August 29

Well I guess today is the end of a political era, All of Joe Kennedy's kids are now dead. No more immediate clan in politics. One of Ted's kids is a senator so that part goes on.

I watched the mass, I was heartened that the Gospel was mentioned a number of times. "Those who were there did hear it. They could be saved if they wern't already, and they open their hearts.

Added watercolor paper, white drawing paper and brown wrapping paper and some of my home made paper to the collage I started yesterday. Also added some fast food wrappers , Taco Bell and MacDonald's. as well as ink, and acrylic paint. I have a few more layers to go. Got it going will see how it comes out later. Will post when I get that far. Found a new wrapper yesterday. Freddy's Frozen Custard hamburger wrappers are almost totaly transparent except for the thin red print that makes of the company design, will be interesting.

The Village Inn here in town closed last year I think. A new Denny resturant is being put in its place. I'm excited. It opens soon.

August 28

It seems like only yesterday that I told myself that it eas almost the end of May. Now it's almost Septemnber. Time marches on, with or with out us, Theoretivcal matarticians bow say that Time will not end but just keep going.

Started a new collage. no show in mind just to do it.

August 27

Today is Bible Class. I am taking my turn by leading the class. My topic for study is three of the miracles of Jesus. the first, the last and truly an act of God. I want to look at the miracles and why they were done and the cases of a miracle with in a miracle, multiple events.All the work of the Lord. Nothing simple here.

People it would seem want to get away from believing in God. They think there belief is a weakness, forgetting that even it is a gift of God. If this is the case why do they keep trying to come up with explanations of his power, bringing it down to there level. Pharaoh's magicians matched wonders with Moses until God's power ingulphed theirs. When is a miracle just a miracle and when does it become an act of God?

Started a few more pieces today, We almost have red framed for the show next week. Life goes on and then we die. Working from a different angel. add the collage , start the detail then add some more we will see how it goes.

August 24

jimkamprath.org will be down for a while I want to make some changes

red collage 20.2
22" x 36" Mixed Media: Watercolor, Acrylic, ink,
graphite and collage on paper
2009

On the rocks 1.0

22" x 36" Mixed Media:Watercolor, Acrylic, ink,
graphite and collage on paper

2009

Well its almost finished, thought I would show off what I had gotten finished. "On the rocks" Is a larger format Mixed Media Piece done with Watercolor Acrylic, Ink, Graphite and collage. Of course this piece is subject to change. I also made some changes to Red collage 20.2 above.

August 22

Almost finished with the new larger collage which will be called"on the rocks" hat is neither an inference to the use of ice in a drink or the fail of an relation ship but rather a referal to exactly that on the rocks. Hopefully I will get to post it here soon.

Finished updating the "jimkamprath.com" website, added some commentary for the last two new works pieces[about time]. As well as fixing a few links.Also re loaded "jimkamprath.org " which is about to get a major overhaul. Can't deside if I should combine all the work onto one site, it be half the work eventually.

August 21

It looks like any other day . But special something will happen today to make it wonderful. Almost finished my Bible Study for next week. I am still working on a new larger Mixed media piece. Will see how that goes, Maybe start something new.I have a itching to get back into a crayon piece and see if I can stretch the limit a bit.

Went to see District 9 the power of the little guy to help an alien stranded on earth for twenty years. Good story, convuluted plot . Helps you to see some of our fault way to plainly. Too often we get protecting our selves all wrong and sprnt to much energy trying to get rid of the "bad guy" Before really getting to understand their plight. Excellent story great visuals, a bit bloody bot all in all a great view.

August 20

With each new dawn a new feeling of joy in knowing that God does surely bless us and gives us all we need to sustain this body and life. I am fine after the hospital ordeal yesterday and can with a great deal of angst say I felt nothing. I now have to catch up on all I had to put off untill today. But at least there that option open to me. What me worry!

