Inside Ashton's Head

Finding My Calling

2012-02-15T13:51:00.000-08:00

Are you one of those "lucky" people that do what you love for a living or have always known what you want to do? I certainly wasn't, or was I? I think I was but I let fear and doubt get the best of me for far too long.

My whole life I have loved art.. It's been more than a hobby. If I have ever identified with any label, it has always been artist. In my teens I stuck to drawing with pencil and pen. Most of my work at that time was black and white. I was almost afraid of color. Needless to say, I had no self esteem when it came to my artistic abilities at that time. That led to about two years of producing almost no art as I struggled to find myself and my calling.

As I've mentioned before, I started college in another area I loved but didn't devote much time to... writing. If I wasn't drawing, I was usually reading or jotting down notes of things I wanted to write about. The thing was I didn't actually write much aside from school work, letters to friends and my journal. I felt lost. I had always been told I was a good writer, but I didn't feel like it. I didn't actually feel the euphoric trance that I would get with art as I'd lose myself in a piece with no concept of time.

While studying English at my University, I noticed that the art building was very close to the building that held the majority of my classes. At this time I was already getting back into drawing and hanging cute little things on my dorm room door. I ventured over to the art building and was awestruck. It was profound.. It was great. It was almost the same feeling I got when I attended Comic Con SD for the first time. I felt like I belonged. I had found my long lost love again and this time, I had the sense to realize and appreciate it. After that I changed my major to art. I have never doubted that my calling is art since then. I haven't always been as sure about what specifically in art I could do as a living. That has become much more clear these days but I'm still working on it.

I absolutely love this little comic a fellow DeviantArt-ist made.
http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&global=1&q=bloom+like+an+artist#/d39dk8e

Like an artist by *JellyVampire on deviantART

A Case of the Mundys - Time Warp

2011-11-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

Oh school woes.. I don't miss that at all! I have been pretty terrible at time management in the past and it's something I continually need to work on. Today poor chap has fallen prey to the amazing master of distraction that is the Internet. Happy day to all! Namaste.

Lost In Translation

2011-11-21T10:30:00.000-08:00

It's that time again, folks! Monday's Mundys! Today's installment is like parfait.Delicious layered parfait. Hope you enjoy!

A Case of the Mundys Webcomic

2011-11-14T16:22:00.000-08:00

Lots of funny and/or interesting things happen on a day to day basis. This strip is in honor of those mundane moments. In case you were wondering, Mundy is a (what I think to be cute) take on the word Mundane.

New comics to come out every Monday! Please enjoy and tell me what you think!

Here is last week's first installment.

This week's installment is something we can all relate to.

Namaste.

Wednesday WIP!

2011-10-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

Greetings Lovelies! I hope you all are doing well this fine Wednesday!

Tis my favorite season and I'm feeling the Halloween spirit! Due to a busy schedule I have not got to decorate my home so I thought I'd at least do one illustration that I can post around my various online outlets. It's not quite done yet but I like posting works in progress so here ya go!

Just getting started here with the inking stage.

Here I've laid down the marker and some watercolor.

Since these pics were taken, I had added a bit more watercolor. The final stage will be some color pencil and inks.... I think. We'll see how it looks at that point but there might be some acrylic additions. I'll post a picture of the finished piece soon. I'm thinking of doing a raffle giveaway of these piece and maybe some other goodie.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Farmers Market!!

2011-06-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

Greetings all you gorgeous people!

I've been oh so busy but it is grand! Lots of art projects going on and I love it!

This past Sunday was my first time participating in the local farmers market at the Outlet Mall here in El Paso. Boy was it hot!! The shade covers almost all of the area so that was nice. I set up my booth with my jewelry, a few small original art pieces, prints, crochet hats and whatnot. I hope to take a lot more next time since I will have another table to spread out.

It was fun.. almost like camping. lol Lots of friendly people and cool stuff offered for sale. There wasn't as much traffic as anyone would have liked but it was probably due to the heat. If you're in the EP area, you should definitely check it out sometime. It runs from 9am - 1pm every Sunday.

So now I must go work on new inventory for next weekend and work on some comic pages!

Peace and love to you and yours!

Namaste.

Words for Wednesday

2011-06-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

It's been busy since last Wednesday! I had an art showing on Friday, Saturday was chore day, on Sunday we scouted out the farmer's market, Monday and Tuesday I had work. After work yesterday I went to get a bite to eat with my other half and one of our friends at a great little restaurant we frequent called Jerusalem. After that we went to see Rush at the Don Haskins Center and it was fantastic!

I've never actually been a big fan of them myself but I'm surround by people in my life that love them and that is why I went. Boy am I glad I did too. I have a new found appreciation for them. They were amazing! And their stage/tour theme was awesome! The theme is "Time Machine" and everything was all decked out in steampunk style. It was eye and ear candy for like 2 and a half hours! I loved it. :)

I loved Alex Lifeson's custom amps!

Picture from MusicRadar.com

http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/rush-go-steampunk-for-time-machine-tour-259699

Well that's all for now. I'm going to do some sketching before bed.

