Fabiola Garza's Blog

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol.8)

2012-02-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

-1-

This week I've collected a bunch of fun things that I've found for your enjoyment!
I started ready this fun and peppy online comic called Cucumber Quest. It's very entertaining and has some the most beautiful color work I have seen in a while. Enjoy!

http://cucumber.gigidigi.com/

-2-

In the same spirit is Bad Catholic's post Priest and Pokemon . It wholly encompasses one of the reasons I find being Catholic exciting and ever new! Not only because it's true but because it is a great adventure with many twists, turns and and new heights to explore!

-3-

Here's a fun image of Cinna (from the Hunger Games) and his staple gold eyeliner :

-4-

One of my most favorite explanations of Transubstantiation by Catholic Stuff You Should Know

-5-

My favorite site for Home Decor: Apartment Therapy

-6-

Want to have yummy food and stay trim?
Try the recipes in The French Women Don't Get Fat Cookbook

-7-
Curl up with this book when you are feeling young and nostalgic.
The Ordinary Princess

Have a lovely weekend!

love, love,

Fabi

38 Studios- News and on ABC News!

2012-02-07T21:31:00.000-08:00

News! Our team down in Baltimore just came out with it's MOST EPIC RPG- Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Buy it! Play it! Felicia Day did! http://reckoning.amalur.com/

Want to know about 38 Studios and who I work for? Well, you are in luck! There was a segment tonight on ABC news interviewing Curt Schilling! There are also some photos of my coworkers and me!

Go to the link below to watch it for yourself :D
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/red-sox-player-helps-create-jobs-15534508

Lookeee! It's me! I was on for like half a second!

Into Springtime- Thumbnails and Color

2012-02-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys! I started planning a new piece for 'The Twelve Months'. It depicts the moment when April and January open the door to spring so that Lucia can pick the magic flower! Remember outside the doorway it is a cold, dark winter night so if you think any of the color studies convey the mood well please let me know. Also this is the time to fix any problems with the composition so if there is anything to make it better lemme know!

Basic Composition- Bushes and things will move around when I start tightening it up.

Toodles!

Fabi

P.S. Also April is an aloof hottie that Lucia eventually crushes on. There is the problem of him being an immortal spirit but young love knows no bounds. (I can't believe I just wrote "hottie").

Some Free Time!! Wee!

2012-01-29T00:17:00.000-08:00

sketchy sketch sketch!

To Life!

2012-01-21T22:17:00.000-08:00

This weekend people of a plethora of backgrounds are comingtogether in Washington D.C. to celebrate human life and protect the littlest among us.

"You are called to stand up for life! To respect and defend the mystery of life always and everywhere, including the lives of unborn babies, giving real help and encouragement to mothers in difficult situations. You are called to work and pray against abortion." Pope John Paul II

Why should you join this fight against abortion and celebration of human life? Here are afew reasons:

For the mind:

For the heart:

And also this: The Inherent Awkardness of Being Pro-Choice (because perhaps the last two were a bit heavy).

Send me off with some prayers that I won't absolutely lose my mind on this bus ride. I'm off to fill my ipod with a balance of informative and fluffy media!

Including this very pretty song:

Bye!
Fabi

The Hunger Games: Peeta

2012-01-13T22:13:00.000-08:00

Here is the process I went through to create the image:

Sketch

I don't recommend this stage of my process to anyone. Don't ever render out just one area by itself EVER and I should have decided what I was doing with the background. But since this was just for fun I indulged, but I payed the price with a gross amount of tweaking later and accepting the fact that I was going to leave things that were a bit incorrect be. (Also, notice how I changed the the knife, I was informed by my friend that you don't hold fighting knives that way. That through off my composition for a loop.)

I changed the colors to fit my taste. I recommend Variations for intense change in hue and Hue/Saturation, if you want to keep your subtler colors but I mostly favor Color Balance because I feel like I have more control.

Finishing off the background was fun and I used lines of direction as much as possible to make my composition less clunky. When I wanted to see how the lights and darks were working with each other I'd desaturate the image. Also, the fun thing about painting is that you can put lights where they are most convenient as long as you take care that they either have a really source light or could have a real source light. There's some things I will go back into if I have the time. I have to fix the way the bow is being held and I'd like to go into the strokes that look like an obvious brush and if there are any critiques I get to those eventually too.

Thank you for reading!

love, love,

Fabi

Heart of Gold

2012-01-03T23:48:00.000-08:00

A heart of gold is all I need.

Strong and brilliant as a joyful cry

Welling up inside as you see

One thought dead, alive.

The Baby Jesus

2011-12-19T22:50:00.000-08:00

I know Catholics are known for loving on baby Jesus a lot and not just during Christmas… I mean He’s all grown up now and our King of Kings, mighty in heaven, etc right? But I believe it so important we remember that in His humanity he was God and that each stage of his life expressed his full divinity just as we all as babies were fully ourselves and our mothers remember us tenderly, vividly and love on that image of us in a way that almost plays back those very moments before their eyes. And Jesus was the most beautiful of children, a living image of what it was to be child-like and not childish. He was perfect when he cried, when he slept, when he peered out those wee eyes in confusion! So how much more should we meditate on that divine little babe! Jesus in his perfection never lost childlike goodness because He is all things good. That is why I do not find it strange to see depictions of Jesus as a child with deep, knowing eyes because it so wonderfully symbolizes his essence in two ways- That he is all the good of a little boy and all the good of a man, that innocence and wisdom can coexist in one being. As He grew He never stopped being a child. We were the ones that forgot because we see a man with our eyes and so we expect his manliness, but not his divine childishness. We see the courage of a King when he dies upon the cross for the love of His Queen, but forget the unfailing trust of a small child who still believes every word his father tells him even at the threshold of death. And so I find it natural to call upon His Divine Childishness to help me preserve all the good of my youth, because it is inextricably bound to helping me invite all the good of adulthood.

How beautiful is my Lord in every single light, in the morning or in the night, in my memory or here in sight, it is you and so I rejoice in everything you touch, all the things that you are are are. For he is who he is whether he is big or small in a manger or on the cross.

Have a Blessed Christmas my friends.

Keep me in your prayers and I’ll keep you in mine. Send your prayer requests over the next couple weeks to fgarza@g.risd.edu.

With Hope,

Fabi

The Hunger Games: Katniss Everdeen

2011-12-04T22:44:00.001-08:00

sketch

I was drawing Katniss during a meeting, when one of my co-workers asked if it was her, I said yes and then we high-fived! When I finished the series I was such a wreck that I cropped the drawing and painted it up as therapy.

- Fabi

The Tale of January

2011-11-21T21:19:00.001-08:00

"To see him you'd think he'd be cold to the touch, but his hug was so warm it saved me from the frost that had nearly gone to my heart. And here you find me safe and sound, as whole as when I went into the forest. I don't think I'll be afraid to go play there anymore."

-Lucia, the morning after the snowstorm.

January is a very important character in the story of the Twelve Months. January holds the keys to the the New Year. He is commonly referred to as The Doorway. He is the oldest and wisest of the months and can't be bothered with the petty quarrels of his younger brothers and sisters. He is the first to meet little Lucia and saves her from the deadly snowstorm that swept up the land on a quiet winter night. She becomes a little light in his life and him in hers.

The Twelve Months is a Concept Project that is inspired by the Russian fairytale by the same name, which I am recreating in my spare time. It may become a graphic novel or children's book but for now it simply remains a world of fancy I visit sometimes. Please visit the other pages under the tag of Twelve Months for more.

{Initial Sketches}

{Color Study}

{Face Study}

{Drawing for Final Paint Render}

{Final Painting}

{Face Detail}

{Cloth Detail}

A Happy Thanksgiving and Winter to you all!

Fabiola

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 7)

2011-10-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

-1-

In a vehement moment of self-indulgence I gathered images of characters or people portrayed in movies that have compelled me to reach above mediocrity throughout my life; characters that have subconsciously formed the virtues I strive for and the excellence I long for. I'm curious to see which ones people recognize, some being more obscure than others!

-2-

My father gave me St. Therese of Lisieux's autobiography years ago, claiming he thought I'd be a saint like her one day. When I first read it it was an intense source of inspiration in my life but over the years I drifted away from the particular love I had for her spirituality... I think I was running away from accepting that I was little, weak and sensitive like her. In coming back to read some passages from her autobiography again this week I have realized that it is precisely because she was little that God was able to work such great things in her, and so the quiet aversion that had begun to grow on me towards her in recent years was swiftly knocked away. She died at twenty-four, my age.

Here is a passage from her biography:

I look upon myself as a weak little bird, with only a light down as covering. I am not an eagle, but I have only an eagle’s EYES AND HEART. In spite of my extreme littleness I still dare to gaze upon the Divine Sun, the Sun of Love, and my heart feels within it all the aspirations of an Eagle.

The little bird wills to fly towards the bright Sun that attracts its eye, imitating its brothers, the eagles, whom it sees climbing up toward the Divine Furnace of the Holy Trinity. But alas! The only thing it can do is raise its little wings; to fly is not within its little power!

What then will become of it? Will it die of sorrow at seeing itself so weak? Oh no! The little bird will not even be troubled. With bold surrender, it wishes to remain gazing upon its Divine Sun. Nothing will frighten it, neither wind nor rain, and if dark clouds come and hide the Star of Love, the little bird will not change its place because it knows that beyond the clouds its bright Sun still shine on and that its brightness is not eclipsed for a single instant.

At times the little bird’s heart is assailed by the storm, and it seems it should believe in the existence of no other thing except the clouds surrounding it; this is the moment of perfect joy for the poor little weak creature. And what joy it experiences when remaining there just the same! And gazing at the Invisible Light which remains hidden from its faith!

O Jesus, up until the present moment I can understand Your love for the little bird because it has not strayed far from You. But I know and so do You that very often the imperfect little creature, while remaining in its place (that is, under the Sun’s rays), allows itself to be somewhat distracted from its sole occupation. It picks up a piece of grain on the right or on the left; it chases after a little worm; then coming upon a little pool of water, it wets its feathers still hardly formed. It sees an attractive flower and its little mind is occupied with this flower. In a word, being unable to soar like the eagles, the poor little bird is taken up with the trifles of earth.

