Dream Geode

Dream Geode
by J.A. Stratemeyer
Chalk & Oil Pastels, Colored Pencil & Charcoal:
On Paper, 11" x 8.5"
August 19,2007
Art Journal:

This is an image of a waking dream I had the day that I did this work.
The geode was not a closed stone however but an endless cavern of crystal.

A golden white glistening light was coming from the infinity inside.

The young woman was trying to climb up and see inside.

I may want to try this again someday because I didn't really catch this the way I saw it in the dream, but this is close enough to jog my memory if I ever do give it another try.

I was still real timid about using color and the proper way to use oil pastels at this point.

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PROGENY OF ABRAHAM

God, gave us our life,
and our path to choose.
By our choices each day,
we either live or lose.

Isaac and Ishmael,
of the same paternal line;
Emanations of different mothers,
yet both sons of the Divine.

It seems our present conflicts,
find their origins here.
For both men fathered nations,
founded in jealousy and fear.

We worship the same God,
at least that’s what we claim.
And our tribes trace their source,
to the iconoclast, Abraham.

From our faithful Father,
should we not take our lead,
And shatter our idols,
of mistrust and greed?

For the ancient war continues,
and we are all at fault.
Intolerance and hate have chained us,
to a final, fatal result

Our teachers tell us to,
“Love God and one another,
As we would do for ourselves,
Let us do for our brother."

Let our kind not die,
bearing the Mark of Cain!
Let us forgive and bless and,
break this age-old chain!

The choices we make,
determine the lives we lead.
Let us forget the past,
and from its curse, be freed.

We are together on Earth,
for so short a time.
God made us all different,
His Will …….. Sublime!

J.A. Stratemeyer
( January, 2002: four months after 9/11)

*Illustration at the top left of poem

by 19th century Master, Gustav Dore',
depicting Biblical account of Rebecca & Jacob

deceiving Isaac
in order to steal Esau's paternal blessing.
Genesis 27:1-41

See also:
HCCJM:
http://www.hccjm.com/
Blogger:
http://www.straightruth.blogspot.com
http://straightruth42.blogspot.com/
MyBlogLog:
http://www.mybloglog.com/buzz/members/StraighTruth/
ImageShack:
http://profile.imageshack.us/user/StraighTruth/
MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/stratetruth

EzineArticles:
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=James_Stratemeyer
FaithWriters:
http://64.235.52.11/member-profile.php?id=15342
Straightruth AIM Page for HCCJM:
http://www.aimpages.com/straightruth/profile.html
“Progeny of Abraham” In Chinese:
http://esay.2an3di.com/html/News_and_Society/Religion/ The_Progeny_of_Abraham_12785.html

It's Bouquet

It's Bouquet

by J.A. Stratemeyer

Soft Pastel & Crayon on paper 7.5" x 10"

August 22, 2007

Art Journal:

This is my second effort with pastels using no pencils, at this point I had only been working with color about 3 or 4 months.

I dedicate this piece to the fictional character Mrs. Hyacinth Bucket from the BBC production "Keeping Up Appearences." Hyacinth insist that her last name Bucket, is pronounced Bouquet, thus her signature running gag throughout the series is correcting people who say Bucket by saying"It's Bouquet!"

I worked very hard on this little piece of impressionism, it took an entire day to get the effect that I wanted, and when I was done I was a mess, with more pastel chalk on my hands, face and clothes than on the piece.