Maybe watch a little of my current Asian Drama.. lol

Peace and love.

Happy Hump Day!

2011-06-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

Yes, I realize it is rather late in the day to be making such exclamations but hey, I've been busy. :P

I'm really trying to keep up my productivity despite being busy with so much other non-art activities. As a result though, I should have more things to post on the blog at this rate.

I'm working with Adversary Comix and one of the cool dudes from there asked for us to draw up some zombie girls in a pin up style to promote the title "Hot Zombies." This is the one I finished last night. I may have to add in some lettering but otherwise it is done.

11 x 17 Marker, Ink, and Watercolor on Bristol

The top is a little cropped off in this photo but I took it on my phone so there you go. :D Hope you enjoyed! Leave me a comment! See you all Friday hopefully!

Death of a Painting

2011-06-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, as I was preparing a few pieces of art to show at the Percolator's first "Primer Domingo Art Show," I found out that my ultra moist apartment had resulted in one painting growing fur. It was quite a bummer and I had to throw away a piece from my Yellow Submarine series. It will be missed.

Yellow Submarine

Born 2010 Died 2011

With the help of my other half, we quickly started checking all other hanging art in the apartment. Luckily nothing else was growing anything. After that, we went to the store and invested in a few fans so that we could stop using the swamp cooler as much as possible.

Aside from that, not a whole lot to "report" on but I will keep you all posted. I'm still working on the comics and a few contests. I've been doing more polymer clay jewelry as well so stay tuned for pictures of all that!

Brightest blessings! Namaste.

Wishing you a bright and wonderful day this Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

Hello you beautiful people, you! I'm a bit late with this post but late is better than never! The day really got away from me. Time flies when you're having fun. :D I had a nice quiet day with some of my family today and I hope you all got to do stuff you enjoy.

I'm going to work on some art this evening as I've got a number of art shows coming up. The next show is Sunday June 5th at an awesome place called the Percolator. Most El Pasoans are probably familiar with this place already as they often do fun events for arts and music in the area. I need to do a bit of restocking of my items and I have a ton of other projects I'm working on too... comics, 2 art contests, "fine art" pieces, and so on.

Screen Capture of something I'm working on today:

As always, lots of love and blessings to you!

Namaste.

Digi Art!

2011-05-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

I have been so enthralled with all forms of art lately... ok always, but lately I've really been into digitally created art. This medium is quite amazing and the effects you can get are outstanding.

I downloaded some trial versions of software I've had my eye on for a while now. The purpose was to narrow down which one I'd get, as I didn't want to spend a lot of money. The problem was when I fell in love with both! Haha. So yeah, when they came up for sale on Amazon, I snagged them. I got the email yesterday saying they had shipped. :D

If any of you fabulous people have experience with either of these, send me a pic of your work! I'd love to see what you've made with them! I'll be posting my stuff up here as well. I'm just learning Sketchbook (the trial hasn't run out yet) so I've only just done some doodles in it but I'm going to try and play with it as much as possible today.

Thanks for stopping by and have an amazing day! Happy Friday and Memorial Weekend! Yay!

Namaste.

Updates and Comics

2011-05-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hello all. It's Thursday and I feel fabulous. I hope you do too!

So my plans to blog more often have not been going as well as I had hoped. Hehe.. I've been a bit preoccupied with drawing and working on some comic book projects. I'm not really sure that I can go into details about either so my apologies for being vague.

On "Project A" I am working out character designs and concept art as I wait on the script. The most challenging aspect is I guess the space ship and then building characters without really knowing their personalities. It's so fun though.

"Project B" is a bit further along. I have half of the script on this one so I have started pencils on the first several pages.

I'm pretty excited about both endeavors and I really wish I could share more details on them but I haven't asked and I'm hesitant to do so anyways because I feel like both projects are still in their infancy. I've had little time for other art stuff. Part of my excitement on this is that I plan on going to Comic Con in San Diego this year and I'm using these projects to build my portfolio so I can take that with me to get seen and critiqued.

I've also been trying to learn some new graphic software I've been wanting. I downloaded trials for Manga Studio Debut 4 and Sketchbook Pro in an effort to decide which one I would treat myself to. Mission failed! I want them both! Hahaha! With the recent realization that I will be going to Comic Con, I've decided I should wait a little longer on both so I may save money and pay for room and transportation immediately.

It doesn't help that job hunt hasn't been going well. I've lost count on how many places I've applied to but I am not discouraged. I do believe in the order of the universe and I feel that I am on the right path. Soon the perfect job will come.. I'd like to think that is simply full-time artist. :D I'm working towards it.

Since I don't really have any pics to share right now I will leave you all with this. This is just a screen shot of a character design I was toying around with in Gimp with my new laptop and a tablet I've had for ages and never took advantage of.

I wish you many blessings and happiness!

Namaste.

Diamonds Crushing Daffoldils

2011-04-27T12:29:00.001-07:00

Diamonds Crushing Daffoldils, a set on Flickr.