And yet after all these misdeeds, instead of going and hiding away in a corner, to weep over its misery and to die of sorrow, the little bird turns toward its beloved Sun, presenting its wet wings to its beneficent rays. It cries like a swallow and in its sweet song it recounts in detail all its infidelities, thinking in the boldness of its full trust that it will acquire in even greater fullness the love of Him who came to call not the just but sinners. And even if the Adorable Star remains deaf to the plaintive chirping of the little creature, even if it remains hidden, well, the little one will remain wet, accepting its numbness from the cold and rejoicing in its suffering which it knows it deserves.

O Jesus, Your little bird is happy to be weak and little. What would become of it if it were big? Never would it have the boldness to appear in Your presence, to fall asleep in front of You. Yes, this is still on of the weaknesses of the little bird: when it wants to fix its gaze upon the Divine Sun, and when the clouds prevent it from seeing a single ray of that Sun, in spite of itself, its little eyes close, its little head is hidden beneath its wing, and the poor little thing falls asleep, believing all the time that it is fixing its gaze upon its Dear Star. When it awakens, it doesn’t feel desolate; its little heart is at peace and it begins once again its work of love.

-3-

Continuing on the topic of Little Therese, my friend and I are asking her for her prayers in a novena right now and I found this on Etsy for her.

More pieces of jewelry can be found here. They are created by the Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate.

-4-

Art has been slow, but it is happening. I'm working on an piece that requires a lot of time and detail...
here is a little preview of part of it in progress.

- 5 -

I watched Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle and I was blown away. I hadn't seen it in years but I'd never been this struck by it before. The depth of the story is beautiful... and it's so darn pretty! Watch it.

-6-

1 Peter 1: 6-9

6 This is a great joy to you, even though for a short time yet you must bear all sorts of trials;7 so that the worth of your faith, more valuable than gold, which is perishable even if it has been tested by fire, may be proved -- to your praise and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.8 You have not seen him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him you believe in him and so are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described;9 and you are sure of the goal of your faith, that is, the salvation of your souls.

-7-

Something I wrote in the back of my copy of Fellowship of the Ring because I didn't have anything else to write it on:

It's not about getting what I want but loving as I should.

love, love,
Fabi
~

7 Quick Takes hosted by Jennifer Fullwiller @ConversionDiary

Twin Murals

2011-10-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hello Peeps!
I'm making a few spot murals for a couple of adorable twins. They each have their own rooms; Hallie's is pink and Paige's is purple. I got the chance to babysit them and their little brother, watch Ponyo with them and take a look at their room set up. I took down the colors, shapes and characters on their bedspreads so that the final paintings would complement them. These are my drawings and color plans for each room.

Hallie's Room

Paige's Room

Peace,
Fabi

Fully Moved In!

2011-10-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

Now I only have one blog! Yeah!

For all of you that had not idea this thing called "Catholic Colors" was happening let me just fill you in that indeed I had two blogs my art blog and my chatty, rambling blog called "Catholic Colors". I had a fun time moving all my posts from that site as well as my domain to make things in the end much easier for myself. This is now officially:

http://www.catholiccolors.com

Where I post my art, my writing and stuffs. I still have to fill out the "Gallery" page but that will be up soon.

To celebrate I will send you to VirtuousPla.net where I contribute a piece of writing or art once a month.

My new post Can Christians NOT Be Religious? at VirtuousPla.net

Jubileee!

Fabiola

Merging of Ma Blogs

2011-10-06T23:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys, just letting you know that if this blog looks ugly and weird for the next few weeks it's because I'm reorganizing my bloggy blogs and I want the finished result to be really user friendly and purty.

-Fabi

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol.6)

2011-10-06T21:52:00.000-07:00

-1-

If someone had told me 5 years ago that I'd be going to daily Mass I would have said. "Pff, only old ladies do that and there's no way I'm going to be uncool." And then I'd avoid whoever said that like crazy.

-2-

If someone had told me 5 years ago that my most cherished time would be with my awesome Priest friend on Skype and with my best girly praying novenas, I would have cried at the idea of being such a weirdo.

-3-

If someone had told me 5 years ago that I'd be speaking to fellow Christians on how Jesus has transformed my life I would have offered myself up for martyrdom rather than speak in public.

-4-

If someone had told me 5 years ago that'd I'd take up a love of theology books equal to my love of fairytale novels I would have been like "Hmm, do you have any idea how much I love my fairytale books?"

-5-

If someone had told me five years ago that St. Francis de Sales, St. Therese of Lisieux, G.K Chesterton, J.R.R Tolkien, C.S Lewis, and Scott Hahn would be great comforts during my sorrows, I would have been only a little disturbed. "Who?"

-6-

If someone had told me 5 years ago that I'd be blogging about my faith I would have said, "What's a blog?"

-7-

It was about 6-5 years ago when I stopped just skimming on the surface of God's almighty love. I decided to take a dive in because I was drowning. And then I kept swimming deeper and deeper, sometimes against the current, sometimes leisurely but I found that there is never a bottom. I found that I am either swimming continually down into the depths of love or I beginning to float up toward the surface again. I've never regretted a minute of it no matter what the suffering has been. He has always been present no matter what I've done or what I fear. He is always there waiting for me to go deeper. My conversion is continuous, daily. Everyday I have to choose to say "Yes!" to God.

EXTRA

-8-

Squeeeee! Is my new favorite thing to write when I'm full of girlish delight.

SQUEEEEE!

And for everyones info I'm just giving y'all a head up that I'll be consolidating Catholic Colors and My Art Blog into one so that I don't have to do double posts and keep two blogs up. I donts got the times.

Con Amor, Fabi

For more quick takes please visit http://conversiondiary.com

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 5)

2011-09-29T18:08:00.000-07:00

-1-

I'm not quite sure how it happened that My Little Pony become loved by all but my excitement couldn't be contained and I've drawn so many ponies for my friends. If you're not watching the new My Little Pony show please get on it. Just goes to show you shouldn't care if other people don't like what you like since what's lame today is cool tomorrow and lame again the next!

-2-

PHENOMENAL article by a Catholic man who is gay, and to follow up with what's going on with him go to his blog.

http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/features/im_a_man

blog:
http://www.stevegershom.com/q-and-a/

-3-

I just got my copy of Catholicsim the tv series produced by World on Fire. I have to say it is phenomenal. I'm almost through the whole series. Get your hands on your own copy or ask your local PBS station to air it.

http://www.wordonfire.org/The-Catholicism-Project/Trailer-New.aspx

-4-

Must be reason #3 of why I'm Catholic:

-5-

I started reading The Fellowship of the Ring and I cannot contain my joy. I didn't even think about the fact that Fall is about to start and it will be amazing to curl up with that book and a hot drink. It makes me feel at home.

-6-

OOOOH! I almost forgot. I'm also planning a few wall paintings for some kids' rooms. Here is some of my planning for one of them. I have to keep to the color scheme of her bedspread as well as the motifs.

-7-

Go see the Lion King in theaters! It is beautiful.

Have a lovely weekend!
<3
FAbi

World Youth Day: Madrid

2011-09-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

Pilgrimage Events

Hello Dear Ppl!

I am glad that you're here again for another round of stories from World Youth Day. I had a few weeks to reflect on the impact WYD had on me. Even as I was there the experience was extremely profound, other-wordly, mystical and yet concrete. My faith, usually experienced in a climate not amiable to it became light rather than heavy because the Joy of the Holy Spirit was so palpable. There was a freedom to simply enjoy God as heartily as you wished in streets, metros, parks, malls, it didn't matter. The world was turned on it's head and it was the sanest insanity I have ever experienced. It was like living in the City of God for a week.

My group was recieved by two spanish teenagers in lime green t-shirts. Green t-shirts meant that they were volunteers. They took us to the parish where we would be staying along with many other groups from around the world. We were given our much anticipated WYD packs which had alot of informational books and goodies in them including a cross that we'd get blessed by The Pope the last day of our trip. Filled with hope for the week we were led around the building to be shown our sleeping quarters and the showers.

The Girls Room

The showers and even the bathing that ensued the following week deserves a full paragraph. After seeing where we'd put down our sleeping bags and so forth we followed a volunteer past a hall that led to the garage. Were our showers past the garage? We all looked quizzically at each other when we realized the showers were in the garage next to a huge SUV that was parked there. They had just been installed and they didn't have any curtains separating the stalls. We had been told that we'd have to wear our bathings suits anyways, but we had a good laugh and started joking around about it being just a car wash for people. That idea met a quick death when we were told there would be curtains by the evening. Wahhh, no carwash fun. But that wasn't really what made our showers so memorable. Something was broken and there was only ICE COLD water for the entire week. Unless you woke up at 5am for scalding water that would melt your skin off. My first shower was the first moment I really felt I was on a pilgrimage. In Cordoba we had been spoiled by our host families. Long showers, soft bed, privacy, etc. It was a nice vacation. But I went to WYD to get joyfully uncomfortable because I'm weird like that and want the full experience. The first few days of showering with water that must've come directly from Siberia were not the worst. I developed a good system in which I was able to splash some water on my legs in such a way that I wouldn't get goosebumps so I could shave then I'd get any kind of soap I needed on me so all I had to do was rinse really well but really fast. By day three or four I literally had to pray before I went in because I really didn't want to get in. I had to think of somebody that was going through a rough time and imagine them screaming for help or something and I'd quickly jump in and offer up the shower. I'm very creative with my prayer life ;) I think I've finally managed to channel my overactive imagination in a positive way.

