Timothy J. Pruitt's Blog, page 71
November 11, 2022
Art Unboxed Learning From Others
It may seem obvious, but I have improved my own art by leaps and bounds, through watching others make art. Whether it’s watercolor, pastel, acrylic, oil, or digital, I have learned from other artists making art. I mention it because in this day and age, we are blessed with resources beyond generations of the past.
My grandparents could read about art, possibly take a class with a local instructor, but we can push a few buttons and watch people considered experts in their art draw, paint, and sketch. I have been blessed to learn from some of the greatest people in art in the world, without ever leaving my living room.
During the pandemic I think we were all very aware of the resources people were investing into their communities through video instruction. Obviously the volume of new material has been reduced, but not the archives. An still a number of people continue to share new videos, ideas, and concepts to improve the skill of others.
Whether talking about art, art history, or just history in general, we can take advantage of the shared knowledge of experts to better our own knowledge. Hopefully in turn it will allow us to better others. I would like to mention five key points about video instruction.
First, approach with an open mind about your own possibilities. Don’t tell yourself you could never do what they do. Maybe you can, maybe you can’t, but if you approach it with a no mindset, you often won’t get past the wall of our own opinion. Second, be patient with yourself. Learning anything new takes time, and repetition.
This leads me to the third point, remember to practice. It’s one thing to watch, which is beneficial, but when you add to it through practice it focuses what you’ve learned. The fourth point is about adapting. Even if you’re a watercolor artist and the instructor is teaching about painting with oils, you can learn something you can apply to your painting.
Number five is about passing along what you learn. No matter what the field, I would encourage you to find some way of passing your knowledge along. Learning something is powerful, sharing it with others takes it to another level. One of the best ways to do a art unboxing is when your art can bring a smile to someone else’s heart.
Veterans Day 2022
Today we celebrate Veterans Day, which began as Armistice Day to celebrate the end of World War 1. Hostilities ended on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of eleventh month of 1918 and the world celebrated. They celebrated not only the end of the war, but the return of their brave ones. Today we call it Veterans Day, but we still celebrate our eleventh hour men and women.
Much like the minute men of old, our soldiers could be called eleventh hour citizens. They are the ones who are first to stand in a crisis, and the last ones standing to the bitter end of a conflict. Our freedom is held dear, and dearly fought for by men and women who paused their own schedules, plans, and dreams to defend the American Dream itself.
We are so thankful for their sacrifice, their honor, and their love for freedom. Thank you is far from enough, but it is truly heartfelt. Thank you for always being the ones needed, at the right moment, day or night, to reinforce the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
November 10, 2022
November 9, 2022
November 7, 2022
November 5, 2022
Adoption Day 2022
Romans 8:15 (ESV) 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Today is Adoption Day for our family, and it came to me to look up the Greek word for adoption again. It comes from two words which means to place a son or child. The word for place includes the word conceive.
For ten years we prayed for not just a child, but the child that God meant for us. For those who don’t know our story, had Ashley conceived physically, we would have lost her and Nicholas. Yet God conceived a plan beyond what we could have imagined, and one that is absolutely perfect, it’s our story.
He didn’t just give us a child, He gave us our son. Nicholas Asher is not just a child, but the child we prayed for. It’s hard to put into words how special he is, but I plan on spending a lifetime showing him how truly special he is.
When we look at him, we see God’s hand every day. We are reminded how He adopted us into His family through Calvary. When we submitted to be Nicholas’ Mom and Dad we had to submit a book about ourselves. It felt like we we’re trying to prove we were worthy to to be his parents.
The truth is neither of us felt worthy to be given this miracle, but we were not worthy of the miracle of salvation either. I’m so glad God doesn’t do based on our worth, but His love. Because of His love, we get to hear Mommy and Daddy from the most perfect little voice in the world, the voice of our son Nicholas
A Turkey Burger And Sweet Potato Fries Thanksgiving
Have you ever had an unexpected Thanksgiving? One that was completely unplanned, challenging, and amazing? That happened to me, and to this day I don’t know how it all happened, but I’m glad it did. My story started in a little diner on Thanksgiving day.