As I've mentioned on Facebook, I've been honored to have been chosen as the featured artist for an amazing event. It's called Diamonds Crushing Daffodils and it's a fashion show displaying the works of designer, Alejandro Aguilar, and raising money for The Aiyana C. Hanson Foundation . The Aiyana C. Hanson Foundation works towards helping children battling cancer in the El Paso area. It is a great cause and I am happy to participate in this event!

I will be showing a number of pieces and if you are able to make it out, please feel free to come and talk to me! It will be a lot of fun and it's at a beautiful place.

Thursday April 28th

7pm to 12am

Jardines Arco Iris

500 Peyton Rd, El Paso TX 79928

Event: http://diamondscrushingdaffodiles.weebly.com/
Charity: http://aiyanahanson.com/default.aspx
Ticketing: http://www.ticketriver.com/event/1254-diamonds-crushing-daffodils/
Place: http://jardinesarcoiris.com/

Art filled April

2011-04-20T14:43:00.001-07:00

Greetings and happy hump day to all!

I'm feeling rather bored and a little sleepy. The "itis" has kicked in from a delicious calzone for lunch followed by an amazing Guinness bacon cupcake.. Yes, you read that correctly.. Guinness and bacon in a chocolate cupcake. Sounds a little odd but it was smashing.

I am at vocation right now day dreaming about doing art. I have a little bit of supplies on my but I'm craving more.. Like acrylic or oil. lol

It's been a fairly busy month for me. Job hunting, my regular job, 2 art shows and a charity fashion show where I'm the featured artist. Ok that doesn't sound like a whole lot but each show requires new art so I've been doing that after work. Also, I haven't done any art shows in several months so I had a lot of prep work to do.

I have a lot of updates I need to do here, there and everywhere. I've been falling behind. I am just trying to get into the habit of blogging more frequently. Oooh ooh.. Sketchbook Project 2012 has opened! As soon as I get paid I shall order mine. Here's the link if you're interested too.

[link]

Well I don't have much else to say. See you soon and bright blessings to you!

Monday WIP

2011-04-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

Hello there beautiful people! I hope you are having an amazing Monday! I did a lot of painting this weekend and I'd like to share one of the pieces with you today and show the finished owl painting from last Monday. The belly dancer still needs a lot of work.. especially on the face. I am not happy with her face. She's for a charity fashion show I'm participating in and the owl is for a Poetry/Comic show I'm in.

18 x 24 Acrylic on Canvas

11 x 17 Watercolor on Paper

Peace and Love to you!

4/04 Monday Work In Progress!

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

So let's see how long I can keep this up. I plan on posting pics of things I'm currently working on every Monday. Let me know what you think and if you have any blog or photo requests, please tell me!

Watercolor and ink on 11 x 17 bristol paper.

And here's last weeks finished illustration of Baba Yaga.

Watercolor and Color Pencil on 8.5 x 11 paper.

Monday Work In Progress

2011-03-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

Greetings all you fabulous people. I just wanted to share with you what I'm working on today. It's an illustration of the Baba Yaga of Slavic folklore. Needs a LOT of work still as she's too attractive at the moment. lol

It's a pretty interesting folklore and if you're interested here's the Wikipedia link to it. I'll update you all when it's further along or done. Anyhow, brightest blessings to you. You are amazing. Namaste.

"Peek-a-boo!"

Peek Into "The Studio" .. Cough Bedroom Cough..

2011-03-21T22:19:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I love getting to see other artists' workspaces and works in progress (WIP). So I thought I'd share mine with you! Please excuse the mess!

This is how I currently have my drawing desk set up. Yes, I have a tilting drawing board on top of a drawing desk..Redundant? Maybe but I like it like this. lol I have my camera set up for taping drawing sessions.

Here are two acrylic on canvas WIP. The one to the right was long over due (but still not done!) as it goes to the following piece.

And since I simply can't resist, I'll leave you with a picture of Shakti. <3

Peace and Love to you. Namaste.

Yes, yes I know. It's been a long time so here are some updates!

2011-02-05T18:38:00.000-08:00

Much like a large portion of the US, I am in an area that has been hit by uncharacteristically cold weather. The temperature dropped quite quickly, which is something El Paso is not prepared for in any capacity. There were even 2 days this week that I legitimately took off from work. Today, perhaps the warmest day we seen all week, was kind of a nightmare.

Yesterday while we were out at work then my "hub's" symphony rehearsal, the pipes in our apartment froze so we came home to no water. Much of today was without water but then late in the afternoon it was back! We had only just started cheering when we looked out at the patio and found that pipes around the wash room at our entire apartment complex had busted. Ack! Luckily we were able to prevent some damage that might have occurred had we kept our original plans today.

They ended up turning off all the water again until tomorrow. I'm tired and all I want to do is sleep now or drink. LOL Drinking is probably not a good idea either seeing as it promotes a lot of urination and we only have so much water put aside for flushing. Ah, the sacrifices we must make. I guess doing watercolor painting is probably not a great idea either. LOL Maybe I'll do some marker art. I hope all of you are doing well and coping with the extreme weather better.