Anyhoo... before I continue I should mention that at WYD you bring things from your country to trade with other ppl, mostly bracelets but anything goes. In Cordoba I had spotted some kids from Poland with Pope John Paul II bandanas and I made it my mission to aquire this item at some point. MUST HAVE, my brain said. Luckily then, there was a huge group of Polish people at the parish. I kept a fierce eye out. It would be mine! Then I snapped out of that zone and met some people. But not many since we were starving. We went out to eat, but some of us starting twitching with anxiety because we were going to miss some meeting, and by meeting I mean meeting of people.... cough, cough. In the end we got our apples* to go and were off and we didn't miss anything of real importance at all. Boys shower at night and girls in the morning, the end.

*A common desert item we'd get with our food vouchers. :D Apples!

The volunteers at the parish were nothing short of amazing. Even the parish priest came down at 2am when one of my Australian friends got sick. He treated us like we were literally his little children who he loved. We gave him a little statue of St. Paul when we left :)

(If your attention span is waning now would be a good time to get a cookie. )

Day 1- August 15, Tuesday!

I woke up the next morning with no memory as to when I went to bed. I showered! Then got my my little breakfast from the volunteers. There was a Y.H.O.P.E huddle and the following plan was laid out:

- Look at some churches!

- Go to a talk given by Christopher West on Theology of the Body

- Opening Mass with the Archbishop of Madrid

I had already been on the metro but even more than before each stop picked up more people in yellow t-shirts and backpacks and flags. There was spontaneous chanting of the Jesus or nationalistic sort and clapping. Some of the uninvolved ppl on the metro looked like they were trying to sleep but others had smiles on their faces.

We got off at our stop, went up the stairs into the fresh, hot air of midday Madrid. My breath stopped. People and flags were literally pouring through any street I looked down. A river of color and song decorated the already lovely Spanish scenery. And they wouldn't stop coming, more and more! Surely not everybody had decided to do the same thing? But it wasn't everybody, it was just some... and then I laughed a big laugh and sang along. This outpour of color and song was present all week, rain or shine.

Our little group made its way to the Almudena Cathedral. Incredible packed, but gorgeous.

This is the beautiful ceiling of the cathedral!

We bumped into other ppl from Boston there. Yay! including Sister Olga. The first time I met Sister Olga I literally sensed the holiness around her. No joke. I'd never felt that before. All she did was say hello. She's originally from Iraq where she tended to the homeless and imprisoned.

We continued to the Franciscan cathedral and it was beautiful but what I remember most is the south african group praying the rosary in one of the side chapels. Their devotion was beautiful. Quiet, bent bodies. Clear, knowing words.

I don't always want to pray, sometimes I'm genuinely annoyed inside when people suggest one more rosary because we have some free time. Then God and I have a good chat about those feelings. Watching them helped my internal dialogue with God and it softened my rebellious disposition concerning that. Praying the Rosary takes a good deal of concentration and full abandonment so you can say the prayers while meditating on moments in Christ's life and a lot of the times I don't want to put in that kind of effort. Again, during the pilgrimage when spontaneous rosaries happened A LOT I was tried and it felt like a pilgrimage; like Christ was working through some messy bits inside. It had more to do with my anger and annoyance at these occurrences when I just wasn't in the mood to do it than the fact that I did or did not want to do it. I believe a truly Holy person would trudge through and fight the annoyance for the possibility of having an encounter with God since you were asked to pray anyways. I dunno still I'm working through that one. If anything it was a continous reminder of my need for God and his transforming power.

After the sightseeing we broke off into a few different groups. I tried to go to Theology of the Body which was for english speakers but the sports center filled up and we didn't make it. We looked for some food, had some communication issues, but we took some deep breaths and survived. We finally met up with the greater group at another church for Taize Prayer*. Very necessary after the torrid afternoon. My favorite song from the prayer was this simple phrase:

Nada te turbe, nada te espante, quien a Dios tiene nada le falta.

Let nothing unsettle you, let nothing frighten you, whomever has God lacks nothing.

*Taize Prayer: Meditative prayer involving the repetition of songs. Slowly so that it sinks in.

The sun was still out and shining when the event concluded. The day still wasn't over and we went over to a square to see the opening mass on a huge screen that was set up.

I fell asleep quickly that night.

(You can get another cookie or maybe save the rest for tomorrow. I don't mind. )

Day 2- August 16, Wednesday!

I woke up the next morning completely enthused. It was the first day of Catechesis*

Catechesis means oral teaching.

Catechesis happened each morning, three days in a row and we'd be taught by a different Bishop or Archbishop each day. There were several places we could go for an english speaking Bishop, including our Parish so we decided to stay there.

Before the Bishop arrived a Nigerian Priest and choir were in charge of coordinating this event and they led us in song, prayer and witness talks. Afterwards we were joined by the Bishop of Dublin who looked a little like this:

He talked about the great desire he has to touch the youth of his country and his hope to rekindle the faith that has been so watered down in the past decades.

There was Mass and then we were off into Madrid for more adventure. We went to park where I found Winnie the Pooh (not as good as the Poohs you find at Disney World, alas), a Christian Aussie band, a Gaudi exposition and a Vocations Fair. Exhausted we plopped down on the grass sang some songs, were joined in song by some strangers and we met some cute kids who thought our american swag was the best.

My favorite part of the day though was going to a concert in memory of Blessed* Chiara Luce Badano who died when she was eighteen. Her now much older parents were there and they gave their testimony on the life of their daughter, who bravely suffered through cancer in total surrender to Jesus. While I was there my hard heart softened tremendously and I had great hope for the kind of great love I wanted to give during my own life.
Favorite song from the concert:

Blessed means that Chiara was beatified or that she's on the 2nd of three steps to being declared a Saint by the Catholic Church.

~
Day 3- August 17, Thursday!

My New Zealander friend, Kathleen invited me to go look at a fashion museum, but that meant missing catechesis... I weighed my options... and I decided to go to the museum! It was breathtaking; the most beautiful collection of garments I have ever seen. They ranged from the 16th century to the present. Kathleen actually makes dresses so she was quickly sketching sleeves, ruffles and petticoats. I tried to sketch some things too but the light was dim, presumably to keep the items of clothing in good condition. Kathleen and I had a nice time getting to know each other and we were back by noon just in time for me to see that the Bishop of Brooklyn had been the visiting speaker.

The Pope was going to arrive that day so we decided to head into the city so we had time to do something before that. We went to an exhibit on Mother Theresa.

young Ratzinger!

Afterwards in the heat and after many attempts to find a place that would let us use their bathrooms we waited on the side of a street to wait for the Pope to come by. I sat right on the curb and the Popemobile whisked by! Alright, I cried just a little. I didn't really expect to but my religious emotionalism got to me. I didn't feel too awkward since the filipino girl next to me made weird sobbing sounds which I could only interpret as a good thing. If Walt Disney had shown up I would have died a happy woman.

We walked toward a screen to watch the Pope deliver his an opening address (BIG SCREENS were placed around the city during any big event because not everybody could fit in the square or area where said thing was taking place). I tried to translate things here and there for my american buddies but I wasn't that good at it and I think they weren't too unhappy when I stopped trying.

I vaguely remember going to dinner somewhere with a group but I think I was falling asleep.
~
Day 4- August 18, Friday!

A wonderful Bishop from Nigeria delivered catechesis in the morning and I was asked to read a petition (prayer asking for something) and I was so excited! I love reading at church. To my horror when I got to the pulpit and I realized that either the people in front of me were making their prayers up on the spot or were reading something they had prepared for themselves. Normally I wouldn't have minded at all but I usually need to be told I have to deliver something spontaneous. I went up there and delivered something sincere but illogical. A little red in the face I went back to my seat.

Today was to be my first successful visit to the sports stadium where all the english speaking events were going on. I didn't really know what we were going there to see but I followed happily since I had now acquired my JPII scarf from a very nice Polish girl named Luiza. I pondered on the fact that I could just wear a Pope scarf all day like it was totally normal and COOL. I had officially entered a pleasant version of the twilight zone.

The stadium was huge. Somebody said it fit 20,000 people and I couldn't believe it had been full for Theology of the Body. I sat down and saw that there was already a panel of people. They were talking about media, mainly film and art. My ears perked up. Art! That's me! Matthew Mardsen, a british actor talked about how important it is for us to strive for excellence in art. Art needs to inspire man deeply and there is no place for art to be mediocre. A "Christian" label does not make a work of art brilliant. I was writing all these things down when I noticed that one of the panelist was Father Robert Barron. WEEEEE! Brilliant! Here's a link to his website and the trailer for his latest venture!

Word on Fire: http://www.wordonfire.org

I like him. He talked about a film that he thought spoke particular human truths. True Grit is apparently fraught with awesome storytelling. I'll probably write about that once I've seen it but one of his points was that there is a difference between a movie showing bad things and a movie advocating bad things. It is important to develop a mind and heart that discerns good from bad well. Being close to the Lord is key in doing so.

I rushed down the steps of the stadium after the panel finished so I could meet him. And I did! I told him I was an artist at a video game company and sometimes I watched his commentaries while I worked :).

I felt a little guilty about not wanting to stay for the next panel but I was getting a bit restless so I tried to go to a smaller talk in one of the side rooms of the arena but again it was overpopulated, then I tried praying in a small chapel that was set up with all these cool screens depicting the Mysteries of the Rosary* but I wasn't very successful. In the end I think all I needed was some fresh air. I went outside with Linda and got some snacks.

Mysteries of the Rosary: The rosary is divided by sections of one Our Father and ten Hail Marys, and while you pray them you're supposed to meditate on a mystery aka a moment in the life of Christ or Mary. For example The Wedding of Cana or The Cruxifiction.

I went back inside to watch one of the most important events for WYD: The Stations of the Cross on the big screens. Stations of the Cross is a devotion in which you "visit" different moments of Jesus' Passion all the way to the crucifixion. If you go into almost any Catholic church you will find depictions of these on the walls but for this occasion beautiful statues were brought from all over Spain and the Pope was there presiding over the prayer. Different groups of young adults who suffer persecution carried the WYD cross from one station to the other. This same cross was taken to Ground Zero in New York not long before, and it was originally a gift from JPII to the youth.