It often is not enough to simply want God to help us. We must initiate the contacy by going to him in prayer. in this his world we can do little. "He has given us the power to reject him and his word. Only through him can we accept him and believe. He is after all our God , would you expect less. Only through our contact with him can we effectively communicate. It is Gods wish that we all come to salvation through His son. This is a way for us to come to him. We often think that we must initiate the contact. I n this case we actually can we can come to God through our prayers. If we must wait for an answer it will come in His time. When he is ready, Not necessarily when we are.

August 19

Off to the Hospital this morning too get my cervical steroid injection to help correct the numbness an tingling in my right leg and arm. Some trepidation maybe even gear but I am a child of God and really have nothing to gear. He will guide the doctors hand.

August 18

When you don't know you have missed something, is it really missed? This I had to ask my self and the answer is yes. I didn't know how much I was missing until this morning when I listened to my stereo and in the past if I was working I often thought that the left speakers were going out and come to find out that it was mt ears. Now I can easily distinguish the stereophonic sound it separation and timber which I have ordinarily missed for some time. Itg is truly a wonder. I can now hear the voices on the TV as if I were there. No longer a mute confusion

August 17

Today start with air still too warm, I believe we are now at 50 days with temperatures in the triple digits. It is supposed to be the same today.

I get my hearing aids today. Guess what medical Insurance doesn't cover.

Continuing to work on another larger acrylic, watercolor collage piece. still consumed by the awe inspiring nature around us. Thinking anbout a water falling scene with the emphasis on the structure of the rocks. Still really concerned about the texture. The balance between surfaces and their cohesion is what I strive for

August 16

Spent an enjoyable day with my brother and wife and his friend and wife as well as the two of us and mom. Watched golf and an old John Wayne Movie

[Rio Bravo]

Tomorrow I must get my hearing aids[2], and Wednesday I get a a steroid injection in my spinal colum to see if the can clear up my cervical vertebrae problem if it doesn't, then they we will have to resort to spinal surgery.

Well, with that in mind I will work on my art today Started another large mixed media collage, and have an idea for a painting.

August 11

Red Collage No. 20.1
21" x 32" Mixed Media: Acrylic, Watercolor,
ink, graphite and collage on paper
$500.00 2009

Cloudy Building blocks collage No. 19.1
15" x 20" Mixed Media: Acrylic,
watercolor, ink, graphite and collage
$350.00 2009

I have finally or at least for now have re finished the two I posted a few days ago. So I feel relaxed a bit so I decided to star another before the feeling of uphoria dissipates and I return to today.I also updated my website for my painting.

August 10

Spent the day working on my two new collage pieces, the ones I posted two days ago as finished. Well I have the almost refinished them and will post then as soon as I am satisfied with what I see. It is remarkable that you can feel like something is finished but then you change your mind. So we will see what tomorrow brings.

August 9

As with everything else in life things tend to change, "The two pieces posted yesterday are at this moment changing and the new version will be posted when complete. Probabily tomorrow. Not today. This week is the opening of District 9 sounds really good, if you like space alien movies, more when I've seen it.

August 8

Red Collage No. 20
20" x 33" Mixed Media: Acrylic,
Watercolor, ink and collage on paper
2009

Cloudy Building Block Collage No.19
15" x 18" Mixed Media: Acrylic,
Watercolor, ink and collage on paper
2009

I finished red collage No. 20 and Building Block collage 19. I will post here. It am alwys amazwed at the feeling of completion when I finish a new piece. These wsere strenuous, tedious and compelling. It really becomes more and more didfficult to get the composition correct, then after that most everything falls into place. These are both in the fast food collage series. I am really pleased with the results of both of these as well as the previous four pieces the ones hanging in Seaguin and New Braunfels. The red collage will be entered into the Red Show ay New Braunfels Art League at the end of this month. Cloudy Building Block will be held back until a layer date to be entered

August 7

We have now had 41day with triple digit temperatures. Today is another day in which Obama proves that he is not presidential caliber.His Health plan is to get rid of older cars regardless if they are still useful.

