of him in a Doughboy style uniform (possibly during or just after World War I).

Composite - Photos of my Dad and Grandpa

My dad served in the US Navy during World War II — and related to his time on the docks — he succumbed to mesothelioma many years later.

Mesothelioma is a lung cancer caused by Asbestos exposure, Learn more about it here.

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Repaired this photo of my Grandpa in his Doughboy uniform - probably taken around 1918 or 1919.

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And A Recent Pastel Photo Study From My Sketchbook

Thanks as always for stopping by my corner of the world.

Look for more artwork soon....

Pastel Pencil Birdy

2020-05-20T02:30:00.000-07:00

Sketchbook Pastel Pencil Photo Study

As mentioned in my last post, I feel a recharged after taking some time off over the last couple of months from drawing / painting every day.

And since the governor of my state has relaxed his Covid-19 'stay at home order' - I've FINALLY been able to get out to do some drawing as well.

Today, I put the finishing touches on the pastel pencil attached below at a local coffee house — and it's felt good after several weeks to be looking at something besides my same ol' walls.

Not to say that I haven't been getting out at all.

In fact, since the first of the year I've been walking almost every day — and thankfully our governor declared that exercise was an 'essential' activity.

So I've been able to continue walking around my neighborhood and having a few 'social-distancing' appropriate conversations with other walkers — which as been really nice.

Still, it's been great to be able to go to a coffee houses or restaurants in just the last week or so — and sit and do some work outside mi casa for a change.

Anywho — I was looking for something to draw — and came across an old pastel pencil of the little birdy that I had started LONG ago — and decided to finally get around to finishing it today.

I used an awesome photo as a reference — so a big thank you to that photographer!

Thanks for stopping by.

Look for more artwork soon......

Happy Mother's Day And Pastel Pencil Froggy

2020-05-10T10:41:00.003-07:00

Hi,

Here in the US we're celebrating mothers today.

As I just wrote to my niece (who has 3 kids and is always kept busy looking after them):

"I know mommas work their fingers to the bone and don’t always get acknowledgement for all their hard work — so I hope you are feeling a special warmth and Blessing from your family and the Lord today!"

So if you're a mother too — whether your kids are grown and out on their own — or you're still wiping noses and bandaging scraped knees — I hope you feel loved and appreciated today!

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I've been feeling a little recharged in the art department myself after taking some time off from drawing and painting all the time.

Recently and somewhat naturally I began making art again — and I feel refreshed by taking that time off.

In my last post I shared a pastel pencil portrait I did for a nephew — that kinda got me started again.

https://artmusicpoliticsfaithhopeandlove.blogspot.com/2020/04/birthday-pastel-pencil-portrait-sketch.html

(Also, I've been working with 3D animation software and hope I can share some of those efforts soon too)

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Today I'll share a pastel pencil photo study I just finished.

In the past, I've always really labored over my artwork and recently I've been feeling more relaxed and am working way more quickly than before.

Years ago I heard an expression, "Perfectionism is the enemy of art" — and the more I work at this thing the more I understand that.

Anywho — here's my draw'ring.

Have a Happy Mother's Day!

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Thanks for looking in on my little corner of the world.

See you again soon......

Birthday Pastel Pencil Portrait-Sketch

2020-04-22T02:30:00.000-07:00

Howdy!

Just finished a quick birthday pastel pencil portrait sketch for my nephew.

His family had sent an Easter package to me — and his momma and he and his siblings had each done some awesome color pencil sketches they'd enclosed for me.

I was planning on sending my nephew a birthday gift and at the last minute — inspired by their great artwork — decided to do a portrait of him to include with it.

So the night before I had to send his gift package out, I sat down and drew sketch of him using pastel pencils (you can see a few along the bottom in the photo below).

Anywho — thought I'd share a photo of my draw'ring with y'all too.

Thanks for stopping by.

See you again soon..........

LOL Animation - Sketchy Blues - Bird Box Studio

2020-04-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

Recently, YouTube has been suggesting 2D animated films to me from Bird Box Studios — and I'm falling in love with what they do.

In fact, their work is inspiring me to re-think my own labored approach to making animations.

Hint: I've tended to think more in the lines of highly polished Pixar and Disney offerings — rather than the uncomplicated Bird Box approach:

First, their video/animations are very short — often clocking in at under a minute or two at the most (at least every one I've seen so far).

Second, their characters and backgrounds are stylized and simple — but have a certain charm.

Lastly, their videos have relatable story-lines with very funny twists woven into them.

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Screen Capture From Sketchy Blues - Bird Box Studio

Their video, Sketchy Blues (attached below), was uploaded in 2010 and rockets by in well under a minute — and ends with a big laugh (at least for me)

Please keep in mind — no cartoon characters were harmed in the making of this short film.

😁

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by.

See you again soon.......

Chapter One: Are We Lost, Jeff?

2020-03-26T09:13:00.002-07:00

An Enthralling Tale About The Time I Took My Mom Jeeping And Got Lost

Legal Disclaimer: The use of the word 'enthralling' in the above statement is not a legally binding guarantee.
Results for individual readers may vary.

🤪

Before I became the internationally known and loved artist Jephyr (and everyone still called me Jeff) — I spent my early life exploring the Colorado mountains near my family home — hiking, camping, and fishing — and then after I turned 16 — furthering those adventures in my dad's orange, 1973 Jeep CJ-5 with a black rag top.

I spent hours scouting the rivers, creeks, and mountains around my home and relied on a "sense of direction" that was well honed at that time — and so I'd often just take an old unfamiliar trail to see where it went — knowing I could always find my way back.

Whether it was youthful bravery or ignorance, I never thought once about getting lost — but as you'll read below that confidence was tested one fall afternoon.

A Pic Of The Jeep With A Certain Nefarious Character Behind The Wheel 😉

Taken at the top of a jeep trail that wound upward through a steep canyon just before it opened up to a meadow area.

Adventures In My Dad's Old Jeep

While still a teen and thanks to that old Jeep, my explorations went further and further into the mountains — and I'd simply put it in four wheel drive and steer it up steep rocky and rutted trails — winding past sage and scrub oak, up through aspen tree and towering evergreen forests — and along precipitous canyons that gave way to beautiful meadows filled with bright and colorful wildflowers as high as 7,500 feet or more above sea level.

Along the way there were all kinds of woodland critters, like squirrels. porcupines, marmots, and occasional and thrilling sightings of deer and elk.

It was an idyllic time in my life — and I miss those days tremendously.

My Old Snap Of A Winding Jeep Trail Rising Upward Through
A High Country Meadow — With A Distant Lake Just Left Of Mid-Center

My Fellow Explorers

I had a high school friend who'd often join me either hiking or Jeeping.

One night we camped out at a high country lake and we were treated to the sound of a nearby bull elk bugling in the predawn hours.

It was very awe inspiring — but also a bit scary because an elk in rut with a full rack can be ornery and dangerous — and the only thing separating it from us was a paper-thin vinyl tent.

National Geographic shared this video showing various elk bugles and suggest at the end to RUN if you hear that sound!