I didn’t want to be there,, and I was not hiding it well. When the camera was running I was all smiles, but as soon as that red light went off, I shut down. It also didn’t help I was wearing a paper hat shaped like a Turkey. My name is Brian Brown, and I’m a tv reporter.
Someone has to work holidays, and as a first year reporter at the station, it was my time. The diner owner was having a food contest on Thanksgiving Day. An all you can eat, winner take 1,000 dollar prize, Turkey burger and sweet potato fries contest.
When I first got there, my manager said just cover it, it’s a feel good story. When he changed his mind to me competing in the story I started to get upset. “Bill, what about my journalistic integrity?”
Bill laughed hilariously. “Kid your covering this and a veterinarian inoculating turkeys at 6. You don’t have any journalistic integrity until you become an anchor. Wear the hat, eat the burger and fries, and laugh at yourself.”
I didn’t feel like laughing. I also didn’t win the contest. A man known as Grandpa Lynch, a retired truck driver twice my age beat me. As soon as I left the place, I took the hat off, and threw it in the back of my car.
The only reason I saved it was that I mentally promised myself I would slowly rip it apart later. My camera operator Sam Smith could tell I needed a pep talk. He also knew he couldn’t just start it, he had to slowly work up to it.
“Brian, let me drive. I’ve actually been to this vet before. Met my wife in the lobby of the place. The doctor has been in practice for years.”
I braced myself for a walk through family history. I was even nice enough to ask how that happened. He surprised me. “Thanks for asking but it’s not that big a story. The one you just shot though, it’s bigger than you think.”
“Do you know why Stan Hendricks has that contest every year? It’s not for the money, and it’s not for the customers. As a matter of fact, he loses money on it every year.”
I was curious now. “What do you mean, the place was full? How does he lose money?”
Sam smiled. “He made me promise years ago not to put the truth on air. It’s why I didn’t tell you til after it’s over. Normally I wouldn’t tell anyone any way, but you look like you’re having a really bad day.”
“Everyone not in the contest is getting a free meal. He quietly sends out invitations and gift certificates to people who don’t have a lot. Stan also asks people who don’t have anywhere to go for Thanksgiving.”
“Why the contest then? Why not give a thousand to the people there? What’s the purpose?” I couldn’t figure it out.
“Kid, if you were down on your luck, or didn’t have family, what would you do with just a free meal? It would fill your belly, but people need more than that. If he had entertainment, some would enjoy, some wouldn’t. The contest gets everyone involved.”
“It breaks down awkwardness with the unusual. Often the person who wins it is a ringer. The ringer doesn’t keep the money, he gives it to someone in the crowd at the end of the day.”
“Grandpa Lynch hasn’t lost an eating contest in four years. He always gives the money away. One reason of course is, he cheats. Stan assigns Grandpa a special table, a little separate from the others, with a little bin beside him where he drops food.”
I couldn’t believe it. “You mean they lie to all those people! How could they do that?”
Sam laughed again. “For a reporter you don’t read too close. The contest isn’t billed as an all you can eat winner. It reads. An all you can eat adventure. A food contest for the most generous stomach in the place.”
It took a minute for it to hit. “So they purposely word it to misdirect what they’re doing? I admit it’s not a lie, but why go to all that trouble?”
Sam looked at me at the red light. “Kid, if I knew you needed money, and gave it to you, but drew attention to your problem, how would you feel? This way, Stan makes people happy.”
“At the end of the day, Grandpa leans over and whispers something in the recipient’s ear like this. “I don’t need extra money, what would I do with a thousand dollars. Buy your kids something big on Black Friday.”
“They’ve saved mortgages, paid for kid’s Christmases, and helped people get back on their feet. You spent a few hours and got a story. They spend most of the year to find out who needs help the most, and set it all up.”
I thanked Sam for sharing with me, and promised I wouldn’t reveal the secret. The vet story turned out great, probably because my attitude was better. That evening I went to Mom and Dad’s house for a late Thanksgiving Dinner with them, my sister Robbie, and her husband John.
