Christmas cheer

there was a blizzard on my coffee table :)

I.R.S. - the blog

So from now on, baby pictures will be posted over at hellorufio.blogspot.com.

Isaac Rufus Smith - born October 16 at 9:35pm

dots

red flowers

The City
(David Ignatow)

If flowers want to grow

right out of concrete sidewalk cracks

I'm going to bend down and smell them.

[souls]

The quote is from Catherine Earnshaw in  Chapter IX  of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, and it is actually "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and Linton's is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire." So i took artistic license and changed it a bit ;) 

We know it’s love that keeps a love secure,

And only by love of love can love endure,

For self’s a killer, reckless of the cost,

And loves of lilactime unloved are lost.

We build our altar, then, to love and keep

The holy flame alight and never sleep:

This darling love shall deepen year by year,

And dearer shall we grow who are so dear.

........

This splendour is upon us, high and pure

As heaven: and we swear it shall endure: 

Swear fortitude for pain and faith for tears

To hold our shining barrier down the years.

- from The Shining Barrier by Sheldon Vanauken 

messing about

cartoons are art

jeremy does brilliant law review work.
i daydream about watching cartoons with our chil'ens.

the sharpie pens (fine tipped) are wonderful on watercolor paper.
happiness.

[hey little hurricane]

(shhh, don't tell isaac he's still just a tropical storm)

hey little hurricane
you're vaulting, somersaulting,
and messing about
in your secret hideout.

nobody knows how big you'll be
nobody's radar can just quite see
how fierce and how fun
you'll be when you come
or what damage you'll do
when you grow to be two

hey little hurricane
for now you're still forming,
so kicking and storming
on your own is just fine.
but soon you'll be mine
to spin with and sing and
explore everything -
hurry up and make landfall already!

-jcs-

of water & blossoms

While J. studies, I paint!

playing in picasa

pixel effect, picasa

pencil sketch effect, picasa

 Using watercolors, paper, and some brushes from wal-mart, I copied the above picture, "Cherry Blossoms," from pineapplebaystudio for my own enjoyment. No copyright infringement intended.

fun with socks (and rice)

inspired by "how to make a teddy bear from a sock" 

O, Church, come stand in the LIGHT

"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other." - Galatians 5:13-15

"In an attempt to hinder, if not altogether halt, the next move of God, Satan has sent forth an army of faultfinding demons against the church. The purpose of this assault is to entice the body of Christ away from the perfections of Jesus and onto the imperfections of one another." - Francis Frangipane

"Now the question is, 'Shall we have a great and mighty harvest, or shall we go on discussing our differences?'"- D.L. Moody

The cry goes up

across the nations;

wedding music 

shakes the hills.

"The feast is ready!

Come be merry."

All the world with gladness thrills.

This, O Church, is quickly coming,

we preparation now must make.

Alert and ready may He find us

clothed in His glory, adorned, awake.

-jcs-

Chocolate & Raspberry Fun

Step 1: Pull off the side of the road and fill whatever containers you happen to have on hand with wild raspberries.

Step 2: Mix a dollop or two of Greek yogurt with a couple spoonfuls of powdered sugar. Add a heaping handful of coconut. Form into little balls and put them on crackers. Put on parchment paper/cookie sheet.

Step 3: Melt some Ghirardelli baking chocolate (microwave on half power for 2 min; stir.)

Step 4: Spoon melted chocolate onto coconut balls. Realize you have lots of extra chocolate. Go to the pantry, get peanuts, pretzels, and peanut butter. Go crazy - cover everything in chocolate.

Step 5: Refrigerate until hardened. Then eat.

Not exactly Rembrandt

Came across some beautiful nursery art by Kit Chase (here at etsy). Inspired, i got out my watercolors & copied these cute little elephants. I had a marvelous time and now have some baby-friendly artwork.

his little tail just kills me.

aren't elephants CUTE???

Just to be clear, I painted these to hang in my own home for my own enjoyment and intend no copyright infringement whatsoever.

current life mottos

yo quiero

More of Fedor van der Valk's String Gardens