😏

The Video is cued to start at 18 seconds. (Bull elk in Colorado look like the very first one shown in this video)

When my high school chum wasn't available for explorations, I'd enlist anyone else I could find.

One time I invited our somewhat quiet and reserved church pastor to go 'four-wheeling' — and during one summer vacation, a younger classmate/co-worker joined me for regular 'jeeping' excursions into the high country.

Jephyr - The Mule-Skinner

1899 Photo Of A Mule-Skinner

On one Jeep trip, my dad was riding shotgun while I was behind the wheel and navigating up a steep boulder strewn trail. He didn't give praise very often but when we got through that section he said I'd become a pretty good 'mule-skinner.'

If I do say so myself — all my hours driving in that rough terrain had made me worthy of that rare commendation.

https://coloradoearthscience.blogspot.com/2018/08/cripple-creeks-mule-skinners.html

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Cruising Through The Lower Sage And Scrub Oaks Near My Childhood Home

Inviting My Mom To Join Me For A High Country Trek

One fall day, I decided to try to find a cave that I'd heard many people in our area talk about. I had a general idea of its location — but nothing more than that (long before online maps and GPS) — and determined with youthful exuberance to set out in the Jeep to see if I could find it anyway.

I don't recall exactly how it came about — but I asked my mom if she wanted to go with me and recall that she readily agreed — and though it was the first and only time I remember inviting her, now that she's gone I wish I had done that WAY more often.

Looking Down From The High-Country — Our Little Town In
The Right Corner — with A Nearly 1,300 Foot Peak To The Far Left

Our Adventure Begins

Mom and I took off that day — traveling along our little town's paved streets that quickly gave way to gravel roads — and then up the rocky, off-road trails, with tracks made deep by countless other four-wheel vehicles and rain water run-off.

As we bounced along with orange and yellow fall aspen trees brushing against the side of the Jeep, I began to notice the sky getting darker as large storm clouds moved in. So after we'd traveled a few more miles, I made the decision to pull over and set out on foot — hoping to get a little more exploration in before a rain hit.

Fall Aspen Landscape

Finding a place to park in the colorful aspen — I maneuvered as far off the trail as I could (leaving room for other four-wheelers that came along and needed to pass) — and we immediately set out hiking through the trees.

After a bit, I was pleased to find a game trail and we followed that up for a while — our feet pushing through a thick carpet of yellow and orange leaves.

The Sky Begins To Look More Ominous

As we hiked along the trail that wound upward through the dense trees, I kept one eye on the dark clouds through openings in the canopy above, noticing it was looking more and more like a serious storm was brewing.

As the sky grew darker, I finally determined it would be best to turn around and make our way back to the Jeep before we got caught in a downpour — and my unquestioning mother simply agreed and followed me back down the trail.

Looking For An Orange Jeep In A Sea Of Yellow And Orange

As mentioned, at that time of year aspen leaves were already deep into their beautiful, rich fall colors — so everything was a wash of yellow and orange.

Another Look At Similar Fall Scene

At that point in our hike back down however, I was only casually looking for the Jeep and was just depending on my normally reliable sense of direction — but after we had hiked down the trail for a while, nothing seemed familiar, and so I decided that we'd missed our turn off to it.

Not concerned at that point, I just said something like, "Let's go back up a little, Mom."

So we hiked up the trail again — but this time I was very carefully looking for any landmark or sign that would remind me where I had parked.

Fear Begins To Set In

As we hiked back up again — I was beginning to realize the thick carpet of leaves was making it impossible to see any of our previous tracks — and it was about then it began to dawn on me that for the first time in all my high country adventures — I felt a little lost.

It was also becoming very clear that a big storm was definitely blowing in — and as those thoughts collided — it suddenly hit me that neither of us had told ANYONE where we we going.

As we hiked, I began to consider that I would be OK if I couldn't find the Jeep and had to find a place to hunker down to spend the night — but was worried about my mom and began to feel a sinking feeling about becoming lost with her.

We were both dressed in light fall clothes — and neither of us had jackets, packs, or supplies of any kind — so I knew it would be a long, cold and wet night if I couldn't find the Jeep.

Visions of my rain-soaked mom shivering in the dark began swirling in my head — and I also began imagining my family being worried sick if we didn't return home.

I knew from hearing many news-reports about lost people — that my family would contact the sheriff, and in turn our little town would begin organizing search parties — but with a web of Jeep trails that ran everywhere through the nearby mountains, no one would have the slightest clue about where to begin looking for us.

Mom's Question

Lost in both the thick trees and those thoughts, I led my mom back up the game trail until I felt again we had passed our turn-off to the Jeep — so I stopped and as casually as I could muster said, "Let's turn around and go back down a bit, Mom."

That's when my mom softly asked, "Are we lost, Jeff?"

Not wanting to alarm her or admit that I was in fact at that point feeling completely lost — I reassured her we were fine and said we just needed to go back down the trail a little bit again.

A icy-cold, sinking feeling was growing inside me however — and with every step I took, I strained my eyes for any familiar landmark or sign of the orange and black jeep — which I now realized was completely and perfectly camouflaged in the fall landscape.

Digital Composite — Our Jeep As It Looked 'Hidden' In The Aspen Trees

Eureka!

Fortunately, as we hiked down the trail again — I finally spotted just the very top outline of the Jeep off through the distant trees.

As I led my trusting mother back to it — it became very obvious how well "hidden" it was.

Even walking directly towards it — the Jeep's colors blended perfectly into the fall surroundings — and it was difficult to see.

Once back safely inside, I never uttered a word to my mom about feeling lost — and I don't recall that she ever mentioned it again — but an overwhelming sense of relief washed over me as we headed down the trail to town.

As we did, the rain finally hit and it poured steadily all the way back home.

Excellent And Funny Short Animation: Carpark

2020-03-19T03:22:00.000-07:00

The News has been quite unsettling recently and I'm sure no one needs to be reminded that it has been filled with endless Corona Virus reporting.

If you have been personally impacted by it in any way — then I honestly pray for you that you will feel peace, and that you and your loved ones will be healthy and well.

Since there are many other sources of news that you can turn to — unless I feel I can add some important information about it — I'll keep my blog posts here a light and entertaining oasis away from all that.

A Screen Capture From The Animation 'Carpark'

Funny Short Animation: Carpark

With that in mind today you will find a very amusing, well-crafted animation called Carpark from the folks at Birdbox Studio.

Though the entire video is black and white — the characters and background designs are stylized and very appealing — the animation is smooth and well done — and the sound track is perfect.

I won't give anything away about the story-line — but it's very relatable and offers a funny pay-off in the end.

The entire video is less than a minute and a half and offers a small dose of much needed light entertainment.

Hope you enjoy this one too.

God Bless!

Thanks for stopping by.

See you again soon......

My VERY Strange Dream About Joe Biden Crashing Sports Car Into Home

2020-03-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

My Weird Dream - Joe Biden Crashes His Car Into Home:

I've posted about other dreams I've had here — but only when they really stick out in my mind or stay with me long after I've awakened.

I'm not suggesting the dream I had today has any significance — but will share it as much to simply document what it was — and because it was very vivid and has stuck in my thoughts since I got up.

