EARTH EYES ART

The History and Future of Nature

2012-01-09T17:00:00.000-08:00

This is the first piece that I have used fluorescent light, but honestly it is weird that it didn't come sooner. From the first times I began considering artificial light, it was fluorescent light that was catching my eye.

(also, thanks to spell check, this the first time I am seeing that fluorescent is spelled with the "u" before the "o"-- it seems the spelling of fluorescent is just as intriguing as the light source itself.)

I think the reason fluorescent lights caught my interest is because they were such a stark contrast to the plants they were illuminating at night. Incandescent light bulbs have become beautiful to us today and they are often used for trendy decoration--they are sort of vintage to us. But fluorescent light sources are still new and only seen in a industrial/utilitarian sense.

I wanted to point to these light sources as something more than just functional and industrial. Fluorescents vary so widely and do lots of interesting things in their color and shape. I find they are most interesting and beautiful in themselves when they begin to burn out. The bulb flickers different shades of purple, red, and yellow. I've also noticed some dying fluorescent bulbs that are emanating tones that match my own skin tones exactly--really intriguing.

This is the found pallet and branch when I first put them together. The pallet I found sticking out the top of a dumpster on my school's campus and the branch I found while camping in Idyllwild, CA.

The finished piece. I really love the contrast between the warm light coming from the lightbulbs and the cool light coming from the fluorescent tube.

The History and Future of Nature
found objects, acrylic paint
2011

For Sale $299
email me at leithj@msn.com if you are interested

Steve Project Featured In Biola University News!

2011-12-20T23:39:00.000-08:00

My latest project with Steve was featured in Biola's News! There is a link to the story on Biola's home page, and here is the direct link. A big thanks to Jessica Airey for putting this article together! It is so cool to see that people are excited about this project.

If would like to be involved with the project, and make an investment in Steve's life, you can buy a print here on eBay!

Landscape Improvisation

2011-12-18T18:23:00.000-08:00

The making of this piece began with the natural patterns on the found piece of plywood.

The dark spots that you see in sky were already on the board and I started by adding highlights and making them into clouds.

For this piece I wanted the unique features of the board to be the starting place. I was getting tired of planning and strategizing projects to death and felt the urge to just go and see what came of it. So I started by bringing out what I saw as cloud forms and progressed from there.

New Earth Prelude

24"x 32"

found wood, lightbulbs, branches, chalk, charcoal

SOLD

Child Soldier Portraits @ Invisible Children Benefit

2011-11-28T08:33:00.001-08:00

I was given the opportunity to do some live art at an invisible children benefit concert two weeks ago! It was called The One Event: A Music and Art Show Benefiting Invisible Children.

I knew I wanted to make artwork that was relevant to the cause, so I decided to draw portraits of Child Soldiers. For all pieces that were sold, 50% of the profits went back toward Invisible Children's cause.

Three out of the five pieces were done before the event and the other two were drawn live, so some people got to buy the piece they watched being drawn. Four out of five of the drawings sold, and the last image is still up for sale. If you would like to purchase it for a donation of $30 or more, please leave me a comment!

This is that "last image" I was talking about. Leave a comment if you would like to have it!

My Double, My Brother-- your music was awesome. You are the only ones I was able to pop in and listen to outside of the art room.

Thank you to all who helped make this event happen! Anahi Skidmore, Collin Mayjack, and Sterling Pounds you all were really good to partner with-- what an encouraging night!

Steve Portrait Auction Close

2011-11-26T23:51:00.001-08:00

Thank you so much to those who participated in this project! The original drawing has sold for $200.00 and several prints were sold along with that!

I am very excited to see what we will be able to do with the funds and i will be sure to keep those who participated up to date on how I am able to use them to come along side Steve. Thank you for helping me make an impact in the life of an individual.

If you would like to buy an archival print there is a limited amount left for $25. Last Call!

Click here to purchase a print as an investment in Steve's life.

Steve Portriat, Thanksgiving Auction

2011-11-13T22:16:00.001-08:00

Steve's Portrait is going up for a special kind of auction! It based around a is a Facebook Event, So click on the link to find out more!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=136752396432902

If you cannot access the event, please let me know.

tom cruise immortals movie trailer

Bottom of the Wellspring

2011-11-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

My fortune cookie said, "a chance meeting with a stranger will soon change your life." This is what came of it.

The New Earth:

2011-10-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

Everything, even man's fabrications, will be renewed.

All will be there in the end. What God has made will come to a celebratory integration with what we have made and all things will be refreshed.

New Earth

assemblage: plywood, branches, lightbulbs

$400

A Life Worth Looking At

2011-10-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

This is Steve. He lives in La Mirada behind some restaurants on Imperial Hwy. There is a vacant field adjacent to the restaurant's parking lot and at the far end of that field is a long, cinder block wall lined with overgrown shrubs and trees. At the right end of this overgrown wall sits a large storage container-- behind and around this spot is where Steve has been living for the past couple years.

How I even found this man is a miracle in itself. He is so hidden away and out of public sight that most of his life is spent alone, looking out into the field. The morning I found him was not at all routine for me-- after having breakfast with a friend at a local restaurant I noticed the field from the parking lot and decided to explore outside. I happened to notice him and his things as I was walking through the field and thought I should go over and talk to him.

I also thought that this would probably be a good opportunity to do a portrait of someone in need, like I've been wanting to do for years now.[read here] I was very hesitant to go over to him though-- a lot of doubts came up in my mind of my ability, the safety of the situation, the timing, lack of art supplies-- but I knew I had to put all that behind me and eventually I decided to go over and talk with him.