Much love and happiness to you all!

My dreams of being a Mangaka or Graphic Novel Artist...

2010-11-17T10:54:00.000-08:00

...have been rekindled as of late. I've always been a huge fan of comics as art has always been a part of my life. I'm 26 now, going on 15 again with me getting into reading graphic novels regularly once more. I used to frequent a nearby comic shop when I was in high school and blow what little money I had on Spawn, X-Men and some other random titles.
It seems like the universe has thrown me back into this world (even though I don't feel like I've ever been that far) because so many people around me at the moment are readers or makers of comics. lol Some favorites right now are The Walking Dead, Y The Last Man, Naruto, and Batman. When I was in high school I spent all my time drawing comic book characters and original anime style characters but as graduation approached I fell victim to my own self criticism and pretty much gave up on art all together. I started college as an English major and later changed to Art as I could no longer deny my passion. Comic making wasn't really more than an unrealistic fantasy that I wasn't even practicing at.
Needless to say this all leads me back to those dreams again. So that's where I am. I've been doing art a lot more these last few years and even though most of it has been painting and quite unrelated to comics, I want to do this. I've been drawn to this book I keep seeing every time I go to the bookstore about making comics and last night I finally bought it! Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels It's a great book so far and very inspiring. Scott McCloud, thank you!!

Flying Lotus

2010-10-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

Just a drawing I did late last week with Prismacolor Markers and Color Pencils.

I finally got my scooter!

2010-09-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

I've always dreamed of having my very own scooter.. and recently when deciding that it was finally time for me to get my own form of transportation I decided that I would finally fulfill my dreams of scootering. (^_^)

Sure some people made jokes and my family definitely was not thrilled as the rider is definitely more vulnerable to injury but I could not let that deter me. I started saving up some money and decided that I would look for a used one since after doing a lot of research, the kind I wanted would be out of my budget for now. Upon searching Craigslist for a few weeks I found a retro style 150cc scooter that was perfect for me! ... Except for the color. It was my least favorite color- Powder Pink. But everything else about it was perfect so I called up the seller and tried to arrange a time to get it which proved to be most difficult as it was at least an hour and half's drive away and the timing was awful. I had to work all week and my man had symphony gigs for the next 2 weeks and the seller was busy weekends.

I tried to work something out with the seller and she said that she would definitely hold it for me. The date was set that I would go for it and a couple of hours before heading there, I made a courtesy call to make sure the seller was alright with it. She tells me then that she sold it... My heart sank. I had been so excited about it for 2 weeks already and this lady who told me not to worry sold it to someone else without even letting me know.

Despite my urges, I refrained from telling that lady off or getting too upset. After all that wouldn't make the scooter suddenly available to me. I got back on Craigslist and to my surprise there were 2 new posts that looked promising. I made a few calls and well ended up getting a different scooter that afternoon. The scooter I ended up with is larger than the one I first had my eyes on but it felt so right and it's even my old school colors. LOL Go Raiders!

It's so much fun and I can't wait until the weekend when I can go riding again! There are a couple of things I have to fix on it but I'm actually excited to do it myself. Although things didn't go as planned I am quite happy and grateful.

What's in your art kit?

2010-09-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

On the "Maken Art" blog, the question was posed.. What is in your kit?

I carry entirely too many art supplies daily. I usually tote around a full backpack of various items to entertain me throughout the day.

Shown here is what I usually have on hand:

1 or 2 sketchbooks with a few different types of paper inserted throughout
Cigar box of ~80 assorted Prismacolor Pencils
Prismacolor fine line markers .005-.8
Grey set of brush tip pens
Glue stick & tape
Scissors
Prismacolor blender markers
Copic 12 pc set of Cool Grey .Too Markers
Zig Pigment Ink Markers .05 in a handful of colors
A couple of different mechanical pencils
Mini electric eraser
2 clear flexible rullers
Retractable X-acto knife
Creatacolor 12 pc Graphit Selection
Erasers and sharpener
Sharpie Marker and Pen

I almost always have these items with me. Tee hee. Because you really never know when that inspiration will hit. Occasionally a few items will be swapped out for others such as watercolor or inking supplies but I try to only use those at home for convenience. What are your essentials??

Black and White Art Show

2010-09-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010 I'll be participating in the 2nd Annual Black & White Art Show being held at the Lips Lounge. I'll have about 5 new pieces and a few older favorites. Originals and prints for sale. There be lots of other great artists there too and live performances by The D.A., Rafa Pistola and the Immigrant Noise and acrobat David C. Owen.

The Black and White Art Show
Lips Lounge, 510 N. Stanton
Saturday, Sept. 25 – 8 p.m.
$5, 21+

A New Direction

2010-07-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hello all. Do you ever feel over stimulated?? That's how I've been feeling lately and I think that is obvious in my blog and what actually keeps me from posting more. It seems as though a lot of the topics are so varied that it just leaves one wondering what this blog is really all about? So taking a cue from the title, this blog will mainly focus on all Into The Spiral projects and art.
The posts on topics not related to art, such as the science bits, social issues, political whatnot, and so on will be posted on the Spiraling Studies blog. I might even move all the post from this page to the other if they are not art related. I hope that you'll like this set up better! Thank you for joining me in this journey! Much love. Namaste.