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Edit: After typing it all out and thinking a lot about it — I now feel like I have more insight into my dream — and decided to offer my interpretation about it below.

Whether it turns out to be some wild imagining my mind created while I slept — or something "prophetic" — only time will tell.

But I've felt led to not only share it but offer an interpretation of it as well.

Acts 2:17

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The part I remember began after a much longer dream I can't recall now — but here's where my memory of it picks up:

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I was with a large group, some family and others (maybe cousins), and we had stopped at someone's home.

Later, were all leaving — but I was delayed saying my "goodbyes" and was the last one to head outside — and by the time I got out to the street everyone I was with was gone.

I'm kinda laughing about this part as I type it — but Joe Biden was waiting for me at the curb — in a new, very expensive, white sports car with his driver's side window down.

I'm in no way a car buff — but I could hear the throaty, powerful engine and see the sleek design — and knew it was one of those ostentatious, status cars that people of conspicuous wealth own.

The image I digitally composited below is very close to what I "saw" in my dream.

"Joe Biden Waits For Me Curbside In A Car Similar To The One In My Dream: A $900,00 Ferrari 599 GTO" *

* Please Note This Is A Computer Manipulated Image — And NOT An Actual Photo From My Dream 😁

Original Car Image Found Here

Joe Biden Offers Me A Ride

For some strange reason, Joe Biden and I seemed to know each other — and he told me the people I'd been with wanted me to ride with him and we'd catch up to them.

I felt apprehensive about getting in a car with him (worried about how safe it was because of all the news reports about his recent daily blunders and gaffes — and questions about his hazy metal state) — but I was also a little put-out at being left behind without a way to get around — and so feeling like I had no other choice, I reluctantly decided to accept a ride with him.

* Find examples of Biden's odd behavior and numerous public blunders at the end of this post.

VERY Fancy Diagram Of The Crash 😊

Joe Biden Wrecks His Car Into Home

I started to walk around the front of his car but right as I got to the front bumper — the engine ROARED — and I was just barely was able to jump out of the way as he drove off at a HIGH rate of speed.

I watched the back of his car RACE up a steep street (like the ones in the little mountain town where I grew up) — and realized that he had the gas pedal on that powerful engine completely to the floor and he was flying up the street utterly out of control.

He got to the top of the road in mere seconds — and then went sailing through the air when he hit a T-intersection — and crashed right into and through a home that sat there.

As I ran up the street, it was obvious the entire front of the house was completely demolished and I could see right inside it. There were smashed furnishings, broken wall and window frames, and glass and debris everywhere — and I could see the the back of the wrecked car stuck in a second floor kitchen area.

My Digitally Composited Image Above Looks
A LOT Like What I "Saw" In My Dream

Car Image Found Here
House Image Found Here

When I got to the home I found a dazed family inside — and also all my own family and friends — who had pretended to leave me behind and had parked just out of view at the top of the street.

I told everyone what had happened — and about that same time I learned that an infant girl had been killed in the crash.

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The home Biden crashed through was occupied by a LARGE, extended, working class family — and there were many others there milling around after the crash.

Then, I noticed that several women in the family busied themselves seating some very fat, whiny toddlers around a table to feed them.

In my dream, it seemed somewhat normal that the kids still wanted to eat — but it did seem a little odd to me that life just went on for the adults in the family.

So, the women were trying to seat four or five, loud, crying, and squirming kids at a table right below Biden's crumpled car — with their home in utter ruins around them.

Then I noticed the women were strapping the kids into their high chairs to keep them seated — and observed more closely one woman putting a leather strap around the wrist/forearm of one of the kids — which was in turn secured to the arm of the chair the kid was in.

That's when I woke up.

Weird, huh?

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My Dream Interpretation

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I think my dream has several layers and here's my interpretation of their meanings:

Joe was driving an expensive, powerful car that represents his Presidential aspirations and ambition to be elected to the the most powerful position in the world.

Seal of the President of the United States of America

The expensive, ostentatious car also represents that his campaign is funded and supported by wealthy donors and a very well oiled Democrat Party "machine."

My apprehension getting in the car with him is related to numerous examples of his odd behavior and public gaffes — that some say is due to more than just slips of the tongue.

— Find several examples — including videos, and links about that below —

In my dream, Biden completely lost control of the expensive car — crashed it — and destroyed a home (which represents that he is "behind the wheel" of his campaign and will ultimately cause some kind of terrible "crash" in the run-up to the November 2020 election).

An infant was killed — which is another representation of a death-knell for his Presidential hopes.

The home was occupied by a large working class family — ordinary people whose lives just went on after the crash — folks who simply needed to attend to their kids and get on with their day to day lives.

Their reaction to the crash represents that most people are far to busy with their lives to truly stop and fully understand party politics, candidates, and elections.

Their loud, overweight and unruly children represent the current state of way too many people in the US — who live in abundance but still whine and complain and expect everything to be done for them by the government and others — even when their home (nation) is destroyed around them.

Being strapped into their high-chairs represents a kind of attachment (or slavery) to their own desires and demands.

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Biden Confuses His Wife For His Sister
The Washington Free Beacon

* Joe Biden's Numerous Public Gaffes

Biden's mental health has been discussed a lot recently in light of numerous recent campaign blunders he's made.

Some have even suggested that his odd behavior reminds them of their loved ones who are suffering from Alzheimer's.

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A Small Sampling Of Biden's Blunders And Flubs:

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In the video compilation below, put together by a conservative British News Channel:

Biden claims 150 million Americans were killed since a 2007 vote (The entire US population is around 330 million people - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States).

Biden suggested that his efforts would put 720 million (US) women back in the workforce (The Last Census found there were approximately 94 million total women of working age in the US - https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf.

He declared during a recent Democrat debate that, "Nobody should be in jail for non-violent crime." (But has also said more people should have gone to jail during the 2008 Financial Crisis)

During a recent campaign stop Biden said he was running for the US Senate and if Democrats don't like him they should "vote for the OTHER Biden."

While visiting New Hampshire he told reporters, "What's not to like about Vermont."

Biden suggested that people should, "Play the radio — and make sure you have the record player on at night."

He said, "Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids."

During a campaign stop Biden declared, "We choose science over fiction, we choose truth over facts."

He utterly mangled an attempt to quote from the Declaration Of Independence.

He shared a very creepy memory about kids rubbing his hairy legs — and added that he loved kids jumping on his lap.

Biden weirdly reminisced about "Corn-pop," a bad dude wearing Pomade in his hair — and straight razors scraped on the ground and left to rust in rain barrels. (The video shows his complete word salad during the telling of this story)

Biden claimed in a campaign speech to have worked with Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping on the 2016 Paris Climate Accord. Xiaoping left office in 1992.

He began to say Margret Thatcher was the chairman and leader of the party in Germany — and couldn't identify the leader he was referring to. Thatcher was a British leader from 1979 to 1990.