I walked back to my car, thinking about all this, grabbed some supplies to draw and began to make my way back to him. I decided to begin by first drawing this surrounding landscape and as I drew, I cautiously approached him. From far away, I could see that he was cloaked by the shadow of the low trees, along with his piles of things, and was sitting, settled against the wall and wide awake, but without an inch of movement.

I said hello, and as I got talking to him I learned that he has been camped there for over two years, just trying to survive and stay out of sight from the public or the police. He has been living a life of addiction and leisure over the years, and as a result his senses have deteriorated along with his physical health.

I looked behind me and told him that I loved the place he had chosen to settle down. I showed Steve the landscape drawing that I had started and told him that as I was drawing and admiring the space I couldn't help but notice him. I asked if I could sit with him and draw his portrait next to the landscape I had started, as he seemed so connected to the place.

He agreed, invited me to come sit next to him, and we sat and talked together for about an hour as I drew his portrait.

[contd. below...]

Steve & The Land

8"x 10"

graphite on paper

$75.00

Steve is in somewhat of a hole now, and I know he will not be able to improve his situation, materially or spiritually, without someone coming along side of him. On a basic physical level, he kept on talking about how cold the nights were as the winter was approaching and mentioned his need for a blanket. On a spiritual level, I think he needs community and reorientation.

I am putting this drawing up for sale here on my blog for any one of you readers to buy. I am going to use the money to continue to come alongside Steve in his material and spiritual poverty.

Originaldrawing…..$75.00

Archivalprint………$30.00

25% of yourpurchase will be invested in

· materials and time necessary to perpetuate theproject.

75% of your purchase will be invested in:

--Steve’s physicalneeds--

· purchasing a good blanket

· purchasing a meal upon visits

--Steve’s spiritual needs--

· supplementing the costs of transportation necessary tomeet with Steve regularly

· continuing to take time with Steve, and work towardsgetting him rehabilitated through the Orange County Rescue Mission so he canget his life back on track.

Yourpurchase of this drawing is not only investing in a meaningful piece of art,you are also investing in Steve's hope for a better life.

If you would like to investin a drawing, or have any questions, please contact:

JasonLeith, Fine Artist

Cell:(949) 680-6741

Email:leithj@msn.com

Assembling Nature and Non-Nature

2011-10-04T16:54:00.000-07:00

I was walking home from the grocery store last year, it was about 9pm and the only lights shining were from the windows of the stores and from the bright light posts scattered throughout the parking lot. In the middle of the vast parking lot stood two tall deciduous trees that reached up to the height of nearby towering light posts. The small rectangular planters throughout the parking lot housed these grown trees and most of them were apart from the light posts. But there were a few trees at the back of the lot that were directly underneath two of the posts. Two trees stood directly beneath the stark white light of two light posts.

My first thought was, "Wow, that is ugly." and my second thought was, "How are those trees supposed to get any sleep with these lights shining over them all night, every night? That seems very unnatural." The trees were trapped in a world of constant light-- even in the middle night they are exposed to a light in such close proximity that it illuminates parts of the leaves and trunk even brighter than the sun.

The image sunk into my memory and I thought more about how this kind of thing would've never happened before the 20th century. It is an odd happening and somewhat new happening in our world that we would be able to see trees so brightly through the night. Everywhere we walk, especially in more developed parts of the world we see plants and trees illuminated by our queerly-shaped electric light sources.

It was only a few short moments before I moved towards thinking, "In an odd kind of way, that is actually quite beautiful." I liked how it was relatively new to see this kind of anomaly in our culture. I liked seeing that our invention, the light bulb, was coming into such close contact with God's invention, the tree, and letting us see its leaves and branches in an interesting and new way after hundreds of thousands of years.

I began to see this relationship of lights and trees more and more in daily life, and soon began responding to it in my artwork. I made a painting and a few drawings, but this is the first work that really made me excited about the concept. It is an "assemblage" of found plywood, store bought light bulbs, and found branches.

Look Where These Ended Up!

2011-08-17T09:00:00.001-07:00

Southlands Church, in Brea, CA

These amazing wooden pieces have been hanging on the walls of my church for a few years now and I have been thinking about how perfectly the paintings fit in there since I made them last year! Finally last week I made things happen and got them hung up! It was made to be.

A Chalk Work In Progress

2011-07-29T22:48:00.000-07:00

This is a work in progress using chalk on an old piece of plywood. The wood is torn at the edges and the overall texture creates impressionistic pattern for the chalk that is reminiscent of Van Gogh. I love this wood.

Memory vs. Observation

2011-07-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

I have been working on this project from some time now. It is all about comparing and contrasting my ability to draw someone purely from my imagination and my ability to draw them by direct observation.

I have always been self-conscious of the fact that I cannot draw very well without looking at the thing it is I am trying to draw. It was hard to do, but this project fully exposes this deficiency I think I have-- leaving it out in the open to critique and comment on.

Girlfriend

Is the mind deficient in its ability to remember a face and translate it back onto paper?

Dad

Which portrait is more compelling: the memory portrait or the observed portrait?

Friend

What does it mean that I cannot accurately depict the people that I know and love the most?

Sister

If an artist cannot draw well from his/her imagination, are they a bad artist?

Brother

Re-Classification Tree :)

2011-07-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

You may have seen in a previous post of mine, that I did some study drawings of an odd object that I found by a railroad. Well, i have taken that same object and done another project that is quite unlike anything I have ever done before and i really like the result.