On my way back to the parish I bumped into badcatholic, a fellow blogger I have never met save through blogs! God is good.

It was a beautiful, beautiful day. I felt full.

This is the end of the Madrid events before the grand culmination of Mass with the Pope. That is the best story and it will be up soon. Thank you for reading.

Con Amor,
Fabi

January in COLOR

2011-09-15T00:13:00.000-07:00

Good late night to you all!
Here is January's color studies! Hurrah! So much closer to finishing his process up.

January is the month of the doorway into the new year. The oldest and wisest of the months he is the first to find Lucia on the coldest night in winter. It is because of him that snowdrops can grow in the winter today. He is often stern but his laugh can be heard from miles away.

Traits: Generous, Constant, Wise

Lucia: You know all this snow makes it hard for me to dance outside.

January: If you studied as much as you danced maybe you wouldn't be failing geometry.

Lucia: All those numbers and shapes give me headaches, besides nobody cares if you're good at geometry.

January: If you don't get at least a B on your next quiz you can forget about coming with me to meet the spring months.

Lucia: Yeesh, a B? Okay, I'd better go study then.

Have a good night... errr... morning all!

Your support means so much!
Fabi

Room Decor & Stuff

2011-09-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

So I finally got another itch to keep making my home nice so I painted a fun little swirl and flower painting around my crucifix hanging above my bed and I bought a carpet that reminded me of Appa because its so soft and fluffy.

^ APPA ^

And I started on the final design for January (Hurrah!)

Muahahahaha.... Bye!

Fabi

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 4)

2011-09-01T20:36:00.000-07:00

-1-

I seriously considered not writing this entry since I've been very internety the last week which I attribute from internet withdrawal once in Spain, but it can't be that since I didn't really miss it. It must be because while I am home I am just too horrifyingly interested in finding fun things that are just as fun as Spain. Or maybe it's because I have all these things I said I would do online.

-2-

One said thing is writing about WYD which is a bigger task than I though since there are some photos I'm still waiting for and because the trip was so freaking packed. But I will have that done at some point.

-3-

The second said thing was writing an article for VirtuousPla.net . A bunch of young adult catholic bloggers where invited to contribute stuff. You can find my first entry Advice to Singletons here. Somebody got a little upset about it and I apologize I meant it to be mostly funny and to the point, but compassionate too. Maybe I should stick to art.

-4-

This really beautiful movie from Studio Ghibli is coming out soon take a look at the trailer!

-5-

Here is a quote from Chesterton for the week:

They knew much better than we do what was the matter with them and what sort of demons at once tempted and tormented them; and they wrote across that great space of history the text; "This sort goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."

-Excerpt from St. Francis of Assisi on the Christians that had lived the culture of the Roman empire and were soon to begin living the Middle Ages. Emphasis by me.

-6-

I drew this:

It's January, the wise month that my character Lucia encounters on a winter night.

-7-

I just got a bible on my iPod. Best thing to do. I can no longer make the excuse, "but it doesn't fit in my cute purse!" But I do have to strain my eyes a bit. I think I will fall into the the kindle hole soon and just collect beautiful old editions and art books.

Love,

Fabi

Please visit http://www.conversiondiary.com

The Twelve Months- January

2011-08-30T22:12:00.000-07:00

And exploration continues :) I think I'm almost ready to do a final pass on him, etc. He's been a pain in my behind.

World Youth Day: Cordoba

2011-08-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

Days in the Diocese

Dear Friend,

You’ve begun the first chapter of this travel diary! Congratulations! If you haven’t read the intro do so now or be confused about what this entry is about.

I went to World Youth Day with my young adult group called Y. H.O.P.E. Thirteen of us managed to go.

The flight to Spain was uneventful except for the fact that I was dreadfully embarrassed of my knee-hi stockings that I wore to help circulation in my legs during all that sitting down time. I managed to whisk them off when we arrived in Cordoba and were met by our fashionable host families. At least they looked fashionable to me. I might have imagined them wearing couture because of my anxiety over my stupid, granny stockings that never saw the light of day again. But I’m happy to report that they worked marvelously.

Cordoba

We had no idea we were staying with host families for the first part of the our trip. YUSS! Linda (the only one who brought a rolling suitcase) and I stayed with the Zamora family. Both parents are professors and they have three children. The girls were especially lovely. They both love to draw and we talked about their dreams of becoming fashion designers.

We were slowly introduced to other groups who were going to spend some time in Cordoba before going to Madrid for World Youth Day. This time before WYD is called Days in the Diocese. In our case Cordoba was our host diocese*.

*Diocese: Area under the care of a Bishop

We were invited to countryside for some food, fellowship and swimming a couple of times. There was also sightseeing, and a procession (where I met some Australian and Polish peeps).

Pilar (11), Me, Kateri and Laura (17)

In the evenings we had Mass with the Bishop and then there was music and dancing outside of the church.

I met people from Spain, Southern France and Canada. Prayer and worship continued inside the church so if you got tired of too much dancing (not possible) you could go back in and pay our Lord a visit.

Seminarians from Iraq, who suffer persecution in their own country for their faith (kidnapping, death, etc) danced until dawn. One of them I was told had just gotten out of jail recently.

Send-off

As our send-off Cordoba held a mini-World Youth Day with the Bishop. There was a theatre performance, testimonies, singing, adoration and sleeping on the grass.

The play on the life of Jesus was silent but the music and artistry left me a bit dumbfounded. I just didn't expect something like that. And then they used a song from Prince of Egypt for their end number and I squealed like a two year old. The Bishop of Cordoba danced with the little kids with "There Can Be Miracles" in the background and Marie (our fearless organizer) was about to bawl. All I could think was how it could possibly get any better. How could Madrid be better?

After the play there were testimonies, but the one that made everyone fall silent was the one given by a Bishop of Iraq who had suffered greatly but was so touched by the joy around him.

Then there was adoration. The monstrance* for the Eucharist looked like a spaceship made out of gold. It's a treasure from the 16th century and it was brought out especially for this occasion.

*Monstrance: Basically a display case for the Eucharist while adored. Most of the times it's in the shape of a radiating sun.

No matter how cool this was we were tired and so we slept on astroturf for a few hours then woke up for Mass. I was very sleepy, but I did write down in my journal a bit of the Bishop's sermon that struck me.

"Satan throws our sins in our face to discourage us but Christ's victory is also ours."

Bishopy ppl

At the end of Mass the heat was intense. Spain is hot and dry at this time, about 100 degrees and we had to get our behinds to the train station so we could get to Madrid. We put on our hiking bags and walked for about forty minutes. This quirky spanish lady decided to befriend us and insisted on walking us there. She gave us cookies and we let her take snapshots of us with american flag. Win-win! In Spain most people looooved americans others, mmm not so much.

At the train station Linda and I had a lot of coffee and tea and Brian fell asleep on his laptop. The rest is sort of a blur until we arrived at Madrid, where I was told I'd be able to shower and see the Pope.

Yay! You've finished this chapter! Hurrah! Stay tuned for showers in a garage, nun watch, meeting a fellow blogger, Metro parties and much much more!

With affection,

Fabi

World Youth Day Diary: Introduction

2011-08-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

It feels like I've been gone at least two months, but I'm reminded that in reality it was only two weeks unless I entered into some time-warp thing which is entirely possible. I realize that some of you reading this might be stumped by some Catholic lingo here and there but not to worry! I will translate as I did for many of my non-spanish speaking friends while in Spain.

Let's begin with the first obscure word: World Youth Day. World Youth Day began about 25 years ago when John Paul II called youth from all over the world to come together to meet with him and celebrate Jesus Christ. It's not really a "day" it more like a "week" with the festivities, prayer and other events culminating in a mass celebrated by the Pope.

This is my favorite video showing the World Youth Days throughout the years. I've tagged it a million times before but if you haven't seen it you should because it'll be a good basis to begin my personal experiences at my first WYD.

I have always deeply regretted not going to World Youth Day when Pope John Paul II was alive, he was my childhood Papa and his constant witness continues to be a source of strength in my faith life.

Pope Benedict XVI has been attacked mercilessly throughout his papacy, and although the Pope is not above criticism by any means, he is also JPII's successor; a tougher act to follow I have never seen. Quiet, unattractive Benedict does not gather the same sympathies the charismatic and handsome John Paul did. And yet these two were very good friends and Papa Beni rallied 1. 5 million youths this past week in Madrid. I was one of them. Best freaking time of my life.

I'll break up my trip into four parts:

I. Cordoba: Days in the Diocese

II. Madrid: Pilgrim Events

III. Vigil & Papal Mass

IV. Toledo: Swords!!

Must Sleep. Curse you Jetlag.

hugs,

Fabi

The Happiest Pilgrim

2011-08-09T21:02:00.000-07:00

I am the happiest little pilgrim on the planet. I’m sure I am. I’m sort of ecstatic. Tomorrow I am headed for Spain (if you didn’t know already, and if you haven’t that’s weird because I’ve told absolutely everyone that I’ve bumped into today---

“How was your day, Fabi?”

“Spain!”

“So it was busy at work, huh?”

“Spain!!”

“Are you feeling alright?”

“SPAAAAAIN!!!!!!”

---That’s right kids, this kid is going to Spain, where 1. 5 million youths from around the world will be packed together like best friends who’ve never met to praise God in the streets and hear the Pope. It’s like winning the lottery or flying for free to the moon. I will be sleeping on the floor, sharing communal bathrooms, being generally gross and sweaty and I cannot wait.

I bought a hiking bag that’s bigger than me! Alright not quite, but almost!

But I still need something from you! I need your prayer intentions. It doesn't matter who you are I'm happy to pray for you and whatever might be going on. You can leave your name and what you want me to pray for, or just your name or you can message me privately and I won’t divulge your needs. I will be connected to the interwebs so don’t worry if you find this a little later than it goes up. I will check it to see if anyone has written.

Con Mucho Amor!