The video is cued to start at 42 seconds:

Anti-Trump "progressive" liberal Shaun King Tweeted about Biden's recent speech blunders:

Biden Tells Campaign Audience If They Don't Like Him To Vote For The 'Other' Biden
February 24, 2020 Shawn King Tweet

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Biden Has Been Aggressive, Argumentative, and Foul Mouthed During His Campaign

Biden has also been very aggressive and argumentative with people — calling a 21 year old woman a "lying dog-faced pony soldier" when she told him she'd been to a Democrat caucus:

https://nypost.com/2020/02/09/joe-biden-calls-woman-lying-dog-faced-pony-soldier-at-campaign-event/

The woman told the Macon Telegraph that she felt insulted and humiliated:

https://www.macon.com/news/politics-government/article240150483.html

https://nypost.com/2020/02/10/student-biden-called-lying-dog-faced-pony-soldier-says-she-was-humiliated/

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In the last few days, he got into an argument with a union worker about gun control and told him he was "full of sh**" and called him a "horse's ***" — and then challenged him to fight by saying, “Don’t try me, pal — do you want to go outside?”

https://nypost.com/2020/03/10/biden-tells-detroit-worker-hes-full-of-s-t-during-argument-over-guns/

During that same exchange he mistakenly called the semi-automatic AR-15 rifle an AR-14 and seemed confused about the difference between semi and fully automatic rifles.

In other videos he's shown a complete lack of knowledge about the guns — something that should be considered fundamental to enacting laws related to them and the 2nd Amendment.

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Joe Biden Confused His Wife And Sister During Campaign Speech

During a recent campaign speech he confused his wife for his sister and vice versa.

Video and story here:

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/03/04/biden_confuses_wife_and_sister_in_super_tuesday_speech.html

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Joe Biden's Cringe Worthy Story About His Hairy Legs And Enjoying Kids Jumping On His Lap

Here's a shorter video of the cringe worthy story Biden relates about kids rubbing his hairy legs — and that he "loved kids jumping on [his] lap.":

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Biden Mangles His Own Name - Calls Himself an 'Obiden Bama' Democrat

Video of a recent speech where Biden proudly declared he was an "Obiden Bama Democrat":

Seeing Biden mangle his own name — should be very concerning to anyone seriously considering his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States.

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Biden Fabricated A Story About Being Arrested In South Africa

During several speeches and campaign events he claimed that 30 years ago he was arrested, along with a United States UN ambassador, when he went to to protest Nelson Mandela' imprisonment in South Africa.

Biden was forced to admit it never happened — but only after people began looking into his story, and the former UN ambassador told the New York Times, "That's a lie."

Video and details here:

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/02/25/joe_biden_is_telling_a_false_story_about_being_arrested_in_south_africa_trying_to_see_nelson_mandela.html

The next video shows Biden making the false claim about his "arrest" during a recent televised Democrat Debate (cued to start at 1:35).

The video goes on to reveal that there are no press reports or any records about it — and no one else has corroborated his story.

Even the far left The Young Turks Channel on YouTube called his claim a "crazy, absurd lie" — and that his campaign has finally "had to fess up" and admit that Biden "was not arrested for trying to visit Nelson Mandela at a South African prison during apartheid" after Biden "used the claim at least three times" — and "there is no evidence of the incident" and "his campaign could not justify the use of the word arrest" or "why Biden added that Mandela personally thanked him."

The Young Turks go on to say, "This isn't 'one random slip of the brain' — Biden has been exaggerating or wholly falsifying his behavior during the civil rights movement for decades now."

"Biden is trying to rewrite history when it comes to his civil rights record" — he is "trying to white-wash what he's done" and "lying about it makes it much much worse" — because "he wasn't actually in those fights."

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This is just a small sampling of many.

While it isn't my intention to purposely offend or make anyone angry — I do feel like I was given this dream and an interpretation for it — and felt led to share it.

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Thanks for stopping by.

See you again soon......

A Life Update And An AWESOME Song!

2020-03-04T02:18:00.002-08:00

As I've shared here recently, a few months ago I received a message that my computer operating system would no longer be supported — and since I've LOVED my trusty ol' PC and rely on a ton of software on it — I began the time-consuming and painful process of figuring out what to do.

After some research about it, I contacted a computer tech who said he could help upgrade my 'puter to the current OS on a new solid-state drive — and try to migrate all of my beloved software to it as well.

He didn't make any promises though — and even warned that some of the programs might not survive the transition — but said he would do his best.

Music Below: New York based Gospel/Americana group, Ollabelle - 'Gentle Annie'

* Bekymmer is the Swedish word for 'troubles, worries, concerns, etc'

(I got sum of der S'vedish blood in me, dontcha know. : )

https://en.bab.la/dictionary/swedish-english/bekymmer

As I've related in other recent posts — to help speed up the upgrade/migration process for the tech — I cleaned up my decade old 1T main drive and ended up moving or deleting over 700 Gigabytes of old files.

Whew! It took forever to go through everything — and as mentioned before, while it was fun to look at ten years worth of old files, it consumed a LOT of time.

Then one day while I was still cleaning things up, my computer started REALLY slowing down and I hoped a re-boot would help — but when I re-started I got one of those error messages we all DREAD.

It said something like, "Your drive is in danger of IMMINENT failure!"

Yikes!

I immediately shut it back down and at my first opportunity rushed over to the tech — feeling a little sheepish about having taken so long to clean every thing up — and handed over a shiny new solid-state drive and my old computer — and prayed for the best.

Much to my relief, a few days later, he reported that EVERYTHING had gone well: Not only was the OS upgrade successfully transferred to the new drive and installed in my trusty ol' PC — but he had been able to migrate ALL of my old software over to it as well.

Now I'm happy to say that I've been testing everything out for a while and it's all working perfectly!

😎

-------------------------------

In addition, while all the computer schtuff had been going on, I was in and out of Doctor's offices for a possible upcoming surgery — AND my car has been in and out of the shop.

The upside on the car is that while the repairs were costly — I've been able to take care of some things that needed to be addressed for a while — and was back on the road after only losing a half day here and there.

Anywho — I haven't had much time for artwork — and often just didn't feel like being creative either — but hopefully now that everything is sorted out I can begin being an "art guy" again.

BTW — my cartoon above came after I was completing this post and was looking for an illustration showing someone with computer trouble.

After a bit of searching I thought — come on, Jephyr — YOU can MAKE one.

And so I did!

🙃

-------------------------------

Finally to da music!

Recently, I found an AWESOME song, Gentle Annie, by the New York based Gospel/Americana group, Ollabelle, and I've shared a video of that below.

According to the video's YouTube description:

"'Gentle Annie' is an early American Parlor song which was written by Stephen Foster in 1856.

It was recorded by Ollabelle, as part of the Stephen Foster tribute album, Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster, released by American Roots Publishing in 2004."

It's a beautiful song and definitely pulls on the ol' heart-strings — especially if like me, you've lost a love or two along the way.