I took a risk in putting humor into this project, which I normally don't do. But, if you know me, you might think that i would put humor into my art more often. I think the reason that I don't is because of all the pressures of being an artist in an academic setting-- I feel like it calls for a serious depth and I tend towards themes that are more profound, with layers of meaning. For some reason, when I think of profundity, especially in academia, I leave humor out of the picture.

Here I decided to just take a break, quit trying to be so serious and just enjoyed drawing. It was freeing and fun.

On this 6 feet of paper, I started at the bottom, drawing the entire object, and I slowly dissected it, drawing each of its smaller parts until it was broken down into the smallest parts I could draw.

With each of the individual parts I would take a minute to look at them and I began labeling them as I saw fit. Since I really didn't know what any of them were, I just made them into what I saw them to be.

If it looked like a cat, i labeled it "cat". If it looked like conjoined owl triplets, then I labeled it "conjoined owl triplets". Was it fun? Yup.

I took some good time on each of the drawings, but I did not bog myself down with trying to make them full of meaning. I just did what I love-- made good drawings, and made corny/dry comments underneath each one.

The Critique of this drawing was actually really enjoyable. The whole class was having a great time commenting and zooming in on each detailed piece on the paper. There were lots of laughs and there was more energy in the room than any other piece I have done.

Left, Breathless. . . . Reflections

2011-06-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

So the show at Alegria went really well-- Lots of friends, lots of family, and a few new people came too. It was a treat just to see everyone at the same time and be in a room full of top-notch art.

I really enjoyed putting the show together and i could definitely see myself curating more shows in the future. I have always absolutely loved just going into galleries and admiring the art, so to be the one choosing the art, meditating on it as a group, and deciding how it all would come together in the gallery was a joy.

In art-making, I love bringing all the elements together, composing something beautiful, and then brushing away all the scraps and excess away at the end. The curating process is similar in that you begin with many elements, all unorganized and floating around in your head and you somehow bring everything together in the gallery space and begin to refine it all in the installment process-- organizing, nailing, painting, constructing, and arranging.

Then eventually, all the to-do lists are crossed off, all the decisions are made and locked in, all the difficulties are in the past, and all the directions that the show could have gone have faded and the final vision has become a reality. You put all your tools away, all the unneeded pedestals, all the left over nails, sweep the floors, adjust the lights, and you are left with a whole new space, a space worthy of being called an art piece itself.

Christine Fuchs, Co-Curator (+gf ;)

One thing that has come to my attention though is the overall atmosphere of an art opening--what is the purpose of an opening? Is it simply to look and meditate on the newly installed art? Is it to socialize, meet people, and have a good time in a gallery setting? Is the opening about the art or is it about the people? For me it is always a dilemma figuring out weather i am at an art opening to socialize or to spend time with the art. I want to catch up with the people there and meet new people, but i also really want to take time to take a deep dive into the art for myself and a crowded room is not always the best for that.

So, I will be thinking a lot about the purpose of an art opening for the future, especially as I begin more curatorial work. This experience has set me on a new path of thinking, asking questions like, what is the goal/purpose of this opening or any opening? What kind atmosphere am I intending for this event? What is the main focus and activity during this time and how do I make that happen?

The show at Alegria was truly wonderful and it made me very happy to have the opportunity to bring it all together with Christine. I really hope to do more of this kind of work in the future and I will definitely continue to formulate my thinking, starting with the questions above, in this new and exiting work.

Thank you Paul Hebblethwaite for offering the opportunity to put this show together, and thank you Salvation Army Alegria for your wonderful facility and for all the work that you do in the lives of the residents there. I truly hope to work with you lots more in the future.

Study Drawings of an Odd Object

2011-06-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

Renaissance man Leonardo DaVinci used to draw as a means to acquaint himself with objects or systems he was unfamiliar with. His drawings were brilliant and beautiful and i am sure that he learned a great deal from the process as well. As he imagined complex contraptions and learned about intricate systems he would always use drawing as an aid.

Drawing for a Flying Machine

Study of the bone structure of the human arm.

These next drawings were studies of an odd piece of technology I found in a junk yard and they remind me of DaVinci's study drawings. It was a great way to wrap my mind around its structure and also to improve my own hand at drawing.

Left, Breathless. Show Opening this Saturday!

2011-05-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

My wonderful girlfriend and I are curating a show in LA this week for Art and Shelter! I am learning so much, as this is the first show I have ever curated, so it is really crazy and really good.

The show will be held at Alegria, which is a community of support for homeless families affected by HIV/AIDS. This community is run by the Salvation Army and is a big advocate of the arts, so they have art shows and programs running year around for the residents.

The show is this Saturday night, May 21st, (judgment day, haha). So, instead of sitting at home and contemplating the end of the world, come see the night through and enjoy some art in the city with friends and see what Alegria is all about!

Here are some links you're gunna want to click on:

Event page on facebook

Show info on Art Slant

The opening is Saturday May 21, 6 pm--8 pm

@ 2737 W Sunset Blvd LA, CA 90026

Do you like me?

2011-04-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

Then like me! . . . On Facebook!

New Page for J. Leith Art on Facebook

great times guaranteed.

Place of Mind, A Meditation.

2011-04-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

I assembled this little cabinet of curiosities earlier this year. It involved lots of time thinking about the commonality and relation of these objects.

Assembling found objects is a unique way to find new and profound meaning in normal objects; it is a form of art that I have been able to leave more open-ended, responding to the process as things come together. I have recently been asking more questions with the things I make rather than making statements.

Place of Mind, A Meditation

Contact: Leithj@msn.com if interested in purchase

Work.