Fabi

P.S. This pilgramige is called World Youth Day and it was started by Pope John Paul II (love love) and my daddy was at the “test” World Youth Day in Rome in 1984!

St. Maria Goretti

2011-08-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

(1890-1902), Martyr

"Yes, for the love of Jesus, I forgive him . . . and want him to be in paradise with me."

-Maria Goretti

Be Silent or Be Lost

2011-08-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

For a young woman the season of her mid-twenties is a time of adventure. Whether it’s marriage, travel, the first big job there is nothing so strange as leaving that familiar time of homework and a test taking to place that is so unstructured. This of course doesn’t mean the end of school, but it is a the time when the things you are expected to do: school then college are done and there are a myriad of acceptable (and non-acceptable things to do).

Occasionally, there is regret about the adventure taken. A young wife regrets not traveling or working before she married. A career-driven girl sighs at the big “0” on her answering machine. The young woman trying to get her masters regretfully declines another invitation to go home for the holidays. The free spirit wonders what life would be like if she’d settled down with her old beau.

As with everything it is never too late to begin listening. When you invite God’s insight and love into your life he begins to work with you and work with what you’ve got despite all the bumps in the road.

The young wife is inspired to take a part time job at the local bakery whipping up croissants she learned to make because her husband fell in love with them during their honeymoon in Paris.

Miss. My Job Is My Life starts to say ‘yes’ when Lucy, her co-worker asks her to go out with the girls for a drink, and soon comes to realize she’s learned to care for each one of them.

The life-long student lets go of her pride and calls her stepdad for some help on her paper on [some big topic I never wrote about] and ends up deciding to buy a ticket to go home the next weekend for some R&R.

I Go Where the Wind Takes Me, faces her fear of being the one left behind and decides to stay in Tokyo, Japan for at least a year to think about what she really wants at the end of the day… to really listen.

Every girl feels the fear of not living up to the picture of the loved, successful, smart and adventurous woman in their head. This woman has it all together, she beams. She is so unlike the girl that hits the snooze button three times and can’t remember if she watered the plants this week.

If there is one thing I’ve learned about life with God is the ability to listen to Him is built up with prayer and prayer can only happen in silence and that silence is unwelcome. Silence is unwelcome by many things. It is unwelcome by the Devil because he knows that in silence you will be forced to look at your life and that means you will run to God for help. Silence is unwelcome by our hip modern time that allows us to be plugged in 24/7 so that we don’t fall behind of all the hip stuff that our friends have probably already heard about.

And Silence in unwelcome by me, because it makes me uncomfortable to see the things I’m ashamed of and the things that bring me pain. The first step to become free of those things is acknowledging them and it is the hardest part. Once you have given it all to God it’s all much more pleasant.

A couple of days ago I resolved to go cleaning about my apartment in silence, which is very hard for me. I live alone and I like noise in the background. I go through many, many audiobooks, movies and music throughout the week. I realized that it was partially because I enjoyed it but also because it numbed parts of my heart that hurt and because there was an was uncomfortable uncertainty about how my life was going and where it was headed. Not unlike those four women I talked about earlier. Sure I prayed for few times a day but I never let God seep in through a long silence. Seeing how Jesus is the Lord of my life and I’d been telling him how much more I wished to love Him I figured I’d do the brave thing and create some quiet where I could listen and just be with Him so I figured housework time was a good place to start.

It was very uncomfortable for the first ten minutes. I wanted the noise back. I focused on the way I picked things up and their correct placement. That brought me pleasure, straightening things out. I liked the idea of having a clean home. I looked out the window and focused on the outline of the clouds and the rooftops that blurred together as the sun set behind them. ‘How lovely, Lord’ I thought. And then I felt peace, with a few words here and there as I cleaned I loved Him and I loved the task He had given me. I was His servant and He was my King.

When you listen things change, but when you rest more time in that silence you begin to have the courage to live because you feel loved.

Whether you are one or a combination of the wife, working girl, eternal student or freedom-seeker you will at times feel like there is something lacking in your life, like you aren’t whole because others have gifts and people in their lives that you don’t but if you take the time to listen to the deepest desires of your hearts you will find peace in what you have been given and courage to keep hoping for what you don’t. But even better you will get to know Him, who sees you with more love than you will ever be able to see yourself.

-Fabi

St. Francis of Assisi

2011-07-29T23:50:00.001-07:00

“It is not true to represent St. Francis as a mere romantic forerunner of the Renaissance and a revival of natural pleasures for their own sake. The whole point of him was that the secret of recovering the natural pleasures lay in regarding them in the light of a supernatural pleasure.” -G.K. Chesterton

Te quiero San Fransisco!

Sketching in San Diego

2011-07-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

... And on the airport there and back. Here are a few samples with quick color done when I got home! I had a lovely weekend at Comic Con and La Jolla Beach :D

at the airport

Lucia & Leo

hugs,

Fabi

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 3)

2011-07-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

-1-

Comic Con was awesome, but you know what childhood dream was crushed underfoot? The ocean in San Diego is COLD. And it's apparently like that all the time. I weep.

-2-

I designed the t-shirt for the y.h.o.p.e WYD trip. Want one? Let me know.

-3-

People in airports are funny- FUN to draw!

-4-

I stumbled upon a prayer service when I was trying to go for adoration @ Holy Spirit church in San Diego. I got to pray the rosary in spanish with them! Thank you God!

-5-

One of my favorite prayers, The Litany of Humility available here

-6-

For Fun. By: Chris Sanders

-7-

OH YEAH. I won a first prize for the Disney Fairies Online Spring Outfit competition.

Here is my entry. (My prizes included a fairy mit, a fairy cookie cutter, and a fairy apron!)

Getting ready for Comic Con

2011-07-08T10:44:00.001-07:00

Step 1. Business Cards :)

Front

Back

<3 Fabi

Lucia Render

2011-06-29T00:02:00.000-07:00

This is the last piece for the "Lucia Series." I hope you all enjoyed her journey!

Here are some close ups of the piece.

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 2)

2011-06-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

-1-

I'm obsessed with the 80's TV show version of Beauty and The Beast. Linda Hamilton is the beauty, which took a little getting used (if you've seen Terminator 2 you understand), and guess who's the Beast? Dun dun dun... Ron Perlman... who I always prefer as something other than human. It's sad but the Beast and Hellboy are hard to compete with.

-2-

I'm giving my first real talk ever at a retreat this weekend. I have to stand up and speak for like ten minutes. I was the child that called in sick when we had to give speeches at school. I'm excited anyways. I'm going to talk about what happens when we share our faith with others and how often our agendas are different than God's.

-3-

I entered a Disney Contest to win a trip to Disney World :D All I had to do was draw a fairy in a spring outfit. If I can't win this I'll probably never win anything.

-4-

I joined my local YMCA. Swimming it's been so long. I have missed you!

-5-

BadCatholic is writing about Liturgy because I asked him too! Double Hurray! Read his first entry here

-6-

My family is the best. Meet my mom, aunt and grandma.

-7-

Another jewel, who knew that behind those bespeckled glasses is such refreshing and concise teaching? I mean I heard about it, but now I know what all the fuss is about.

June Update

2011-06-01T19:23:00.001-07:00

Hey Guys!! The Disney Spring Fairy was mailed today wish me luck! I'm doing this mostly for my siblings who want to have a sibling disney fest together down in Orlando. Disney=Garza Sibling Bonding Time.

Up above is a drawing I'll be rendering up... it's Luci... again. Don't worry this is the last one. I can't wait to finish it ugg.... I have to draw bears for a month now. No more cutesy girls or fairies.

Some Good

2011-05-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

Small, battered, humble-breasted.
Prideful, loyal and selfish.
By all accounts I am a twisted face,
Contorted by desire, smoothed by grace.

Loved, neglected, ever-burdened
Oh shadows that surround me!
By all accounts I am a twisted face,
Contorted by desire, smoothed by grace.

Ugly, desperate, hopeful,
Shivering as darkness pricks,
Who will take me in?
Misshapen, but good!
There is some good!
I am ashamed.

By all accounts I am a twisted face,
Contorted by desire, smoothed by grace.

24

2011-05-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

I recently turned twenty-four and seeing as I haven’t posted anything and haven’t had the time to form long coherent thoughts, I thought I’d jot down 24 short thoughts. They’re all random, ranging from advice, revelations, thanksgiving, etc. Hopefully, I arranged them in an order that is easy to follow.

1) God’s will is more beautiful and intricate than I can imagine.

There once was a little boy who was sitting at the foot of his mother as she embroidered something on her lap. He looked at the design from were he sat, and seeing only the back grimaced at the knots and haphazard stitches. When she was done she turned it around. Elegant flowers he had never seen before graced the cloth’s surface. Her method had seemed strange, even ugly at times and yet there it was… Beauty was created by her hands.

2) Worry should be followed immediately by prayer… especially if you have an over active imagination.

Matthew 6:27- 34

"Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil."

3) “God alone satisfies” (CCC 1718)

We all have this deep longing to be happy. Try giving God your whole heart. Not a piece you can spare and not just sometimes. See what happens.

4) God is an “and-and” sort of person. He wants us to love him and others and ourselves. He want us to better ourselves and take care of ourselves and amuse ourselves.

“There are only three good reasons why anyone should ever do anything: because it is moral, practical, or delightful… Of the three goods, moral goods clearly take precedence: it is not justifiable to sacrifice a moral duty for efficiency or pleasure” (Peter Kreeft, Catholic Christianity pg. 182-183)

5) Disney movies taught me to love wonder and innocence. They taught me that a good story can be told without gore and sensationalized sex. A few taught me to dress a little inappropriately… that’d be my only real complaint, the only downside to my Disney education. To this day I have a desire to walk around with a bare midriff like Jasmine, for no other reason than I like Jasmine.

6) You have no control over other people’s emotions or actions. Let those around you grow freely. If they can grow with you praise God. If not pray for strength and remember that prayer is a way to be present as your loved ones continue their path.

7) Adore God, love people and use things.