It was great, but I couldn’t get what Sam told me off of my mind. In college there had been a few times money was running low, and Dad would randomly stop by to say hi. When he left, I’d find fifty books in my refrigerator. Mom would do it too, but she’d leave a hundred.
I wanted to give back, but I didn’t want to betray Sam’s trust. I thought about volunteering somewhere else, but I kept coming back to the diner. The next Monday I asked Sam about the possibility of getting involved.
“I don’t know Brian, they are a family. It’s hard to get in the group. I’ve only been helping for about three years, and I knew Stan for years.”
“We’ll how did you get involved? What did you do that caused them to let you in? How do I do it?”
Sam looked at me. “I got in when I was the guy Grandpa gave the 1,000 on Thanksgiving. I was laid off when the station was between owners. We almost lost our house that year, if it hadn’t been for them. I’ve helped out ever since.”
I apologized for making him uncomfortable but he waived me off. “Kid I’m not worried about me, we’re okay now. I just don’t want you to help for a few days, and leave them high and dry. These people are in this for the long haul.”
He set up a meeting with Stan, it didn’t go well. “So you want to play hero do you? You realize this isn’t a game for us. We didn’t get here because it was easy. We got here because we were needed.”
He didn’t share more, and I didn’t ask. “I’m not here for a story Mr Hendricks. I’m here because I want to help someone. If you can’t accept that, I’ll find somewhere else to do some good.”
He looked at me a little less gruffly. “Fine, you’ll flip burgers, and cut sweet potatoes a shift a week for three months. You show up that long, maybe I’ll let you help.”
It was tough. The work was hard, and working around my job was challenging. Plus keeping it a secret as to why I was doing it wasn’t easy. Our cover story was I was making extra money, which I was. Stan insisted on paying me so it was the truth.
After three months, Stan decided to try me on research. I was assigned to find out who were the people in the community with the greatest needs. That part was not too difficult giving my training as a reporter.
After another three months, he had a meeting with me and Grandpa Lynch. “Brian, Grandpa isn’t just our ringer for the contest, you might say he is our head elf.”
Grandpa laughed and shook my hand. “That’s Christmas, on Thanksgiving I guess I’m Stan’s top Turkey. Your research is promising, let’s go help some people.”
We got into his truck and headed the last place I ever expected, my parents home. My Dad smiled when we got out. “Hello Ralph, he figured it out yet?”
“You know kids, even grown they don’t expect someone to have figured anything out before they had. Brian, your parents have been helping Stan out for even longer than Sam. Your Dad will tell you the rest.”
I was in shock, as Grandpa Lynch pulled away, Dad stood there for a minute just grinning. “Came to eat one of the nights you cooked. Burger was good, fries needed salt though.”
I wanted to be mad, but how could I be, so I just burst out laughing. “You knew this whole time. How could you not tell me?”
Dad smiled again. “Stop and think a minute son. How was Stan going to know if you told anyone, unless he had someone on the inside? Also, it’s a lot of fun, but someone could easily get hurt. We can’t chance that.”
I understand, shook my head, and smiled. “I knew you’d do all right though, so did your Mom. Speaking of Moms, the person you’re going to help is Janine’s Mom Sarah can you deal with that?”
I hadn’t been prepared for that at all. Janine was my ex fiancé, we broke up two weeks before the wedding. I never knew why, and I after asking three times I stopped trying. I stopped trying to find anyone either. It had been three years.
I answered almost immediately that it was, but I struggled inside. I hadn’t seen Janine or her Mom since soon after everything happened. Dad didn’t talk on the drive, he was giving me time. About a mile before we got there, I determined that I wanted to help her Mom no matter what I was feeling.
What I had secretly hoped was that Janine would be there too, but she wasn’t. Sarah didn’t know why we were here, the group didn’t work that way. Dad was far more prepared than I was. “So Sarah, I saw your ad on the app, you want 1400 for the car?”