2011-04-17T02:42:00.000-07:00

This project started out as a collage and turned into more of an assemblage-- and I'm glad that it did. Many assemblage artists speak of redeeming the used, old, tattered object they are using into new life and new meaning. I really love how that concept comes through in this corner of the art world. There is nothing better that taking what was going to be thrown away or decompose on the ground and making it into something worth looking at and thinking about.

Work

assemblage/collage

18"x 24"

$200

If you are interested in purchasing this piece, half of your money will be donated towards my sister Shannon's trip to the Czech Republic and the other half I would use towards making more art. While in the Czech Republic, Shannon is hoping to teach her Seeing class to the kids there. I imagine it would be pretty life-changing both for my sister and for the kids that may get the opportunity to be a part of such a life-changing class.

Plastic, Bright, Heat

2011-04-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been very interested in the interaction between the natural and artificial, which a lot of the time ends up being the interaction between beauty and ugliness. I am finding that when the beautiful and the ugly come together, it creates a new form of beauty-- one that is much more intriguing to me. Plastic wrap, after all is not beautiful, it is an industrious item to preserve left overs. but when it is tightly wrapped around the natural form of a tree, something new comes of it and it is redeemed. I also really wanted the lights to be a part of the piece, not just the lighting for it. The artificial lights also play a part in the battle between beauty and ugliness.

Plastic, Bright, Heat

tree branches, flood lights, plastic wrap

installation

My Learnings and Top Images from SEEING

2011-03-22T02:12:00.000-07:00

I have always received encouraging comments about my creativity and vision as an artist, but I don't think I have ever fully believed in those comments myself. Going through the class helped me to perceive the value and creativity in my own images, simply by recognizing aesthetic I have always had and embracing it. The class gave me the space to evaluate my motives for capturing the images I did and encouraged me to step outside of myself and realize the uniqueness of those motives and images.

The problem for me, and many other artists, was the difficulty in seeing my own aesthetic in a positive light because I have lived with it my whole life, gotten used to it, and eventually I demoted it because my unique vision no longer seemed special after so many years of living with it.

My creative soul was then left with a void, searching for the freedom of creativity that was there as a kid. The solution, then, was to locate that natural vision, dig it back out of the hole I buried it in, brush it off, and reinstall it back into my creative soul.

Here are the images I am most proud of that emerged from the process of this thinking:

Thank so much Shannon!
http://shannonleith.com/seeing

BNSF Climb

2011-03-17T23:06:00.000-07:00

“BNSF Climb”

marker on velum

24”x 36”

The proud owner of this drawing is now my brother, Carson Leith, because of his love for trains.

Blue and Orange Trash, FInished Piece

2011-03-17T23:01:00.000-07:00

African Soccer Balls and Plato

2011-03-09T14:44:00.000-08:00

Drawn well, objectively

drawn with an anger towards the objects.

Twisting and distorting the objects, like Gumby--

Fabric soccer ball and Plato have apparently excluded Plastic bag soccer ball.

This was a nice warm up exercise I did the other night, it helped get my brain going and hands moving.

Blue and Orange Trash

2011-03-06T14:16:00.000-08:00

I went dumpster diving the other day in order to find materials for a new project. After a few minutes i realized that I didn't really know what i was looking for so I decided to narrow it down a little and ended up looking for trash that was either blue or orange.

This is what ended up with:

I will post the complete piece soon, it just needs a few more things...

Painting After Hopper

2011-02-19T01:30:00.000-08:00

I decided to culminate my recent studies of Edward Hopper by forging one of my favorite paintings by him. It was quite fun and i would say, in the most humble way possible, we have a similar painting stroke, so it worked out quite well.

SEEING Day 7: Morning Light

2011-02-04T23:45:00.000-08:00

SEEING Day 6: Left, Under the Sun

2011-01-28T17:19:00.000-08:00

SEEING Day 5: The Pit

2011-01-26T18:57:00.000-08:00

SEEING Day 4: Blank Panels & Artificial Essence

2011-01-25T06:03:00.000-08:00

SEEING Day 3: The Backyard

2011-01-24T14:52:00.000-08:00

And now for the bonus question:

First person to name the artist that would paint a scene like the picture above gets a dollar.

SEEING Day 2: Night at The House

2011-01-23T17:09:00.000-08:00

Seeing Day 1: Shutters

2011-01-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

100 photos a day for seven days. Here are the goods from day 1.
I guess I like shutters, eh?

My inner thoughts on day 1:
OK, look for something interesting... shutters! Now make sure shutter speed is right, snap the shutters. Oops, better bump up that shutter speed and close those shutters a bit more. OK, that shutter speed was perfect for shooting those shutters. Those shutters look cool too, but a lower shutter speed for these...

SEEING Group Session 1

2011-01-22T23:30:00.000-08:00

I found that this is not just a photography class for me. Yes, we will be using cameras as our main tool over the next few weeks, but the class's goal of "finding [our] own unique vision" seems to be able to extend into any artist's practice, weather it is video, graphic design, sculpture, or painting and drawing.

So even though i do not call myself a photographer, I am going to post my photographic journeys over the next few weeks and show you what i have been seeing. I must say, it is quite nice to be able to come up with one-hundred images in a day instead of just one or one-half.

Here are some of the pictures i got from the first group session...

I think that doing a good amount of this fast-paced image making for a time is going to give me a new eye for when I sit down behind the easel and dive into some slower drawings and paintings.

Edward Hopper's Geometric Light

2011-01-14T18:54:00.000-08:00

Mr. Edward Hopper paints light not simply because it makes physical objects visible, he paints the light as if were a physical object in and of itself. By focusing on light that is cast onto flat planes he exposes its ability to cut a space into parts, giving us room to contemplate the severance, but still unity, in a place of light and shadow.