Tapped Trailer

2010-05-06T07:31:00.000-07:00

License to Spill: Cheney, BP and The Gulf of Mexico

2010-05-05T12:44:00.000-07:00

Magickal Mercury Oil Blend

2010-04-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

This full moon is connected to Scorpio and one thing you can use these energies for is to enhance communications. If you were looking to communicate with other worldly entities, now would be a good time as we are only days away from Beltane. At Beltane, just like Samhain, the veil between worlds is at its thinnest, facilitating contact and giving strength to all sorts of magical endeavors.
Here is a simple recipe for Mercury Oil to assist you in communicating with whom ever you wish, living or not.

Mercury Oil

4 drops Lavender
2 drops Eucalyptus
1 drop Peppermint

Dilute this mix with a carrier oil of your choice (sweet almond, sunflower oil, jojoba are all options).

Charge this oil by the light of tonight's full moon and anoint yourself (throat) with this oil when you need some help with communication.

IF: Brave

2010-03-09T11:47:00.001-08:00

The Sour Truth About Artificial Sweeteners

2010-02-15T08:23:00.000-08:00

This is a repost from Prison Planet , as I thought it was important and worth sharing. Click here for the full post.

Aspartame has been renamed and is now being marketed as a natural sweetener

Ethan Huff
NaturalNews
Monday, February 15th, 2010

In response to growing awareness about the dangers of artificial sweeteners, what does the manufacturer of one of the world’s most notable artificial sweeteners do? Why, rename it and begin marketing it as natural, of course. This is precisely the strategy of Ajinomoto, maker of aspartame, which hopes to pull the wool over the eyes of the public with its rebranded version of aspartame, called “AminoSweet”.

Over 25 years ago, aspartame was first introduced into the European food supply. Today, it is an everyday component of most diet beverages, sugar-free desserts, and chewing gums in countries worldwide. But the tides have been turning as the general public is waking up to the truth about artificial sweeteners like aspartame and the harm they cause to health. The latest aspartame marketing scheme is a desperate effort to indoctrinate the public into accepting the chemical sweetener as natural and safe, despite evidence to the contrary.

Continued at source.

Usnisa Vijaya Sutra

2010-02-10T14:21:00.000-08:00

I love sutras. Sutras are defined one way as "Of minimal syllabary, unambiguous, pithy, comprehensive, /non-redundant, and without flaw: who knows the sūtra knows it to be thus."
Sutras are Hindu literary compositions containing some kind of spiritual intent The belief is that reciting particular sutras X amount of times will have a given effect. There are sutras for a myriad of things such as healing of karma. One of my favorite sutras is the Usnisa Vijaya Dharani is for healing all karmic transgressions and relief of suffering.

America: Freedom to Fascism Star Sherry Jackson is Being Murdered

2010-02-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

Re-post. I got it from www.thecrowhouse.com- A.H.

EMERGENCY ALERT - ACTION REQUIRED:
America: Freedom to Fascism Star Sherry Jackson is Being Murdered

The feds seem intent upon MURDERING SHERRY JACKSON. See her own report below, and you'll understand. She details how the feds denied her medical care in prison and right now she IS IN THE PROCESS OF DYING. Sherry was one of the stars of Aaron Russo's America: Freedom to Fascism. She was the former IRS agent who cried out, "SHOW ME THE LAW!". Right now she deserves the support of the entire Freedom Movement. We can give it to her by calling her Congressional Representative imploring him to intercede to save her life. For her service to the Cause of Liberty, WE SHOULD DO NO LESS!!

Sherry's Representative is Hank Johnson, representing the 4th Congressional District of Georgia.

FIRST:

Call and fax him at each office and demand immediate medical attention for Sherry
Washington, DC Office
1133 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-1605
Fax: (202) 226-0691

Lithonia Office
5700 Hillandale Dr., Suite 110
Lithonia, GA 30058
Phone: (770) 987-2291
Fax: (770) 987-8721

Tucker Office
3469 Lawrenceville Highway, Suite 205
Tucker, GA 30084
Phone: (770) 939-2016
Fax: (770) 939-3753

SECOND:

Slam his Facebook page with comments demanding immediate medical Care for Sherry:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Fxk6t&m=1c0oYulXAJzfN1&b=XD9KlxVrFAbJvhrPCh81HA

THIRD:

Forward, post, and blog this email EVERYWHERE!!!

SHERRY'S LETTER: From: "Colin L. Jackson"
Date: November 30, 2009 12:34:03 PM PST
Subject: Sherry Peel Jackson

Hi Friends and Family,

Please, pray for my wife, Sherry Peel Jackson. She's still having challenges while she's incarcerated. Thank you, in advance, for your prayers and encouragemenet. Here's a letter from Sherry to our Congressman, concerning her current situation.