8) “It [Prudence] is not to be confused with timidity or fear” (CCC 1806)

I’m praying for courage to come along side my natural desire to want to be humble, so that I won’t be fearful but prudent.

9) I cannot possibly tell you how much you’re worth… actually I can. God loves you so much that he died for you. Don’t let any man or woman tell you that you deserve anything less than a loving relationship marked by the words, “ 'Till death do us part.” Do not give your body away for less.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body” 1 Cor 6:19-20

(also kudos to the witness of Dr. Francis Schaeffer)

10) Babies are so much fun! I’m glad because I’ve been told they’re also a lot of work.

11) Start taking care of your body ASAP. In fact start right now. Go take a walk around the block. You only get one.

12) If you want to make friends start saying hi to some people. I’m as shy as they come and I can tell you I’d never take back any awkward handshakes. The kindred spirits you meet make up for that in gold.

13) The Screwtape Letters by C.S Lewis is a fantastic read. Whether you are familiar with the term “Spiritual Warfare” or not it is a vivid picture of the constant battles within our souls.

“Remember where you are: on a battlefield, not in an easy chair. If you are a Christian, you are a spiritual warrior” (Peter Kreeft, Catholic Christianity)

14) Envy is the only sin that never gives anyone any pleasure at all (Peter Kreeft, Catholic Christianity)

… but somehow I fall into that one pretty easy. I’m obviously not a very smart when I choose to sin.

15) Everything tastes better with butter.

16) True Perfection is reflecting the face of Christ.

17) Don’t ever think you can’t start over. Don’t ever think you’ve done too many bad things to be loved. You are loved. God has loved you since the day your life began and he loves you now. God does not love because you are free of sin but because he hopes to help you be free of sin.

18) Saints come in all shapes and sizes. The body of Christ is made up of many people and we all have a part to play. Each part is important and beautiful and unique. You are not meant to have every talent because you need to be reminded to look beside you and ask your brother or sister for help, so that you can realize that you are a part of a body, not one person fighting a battle. In our “I can take care of myself, thank you very much!" society we often forget that it is strength to ask for the help of others.

19) A little discomfort will keep you from getting too soft and lazy.

20) Societies have accepted slavery, infanticide and genocide as moral actions. Take a step back and have the courage to question your own society, especially what’s cool.

"Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions." (G. K. Chesterton)

21) It’s a poor argument to say that Christianity is bad because someone failed to live up to Christian teaching. If you’re going to say Christianity is bad it should be because you think it’s teaching is bad not because it’s members are bad. (But by the way we are fully aware that we're bad... hence the need for someone to save us and forgive us... constantly)

(kudos to Marc Barnes @ BadCatholic )

22) You don’t believe in God? Try living as if he did and see what happens. What do you have too lost if it all means nothing in the end? You can begin by saying small prayers. Tell God your fears, hopes and worries, thank him for good things and acknowledge the beautiful things you see.

23) The greatest blessings I have received are my family and friends. They look at my drawings and follow my blogs and tell me when I’m being an idiot.

24) My mother got married when she was twenty-four and I have always thought of that age as the moment I would cross the threshold into adulthood… I hope to be a good grown-up...

... yeah...

Fin.

Lucia's Winter Cloak

2011-05-03T07:14:00.002-07:00

The color sketches for Luci are done! Hurrah!

Lucia' Autumn Attire

2011-04-18T11:09:00.001-07:00

Almost done with this series. Only winter is left!

These two designs are for a pillow I'm going to make for my bed. Stay tuned for the finished piece!

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 1)

2011-03-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

-1-

I just finished watching the first season of Downtown Abbey. If you like miniseries done in the tradition of BBC's Pride and Predjudice you'll enjoy this! It is not for younger audiences, it's a little more adult than the softer renditions of Jane Austin novels! :)

-2-
If you want a kid-friendly series watch Avatar: The Last Airbender NOW. I mean it. It rocked my world and it will rock yours.

-3-
The best article I've read about sexuality in the last few months can be found here. And yes, a seventeen year old wrote this. Puts my teenage thoughts to shame.

-4-
I devoured this book in a couple of days. Whether you're single, in a relationship, confused or on the straight and narrow path this book is a fantastic read for any young woman. I ordered some in bulk so if you want one just send me a message and I'll send it to you by snail mail or by visiting you at your house! (I mean if you live close by and I've seen your face at least once).

-5-
IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THIS BOOK. YOU MUST.

-6-
If you are going to Mass and you are any of these things: confused, bored, doubting the miracle occurring before your very eyes, read this:

-7-
I just finished Luci (a character I'm developing) in her winter outfit! :D

~

Visit Jennifer Fulwiler @ http://www.conversiondiary.com

Lucia's Summer Suit

2011-03-19T23:10:00.001-07:00

Lucia's Spring Festival Outfit

2011-03-02T23:02:00.000-08:00

Jesus, if you want it so do I!

2011-03-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

Thank you everyone for your ideas! I'm especially looking forward to drawing during adoration, I never thought to do it before (merci Allison!). I think my next entry will be a fun little exploration of the Church Calendar and all it's colors, perfumes and feasts... Pie chart time! For now I leave you with the testimony of the beautiful Chiara Luce Bandano who continually challenges me with her witness and the simple phrase, "For you, Jesus. If you wish it, so do I!"

Happy, happy, joy, joy!

Fabi

Back to Good Habits

2011-02-24T22:31:00.000-08:00

Getting back into drawing gear. Here's a little piece to get me going.

Requests!

2011-02-24T08:43:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys! I've been wanting to write but I'm having trouble zeroing in on something specific... so many possibilities! So I was thinking I'd ask all of you to give me some of your ideas, or things you would like to read about. It can be anything really, as long as you don't ask me to write about lawnmowers (it would be a short). You can also make an art-related requests of course.

Have a truly blessed day!

Fabi

Celebration! One Hundred Followers and Featured on an Awesome Blog!

2011-02-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

What a coincidence that two lovely things would happen on the same day.

100 Followers! Thank you all who stop by to take a peak at what I'm up to and support the work I am doing.

Also, I've been featured as a guest artist on a blog called "Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast". It's an awesome resource to some of the most wonderful children's books and artists. Thank you my darling professor, Mary Jane for recommending me and Julie Walker Danielson for featuring me. YAY!!

Read the Article Here:

http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=2074

in the Archives:

http://blaine.org/sevenimpossi

blethings/?page_id=807

Character Exploration: Luci

2011-01-27T23:00:00.000-08:00

The name for my little character is tentative, but enjoy her expressions!

Happy & Fit

2011-01-24T21:44:00.000-08:00

Check out my post on staying Fit and Healthy @ http://catholiccolors.blogspot.com

A Letter from your Neighborhood Fabi

2011-01-24T11:03:00.000-08:00

I wrote this letter to a good guy friend of mine so that he wouldn't succumb to the depths of despair as he embarked on the challenge to get back into shape. So if you're thinking of giving up on your own resolution to be fit and healthy, DON'T! and read this bit of advice.
~

A Letter from your Neighborhood Fabi

Dear Mr. I need to lose weight,

I know in past years you have lost weight to the point of near satisfaction only to gain back the pounds that were so desperately shooed away. I myself have gone through periods of stringent diet and exercise programs. They seemed awful and so I thought they would make me look not only fabulous but also healthy. This only ended in a rollercoaster eating routine and anxious workouts to burn off the many + calories I had consumed.

My mindset was completely inadequate in my search for a body I could be proud of. This list is so you don’t make the same mistakes and so you too can eat food and not feel guilty!

a) If you think you are just going to eat salads for a whole week, forget that. You’ll be unhappy all the time and, eventually you’ll just want to reward yourself with a double fudge brownie sundae with lard on top. Not to mention the fact that the best diet is well-rounded.

· A period of detox is only recommended if it only lasts one to two days. It’s only meant to cleanse and reset your body for a lifelong new way of living!

b) A “diet”, often refers to a period of time in which you will be depriving yourself of the joy of food until your waistline is suitable. A “diet” will make you obsess about the food. A “diet” will make you miserable as you are trying to attain your end. What you are looking for is a change that will make you enjoy life twice as much because you will enjoy food and feel good about yourself!

c) Exercise is imperative to a svelte figure. The “gym” mentality is not. If you enjoy the gym, especially particular workouts that target specific areas, go ahead. This might sound stupid, but before the fitness craze in the 1980s, women in France just walked everywhere, and took stairs.Substitute the “gym” mentality to an “active” mentality. Don’t let your activity happen only at the gym. This actually does wonders. I haven’t gone to the gym in a while, and although my body could really use back up, simply living an active lifestyle maintains my weight while I’m trying to figure out routine workouts.

d) This may not pertain to you, but I’m putting it in anyways. Your healthy body might not look like the healthy body of Hugh Jackman or in my case like Adriana Lima’s. You have to just forget about the idea about having longer legs, flawless skin and no-cellulite (whoops, that’s about me again!!), I mean you just have to know that what you consider your problem areas might never be what you consider perfect, but you will be healthy, and that in itself will compensate for the lack of model quality.

e) Water. I cannot stress this enough. Have it around and drink it. If you can keep it to one cup of juice a day and then just water, you’ll be doing yourself good.

f) Quality over Quantity. Eat what you love, if it’s very rich just have a bit to satisfy you. Don’t get off your butt to get something that won’t make you happy!

· Indulge when it’s homemade and special. I’ve found it incredibly easy to stop eating before I’m full when it’s normal, something I have everyday food, then when something awesome does come by I can eat a little more than I should ;)

· Depriving yourself is a trap; you’ll only eat more of it in the end. Just eat less of it, and if it’s not the most awesome thing ever then don’t get it all.

Eat things that are good for you AND your absolutely Favorite Things. Nothing in between.

Note: this does not apply to parties in which your mum wants you to eat something you don’t love, or when someone bakes something just for you. You also want to be polite, but when you know you’ve made room to be polite you will be able to without getting FAT, FAT, FAT!!