Morning Sun, 1952

The composition of Hopper's paintings are achieved by the shapes of light just as much as the tangible objects and figures in the room. Many artists have drawn attention to the shape of cast shadows because they are commonly enveloped by light, but in using window frames as "light cookie-cutters", the cast light is unfamiliarly surrounded by shadow, and we realize it like never before.

Chair Car, 1965

Sun in an Empty Room, 1963

Summer in the City, 1932

I've found that Hopper's focus on interior spaces is what allows this distinct nuance of light to occur so frequently in his paintings. Because he is viewing the light from within a house or train or office, which are like dark boxes, the outside light is only let in through the small openings of the interior which translate onto surfaces as stunning geometric shapes.

Take this class!

2011-01-07T23:04:00.000-08:00

My sister, Shannon has a photography class going that is all about helping you to discover your unique vision-- and will be taking her next group of classes-- very excited. She says:

This is a photography class that takes a fresh approach. Through a seven week experience, learn how your eyes see light and how to tap into your own unique vision of the world. You will gain confidence in your vision as an artist through both group sessions and one-on-one mentoring.

THIS CLASS IS FOR YOU IF
you are fascinated by life
you want something deeper
you don't want surface answers
you want to tap into your creativity
you love culture, you love food!, you love art
you want to know more about how you're wired
you'd like to discover how your eyes uniquely see

Come take it with me!

shannonleith.com/seeing

Artificial Essence #2

2011-01-07T22:25:00.000-08:00

Artificial Essence no.2

Acrylic on Canvas

36"x 48"

Click here to see Artificial Essence no.1

Pattern Abstraction

2010-12-31T16:59:00.000-08:00

Here are three pieces from my painting II class: The first two were done by Amanda Rountree and Christine Fuchs and the last one by myself.

At the beginning of this project we learned that this movement, pattern abstraction, is led by female artists-- let me just say that I now have seen that first-hand and fully agree.

Amanda Rountree

Christine Fuchs

The Tree

2010-12-26T17:55:00.000-08:00

The Tree

oil on wood panels

36"x 54"

This triptych painting was first inspired by the early theologian, Irenaeus, who recognized how the tree works as a main player in two pivotal points of man's history: Eden's tree of knowledge is what first brought death to man as he ate of its fruit, but thousands of years later Irenaeus points out that the tree stand anew as a vehicle for man's redemption:

"And the transgression which occurred through the tree was undone by the obedience of the tree-- which was shown when the Son of Man, obeying God, was nailed to the tree..."

The fact that the tree played a main part in our death, and then, ages later, was used for our rebirth captivated me and with some additional research I soon found that the tree shows up again in Revelation, as it is foretold that at the end of earth's history it will bear twelve kinds of fruit through the year, and that its leaves will be leaves of healing, to heal the nations.

Knowing the unique way in which these three main accounts of scripture tell of the tree as such monumental moments in history set me off on an exciting path to unite these three parts of scripture, so that they could be mulled over as one image.

The left panel shows the garden in a desolate state after the fall with the dust and dirt around the tree emphasized as it is where man came from and also where he will go when he dies.

Running into the middle panel, the once dried up riverbed trickles with blood, giving it new life and bringing it to fullness. In this panel the seemingly desolate tree is beginning to yield new, lively spring buds.

The hands in the third panel hold a leaf from the tree of life which is said to heal the nations and the gates are now swung wide open, inviting man to a new life.

Here is how the painting started:

http://jasonleith.blogspot.com/2010/12/in-preparation.html

Here is a different take on this concept as a charcoal drawing

http://jasonleith.blogspot.com/2010/06/redemptive-history.html

And just below you will find an abstracted version of these ideas

Poured Painting

2010-12-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

This four foot painting was painted mainly by pouring diluted acrylic paint onto a canvas that is laid flat on the ground. It needs to be laid horizontal so that the paint has time to settle and dry without dripping off.

This painting is very symbolic for me-- it is all about how the three colors interact with one another and how they were applied and handled on the canvas.

Your History, My History

3'x 4'

acrylic on canvas
$150.00

In Preparation

2010-12-05T00:22:00.000-08:00

These are the boards I constructed for a big triptych painting recently. I will show you the finished piece as soon as I get it back, but I also just like these before they

Chris Anderson Demo

2010-11-23T23:25:00.000-08:00

a A New York based artist named Chris Anderson came into our class and did a materials demo for us, which we then responded to in our own ways. We did a lot with powdered graphite, pastel shavings, and other very unconventional materials. It was quite the experience.

This black and white painting below is one that she created for us in a about two minutes.

This is one of the quick pieces I made in response to what she showed us. Lots of pastel shavings, and plenty of gestural abstraction to go around.

Observational Abstraction (Pre-Color)

2010-11-17T14:50:00.000-08:00

This work was constructed simply by going outside and painting from the nature and architecture around me. I found forms and light patterns that interested me and integrated them together as cohesively and interestingly as possible.
In this particular painting I was looking at the architecture of a lunch table and also circles of light cast between tree shadows.

Observational Abstraction

2010-11-09T20:24:00.000-08:00

I am exploring form, color, and abstraction in my painting 2 class this year, which is very different from the last two years, learning mostly through the direct observation of still-life and models. That observational work was very objective, and now this abstract allows for more expression, more free choice.

So for a smooth transition between these two schools of painting, we began with observational abstraction, that is, abstract painting that is based on things we are directly looking at.

