So, if you have been reading my blog at all for the past few months, then you know that I have been dealing with problems with my family. My parents are in the middle of a divorce and my mom has been struggling with a lot for the past few months. She was really delving into alcoholism and she had sunk into deep depression.

I am glad report that she has made a complete turn around. It has been a long time coming (or at least it feels like it), but God has really reached out to my Mom and she is now listening. She is getting back into shape, she has stopped drinking, and she is really making an effort to get her life back together. She has started going to church again and she is really making an effort to make the right decisions and to get back with God.

This is an answered prayer that we have been seeking for the past… oh… five or six years now. I just fell that sense I had done such a good job bashing my Mom here, that I should share about how she has changed.

Thank you to all who have been praying about this. I don’t really think that many people read this (like two people), but thank you for your prayers.

Matt

I had to do a book cover for my typography class the other day. I found some new brushes for Photoshop, so I used them on the design. I’m kind of happy with it, though it still feels too symmetrical to me.

Here is a link to the design: Book Cover

So, we are doing watercolors in one of my classes, so I got to go spend money on watercolor paints today. I always love going to Sarnoff’s Art Supplies. Every time I go in there I feel like a kid in a toy store. Sadly, I always spend more money then I should in there.

Anyway, back to my story. I got home and decided to have a stab at using my newly acquired supplies, so I broke out my brushes and my paints and the paint mixing tray and the watercolor paper and everything. I have to say, painting is a lot more involved than regular drawing when it comes to the stuff you need. So I get it all out and set up and I start playing around. I had never used watercolors before, so I decided to first test my different brushes to see what kind of strokes I could get. I also tried laying down paint and then drawing it out to make different washes and gradients. Suffices to say I was getting an idea of it. So I started working out a sort of cactus shape, then started to build on it within an hour or so I had what you see above. It links to a bigger picture, though not the original.

I am pretty proud of it. I know it’s nothing to gawk at, but still, for a first attempt I have to say I am pleased. I will be trying more stuff in the near future. I am going to try doing some character colorings, as I have seen this done by other people and liked the effect the color had on the overall feel.