God bless you.
In Christ,
Colin

Dear Congressman Johnson

I am Sherry Peel Jackson, your former CPA. I am writing you because I am concerned about my health and my life. Prior to becoming a political prisoner I was the picture of health. In late June, 2009 I started experiencing a rapid heart beat on an irregular basis.

Since this had happened infrequently in the past I did not think much of it. However, in Mid July it started happening on a regular basis and I became concerned. I went to the medical staff twice in Mid July only to be given a one-minute EKG test and powerful meds without proper diagnosis. I did not take them because I had not been seen by a specialist. One week later, on July 21 at 12:45am I left the dorm in flip flops to go tell the officers that I was having a heart attack. The officers on duty called the ambulance and the ambulance checked my heart on their portable EKG machine. It was beating at 150 beats per minute. They took me to Leesberg (spelling) hospital where I remained until Friday, July 24th at 11:30pm. During the hospital stay it was determined that my heart was healthy but my thyroid was producing too much hormone, thus speeding up my heart.

This is called hyperthyroidism or Graves disease. I was given two medications by the hospital - Methimazole, which is an anti-thyroid agent used to reduce the amount of thyroid hormone produced by the body and Metoprolol, which is a beta blocker used to slow the heart.

The hospital doctor told me that in four weeks (approximately August 21) the prison medical unit was to do blood tests to determine how the thyroid medication was affecting my body.

The blood test was taken in late August and I was told that I would be placed on the appointment schedule to come over and review the results. I was never called. I went over in early September and inquired of Dr. DeLeon as to how to get blood test results. He told me to put in a request to staff, so I did that on September 15th. It simply asked to see the results of the tests.

Sometime after September 23rd I received a response in writing, from Ms. Marich, that stated that I could either make a sick call (come over early in the morning wait in line and fill out forms) or come to Open House to see the results. Open house is held only on Thursdays from 3:00pm to 3:30pm. I went to Open House Thursday September 30th and was told by Ms. Marich that she could not find the results! I watched her look through and around several piles of folders in her office but at no time did she look on a computer for them. She told me to check back later. On Wednesday October 28th I passed out around 4pm and was taken to medical and cleared.

On Friday October 30th my lips started turning black as if I had been a lifelong smoker. By Sunday November 1st my lips were fully black.

My boss, the Chaplain, called medical and a male nurse was sent over from the medium security men's prison on this complex (there are two maximum security, one medium security and one low security men's prisons on this complex with the women's camp). He took my blood pressure and oxygen and said there was nothing else he could do. He told me to go to sick call Monday morning, which I did.

I showed Mr. Coucho my lips and told him that something was wrong with my blood, I could tell. (I am leaving out gross details here).

He said I would be put on the schedule. However, the very next day, Tuesday morning, November 3rd, I found blood in my stool and rushed over to medical because I am smart enough to know that this is a major problem. I was chewed out for coming over to medical without a staff member telling me to come. I told Charlie, the female nurse and Mr. Coucho the PA that I was in the hospital in July, never got the blood work results and something was terribly wrong.

I am 46 years old and I know my body! I finally convinced them that I was not playing and was not stupid, so they 'treated' me with a packet for a stool sample test. Mr. Coucho looked on the computer for the blood test results from August and found them there!

The blood test showed a problem with the thyroid way back then!

He said I would be put on the schedule for new blood work later that week because these results were too old. He had a short conversation with Dr. DeLeon in Spanish and then said the thyroid count was off.

This was November 3rd. I administered the stool tests and returned them to Nurse Charlie on Friday November 6th.

Today is November 26th, Thanksgiving. I have not received the results of the stool test. I have not been given any new blood test.

My neck is swelling up like a blow fish and I am having trouble talking. I have been feeling very ill for the last two weeks.

Congressman, I don't want them to kill me in here. As you well know, I am being punished for exposing government fraud. However, millions of people don't file tax returns and I was just used as an example by the DOJ for their new program called the Tax Defiers Initiative.

I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful children. I have already spent 21 months in prison for a non crime, and I refuse to come out dead or maimed for life. I have not caused these people any problems. This is no threat but just for your information.

I also wrote the warden today. Things can't go on this way as I languish in here for someone's political gain. God doesn't like ugly and He is the ultimate judge and vindicator.

Sherry Peel Jackson 59085-019
FCI COLEMAN MEDIUM
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P.O. BOX 1032
COLEMAN, FL 33521

Please do not pass up this oportunity. Take action with us today and all this week as we call for immediate and proper medical care for Sherry. Do not let another voice go down.

In Freedom,

Gary Franchi

RestoreTheRepublic!

I love Alice in Wonderland a little too much

2010-02-06T10:48:00.000-08:00

I made this for a friend that is moving away.