She smiled, nodded, and offered to show it to us. When I saw it was when my heart sank. It was Janine’s car. My car was in the garage our first date, and she picked me up in that car. I said a silent prayer Dad wouldn’t want to test drive it, but he did.
The three of us got in, and I forced myself to make small talk, trying not to ask Sarah about Janine. Dad would occasionally look back at me in the mirror without saying anything. He was making sure I was okay. It was just a few miles, but felt like forever.
“Sarah, it rides well. I’ll take it. Will you take cash? I have it with me.”
She said yes almost instantly. Dad handed her the envelope and she handed him the title. He offered to wait while she counted it, but Sarah said that wasn’t necessary. We were leaving as she called out. “I heard from Janine yesterday Brian. First time in a year, she asked about you.”
I smiled back. There was so much I wanted to say. All I could manage was, “Please tell her I said hi. Also, please let her know my number is still the same, I’d like to hear from her.”
I hadn’t expected to say those words. I hadn’t expected to mean them, but both were true. I held it together until we were in the car, and I broke down sobbing as soon as we drove away.
Dad didn’t say anything, just put his arm around my shoulder and squeezed it. He knew I wasn’t in any shape to speak or to listen. Other than sobs, we were both silent til we pulled in at his house.
“Son, I have no idea what happened with Janine. I know you don’t, but you don’t cry that hard over someone if you don’t love them. If she calls, give her a chance.”
My heart would skip at every text or call the next few days, but they were never from Janine. I had given up again by the end of that week. Different members of our group were systematically buying things Sarah was selling, and soon she’d have emptied her house out.
I tried more than once to find out exactly what was going on with her, but never got a good answer. In a few days, everything including her house would be bought from someone connected with the helping hand group. My informal title for them all, us I guess.
I had put it out of my mind when I pulled in at Mom and Dad’s that night for supper, until I saw someone sitting on the porch. They had their back to me, and I didn’t recognize them. When the dark haired girl turned around, I did a double take. The face was Janine’s, but the hair wasn’t her reddish brown I was used too.
We just stood there for a few minutes, sizing each other up. I think we were trying to gauge if the other was angry, glad to see us, or confused. Finally I said the first thing that came to mind. “Want to go get a turkey burger? I know this great place that makes them.”
I figured this way I didn’t have to explain to Mom and Dad where we were going. The group would relay it, not that it was necessary, I expected Mom was eavesdropping from the kitchen window. Janine laughed. “If you don’t mind, I’ll stay with your Mom’s lasagna, plus I’ve got a few things to tell you.”
As I sat down for dinner, I expected a lot of explanations, but not the one i got. If you’ve ever been dumped before, you always secretly want their to be some reason other than you. I had been the reason a few times, but no matter the reason, I never liked the answer, until that meal.
“I have paperwork to prove it, now that it’s over, but I didn’t leave by choice. Literally the day before I broke up with you, I witnessed my manager commit a crime. I reported it, received several threats almost immediately and was put in witness protection.”
“I had to leave a week before we were married, and I could either tell you and force you leave everyone you cared about for me, or not tell you, and say goodbye. The trial ended last year, but it took awhile for the authorities to completely eliminate the threat.”
I was completely, and totally stunned. I opened my mouth, but words wouldn’t come out. Dad saw I was floundering and spoke up. “Janine, is this why Sarah is leaving?”
She seemed grateful for something to be said. “Yes, I’m making a new life for myself in another new city. It’s my name this time, but I couldn’t stay where I was, and honestly I was still afraid to come back to the town here.”
Mom had been fairly quiet until now. She cleared her throat. “Did you come back to help her back, or to see Brian?”
Tears were streaming down her face. “Both actually. I just wasn’t sure what his reaction would be.”
I didn’t know what to say, and I was terrified I’d say the wrong thing. So I didn’t say anything, I just stood up and hugged her. I didn’t know what to do next, but Dad did.
“Your Mom and I could pretend to get cake and ice cream, or coffee, or clear the table, but I don’t feel like acting. We’re going to eavesdrop from the kitchen, so you too go in the living room, talk, and pretend we aren’t listening too.”