Gentle Annie - Lyrics

Thou wilt come no more, gentle Annie
Like a flower thy spirit did depart
Thou are gone, alas! like the many
That have bloomed in the summer of my heart

We have roamed and loved mid the bowers
When thy downy cheeks were in their bloom
Now I stand alone mid the flowers
While they mingle their perfumes o’er thy tomb

Shall we never more behold thee
Never hear thy winning voice again
When the spring time comes, gentle Annie
When the wild flowers are scattered o’er the plain

(instrumental break)

Ah! the hours grow sad while I ponder
Near the silent spot where thou are laid
And my heart bows down when I wander
By the streams and the meadows were we strayed

Shall we never more behold thee
Never hear thy winning voice again
When the spring time comes, gentle Annie
When the wild flowers are scattered o’er the plain

When the wild flowers are scattered o’er the plain

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Thanks for stopping by.

See you again soon....................

Oscar Winning ~ VERY Moving Short Film - Father and Daughter

2020-02-05T02:30:00.000-08:00

The beautiful animation/video below, Father and Daughter by M. Dudok de Wit, features his Oscar Winning, Short Film "about love and the passage of time."

The short film won 24 awards, including:

Oscar / Best Short Film, Animated / Academy Awards, USA, 2001
BAFTA Film Award / Best Short Animation / BAFTA Awards, 2001
Jury Award / Best Film / Anima Mundi Animation Festival, 2001
Cartoon d'Or / Cartoon Forum, Europe, 2001
Best Animation / International Competition / Clermont-Ferrand
International Short Film Festival, 2001

Father And Daughter - Screen capture From The Video Below

As an artist and sometimes animator, I feel the animation's accolades are certainly well deserved.

While the animation utilizes simple, stylized characters and backgrounds — it's narrative unfolds in a deeply engaging way — and is very relatable and beautifully moving.

The music adds a lovely nostalgic touch as well — amplifying the film's over-all emotional impact.

Screen Captures From The Video Below - Select Scenes From Father And Daughter

A word of caution, especially if you have lost a loved one and are still having difficulty processing that — though it ends on an uplifting note, Father and Daughter will really pull on your heart-strings — and many comments under the video on YouTube reveal that it left people in tears.

With that disclaimer out of the way — I hope you'll enjoy this one too.

God Bless and Comfort you if you're missing someone today!

Thanks for stopping by.

See you again soon.......

Digial Paintings From the Archive - Last Group

2020-02-01T02:30:00.000-08:00

As I wrote in my last three posts (1-15-20, 1-22-20, 1-27-20) — I've gone through ten years worth of old digital paintings on my PC and am publishing a few that either haven't been shared on-line before — or where uploaded but then taken down for one reason or another.

The ones below that are marked (WIP) — are "works in progress" that were never fully completed (but I reserve the right to finish them someday : ).

Let's get to 'em:

Thanks for stopping by!

See you again soon....................

Still MORE Digial Paintings From the Archive

2020-01-27T02:30:00.000-08:00

As I've shared in my last two posts (1-15-20 and 1-22-20), I've gone through a decade of old files while cleaning up my trusty old PC — and have been sharing some of my old digital paintings that I found.

Some have never been shared publicly anywhere before — others were posted and removed for one reason or another.

Anywho — here's another group in no particular order:

^ ^ ^ This digital painting is from the "works in progress" file — and I was using an awesome photo of an old guy as a reference,

As said in other posts — if you know the photographer for this one or any others used as a reference — please let me know in the comments or drop me an email — and I can add a credit or link to their site if they'd like.

jrcurt77@msn.com

^ ^ ^ This cartoon birdy is also from my digital paintings "works in progress" file.

If you've looked through my artwork before you know I love to draw / paint all kinds of critters — but for some reason I end up doing a lot of birds.

Also, somewhere in my soul, I have a "cartoon" gene that keeps appearing in my original art.

I moved on from finalizing this one a few years ago — but kinda like the shy expression on this cartoony boid.

^ ^ ^ Pretty sure I shared this digital painting photo study of a horse here before — but later removed it — so I'll dust it off and share it again.

☺

^ ^ ^ I remember knocking this digital painting / photo study very quickly — and shared it here around that time, but later removed it.

Usually I have to sweat a bit more to finish a piece — wish they were all more like this one!

☺

^ ^ ^ This will be the last one for today — a digital painting / photo study of a li'l gator.

Again, shared here around the time I painted it, but later removed it.

-----------------------------

Thanks for stopping by.

Look for more work from the archives soon.

More Digital Paintings From The Archive

2020-01-22T02:30:00.000-08:00

In my last post I shared a number of my old digital paintings that I'd found while going through a decades worth of old files on my trusty computer.

Today I'll share a few more — some that were finalized and others that were (still are?) "works in progress."

It's been interesting to look back through my own work — hope you enjoy the trip too!

Anywho — here are a few oldies in no partic'lar order:

^ ^ ^ I found a GREAT macro-photograph of a wasp and set about digitally painting it. The wasp's head was in sharp focus in the original photo — but the photographer had artfully used bokeh or depth of field — "the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image produced by a lens" on the wasp's body.

At first I was tempted to paint the image as it was in the photo and then the idea of adding some other kind of body came to my mind.

I tried a few different options but when I began painting the tux (using a photo reference) it just felt right.

^ ^ ^ Someone posted a GREAT portrait of a hairless cat I used as a ref to paint this study.

Thank you photographer-person! It's an EXCELLENT image.

BTW — as I wrote in my last post — if you know the photographer for any of the references I used for any of these images — please let me know in the comments or by email — and I can add a credit and link to them if they'd like.

jrcurt77@msn.com

^ ^ ^ I created and digitally painted the dragon above first and slowly expanded out from that as you can see in the next image/view of it below.

One day while working it — I was zoomed in a bit and kinda liked the close-up view you see above as well.

BTW — I added the yellow/orange moon long before the we saw the series of Blood Moons a few years back — but I liked the effect it had on the painting and later it took on a more symbolic meaning as well.

https://www.thetrumpet.com/11780-blood-moons-do-they-fulfill-bible-prophecy

Joel 2:31: “The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes”

^ ^ ^ Though this Dragon painting still remains in the "works in progress" file — I like the idea enough "some day" I might get back to it and finish it off.

^ ^ ^ Had a client a few years ago who I did a book illustration for — an ant character — and did this digital painting study in preparation for that using an incredible macro-photo as a reference.

------------------------------

Thanks for stopping by.

See ya again soon..........

A Few Digital Paintings From The Archive

2020-01-15T01:36:00.001-08:00

Howdy,

I've been cleaning up my trusty old 'puter because I need to transition to a newer OS — and have gone through a decades worth of old files - deleting a ton and backing up MANY others.

It's been a time-consuming pain - made worse by the fact that I still LOVE my current PC and wouldn't even consider a transition if it wasn't going to be supported anymore.

-------------------------

The upside has been a nostalgic journey through ten years worth of old letters, images, and files, etc.

In that process I came across tons of old artwork — some that were finished and other "works in progress" that I ran out of steam on for one reason or another.

So today I'll share a few of those in no particular order.

^ ^ ^ Ages ago I found a photo portrait of an older woman and loved her sweet looking expression and decided to paint this digital portrait of her.

I got this far before moving on — but really enjoyed the process on this one.

^ ^ ^ Was watching the movie Flatliners and captured an image of Kiefer Sutherland during a scene and digitally painted this using it as a reference.

As I recall that original reference was monochromatic — but I was also kinda in that artistic "phase" at that time as well.