Kind of like the Health program, I have never heard a politian talk openly about the getting rid of old folks to save money even if they are still useful. Who is going to make that call? Now that they are aborting cars even if they are still useful, soon children under 2 that are not useful or wanted, that besides using abortion as a method of birth control. Car companies that don't make the cars they like are expunged. Executives that fly to meetings in their corporate jets ridiculed. But the congress can spend 200 million on three corporate jets for the congress to fly around.

On my Art: I have Almost finished my larger format Collage for the red show at NBAL, will try to post it later today. Since I'm litteraly on a roll I started another to keep me occupied. Also cut up some drawing paper. Will try to get the paper flat from is rolled up state. To get paper to be flat you have to stretch it I will attempt to get this done today.

August 5

The Lord has brought us another day to praise him. A day in which we can choose to deliver up tp him our best or continue on the path of unrighteousness. Since all that we are, is what we can offer and that is enough. To try to be the best we can. It is in the doing. We cannot divorce our selves from our own actions.When we strive to create we do so with the understanding that this is us, we do what we can. We do not create the flower we show how we see the flower through our own eyes. God is an was an will always be the creator. We mimic what we see. If we do it well, then someone may take a fancy to it. We do not create, we can only imitate what we see and make a variation of that visual memory.

August 4

Updated the websites mostly house keeping, Drawing had to have the menu changed and there were a few hyperlinks broken all restored to working order and continue to work on a number of pieces. Finding a lack of intensity in my pieces and am needing to work on getting more dark and light contrast to balance the composition.

I am working on a larger watercolor, acrylic and collage for the red show coming up next month. Also on a portrait watercolor, its been the seventies since I have worked figurative. Thought I would also re-visit that. I also have to enter a few watercolor pictures on the log, blog and websites.

August 3

I received an honorable mention for my watercolor, acrylic and collage piece" Prelude in C# Minor" at the Seguin Oakwood Fantasy Art show. yesterday. It is gratifying that some one else sees that my work is well done. Just enough to keep you going.

August 2

Working on my bigger Watercolor, acrylic collage. Still tying to get my grass land the way I would like it to look or think it should look, Translating from memories at time difficult. Since a great deal of ones personal Art relies on a sense of hand, eye coordination. With practice it gets there but not often easily, and even less often the way you want it.

So much of Art today is a popularity contest. Long gone is the day when Art is judged on its merits alone, not on the personality of the Artist..

Trying to keep my constant reliance to time at bay. I can only work so much and that is usually in the morning. I don't like dwelling on the passage of time, but we can't help it we are wired to be that way. The more we dwell on that passage we inevitably realize that it will run out and then what ever is un done will stay thst way.

Even in the Bible they talked about time but tha was more based on God and his using time to make comparisons od whathas or will happen.

The new piece, another fragmented landscape based on my visual memories of the Texas Hill Country is mostly green with a base in red and collage. I try to work on these pieces with a beginning not in a drawing but with collage lately I try to work first on a general design based on the placement of my collage pieces. These elements rtghen azre the contrivance weith which I build my piece, to slowly construct a visual design as a jump off spot.

Since I use fastfood wrappers for a lot of the design base, the layers of color are based on these wrappers and there built in qualities. It is some tines hard to wok. untill you get all of the extraneous food off them, well I could leave it as added texture.. They are mostly yellow and orange with some red and black.

Walmart sells plaid acrtlics which I use becaue of their nature and they are an easy flowing and have smooth consisteny and they are flat or matte. They are also semitransparent so I can get a lot of my glazing overtones with these paints.

For all practical purposes I have stopped using water as a thinning medium it tends to break down the pigment characteristics, So, I use an acrylic medium because it is of the same characteristics as the paint. I also use that sane medium with the colors I have mixed with watercolor this changing them to acrylic.