"Groundspace"

23"x 27"

Acrylic

Why I Paint Today

2010-11-05T03:10:00.000-07:00

After several classes, multiple readings, and a constant exposure to the postmodern art world it has recently been made clear to me that, yes, the practice of painting is nothing but a wallflower in today’s world of contemporary art scene. As a college student who is pursuing drawing and painting, and just coming to terms with this, I have recently been confronting some disheartening questions:

What is the point of continuing to paint and draw if it is said to be a dead practice?
Why don’t I pursue something more “useful” to the art world--something more progressive, like film or photography-- so that I may make a valuable contribution to the post-modern art conversation?
Within all of this advancing technology, does the pursuit of painting hold any significance?

In the past several months of thinking and clashing with these things I think I have come to some valuable conclusions.

When comes down to it the reason that I am choosing to pursue a life as a fine artist is that, firstly, I find joy in the physical act of drawing and painting, and secondly, I believe that medium relates with the soul in a unique way, unlike any other practice. I believe that as the artist and the subject situate themselves in front of each other a special relationship comes into play where both people, both souls, are very particularly exposed to one another. As the artist and model spend hours together, a relationship forms and there is a vital link between the two. No matter the amount of conversation, a unique sense of connection is born in this context.

And this dynamic is not limited to an artist-model relationship, it can also be seen when the artist stands before the natural world or even ordinary objects. Drawing and painting involves a drawn out stillness; time and patience are at their center. There is no immediate capturing of an image. Both the subject and the artist commune with each other for extended periods of a slow-paced creation environment.

I want to make art that serves on a personal level, not a global level-- art that changes the individual through personal relationship. My obligation is not to the progression of the fast paced art world I find myself in today, it is to find joy in the work that I pursue. In order to find joy in my work I must merge it with my strengths and character, and that, in turn, will also produce the most value.

If Calling is defined as what best utilizes your gifting while producing the most joy within your soul, then for me, using fine art to commune with others is just that. In how I am built and called, there is no better medium than painting— weather it is progressive in the contemporary art world or catches the eye of the critics is no matter. I want to use art on a person-to-person level, to bridge cultural differences, and to cross spiritual boundaries— to serve others to the best of my ability with most joyful spirit.

Orphan Boy Study #2 and #3

2010-07-31T14:36:00.000-07:00

What I am trying to go for in these studies is emotion. Not recognition. I want these portraits to be accessible to anyone-- to have their focus to be on the emotions of the boy, not exactly WHO he is. I more so want the types of marks drawn to communicate this emotion rather than the specifics of his wrinkled brow would.

Click HERE to see the first Orphan Boy study I did

--

I will be displaying a lot of my art at an residential event called Symbiosis 2010 tonight. You are more than welcome to come!

Aaron Smith

2010-07-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful artist! Smith is able to portray the light and shadow of his muddy rainbow of colors so well that the paintings look like relief sculptures coming off the canvas.

Susan Bennerstrom

2010-07-27T21:07:00.000-07:00

I love this artist. She really idealizes the forms and objects in front of her which makes her paintings very dream-like and quite feeling.

go to http://www.susanbennerstrom.com/index.php for more work!

Orphan Boy Study #1

2010-07-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

Artificial Essence

2010-07-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

This was my final piece for my summer figure painting class.

Five very cold nights from about 9pm-3am were required to finish it.
A big thank to Lucas for modeling for me!

Artificial Essence

20"x 30"

Oil

$150.00

Caprice

2010-07-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

This is Caprice

I included a picture of my actual view of her during the session, the painting in process.

"Caprice"

Oil

11"x 14"

Incase Art!

2010-07-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

My white laptop case gets pretty dirty, so I solved the problem by making art on it!

Now I just have to do the other side. Any ideas?

If you have a similar laptop case I would be glad to draw something on yours too, just let me know!

Restoration

2010-07-12T11:37:00.000-07:00

Every person that you see blind folded in the iris of this eye was part of an experiment, a performance art piece if you will. I set up a table at the entrance of Biola University's Cafe and challenged people to go through their whole meal blind folded, from the time they walked in the door to the time they walked back out.

This experience was to help people see (no pun intended) what life is like for a blind person. Even eating a meal becomes a completely different experience. So once they exited the Cafe, after experiencing being blind for about an hour, I took a picture of them. And these are the pictures you see here integrated into the final painting.

Restoration

mixed media

$60.00

B(l)ack Dress

2010-07-08T22:42:00.000-07:00

"B(l)ack Dress"

8"x 21"

guash

-SOLD-

Fall in Half Dome

2010-07-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

"Fall in Half Dome"

11"x14"

Chalk on Board

-$20.00-

Self Portrait after Rembrandt

2010-06-25T14:44:00.000-07:00

I did a self portrait a few weeks ago. For this one I took ques from Rembrandt's self portrait he did at age 22 with the light coming from behind and across the side of the face and the eyes hidden in shadow.

Here is my dimly lit work space

and process:

Self Portrait

16"x 20"

Oil

Hand and Bucket

2010-06-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

Hand and Bucket

12"x 12"

oil on board

Oldtime Baseball

2010-06-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

This was done from direct observation in one of my classes last fall

Oldtime Baseball

20"x 30"

Charcoal and Chalk

Redemptive History

2010-06-16T18:18:00.000-07:00

Redemptive History

Charcoal

24"x 32"

Genesis

And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." (2:16-17)

Galatians

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." (3:13)

Revelation

Down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. (22:2)

Clarification

2010-05-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

Some people have thought that my previous post titled "Roy G. Biv" was artwork actually done by an artist with that name.
But, that was just my attempt at being creative. ROYGBIV is an easy way to remember all the basic colors of the color spectrum: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet.
So yes, I did in fact paint it myself! I know it is not my usual style, but you should be ready for anything on this blog. Remember the Chameleon mask!? I really mean anything.