^ ^ ^ Found an awesome photo of a snail in a natural environment and really loved the lighting on it and tried my hand at capturing it in this digital painting.

^ ^ ^ A photo study / digital painting of an image of a statue of Christ I found online.

In the original photo, the statue was either stone or concrete in natural light — but as noted above, I was in a "monochromatic phase" around that time and went with this greenish color scheme.

^ ^ ^ This 2011 digital painting, I used as a reference just the "portrait" section of an amazing photo called "Strength."

BTW — I'd love to give credit to whoever took the original photo of the old man.

So if you know the photographer for this one or any of the other references I used (unless otherwise noted), please let me know who they are and I'd be happy to add a credit for them and link to their web-site(s) or social media etc.

-----------------------------

That'll do it for today — although I may share more older images that I found in the archives down the road.

-----------------------------

Thanks for stopping by.

See you again soon.......

WOW Animation! Steve Cutts - The Turning Point

2020-01-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

Happy 2020!

Hope you have a great year!

------------------------

While I don't personally agree with a lot of his politics — there is no question that Steve Cutts is doing some amazing artwork and animation.

Below you'll find his newest video — uploaded to YouTube on New Years Day 2020 — called The Turning Point.

Screen Capture From The Turning Point by Steve Cutts - Found Below

The video's description on YouTube states:

"The Turning Point' explores the destruction of the environment, climate change and species extinction from different perspective. Music by Wantaways.

Created in After Effects, Premiere Pro, Clip Studio Pro and Cinema 4D.

Written, directed and animated by Steve Cutts."

------------------------

From an artistic stand-point, Cutts' character designs and backgrounds have a unique, unmistakable style — while he takes viewers through dense and complicated scenes that could otherwise easily become confusing and muddled if not for his amazing ability to flow seamlessly through them.

His use of "cute" animal characters often contrasts with the animations stark message — while conversely humans are shown suffering from the adverse conditions they find themselves in.

Cutts leans towards the use of monochromatic colors and then splashes some scenes with reds and yellows, etc, to create a very appealing and dynamic look and feel.

Various Scenes From The Turning Point by Steve Cutts

Over-all this animation is extremely well done — and again — though I don't agree with everything Cutts espouses — and his work tends to be very "dark" — there is no denying his talent and skill.

If you take a look — please keep in mind this video shows scenes with some cartoon violence and is not presented for anyone under 18 years of age.

Thanks for stopping by.

See you again soon......

Annie - Animation Short Film - GOBELINS

2019-12-30T02:00:00.000-08:00

As we wind down 2019 and get ready to launch into the new year (2020 - Can you believe it??!!) — I thought I'd share an animation that features a 2d looking style that I really respond to.

Annie - is a 2013 Animation Short Film put out by France's GOBELINS - School of Image — and features highly stylized characters and backgrounds.

The colors are vibrant and lean towards Adjacent and Analogous Color Harmony (purple/blue, green/blue/yellow, red/orange/yellow, etc) — while using contrasting colors (yellow/blue, orange/green-blue, etc) to highlight text/speech and so on.

Screen Grab From The Video Below

With almost anything from GOBELINS - the production ,animation, sound and music are all top-notch.

Best of all IMO — it tells a tale that most of us hopeless romantics can relate to.

From it's video description:

"Robin's girlfriend, Annie, leaves him because he can't express his feelings for her. With the help of his dog, he's prepared to do anything to get her back"

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by.

See you again soon.....

Merry Christmas! Carols From The Petersen Family (Live)

2019-12-25T02:30:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that we're almost through another year and 2020 is just days away.

Hope you have a wunnerful Christmas Day and all the best in the coming year.

Below you'll find a bluegrass take on two traditional Christmas Carols — O Come, O Come Emmanuel & Come Thou Long Expected Jesus — by The Petersens.

The Petersen Sisters From The Video Below

From the video's YouTube description:

"The Petersens are a family band performing full-time in Branson, MO. The band consists of Katie Petersen on fiddle, Ellen Petersen on banjo, Matt Petersen on guitar, Julianne Petersen on mandolin, Karen Petersen on bass, and Emmett Franz on dobro.

Visit their website at www.petersenband.com to learn more about their family."

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a Blessed Christmas!

See you again soon......

Beautiful And Moving 'Christmas Story' Video/Animation

2019-12-20T02:30:00.000-08:00

While looking for something to share here for this Christmas season, I was happy to find a video/animation produced by Dan Stevers called The First Coming.

Published in November 2015, the two and a half minute video has a lovely music track under a rich and powerful voice-over re-telling the "Christmas Story" in poetic but unmistakable terms.

The colors are vibrant and the background and character designs are very stylized — and in the end the entire video is quite moving.

Screen Captures From The Video Below

As you'll note in the images above and in the video itself—there is a watermark in it indicating it is a "preview" — but in my opinion it isn't obtrusive or distracting.

The video's description on YouTube offers a link to Stevers' site where you can find out more about purchasing it along with his other work:

https://www.danstevers.com/store/the_first_coming

I've embedded the video from both Vimeo and YouTube below.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Have a Blessed and wonderful Christmas Season!!

Thanks for stopping by.

See you again soon......

$120K Banana & $45K Gummy Bear! But Is THIS Art?

2019-12-09T02:01:00.002-08:00

Recently a headline grabbed my attention—and when I read the article it sounded like a Twilight Zone episode or perhaps the plot for a wacky TV sitcom:

An "artist" taped a ordinary banana to the wall of an modern "art" exhibition using a strip of duct-tape.

Then, an "art" patron promptly shelled out $120,000.00 for it.

THEN—a "performance artist" came along and ATE it.

Yep—a regular old banana sold for $120K—and then someone ate it.

A Photo Of The "Work Of Art" From A CBS 4 News Story About It

It doesn't seem right to give any of these "artists" publicity, so I've purposely omitted their names and the name of the "art" gallery—but because it's almost impossible to believe—here's a link so you can research it for yourself.

https://nypost.com/2019/12/07/the-120k-banana-at-art-basel-eaten-by-ny-performance-artist/

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The same day, I read another article about an "art" patron shelling out $45,000.00 for gummy bear sculptures. (see photo below)

Yep, you read that right.

An "artist" has been making large sculptures of gummy bears—and people are spending thousands of dollars to acquire them.

I'm not exactly sure where the line begins to buy one—but if you have a lot of mad money laying around and want a gummy bear sculpture of your very own—here's a link so you can find out more:

https://pagesix.com/2019/12/07/art-collector-drops-45k-on-vandal-gummy-sculptures-during-art-basel/

Photo: http://www.fashionedits.com/blog/vandal-gummy-by-whisbe-at-wtc/

------------------------

It'd be easy to get off into the weeds and spend a lot of effort explaining the reasons why "art" like this is prized by certain people with a LOT of money.

But the late, raunchy comedian George Carlin may have said it best, "....it's a big club, and you ain't in it."

The video below is from one of Carlin's performances where he lays it all out:

The people in power don't want you capable of critical thinking—they want you just smart enough to run their machines.

And while he focuses only on America—it's the same all over the world over.

But be forewarned if you view this video—it's filled with crudeness and profanity, and isn't for the faint of heart.

