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

...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

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

I finally got my scooter!

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?

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

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

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

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

Magickal Mercury Oil Blend

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

The Sour Truth About Artificial Sweeteners

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

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

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

I made this for a friend that is moving away.

Imbolc

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

Laying on the line...

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

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