we'll Make Your Business Shine!

Background image courtesy of 1xpert. http://www.123rf.com/photo_18849738_abstract-architecture-3d-render.html

LET US CLEAN YOUR BUILDING!

New graphic for a commercial cleaning business

The Choices We Make....

Gunz A Blazin

Took this pic with my (now ancient) camera of a friend of mine with our two Springfield XD .45 pistols. He wanted a photo made with the two guns. The slides were locked back and not actually firing at the time, but with the magic of Photoshop, I was able to put some smoke and fire to the firearms. It was a real "quickie" manipulation (about 45 mins) I thought it turned out really good, but could probably be tweaked a little more....

The resolution from the phone camera wasn't very good and pixelated badly when enlarged for manipulation.... 

My Take on the "Expendables" Design

Flaming Rose

Anyone interested will be able to find some great Ps tutorials from BakaArts here:
http://bakaarts.com/

Tried a new tutorial from BakaArts....

My Angel Wife

Mother of Invention

Whoever said necessity is the mother of all inventions had it right. To illustrate some of my blogs, I need to "invent" some graphics. The latest is for the post to my "Thirst for Jesus" blog.

It has to do with being entrusted with someone elses' property and how you are suppose to multiply these riches.... 

Tre Aliens

My 16 year old son is really into the "Alien" movies and games. He had changed his profile picture to one of  - you guessed it, the acid spewing, killer teeth gnashing, Sigourney Weaver bashing, killing machine.... ALIEN. I took the picture he posted and did a little photoshopping with it and wound up with what you see below....

  

Chevy Aveo

The Chevy Aveo has some interesting characteristics as far as small cars go. Evidently they are (or were until 2011) made by the Daewoo GM plant in South Korea. It was kind of cool to see what you could do with one of these little cars and I found out that there are a number of after market parts you can buy and some cool body customizations you can add to the car to make it really stand out.

My Guys

Here is a montage I put together from some pictures that were on my camera. My oldest had an award ceremony today because he was on the honor roll for this grading period. Great work son! The youngest is really getting into playing dominoes and putting his Lego star wars figures together. They both love the dog ;] 

John the Baptist

Some of my inspiration comes from a necessity to create images for my blogs.Here is one I did for John the Baptist for one of my devotions on my "A Thirst for Jesus" site. The writing at the bottom of the image is Hebrew for "John the Baptist". The image itself is a painting by Bartolomeo Veneto, 16th century. Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Thirsty for Jesus

Did some work on a new design and wanted something that I might be able to turn into a design for a drink can. What I came up with is the "Thirsty for Jesus" design. The only drink that provides life-giving water and quenches a thirst spiritually.

Verse of the Day

Bible Verse of the Day

January 28

Philippians 3:10-11 (NIV)

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Read Philippians 3

Glowing Superhero

Tried this tutorial from the Digital Arts website and, although my attempt fell short of the original outcome, with a little more work, it turned out acceptable (I think) You be the judge

Equinox Comics

I really like the Equinox Comics:

Photoshop Tutorials

Tried out one of the best PS tutorials for 2012 and came up with this comp of my wife - Obviously it didn't turn out like the one in the tutorial, but I thought it got an "honorable mention" at least.

The link for the tutorial is here: http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/tutorials/photoshop/top-10-photoshop-tutorials-of-2011/

Bible Study Tools

I like getting up in the mornings and having my quiet time with God. I try to faithfully do this every morning and usually starts with reading a passage in the Bible and then writing out what it means to me and how I can apply it in my life. I find  that it's a good way to start the day. Put on a little "praise and worship" music on Pandora and get things done. However, here lately I've not been as resolute in my endeavors. I find myself staying up too late and getting up later and not getting that boost I need in the morning.But, there is still hope.

Recently I signed up for emails from a site called "Bible Study Tools". and I get a Verse of the Day and actual study guides/lessons that are truly uplifting! Of course I got up late this morning and the kids are out of school today, so it is a little hectic this morning, but I found an email from Bible Study Tools and opened it up. I'm glad I did.

So, I guess what I'm getting at here is the fact that, even if you feel like getting a little quiet time in and about to say, "Okay, things are a little hectic right now. I'll get to it later", there are resources you can use to spend a little time in the Word and get that boost in the morning that I know I really enjoy

Photoshop + Pen and Ink

Drew this and finished it in pen and ink - then placed it in Photoshop and completed the comp. using selections. Using "layer styles" and "blending options", I had over 50 layers with some 20 different channels with saved selections.

John 15:5

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Working on Selections

I love working with Adobe and Photoshop and Illustrator. I use to use Illustrator almost exclusively and snob Photoshop thinking it was just for tweaking "images" and that Illustrator was more for the real "artist" You know, the ones who would draw their images and then use Photoshop to tweak them. However, I've found that photoshop can really be handy for those who like to really get creative with images and I find myself using it more and more here lately.

The Next American Revolution?

Gun Advocates Warn That New Safety Measures Could Foment ‘The Next American Revolution’ By Igor Volsky on Jan 12, 2013 at 12:10 pm As Vice President Joe Biden prepares to offer legislative recommendations to reduce and prevent gun violence on Tuesday, gun advocates across the country fear that the administration may succeed in expanding background checks for all gun purchases or limiting the sale of high capacity magazines and assault weapons.   State-based gun advocacy organizations are vowing to oppose any additional gun safety measures, NBC News reports, and have formed the National Coalition to Stop the Gun Ban to act as a counterweight to the National Rifle Association (NRA), which, the Coalition claims, is too eager to compromise with gun control advocates. In an open letter to members of Congress, the Coalition argues that assault weapons are “functionally identical to hunting rifles” and that banning high capacity magazines would be “moot” since “nearly all mass murderers who use guns carry multiple firearms.” “Like the misnomer ‘assault weapon,’ the ‘high capacity’ designation of more than ten rounds for magazines represents nothing more than an arbitrary limit set on devices which have been in common possession since the early Twentieth Century.” The group also claims that attempts to expand background checks for all gun purchases is “nothing less than a stepping stone to national gun registration.” A separate letter to President Obama from Grass Roots North Carolina (a member of the Coalition), warned the administration against issuing executive orders regulating guns, calling such action an “usurpation of power” and predicting that gun owners will resist any additional safety measures: And what happens when, inevitably, some resist? Do you honestly believe people will go peacefully into bondage? How many will die as the direct result of your actions? There is no need to send the Secret Service to my door, Mr. President (although I suspect you might anyway). I am not advocating violence; I am merely saying what others are afraid to. The real question, Mr. President, is whether you so hunger for power that you are willing to foment what might be the next American Revolution. Will that be your enduring legacy? The New York Times reported on Friday that while Obama “pledged to crack down on access to what he called ‘weapons of war’ in the aftermath of last month’s schoolhouse massacre, the White House has calculated that a ban on military-style assault weapons will be exceedingly difficult to pass through Congress and is focusing on other measures it deems more politically achievable” like background checks and “more federal research on gun violence.”

Belief

Sometimes things just don't work out as planned. But God is good and His plan is perfect. I make my plans, but He guides my steps. Will probably be headed back home here within the next couple weeks and having faith that this will be a good thing.