Thanks for stopping by.

If you want to purchase my latest work, "Dirty Cotton Sock," it's available for $532,000.00 (plus shipping and handling of course).

Just drop me an email for more info.

: )

Pastel Pencil Drawing And Its Original Sketch Concept

2019-11-19T02:30:00.000-08:00

Pastel Pencil Drawing And Its Original Sketch Concept

Today, I'll share a pastel pencil cartoon I did using a "new" sketchbook that is larger and has a paper with more tooth than the type I've been using for quite a while.

I'd actually purchased the large sketchbook years ago when I was taking art classes, but just hadn't ever used it before for some reason.

^ ^ ^ After I sketched the original character concept for this one in my usual sketchbook, I decided I wanted to have more space to work in to add the background etc—so I dug around and found the larger sketchbook which is 14 x 17 inches.

My normsl "go-to" sketchbook has very smooth paper and is 11 x 14 inches—while this large one's paper is textured with way more "tooth."

Article On Understanding Paper Tooth

I'm really happy I tried this one out because the paper works a lot better with the pastel pencils I use.

Below you'll find the original sketch—which I redrew in the larger sketchbook, colored, and added an appropriate golf course background.

---------------------------

BTW—If you're a golfer you'll no doubt get this one's title:

"Jerry Employs The Ol' Footwedge."

If not, here's my brief explanation.

When I was young my dad was an AVID golfer and I took it up just to be around him. He used to tell me to use the "footwedge" when I was learning—which meant moving the golf ball to a better position for your next shot. It's not proper etiquette once you've learned the game—but I was a just a kid, ya know. ☺

https://www.liveabout.com/what-is-the-foot-wedge-1564148

Thanks for stopping by.

Look for more new artwork soon......

Excellent Video: The Making Of The Animation "TheTale"

2019-11-12T02:30:00.000-08:00

Over on my Awesome-Stuff blog—I just posted an excellent video/animation, The Tale, from France's GOBELINS, "School of the Image."

(all links in this post open new windows)

After a bit of snooping I found the director Guillaume Arantes' Vimeo channel, where he uploaded a "Making Of The Tale" video—showing behind the scenes footage of musicians creating the music track, story-boards, character designs, rough animation passes and refinements, backgrounds, 3D visualizations, compositing, and more—and you'll find that video embedded below.

Screen Grabs — Scenes From The "Making Of The Tale"

-----------------------------------

If you're into art and animation like I am—I'm betting you'll enjoy this video too.

Thanks for stopping by.

See you again soon......

Two New Sketchbook Pastel Pencils

2019-11-04T13:05:00.001-08:00

Lately, I've been feeling pretty inspired, and much of that has come from seeing a lot of excellent 2d and 3d animations—and some amazing DIY craft tutorials put online by people who are tremendously creative.

Hopefully, I'll be posting some of my efforts based on ideas I got from them on down the road.

Until then, I'll share some more recent pastel pencil work from my sketchbook.

^ ^ ^ On October 30th I posted an anime-style animation/video here called X-STORY.

https://artmusicpoliticsfaithhopeandlove.blogspot.com/2019/10/outstanding-short-animation-x-story.html

As I wrote then, I thought it was fantastic and the next time I sat down to draw, "Strato" jumped outa my cranium onto a page of my sketchbook—influenced in a large part by seeing that animation.

(Although his face reminds me a little of the old film actor James Dean)

Once I had the pencil sketch done—I whipped out the pastel pencils started in with them.

As mentioned in other posts—they're a bit hard to control and after a few layers it becomes more and more difficult to change things—but even with that concession—I was kinda happy with the final result.

I'll call this a "study" though because I might either digitally or "real-world" paint this in the future.

^ ^ ^ Someone uploaded a heavy-metal mashup with a Celine Dion song—and while I thought it was kinda interesting—there was a still photo of Dion used a backdrop for the video and I mused about how long her neck looked.

After scrolling through the comments, I found I wasn't the only one who noticed.

So I took a screen shot of pic and printed it out, planning to see if I could caricature her—and of course thinking that her neck would be a featured aspect. ☺

IMHO, Dion has grown weirder through the years as well—so after I had the basic caricature—I added some other elements to represent that.

Again, this one was done with those pesky pastel pencils.

--------------------------------------

Thanks as always for stopping by!

Look for more artwork soon.....

Outstanding Short Animation: X-STORY - Vitaliy Shushko

2019-10-30T02:30:00.000-07:00

I often think about ways I can use my character designs and artwork for animation—and in the past have even tried my hand at a few short animated videos using both 2d and 3d techniques.

So, I'm always on the look-out for outstanding and inspiring animations by others.

Fortunately—YouTube's "suggestion" algorithm has finally picked up on my interest and recently has been feeding my channel with a lot of new and interesting 2d and 3d efforts.

Today, YT suggested "X-STORY" by Vitaliy Shushko—and I must say this one completely pushed every button on my mental list of "must haves" for a successful animation:

Compelling characters, great color choices, awesome sound and music, fluid movement, tasty backgrounds, and an engaging story, to name a few.

X-Story has all that and much more—and throws in a satisfying plot twist at the end—and you'll find a video of it attached below.

Screen Capture From X-Story Attached Below

It's done in an Anime/video game style created in Japan—which I kinda over-looked while it became hugely popular with sooooo many young artists I know.

In fact, when I'm out sketching and they approach me and share their sketchbooks—you can see that influence all over their work.

Maybe I just didn't' get that style before—or X-Story just does it in a way that suits me—but either way I was engaged by this animation from beginning to end.

X-Story: Screen Captures Of Various Scenes

A note before you choose to watch the video below:

There is some cartoon violence and scenes that aren't meant for young peeps or others who might not want to be exposed to that kind of thing. So please keep that in mind.

-------------------

OK—so you've read enough of my ramblings—let's get to the video!

Enjoy!

Thanks as always for stopping by.

Look for new original artwork soon.........

New Artwork: Pastel Pencils And A Regular Ol' Pencil Sketch

2019-10-23T02:30:00.000-07:00

Hi,

My computer's operatin' system has informed me that my version will no longer be supported soon.

So I need to migrate everything to a new hard-drive/OS ASAP—and I've been deleting old unused files and programs, etc—both to make the migration process faster—but also so I'm not transferring a bunch of un-needed stuff.

It's amazing how much of that accumulates through the years—and it's been pretty time consuming.

----------------------

See News Update below. *

-----------------------

While in the midst of that—I've STILL managed a little drawing time, and today you'll find a few new sketches using both graphite and pastel pencils.

Let's get to 'em!

^ ^ ^ A LONG time ago I found a photo of a little girl and loved her expression and pose.

She was at some kind of event and was holding balloons—but she looked like she was NOT HAVING FUN!

I printed that photo out ages ago and have been carrying a copy around with my sketchbook planning to sketch it some day—and I finally decided to do a caricature of her recently.

Once I had her lightly sketched in using graphite pencil—I decided to expand my sketch—and at first just drew in the balloons she was holding in the photo.

I thought that her hand was already in a position that would make holding something else easy to do and quickly imagined her holding the leash of a BIG ol' dawg.