Imbolc

2010-02-01T22:30:00.000-08:00

Imbolc- February 1st or 2nd- is a celebration of the unseen activity stirring beneath the surface, of things to come, as it marks an approximate midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Brighid, "the exalted one" is a Celtic goddess of poetry, healing, wisdom, craftsmanship, excellence, perfection, high intelligence and skill in warfare.
This is a good time to prepare for the coming months, concentrating on what you wish to manifest in your life. If you're interested in celebrating this day or working some magick, I suggest writing a spell or poem (extra points if it rhymes!) to have a bountiful spring so that the seeds you plant now prosper and multiply.
You might want to try taking a few small planting pots and some seeds and associating some goal/desire with each seed and as you plant that seed, you think of your goal/desire taking root and manifesting as that seed does. Nurture and care for your plants as they are connected to your magick and the energy you put into them, you are putting into your magick. This could be an excellent way to start an indoor herb garden that you may or may not transplant as the weather permits. Brightest blessings and Happy Imbolc.
Namaste.

IF: Focused

2010-01-30T17:48:00.001-08:00

Laying on the line...

2010-01-17T19:17:00.000-08:00

Most of the people who know me well these days already know what I'm about to say and it's no surprise to them. Here goes. I believe that there is overwhelming evidence that suggests we are definitely not alone in this universe or even alone on this planet.. and I'm not talking about the animal life we are familiar with. There is intelligent life all around us and much of what mankind thinks they know about the nature of reality is only the tip of the iceberg, if even that.

I am fairly intelligent and I constantly strive to educate myself on a wide variety of subjects. To many, the idea of UFOs and intelligent lifeforms visiting our planet seems laughable but if you look at the evidence, it's not a joke. Reasonable, logical people will hopefully educate themselves before writing off this information.

UFOs aside, I believe there is much more going on in the world than most would care to admit or even consider. IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS, IT IS ENSLAVEMENT. Our government as a whole is corrupt, and while there are many individuals with good intentions within that institution, the system is broken and vested interests control and manipulate the rest. Our water and food supplies are poisoned and we are put in a situation where there is little that we can do about it. The few that have to courage to stand up for what's right are made examples by unjust treatment or ridicule (still unjust). Our attention and concerns are diverted to meaningless (often subversive) entertainment and careers and for what? One should always consider whom do these institutions and philosophies benefit? Are you getting anything out of it or are they actually hurting you on some level? How happy are you really? Money does not equate balance or happiness.

Which holds more sway for you personally? Are you effected by your environment or do you effect your environment. Realize and reclaim your power. Learn about and take care of your mind and body for that is all you really have. Love yourself and each other.

Conspiracies, ETs, Magick, Religion... all of these topics have more relevance than you maybe currently aware of. Educate yourself and never be fearful. While discovering more about the nefarious acts that are done daily by those who seek power, you will realize your own power and break free from the chains of manipulation.

I love you. We are one. Namaste.

Disclose.tv I Know What I Saw Video

Divination 101: Lesson One: Pendulum Dowsing

2010-01-11T10:54:00.000-08:00

Hello all. Today I will share with you one of the simplest and straight forward approaches to divination that you can do yourself, anywhere with minimal supplies. The pendulum is simple weight, called a bob, that is suspended from a chain or cord. What you use for this can be anything from a jewelry pendent to a ring on a necklace or a piece of string tied to a metal washer. There are also many lovely ones that are easy to find for purchase. I have a piece of carved amethyst that is sort of conical in shape that is my favorite of all my pendulums. Ideally your bob should be symmetrical and even in weight. You hold the chain by one end and let the bob hang down and then ask yes and no questions. The pendulum gives you answers by moving. Before asking your questions you must figure out how your particular pendulum says yes and how it says no. This is called calibrating the pendulum.
To calibrate, first calm yourself and hold the chain by the end opposite the bob. Make sure that the bob is steady and then ask that it show you how it says "yes." The pendulum should start to move. Repeat but this time ask what its "no" is. You can do this more than once and the results should be consistent. You may ask some control questions that you know the answers to already so that you can check the consistency and confirm the movements for each answer. For me and my favorite pendulum, Yes is a counter-clockwise circular motions, the No is a swing that moves up and down and the Maybe is an erratic shaking. Calibration should be done for each individual pendulum. Write down your results for future reference. You should be the only one using your pendulum but you may still use it to answer questions for others.
Now that you've calibrated, you are ready to use it! Some people like to store their pendulums with a piece of moonstone as this stone corresponds with divination and psychic powers. When beginning to practice this form of divination you can use just about anything but as time goes on, you may want to think about what your pendulum is made of as different materials care different energies and the success and connection one has with a particular stone or metal may differ from another person. Find what you feel comfortable with and what works for you. Namaste.

This article was also contributed to the fabulous www.narcissoadonis.com

Lately..

2009-12-09T14:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I made my first YouTube video in a month! (actually I made 2, lol) Geez, I hadn't realized it had been so long! Since I'm off of work today as well, I'm trying to figure out how best to spend my morning because I already have plans for the afternoon. Some watercolour painting sounds nice... Maybe some sewing? I don't know.