It broke the tension, and we both started laughing. I followed her to the living room and we sat down to talk about the last few years. I decided laughter was safe so I thought I’d keep it light. “So your hair looks good.”
She laughed again, but then she got serious. “I couldn’t do that to you. I couldn’t tell you, make you leave everything, endanger your life, and begin a marriage in a whirlwind. It wasn’t fair to you, but neither was what I did. I couldn’t tell you the truth, but I couldn’t lie to you, so I told you I needed time, that was the truth.”
Suddenly something clicked in my mind. I realized two things, first I loved her, second, she was still in danger. “Mom Dad, let’s go, quick!” The four of us got out of the house before the shots started. We headed straight for the police station as fast as Dad could drive, which was ridiculously fast.
I ran over a few things in the car. “Dad how long have you both been the helpful hands group? How did you both get in?”
When Dad said it had been going for probably 15 to 18 years I knew it could only be one of two people. It wasn’t Stan, so it had to be either Sam my cameraman, or Grandpa Lynch. One of them worked for the people who wanted Janine silenced.
I wish I could say it was Grandpa Lynch, but it wasn’t. It was my cameraman. He had left a few things out of his initial story, like the people who were blackmailing him. They had found out about Stan’s helpful hands, and figured it may be a good way of getting a lead on Janine when her Mom started selling stuff.
The authorities said they had calculated what Sarah was doing, and that they had pushed Sam to suggest Sarah as a candidate for help from the group. They just had to let the rest play out. By dawn we knew Janine was going back into witness protection, only this time she’d have company.
It wasn’t the big wedding we planned on, but the Police Force Chaplain made it as special as a last minute ceremony could be. The five of us, her Mom, my parents, and me spent Thanksgiving in a new city. It was the first time none of us cooked for Thanksgiving.
We ended up at a restaurant that our contacts had said was a safe place. The five of us laughed, not able to resist the irony looking at the menu. I’m guessing it’s the first time the waitress heard five people order the exact same thing at the simultaneously. “A Turkey Burger and Sweet Potatoes Fries Thanksgiving please.”
I squeezed my wife’s hand, amazed at what this season had began. It was far greater than the pain of the past. We were thankful to have each other, be alive, and to share an unusual, but very blessed Thanksgiving dinner.
November 4, 2022
Art Unboxed Practicing Tonal Values
If you follow my art, you may have noticed I have been doing a lot of fountain pen drawings in Prussian Blue ink. There is more than one reason for this, partially because I love both the color and fountain pens, but it has an important benefit. Drawing in one color allows me to continue practicing my tonal values.
The famous artists centuries ago were well known for using sanguine in their drawings. Today I’ve seen a number of current artists who do amazing portraits in graphite, or ink. The main benefit of working in one color has a similar effect as black and white does for a photographer. It allows you to convey the image in a very distinct, and unique way.
For a painter, if you can become better at drawing or painting with one color, it will enhance your full color portraits. This is because it allows you to become more experienced with tone and shading. It will also help you to know where to place color, variation, and will make you a better draftsman. When you become a better draftsman, it lifts every other aspect of your art.
This week, my newest book of images, Art In Prussian Blue And More comes out. While I’m not going to pretend I wouldn’t love it if you take a look, at least consider the idea behind some of the images. It’s a book with multiple pieces, several with one color, many with multiple colors, but hopefully all have a greater sense of tone than my first book several years ago.
That in itself is another reason for mentioning the book, every artist will benefit by recording your progress. It’s the main reason an artist paints more than one self portrait. Whether you put your art in book form or not, I strongly recommend a digital catalog. You may never sell one image, but having an archive can remind you how much you’ve improved over time. You may not like to look back often at old images, but I do recommend occasionally reminding yourself how far you’ve come.
Whether it’s sanguine, Prussian Blue, or graphite, I would suggest picking one color to practice. It’s not just about drawing, it’s about tone, shading, light/dark, and composition. When you only have one color, you have to be intentional about how you design the drawing. Over time you can find yourself better with red, green, and yellow, because you picked one color to focus on for a series of images.
