A conference doodle

This sketch was done at a conference held at the Marriott in Prague. Readers of this blog will know that I like to doodle during meetings. It seriously helps me to concentrate on the speaker. I listen better.
I kinda liked this doodle on the hotel notepad. This is a sketch of the church towers in the Old City Square in Prague (from memory).

Sketching in Prague, CZ

It was an amazing warm day in the center of Prague. Perfect for sketching. I was trying to capture the imposing statue of Jan Hus (the reformer who was burned at the stake for his faith) in the center of the Old Town Square.


Can you see the Hus statue in the center?

Easter Sketches

These are the images that came to my mind this Easter morning.
(Left page.)

(Right page.)

Easter Sunday Illustration

Pastor spoke on the power of the resurrection extending all the way to me. It's like the power generated by the Hoover Dam extending all the way to Los Angeles.

April 8 Sketches

This was a drawing done at the Marktplatz in Basel, Switzerland. Everyday they have a market (foreground) in front of the Rathaus (background). It's great. The Rathaus itself is a stunning building. You gotta see it in real life. Click. I loved the long flags hanging from the building waving in the breeze.

Sandee took a picture of me sketching by the tram tracks. It's funny how people try to get near you and take a peek at what you're drawing. The Rathaus is just to right of this picture.

Later, after the above, I walked to the Muenster and sketched the back side of cathedral. Again, people try and get close to see what I'm drawing. I'm kinda shy about having strangers look at my drawings especially before I'm done.

Full page from my Moleskine sketchbook.

Erasmus Haus in Basel

Today I found the "Erasmushaus" in Basel. As the sign says, Mr. Hieronymus Froben Eramus von Rotterdam lived here as a guest from 1535 to 1536 spending his last days in this house. Erasmus was a great Theologian and Christian educator. I've written and quoted Erasmus in the past. Click here to learn more about Erasmus.

Erasmus lived here...

Sunday Sketch 29.03.09

Went to the Basel Cathedral again for service. I'm always quite taken with the towering pulpit (if that's what you call it). It in itself is quite an artful masterpiece made completely from red sandstone.
Today as the pastor spoke I counted up to 4 seconds after his last word was spoken before the echo of his voice stopped booming around the cathedral walls. The whole experience is always very moving.
This is the beginning of the Passion week. Even though I only caught about half of his German words, he presentation was full of the correct emotion leading up to the death of Christ on the cross.

After the service I sat in Starbucks and finished my cathedral sketch and added this little one below. The cappuccino, like the church service, was inspirational. I also enjoyed reading several more chapters in "What's so Great about Christianity". It's a very good book. I recommend it.

My pencil serves as a divider between these two disparate drawings.

Harmonika-Orchester Kandern

Last night I did something I never did in Germany before. I went to an Accordion concert! I don't know what took me so long, but I finally did it and it was not bad at all. The Kandern Harmonika-Orchester (Accordion Orchestra) performed in the Black Forest Academy auditorium for their 75th anniversary.

Sunday Sketch 22.03.09

Pastor Harrop spoke from Galatians 5:13-26. This is the image that came to mind as he spoke.

Basel Munster Sketch

Attended the Gottesdienst (Sunday worship service) this morning at the Basel Munster. I made some random sketches during the service (tried to be very discreet). Obviously, I could only draw the backs of heads. It's interesting what you can tell from a slumped shoulder or an alert and upright head.

Some observations from the service. 1) Cathedrals are cold! Everyone keeps their winter coats on. 2) No one (or very few) carries their Bible. 3) The seats are very HARD and straight! So, the service was mercifully short - one hour. 4) The chair backs are all unique! Cool patterns. 5) The sounds are fabulous - the deep church bells, the organ, the Pastor's echoing voice, the singing. 6) The Pastor's white collar is extremely WHITE! I wonder who does his laundry and what keeps it so bright?

Sketch of the day

Just a quick pencil sketch of our living room. That's skynews on the TV.

Sunday 22 Feb 09

Sermon notes. The Galatians 4:21-31 passage is a bit difficult, but our Pastor got through it. :-) The section in scripture is an allegory and Paul tells us so. I get the idea that Hagar and Sarah represent two lines of spiritual living - slavery and freedom. One based upon human effort, the other based upon God's effort directed at humankind. We have a choice to make...

Noise

“Noises drown out the voice of God. Few of us can fully appreciate the terrible conspiracy of noise there is about us, noise that denies us the silence and solitude we need for this cultivation of the inner garden.”
Gordon MacDonald

“Regular times of quiet are absolutely necessary. After a time of quiet we meet others in a different and a fresh way. Silence is the simple stillness of the individual under the Word of God.”
Dietrich Bonhoffer
--Photo taken by my favorite photographer - Sandee Shuman

A sketch for today - updated

This is the view looking NW out our balcony window. I just had to draw something today. This was it.

Kandern Marktplatz

My wife found this watercolor I did in '99 in some strange file drawer today among other papers. I forgot that I did it. Back in '99 I wasn't happy with it and I think she saved it from the bin. I guess I kinda like it now.

A Kandern street scene

All pencil. I walk by this scene everyday on my way to the office. I've been wanting to draw it for a long time.

Sunday Sketch

The speaker today (G. Hogenbirk) spoke from John 12:24.

When facing the cross, Jesus had to ask himself, "Do I keep my life, or do I give my life?" Because he GAVE and laid down his life, a tremendous harvest came forth. The question is the same for me, "Do I keep my life, or do I give it away?"

Prague Trio

This was a fun quick sketch to do. I was scrolling through old digital pics yesterday from Prague, CZ. This was an awesome little trio. They were performing on the street out in the cold.
I did this sketch on a scrap piece of graph paper.

Just doodlin' around

Ok, it's not perfect, but it was fun to try.

One of my handsome sons - Luke. Faces are hard to draw. I don't want to give up yet.

Duomo Drawing

Did this drawing in the last few days. Trying to combine pen, ink, and watercolor. This was done from a photo I took this summer. This particular view was interesting to me for two reasons: the incredible detail on a section of the roof (a spot that few people would ever see) and the fact that the various buttresses were not absolutely consistent. Surprising.