I've been on a hat making kick as of late and I've been crocheting all sorts of hats. It's fun and meditative and if I can finish with xmas stuff soon, I'm going to put a bunch up for sale on Etsy, so keep an eye out for that if interested.

I can't believe 2009 is drawing to a close so very soon. It really flew by for me and so much has happened since I left Lubbock. I haven't even thought of what I'm going to do to bring in the new year! Ahhh! Well that's partly because I considered Samhain the beginning of the new year. I have a lot planned for 2010 and I'm very excited about life in general. Tis beautiful! <3 This picture I took while on a walk a couple of weeks ago. No significance other than it's beauty.

NAMASTE

The Law of One

2009-11-20T14:10:00.000-08:00

It was brought to my attention that a group of people channeled an entity or should I say a collective that identified itself as "Ra" in the years 1981 through 1984. I have been learning about that session and thought I should share.

An introduction as to what exactly is what they call "The Ra Material" can be found at this link.

The transcribed material can be found here.

I also found a collection of videos on youtube that give an audio and transcription of the channeling sessions, found here.

I think it is quite interesting. I may blog more about it as I go through it all. I hope that as you read this you are happy and well. Namaste.

The Alchemist's Prayer

2009-11-10T12:55:00.000-08:00

Oh most singular and unspeakable Presence, first and last in the universe, heighten the fury of my fire and burn away the dross of my being.
Cleanse my soiled soil.
Bathe me in your awesome Light.
Set me free from my past: cut me loose from my boundaries.
Unite me with the One Thing hidden in my life, wherein is my only strength.
Fill me with your Presence.
Allow me to see through your Eye; grant me entry to your Mind; let me resonate wit your Sacred Will.
Make me transparent to your flame, and fashion me into a lens for your Light only.
Transmute me into an incorruptible stone in your eternal service, like the golden Light that surrounds you.

Handmade Hat Drawing

2009-11-05T22:13:00.001-08:00

This is my first drawing and I have never had a more difficult time trying to make a video. I used my webcam because I thought it was the safer choice seeing as my normal camera has very low audio but I was wrong.. I think the webcam is dying too.

Samhain Nears

2009-10-27T15:04:00.001-07:00

So my favorite holiday and the beginning of the new year for witches approaches. That would be Samhain... And I was thinking today about resolutions and goals and how every year, much like most people, they go unfulfilled or taper off. Sometimes they start off well but ultimately I'm never as dedicated as I'd like. I thought about what I want to do and accomplish in the upcoming months and how I usually approach these goals. I realized that I always put them in the future and not in the now. There is only now and I shouldn't wait until the beginning of a new month to start a journal or working on any given project. I've been sort of unmotivated lately and I don't know why but I'm tired of how things are and I am determined to make some changes. With the falling of leaves, so I shed my inhibitions and reservations. To start a new and begin fresh. Oh Happy Day. (n_n) Bright Blessings to you.

About Me And My Beliefs

2009-09-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

As a person experiencing a finite life, one tends to look for the meaning of life and a higher power. People or at least I have personally, try to find reason, some purpose for being here. Often we look up and outside ourselves. I think this is the problem, we should be looking inward, finding and creating our own purpose and happiness. We are inextricably connected to everything and everyone we make contact with. I believe that the universe is holographic. Everything is a holon, meaning both a whole and a part simultaneously. For example, as a person we are a collection of cells, organs and systems that make up a single amazing body. At the same time we are like a cog in a larger society, a student in a school, a member of a club, a citizen of a city, state, country, etc. Everything in existence deserves respect for it is the same. We are all connected and part of the whole. Ichi no zen, zen no ichi. One is All, All is One. As above, so bellow. This idea of the relationship of microcosm and the macrocosm has been expressed and study through the ages by mystics and scholars alike. Magick, to me extends beyond spellwork and rituals, it is seeing and recognizing the connectivity of all life and energy, respecting and honoring it all. Spellwork then is to harness these energies and then focus them to consciously produce desired results. In my craft I do not like to focus too much on dividing the One power into the male and feminine aspects, the God and Goddess, like some traditions do. This is because they really are just aspects of the One and are equal and complimentary. How I keep them balanced is by never worshiping one Deity alone but as an aspect of the One. Universal Consciousness has many expressions and I love them all. There can not be the Goddess without the God and vice versa. Everything is energy whether in physical form or not.

I try to live by the words: An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will. And this is in every way shape and form, mentally and physically. We are all entitled to free will and I do not have to agree with the choices of others to love and respect them. All life is sacred and I only hope for others to realize that and act accordingly. There may be aspects of religions or beliefs that I do not agree with but I do not assume that all following a certain path is defined by those aspects. And if they do, so be it as long as they do not harm or impose on others. When we learn to let go of fears and judgement we can learn more about ourselves and be open to love. My practice is personal and it draws from personal experience, various traditions and a love and reverence for life and all of Nature. I do what resonates with me and what intuitively and logically works for me. I find some merit in all religions or belief systems and try not to discriminate against those that in opposition to my own.