So, after searched for reference photos of dogs online—I combined several to create the final look of Molly's pal, Rex—and used some photo references to rough in a background.

I used to love watching the painter Bob Ross—and he often said that doing something to a painting was a "bravery test." With that phrase ringing in my ears once I finished the sketch—I got out the pastel pencils and made my first dabs of color with them right on my drawing.

Once they're added—they're impossible to completely remove—so I knew I'd just committed myself to coloring this one (or having to re-draw it).

In the end though, I was happy with the final result—and am considering this a "study" for a larger version I hope to paint using oils some day soon.

BTW—I'd be happy to credit the little girl's photographer—so if you have any info please let me know in the comments below or shoot me one of them thar email-thingys:

jrcurt77@msn.com

^ ^ ^ Just having some fun with exaggeration and character design in my sketchbook.

Had a blast letting my imagination flow and making her YUGE feet/boots. 😎

^ ^ ^ Though I'm putting this one last, Fazazz one was one of the first of my recent pastels pencils.

When using pastel sticks, unless you press too hard you can create layer upon layer of various colors—and you can make numerous corrections and changes as you go along.

With pastel pencils however, they tend to build up very quickly—and after just a few layers it gets harder and harder to adjust things.

So there'd be a lot I'd re-work on this guy if I could—but I'm calling this one "done"—although I may eventually paint a version of this with oils as well.

-----------------------------

* Additional News: I have just completed another extensive update to my website adding a LOT of artwork I hadn't shared there before.

The lay-out on my website shows thumbnails of everything I've shared in different categories on a single page (ie: digital art, sketchbook drawings, etc)—and clicking on any image will take you to a link to a page with a larger view of it, and often a few words about it or how to find out more.

All links below will open a new window:

Jephyr.com

Jephyr Digital Art

Jephyr Sketchbook Drawings

Also—I edited my Honors and Awards page—making it easier to read IMO.

-----------------------------

That'll do it for today.
Thanks as always for having a look.

See ya again soon.

New Artwork Soon - Until Then An AWESOME VERY Short Animation - EVE!

2019-10-18T02:30:00.000-07:00

Hi!

As mentioned in my last post, I dusted off the pastel pencils and have been working with them in my sketchbook (along with a pencil or two as well of course : ).

One has expanded from a quick pencil drawing into a more involved pastel pencil image—and although it's taken a bit to do—I'm having a blast with it.

----------------------------

A Screen Grab From The Video Below - EVE

Until I can finish that off and scan and post some of the new schtuff, I have another AWESOME very short animation to share with you from France's Gobelins - "School of the Image."

https://www.gobelins-school.com/

I love what Gobelins' students are doing for projects—and many of their animations include excellent and creatively designed characters, interesting lighting and color choices, and fluid, dynamic movement.

If I had the time and the bucks, it'd be awesome to go there (if my lack of speaking French wouldn't be a problem : ).

Anywho—the animation below is called Eve and is only about 45 seconds long (if you don't count the credits at then end) but has a story that I found engaging and thought provoking—and is a tribute to animator Evelyn Lambart, who collaborated with Norman McLaren on groundbreaking animations/films for the National Film Board of Canada.

A 2015 student piece, Eve appears to be hand drawn and uses creatively simplified characters and backgrounds—so from an artist/animators standpoint it's very interesting to consider those choices.

Hope you enjoy this too!

Thanks for stopping by.

See you soon with some new artwork.......

Arizona Artist Jephyr (aka Jeff Curtis)

Memorial Day Memories And Pastel Pencil Bunny Photo Study

Memorial Day Remembrances And A Pastel Pencil Photo Study Of A Rabbit

With Memorial Day in mind — I'll share a few photos of my Grandpa and Dad.

And A Recent Pastel Photo Study From My Sketchbook

Pastel Pencil Birdy

Sketchbook Pastel Pencil Photo Study

Happy Mother's Day And Pastel Pencil Froggy

Here in the US we're celebrating mothers today.

I've been feeling a little recharged in the art department myself after taking some time off from drawing and painting all the time.

Today I'll share a pastel pencil photo study I just finished.

Birthday Pastel Pencil Portrait-Sketch

Just finished a quick birthday pastel pencil portrait sketch for my nephew.

LOL Animation - Sketchy Blues - Bird Box Studio

Chapter One: Are We Lost, Jeff?

An Enthralling Tale About The Time I Took My Mom Jeeping And Got Lost

Adventures In My Dad's Old Jeep

My Fellow Explorers

Jephyr - The Mule-Skinner 1899 Photo Of A Mule-Skinner

Inviting My Mom To Join Me For A High Country Trek

Our Adventure Begins

The Sky Begins To Look More Ominous

Looking For An Orange Jeep In A Sea Of Yellow And Orange

Fear Begins To Set In

Mom's Question

Eureka!

Excellent And Funny Short Animation: Carpark

Funny Short Animation: Carpark

My VERY Strange Dream About Joe Biden Crashing Sports Car Into Home

My Weird Dream - Joe Biden Crashes His Car Into Home:

Joe Biden Offers Me A Ride

Joe Biden Wrecks His Car Into Home

My Dream Interpretation

* Joe Biden's Numerous Public Gaffes

A Small Sampling Of Biden's Blunders And Flubs:

Biden Has Been Aggressive, Argumentative, and Foul Mouthed During His Campaign

Joe Biden Confused His Wife And Sister During Campaign Speech

Joe Biden's Cringe Worthy Story About His Hairy Legs And Enjoying Kids Jumping On His Lap

Biden Mangles His Own Name - Calls Himself an 'Obiden Bama' Democrat

Biden Fabricated A Story About Being Arrested In South Africa

A Life Update And An AWESOME Song!

Music Below: New York based Gospel/Americana group, Ollabelle - 'Gentle Annie'

* Bekymmer is the Swedish word for 'troubles, worries, concerns, etc'

"'Gentle Annie' is an early American Parlor song which was written by Stephen Foster in 1856.

Gentle Annie - Lyrics

Oscar Winning ~ VERY Moving Short Film - Father and Daughter

Digial Paintings From the Archive - Last Group

Still MORE Digial Paintings From the Archive

More Digital Paintings From The Archive

A Few Digital Paintings From The Archive

WOW Animation! Steve Cutts - The Turning Point

Annie - Animation Short Film - GOBELINS

Merry Christmas! Carols From The Petersen Family (Live)

Beautiful And Moving 'Christmas Story' Video/Animation

$120K Banana & $45K Gummy Bear! But Is THIS Art?

Pastel Pencil Drawing And Its Original Sketch Concept

Pastel Pencil Drawing And Its Original Sketch Concept

"Jerry Employs The Ol' Footwedge."

Excellent Video: The Making Of The Animation "TheTale"

Two New Sketchbook Pastel Pencils

Outstanding Short Animation: X-STORY - Vitaliy Shushko

New Artwork: Pastel Pencils And A Regular Ol' Pencil Sketch

New Artwork Soon - Until Then An AWESOME VERY Short Animation - EVE!

Jephyr - The Mule-Skinner

1899 Photo Of A Mule-Skinner