Roy G. Biv

2010-05-08T00:40:00.000-07:00

"Roy G. Biv"

24"x 24"

Oil Paint

Tearing of the Curtain

2010-04-23T22:16:00.000-07:00

"Tearing of the Curtain"

Oil

24"x 36"

5 Self Portraits

2010-04-05T01:41:00.000-07:00

Studying different directions of light across my face

New Charcoal Technique

2010-04-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

For this portrait I tried using more of a cross hatching technique instead of smudging and blending. I think it adds a lot more interest and precision to the drawing, which I am definitely not opposed to.

"American Native"

Charcoal

18"x 24"

Library Trees In Fall

2010-03-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

“Library Trees in Fall”

Oil Paint

18”x 24”

World Animals

2010-03-27T22:24:00.000-07:00

I did this at Biola's Poetry Lounge event this last week. I must say, I have a new love for spoken word now. I was to the side of the poets' stage just doing my thing and there was a graffiti artist doing his thing on the other side.
Let me tell you a little bit about this piece. Ever since I can remember I have always seen the continents in the shape of specific animal heads. I have always thought of Africa as a horse head, South America as an elephant head and Australia as a sheep head.
So I decided to make these ideas in my head come to life and I came up with ideas for the other continents too. I always just assumed that everyone else thought this way, but I recently discovered that not many people do, so I wanted to let these ideas out and let people get inside my head a little and see like I do.

"Continental"
Charcoal on World Map
16x28"

If you liked the last post, then you will like this.

2010-03-01T16:34:00.000-08:00

http://www.circasurvive.com/2010/02/23/blue-sky-noise-time-lapse/

Enjoy!

Amazing Album Cover

2010-02-20T15:49:00.000-08:00

This album cover, by Esao Andrews, is for the new Circa Survive album, "Blue Sky Noise". It could be my favorite album cover to date. I think it is. Still trying to figure out exactly what it means though. Feel free to leave an interpretive comment.

And Grandma, I am sorry if this image frightens you.

Brugge, Belgium

2010-02-16T21:02:00.000-08:00

Peter Paul Rubens

2010-02-08T22:45:00.000-08:00

So when I was in Antwerp (see pics from previous post) I had the wonderful opportunity of seeing the work of the famous Dutch painter Peter Paul Rubens. When we arrived in the Antwerp I soon found out that it was his home town where many of his original paintings and his house are still stationed!
The first thing we did was take a tour of his home which has number of his originals as well as his own collection of art. The house is actually more of a mansion because, unlike many other artists, he was very famous while he was still alive. There were no pictures allowed inside, only in the courtyards.

After this we went to the Cathedral in Antwerp where they had another special collection of his work. The paintings in this cathedral I have only seen in text books, so it was unbelievable to see them as 15 foot high murals instead of 2 inch thumbnails. I was so happy.

Raising of the Cross, 1611

Descent from the Cross, 1611

Lamentation of Christ, 1617

Antwerp

2010-01-31T01:35:00.000-08:00

Cathedral of Our Lady, in Antwerp

Pedestrian tunnel going under the Antwerp river

"Our Lady" Under Construction

Brussels, Belgium

2010-01-26T23:59:00.000-08:00

from our apt.

Favorite

The Atomium

Military Museum

it is believed that touching this sculpture will give you good fortune

Dante's Purgatory

2009-12-31T13:27:00.000-08:00

Last year I read all of Dante's books (Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise). He has a very interesting view on how things will work in the afterlife and I recently did a painting based off of the second book in the series, Purgatory.
The thing is, I really don't agree with Dante at all on his telling of Purgatory or even on the existence of Purgatory. The reason I wanted to paint scenes from Purgatory is because I wanted to communicate a message opposite of Dante's message.

(click to enlarge)

According to Dante, all men who wish to be in Paradise with God, must first act
against their sin with some kind of opposite action. Basically, Purgatory is a place that purges you of sin and throws you into the opposite direction of righteousness. Everyone pushes through certain hellish experiences that cause them to act opposite of their sinful ways. Once this process is complete, you are ready for Heaven.

Those who struggle with avarice, greed and wealth, on earth must lay down face to the ground in Purgatory. Because they loved the things of the earth they are forced to stare directly at the soil and contemplate that ground which they loved so dearly.

Those subject to wrath must walk through the thickest smoke having visions of wrath and its opposite action.

The Prideful walk up the mountain of Purgatory carrying boulders on their backs, forcing them to be low to the ground in a position of submissiveness, instead of in tall-standing position of pride.

The Envious have their eyes sewn shut so that they may not look at anything in envy.

Those attached to Lust on earth walk through fire that melts the skin.

The gluttons are starved.

The Slothful are now in a constant state of motion, forced to shout out examples of sloth and its contrary action.

This light in the top corner of the painting is the part that I put in apart from Dante, in order to show my view on the afterlife which is strictly based on what the Bible says. This light that shines down upon everyone is there to show that these actions and punishments are unneeded when we have Christ. Because we are not saved by works, we are saved by Faith in Christ.

In Romans 3:23-25 is says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.”

There is nothing that we can put our bodies through, no contrary action, no self-inflicted pain, and no righteous motion that can ever fully purify us of our evil nature. Our faith is the only thing that makes us ready to stand before God and live with him in Paradise. Christ’s glorious and pure light is the only thing that can save us and it is by faith in Him and His blood sacrifice that we are justified before God, and cleansed for an eternity in his presence.