In my case I love chocolate, but I only usually eat the very, very best. It makes the occasion rare and special! Whenever I eat a milkyway it’s never actually that great and me feels like I’m eating junk food instead of awesomeness.

· Recognize when all you want is something in your mouth. I usually do tea with just a bit of sweetener or coffee with a bit of milk and sugar. You’ll have to find your own thing that keeps your mouth satisfied for a long period of time.

Learn to Say NO THANK YOU. People will hate you for being good, but after they’ve gone away they’ll forget about it and you’ll feel like you accomplished something! I know this is especially hard with mothers and dudes, just be extra nice about it (moms) or change the topic quickly (dudes).

Remember, this is to make you feel better about yourself and not to make you miserable. Also, even though you think you are utterly and completely FAT AND UGLY, that is again a terrible warped vision of yourself. You can be in need of some trimming and still be incredibly attractive, dashing and lovely (YOU).

Yours truly,

Miss. Fabi

~

Resources that I highly recommend:

French Women Don't Get Fat by: Mireille Guiliano

I don't cook the recipes from this book but her personal story saved me from my roller coaster eating and exercise habits. Plus, She's so cute and French.

YouTube by: YouTube ppl

Stuck at home? Learn your favorite dance. Someone somewhere is bound to have uploaded a tutorial.

Resources that I don't recommend:

Fitness Magazines (with a few article exceptions about nutrition and medical information): Looking at airbrushed women never helped anybody. Men get the wrong idea about the vast majority of the female population and women try to reach standards that even money can't buy.

Differences between Male and Female Bodies: Men (usually), build up muscle much more quickly than women. Mens' skin is usually thicker and also made up differently than women which is why women get cellulite and most men don't. Cellulite has very little to do with your weight, it has more to do with genetics. The word "Cellulite" was coined until 1923 and did not become a household word until 1972 (before that women just thought it was normal, because it is), and the beautifying industry milks a ridiculous amount of money from women hoping to improve it. Both men and women get stretchmarks, during puberty, pregnancy, or weight gain. They're like scars under your skin and they'll fade a bit. Totally normal, but permanent. Mens' and Womens' bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Appreciate them! You'll find that the less you look at airbrushy ppl you'll find real live people so much more beautiful than you ever found them! Don't worry too much about things that you think are weird. Our standards for beauty today are weird. Not that models and model-like humans aren't gorgeous, but most people have their own allure too.

The Most Lonely

2011-01-22T15:50:00.000-08:00

I don't know when I first heard the word abortion growing up. It was probably at school (oh, yes this post is about abortion). It was an idea that was as far from my experience of life as illness and death. It provoked no particular reaction in me. I think I thought that if you got raped you didn't have to have the baby and that seemed reasonable. Again, I thought nothing much about it for years. I was too busy worrying if Julian, the cute boy beside me was going to pass me a pencil and brush his finger against my hand.

Ok, fine, at 23 yrs old I might still be thinking of romantic pencil passing, but it's become impossible to put the reality of abortion somewhere across the room where I feel more comfortable so I don't have to look at it too close. It's a quiet thing, abortion. It's private. Most abortion clinics look like any normal building with a number or a vague title. It happens far away, and if it doesn't affect me, well that's alright then, right? But so many bad things don't affect me and I'm too busy trying not to offend anyone so that at least everybody will think I'm great. I've spent most of my life trying not to hurt people, but that's actually a very selfish thing. It's about me being liked, not about the other person. A painful question might save someone from perpetual regret. So I'm going to write about abortion for a little while and what I learned and what I felt in the span of 48 hours.

A few weeks ago everyone was talking about going to March for Life down in D.C. If you don't know what that is that is not surprising, since the media tries to down play or not feature the event at all in the news. It's basically a rally advocating that all life be respecting and protected by the law. I couldn't tell you much more about it because I didn't go.

Intellectually, I grasped that abortion was immoral sometime in my late teens when I actually gave it some mind space, but no great passion gripped my heart to stand in front of clinics and save babies. I didn't know anybody who was pregnant that didn't want their baby so it remained impersonal. I knew plenty of people who cared deeply about it, including my baby sister. I applauded them and wondered why I couldn't feel more passionate. Was I just unable to care? If abortion was the action of a mother being able to kill her unborn child I should feel something. I wanted to care about those girls and the things they must be feeling and going through.

So while everybody was at the rally I decided to stay home and my friend Linda proposed an alternative plan. She wanted to go pray outside Planned Parenthood and hand the girls coming in some information about where they could go to get free ultrasounds and support before they went in and went through with it. That sounded wonderful. I felt really drawn to that because that meant I could be really personal and close to the girls. I wanted to know their faces.

Before that of course I had to brush up on information and advice on how to approach people who might be in devastating situations. I thought it smart to look at embryonic development week to week to see how a baby developed. I never thought this simple task would become so intense to go through. At the end of reading the descriptions I could hardly breathe. Here are the descriptions week to week that I got off a website called Pregnancy.org. I encourage you to go through all the weeks.

http://www.pregnancy.org/fetaldevelopment

I felt like I was going to fall off my chair after reading this. I had no idea it would ever be this easy to truly believe with my heart and my mind that abortion was absolutely wrong, and it irked me that the idea hardly bothered anyone. I knew that the decision to terminate a pregnancy must be horrendously difficult for some people, but even a woman in a dire situation wouldn't think that killing her born child was an option. Anyways I thought lots of things, but I had to stop myself so I could learn a little about how to talk to the girls going into an abortion clinic. How do you reach out to someone who is at least in her mind about to do something scary if not awful. I knew Jesus would talk to them full of love and compassion, so I figured that was the way to do it. A really wonderful woman who had a lot of experience in this situation gave a lot of good advice online: No big signs, no shouting, no pro-life shirts, no big crowds, etc, etc. You are trying to connect to a woman and to love her and show her she is not alone.

When Linda, Mairead and I arrived at Planned Parenthood on a brutally cold morning, we found to our dismay, a big group of protestors, with big signs, etc, etc. They were trying to do good, but they just ended up usually repelling the girls. So we prayed quietly on the side and I cried as I saw their faces. One girl was very young, blonde and accompanied by her mother. One poor girl was left alone by her boyfriend who sped up to walk through the doors of the clinic, his face hidden behind his hood. The girl talked to a few people who gave her some options then she went in. It was impossible to talk to anybody since so many people walked by.

The whole thing was a chilling experience. There had been so many of them. When I got home I felt restless and a little emotionally exhausted. I decided to look for some statistics and I checked them in several places to make sure they were as accurate as possible.

From: http://www.abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html

1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6% of abortions occur because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or child, and 93% of all abortions occur for social reasons (i.e. the child is unwanted or inconvenient).

How many abortions per year?

http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/In 2005 (the most recent year for which there is reliable data), approximately 1.21 million abortions took place in the U.S., down from an estimated 1.29 million in 2002, 1.31 million in 2000 and 1.36 million in 1996. From 1973 through 2005, more than 45 million legal abortions have occurred in the U.S. (AGI).

It's been a few weeks and I don't think the experience has sunk in completely. I hope that God guides me to do something good with this new found passion. I have been contemplating on the idea of having an extra room in my apartment not only for guests but for pregnant women who need temporary housing. I'd like to actually act and not just write, so if you know me, please challenge me to do so! For now I leave you with these thoughts:

A law will not make people want abortions any less, but a change of heart will. The only reason I think it is important that the law be changed in this case is because the law is in place to protect people. The law should protect both the woman and the child. And I think it's perfectly fine for me to ask for more for my people. The US is producing a generation of people who live for quick fixes. A generation that cannot wait for sex, that cannot own up to the results of their actions, a generation who'd rather "get it taken care of" than take care of their own. Abortion should not become so blasé that it can be seen as a quick fix or akin to a form of birth control. We want to have everything with no consequence, no bump in the road. God forbid we sacrifice ourselves for another. I'm not trying to point any fingers, but I think it's important to take abortion seriously. I also think there are good ways and bad ways of going about this issue. Love is imperative. It cannot be about getting your way. Your time will be better spent being present to young girls in crisis pregnancies than wearing a shirt that says Pro-Life. Hearts will be changed even if the law isn't. And for those who pray, pray especially for the girls who feel alone and feel like they have no other choice.

love,

Fabi

Character Exploration: Luci

2011-01-05T18:21:00.001-08:00

The Lolek Cover

2010-12-21T22:11:00.000-08:00

The cover for my JPII (Pope John Paul II) children's book is done!

Midpoint! There aren't a jillion leaves yet :D

Line Art

Selected Color Study

Sketch

My quickie thumbnails will be up soon, but there at the office and I'm on vacation.

A joyful time to you all!

Fabi

Feliz Navidad!

2010-12-16T22:36:00.000-08:00

Sketching late. I spent the evening baking apple-filled cranberry muffins. The good news is that my 'Lolek' cover is almost done, but I won't be able to touch it until Sunday. I hope all you are well and getting ready to be with your loved ones.

May God Bless you this Christmas Season!

Update! Lolek- Cover Line Art and Color Studies

2010-12-07T21:39:00.000-08:00

Hey Artists and Friends,

If you go back many, many posts ago you will see that once upon a time I wrote a little children's book called 'Lolek' for class. I am now embarking on a tremendous journey to update my old material so I can send it out to potential publishers. Yikes! Well, here is the line art for the new cover and a few potential color keys. Give me your thoughts :D

Here is another set cooler tones. I've lightened my favorite up to compensate for the line work.

... and then the breezy blue set :)

So what do you all think? I'm leaning toward the last set because I'm worried the first will be too heavy.

Thank you for stopping by :)

Fabi

Lolek- Cover Line Art and Color Studies

2010-12-06T16:10:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends!

This is so exciting! I can believe I'm actually going back into the children's book I wrote back at RISD my senior year.

This little book is about Lolek or Pope John Paul II when he was a boy. I hope you all enjoy this journey with me as I rehash this project so I can send it out to potential publishers. For now, here is the line art and color studies I am using for the final cover art.