Orange Cup

2009-12-28T15:34:00.001-08:00

Diamond Still Life

2009-12-27T16:35:00.000-08:00

This is a big painting I worked on throughout this last fall semester. I went crazy and turned my canvas on it's edge, composing the painting inside a diamond shape.

Inside College Drawers

2009-12-27T15:27:00.000-08:00

Here is a close look inside the lives of college students via their desk drawers. I assigned 9 different people to send me pictures of the top right drawer of their desk. Everybody who lives in the dorms at Biola University has a top right drawer on the provided desk, but every single one is so unique and really gives you a look into the persons life and personality. Here are the pictures that I got from people.

Bet you can't guess which one is mine! (Hint: it's not the first one)

I printed all of these pictures out on photo paper and placed them inside of actual emptied out Biola drawers and had a temporary showing of them in my dorm lobby.

Small Oil Paintings

2009-11-21T10:31:00.000-08:00

In the Olive Grove at my school.

Three Yellow Fruit

Learning Oil Painting

2009-10-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

These are couple of my preliminary oil paintings from my painting class. Right now we are just focusing on painting from direct observation in still life objects.

Art in Nature

2009-10-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

Andy Goldsworthy is an artist from Scotland that makes art entirely out of what he finds in nature. He simply goes out, unknowing of what he will find and creates amazing pieces, never using man made materials.

Last week in my 4D design class we were assigned to go out into nature and "pull an Andy Goldsworthy". So, Christine Fuchs and I (whom i am sure will post her pictures on her blog soon) went out to Weir Canyon and spent our morning in nature, creating art.

Interestingly enough, as i was searching around for material to work with, i found a dead bird. Yes, a freshly deceased, unscathed bird. (i think it got electrocuted from the power lines above) I simply HAD to use it in my project.

Day 5: No Hands

2009-09-26T10:49:00.001-07:00

Day 4: Paralyzed

2009-09-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

Day 3: Mute

2009-09-21T01:17:00.000-07:00

Day 2: Deaf

2009-09-18T01:26:00.000-07:00

For this day i basically shoved earplugs as far into my ears as possible, but even that did not cancel out all the noise. unfortunately it was the best i could do. If i had an endless budget i would have bought noise canceling headphones or something. But i basically just went through the whole day asking people to repeat things a little louder and clearer. So i was really only partially deaf, but I still tried to write my journal entry from the perspective of someone who has jsut recently fully lost their hearing.

Day 1: Blind

2009-09-17T00:37:00.000-07:00

These are the glasses that I wore the whole day. I only took them off to drive, but other than that I stayed faithful to my task. The inside of the lenses are covered in black cloth and i made sure that the edges were blocked off too so that no light was let in.

4D Project

2009-09-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

ok. it is the beginning of my sophomore fall at Biola and I am in 2 new art classes: 4D design and Painting 1. For my 4D design class our first assignment is to alter something about our normal daily lives for 5 days. I have decided to take on 5 different disabilities for the 5 different days.

The 5 different disabilities I have chosen are the following:

Day1: Blind
Day2: Deaf
Day3: Mute
Day4: Paralyzed
Day5: Loss of dominant arm

Today I am on day 4 and it has been a wild ride. I am required to document these life alterations in a creative way and so I am journaling and photo documenting at the end of every day. In addition I am making a short film that will put the viewer into the perspectives of each indavidual disability. Today I wheeled around in the cafeteria, camera in hand, amongs the crowds of people as they all walked by some staring down and some trying not to look. It was definitely interesting.

So i will be posting the journal entries, photos, and the video during the next few days. Should be a good time.

.

2009-08-06T18:23:00.001-07:00

Yet, Another Reason

2009-08-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

You should check out Hotel Figueroa:

Epic Doors

2009-07-26T08:25:00.001-07:00

Yes, these were all found in Los Angeles. Who knew?

Same Block Snap Shots

2009-07-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

These were all taken within steps of each other up in LA

Hotel Figueroa, LA

2009-07-09T00:31:00.001-07:00

Why is that kid wearing that mask?

2009-06-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

About a month back i told you that i was going to make a chameleon mask for my 3d design class. I wasn't going to post this, because these pictures make me feel anything but cool. But it would be a shame for these pictures to stay locked away in my computer. And the mask is not just sitting on a desk, i actually put it on my head. But anyway here it is... my finished chameleon mask.

Arrr

I can see out of the mouth, don't worry.

Let's just go ahead and not talk about this ever again.

LIght Doors

2009-06-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

Summer Photo

2009-06-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

I took a summer photography class recently. for one week of the class we went to LA everyday to work on our projects. This is one of the photos I took there.

Definitely, definitely more to come...

God, The Architect

2009-06-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

Michael

2009-05-29T17:05:00.000-07:00

Study of Peter-Paul Rubens' Painting

2009-05-25T01:16:00.000-07:00

the above is a study done of the figure in the lower corner of this painting by Peter Paul Rubens

Peter Paul Rubens
Raising of the Cross
1610-1611

Creeked Door

2009-05-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

My animal decision

2009-05-08T18:46:00.001-07:00

I decided what animal mask i am going to make. A CHAMELEON.

Why? How do they relate to me? Why is this my animorph?

I adapt easily to different situations
i am a pretty calm guy, i like to just chill
i have times where i spaz out (like a chameleon does when he catches food)
i am pretty weird
and i can adapt easily to different situations

PS:: this project makes me feel like i am in second grade, doing crafts in Ms. Honey's class.

Finished Jerry

2009-05-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

I finished the conte drawing of the one and only-- Jerry.

It's been a good year, Jerry. Thank you.

I am forever in debt.

I owe you my life.