Hugs,

Fabi

My Inferiority Complex, The Devil and God

2010-12-02T21:22:00.000-08:00

I have yet to meet somebody whom at some point of his or her life has not tried to compensate for qualities he or she is lacking. For my entire life I have used my facility in the arts to boost the self-esteem that was slowly depleted as I realized I couldn’t compete for praise in other areas. First I realized that I wasn’t society’s ideal of physical beauty, so as I covered up my thighs and looked at my nose in the mirror, I thought at least I can draw. In middle school I was top of my class without even trying, but throughout High school and college excelling in academics became harder and harder, until every so often I felt dumb. I felt awkward at large parties; I had no idea how popular people enraptured an audience. But still I told myself at least I can paint. When all my cousins and friends began to have steady boyfriends and get married, I’d think, I’ve been gifted; I can draw.

So as you can expect the days when I couldn’t quite paint what I wanted and “worse” when the very ideas and worlds I wanted to convey were done more beautifully and effortlessly by close friends of mine, I felt very, very small. I dreaded being compared, I dreaded being glanced over. I dreaded having nothing to offer. At that moment I felt ugly, dumb, unloved, and not good enough. And worse I felt sorry for myself. I had all the comforts in the world, but I felt empty. On top of it all I was ungrateful. I hated myself.

~

It is a terribly thing to be caught in so great a lie. The devil, I am convinced, loves using small insecurities to create obsessions over things that are lies. For in fact I am not the most beautiful, but often people remark that I am pretty. I might not be able to debate with great wit and write with ease, but I’m most certainly not dumb. I might not have a boyfriend, but I feel truly loved by others. And yes, I’m not the best artist, but I’m pretty darn good.

How is it then that every once in a while I found myself in a deep well of insecurity, feeling so small like I had nothing to offer?

Well, there are several ways to get to that awful place and I’m going to tell you my theories. I’m pretty sure I’m right. The lies you believe might be different, but maybe you’ve experienced something similar.

The Devil lost me long ago, but he is still around looking at any moment to get me back. He is not an idiot he knows that I’m no longer (usually) drawn into serious sin when I am weak, so he has to take a few extra steps. He’s crossed off a few choices that he can’t coax me into anymore, because I know they won’t make me happy. I know they’re sugarcoated poison. But I’m still sensitive and often insecure and that’s all he needs to work with.

The key for the evil one’s plan is now even subtler. He will make me believe that by pursuing and fulfilling the ideals of beauty, fame, intelligence, popularity and romance I will become a whole and worthy person. Only then will this insecurity fade. After all, wanting to be attractive, acknowledged, smart and well liked aren’t bad things. The word ‘sin’ doesn’t immediately come to mind…

In retrospect, I realize that I’ve been coaxed and that I’ve listened.

…So go my dear, pursue these things for look at yourself, young men are now used to looking upon perfect women, you wouldn’t want to disappoint. Nobody will every take you seriously if you can’t match their knowledge of history, and look how alone you felt during all those parties, better work on that too. It is wise for you to worry about the future; you don’t want to come home to an empty house every night, do you? Now, don’t look so sad my dear, at least you are doing well with your art, but isn’t it too bad that you are still second-rate. Oh I know you get plenty of praise, but you’re still just not there. Just compare yourself. Compare yourself.

Now where is My Lord and My God in all of this?
He is waiting for my ear and heart to turn His Way and ask two very important questions. “Who am I?” and then, “What do you want of me?”.

But until I ask those questions, I find myself trying to get out of that spiral by devising plans to achieve all those goals. And the Devil is gleeful, because I have forgotten who I am and the God who loves me. These goals will never be achieved because there is always something more to covet. His lie is alive.

I know this sounds silly. But I have many friends who start tearing up because they think they don’t look good in a bathing suit, or because they are not talented enough, or smart enough. As the outsider and the friend you think they’re crazy! They’re so valuable and kind and creative. What are they talking about? You might think it’s a good idea to slap them out of such on obvious falsehood. It’s always obvious when it’s someone else.

The longer you persist in conversation with the evil one the harder it is to stop. But STOP, and turn your eyes to the heavens and call out to Jesus and ask Him, “Who am I?”And He’ll say quick and loud as thunder, “ You are my beloved daughter”, “You are my beloved son”. Then ask, “What is it you want of me?” And He’ll say, in some way or another, “Your heart; all that you are. Be perfect as my Father in heaven is perfect.”

Stay with Him there.

In that quiet I’ve seen my true self as God’s beloved daughter called to true goodness, to true perfection. Perfect looks so different in God’s eyes, and is so much more exciting!

Do not be afraid to ask! Ask often, I forget all the time.

Most people think that if they give their hearts to God they will have to forget about everything else, but the truth is once you put your confidence in God and not in yourself and what others say you must be going about your life becomes joyful, because your are no longer on an anxious pursuit to become worthy of love. Living with God is living in reality; a land of truth where all the smallest lies are brought into the light.

~

The pursuit of SELF-esteem is a distorted, winding journey, because truly we are looking for confidence in something perfect that can’t be ourselves because we are flawed. We inevitably fall into either arrogance: believing we are more than we are or self-loathing: believing we are less than we are. No wonder humility is so hard to come by and so highly prized. The humble man is so calm, so unshaken by the affairs of the world and the whispers he might hear. The humble man knows who he is and what is expected of him. He only weeps when God weeps.

My Baby Sister, The Princess

2010-11-28T20:41:00.000-08:00

This is a semi-secret christmas present-plan for my younger sister. She saw Tangled and now wants to be a Disney Princess. Keep in mind that she's about to be 21. This sort of thing seems to run in the family.

This is the sketch. Feedback is welcome!

Interior Garden

2010-11-16T23:37:00.001-08:00

Another free evening = Color Practice! I like the colors but I'd like to draw out a better one with a more dynamic composition :)

All The Reasons Why I'd Make a Terrible Nun

2010-11-12T15:23:00.000-08:00

The other day during a Non-Harassment Seminar at work I was doodling (and listening at the same time!) and I began to think, wow, sisters and nuns with habits wear the same thing their entire lives! I asked myself if I could ever manage to do such a thing. Blue is my favorite color, I could probably stand to wear blue everyday for a very long time, I thought. So I began to sketch out a habit I could potentially see myself wearing forever until the day I died. The sketch that came out is the one on the left. Of course, I'd need a work day outfit with fewer layers so I fashioned another one right after in brighter colors. I'd be out in the sun, I imagined, so yellow would be perfect, and you know patterns are so cheerful I'll add some on the hem, as long as they hold some meaning to the Christian life I'm sure it would be ok.

Almost immediately, I came out of my silly daydream and laughed. I wanted to be a pretty, well-dressed nun! I have this immediate desire to want to beautify everything, which is not a bad thing, but habits are modest and practical for a reason. My little daydream was pure fantasy although it wasn't just composed of me having an awesome habit. Some of my core desires would have to change if I ever was called to the religious life, which I've always been ok with. I don't feel guilty that my desires haven't changed. These silly little day dreams are however a testament at how beautifully some of these sisters and brothers I've met live out their lives. Their testimonies do tempt me in a small ways to force my desires to change so I can live as they do, but I know it's not necessary because the Lord will call me to my own path and that path will be laid out especially for me because He knows best how to lead me on the road of sanctification.

More reasons I'd make a terrible nun:

a) Often, unfortunately, I think, ‘Ok, after I pray and meditate the Rosary, I can finish reading the end of my fantasy novel!!... Crap, I'm more excited about this silly novel than I am about spending some time with the Lord, man I suck...'
b) Bad circulation... too much kneeling makes me cry. Often I have to spend my prayer time with my legs propped up on some pillows so I'm not distracted by my legs complaining.
c) To my personal disdain, I'm more romantic than most, hence the love of fairytale based novels. I'm sure I'd forget myself if I saw a cute boy. I'd check to see if my hair looked ok and then I'd remember that I'm wearing a veil and that I'm a nun and that no you can't go to the ball with him.
d) I'd get kicked out like Maria Von Trapp for sneaking an afternoon in the mountains. Once in a while I get this spontaneous desire to disappear and go on an adventure.

And this is where my post crazy-day ramble ends.

Have a lovely day. For real.

Fabi

20 Free Minutes

2010-11-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

Bah! This all I've done in forever for myself. Quick- Photoshop- Sketch.

Quick Link To LIFETEEN

2010-10-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hey Peeps! Ever wonder about all the saint stuff Catholics believe in and practice? Take a trip to LIFETEEN to learn about it :D http://www.lifeteen.com/blog/why-we-pray-with-saints-a-saintbook-excerpt.

Where Do I Walk?

2010-10-21T22:20:00.000-07:00

I love 'The Thin Line of Sanctity'. It is very thin. Pray for prudence; pray to be a good listener because often time we can’t quite see where that line is. It’s hard to walk on an invisible tight rope without someone leading you. And when you think you can do it all by yourself you're blind without even knowing it, which means it's time to pray. Ask for His Hand always and forever.

Catholic Geek: Linda Russo

2010-10-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

Here's my friend Linda's list of geeky catholic moments. My comments are in purple.

You would be more excited and star-struck to meet Lino Rulli over Howard Stern.

Seeing as I had to look up who Howard Stern was in the first place I have to say I would be more excited to meet Lino too. He has kept me company several times when I drive in to work in the mornings.

You look at a full moon and think of the Eucharist.

Love it.

You read the abbreviation "St" and think of "saint", not "street".

When you see a CD with the letters "DRE" written on it, and instead of the hip-hop artist, you think "Director of Religious Education".

Hahahaha, Linda, I think you have just stepped over into nerd territory.

Fridays in Lent are challenging. (As they should be.)

Ash Wednesday is absolutely my favorite, some how I relish the dread/joy I get when I know somebody is about to ask me what the heck is up with my forehead. At work we get free donuts on Wednesdays, so I have to explain while they are chewing on a delicious donut as well.

You're appalled when friends have birthday parties on Good Friday (though, admittedly, it's tough being a Lent baby).

When traveling, it's exciting trying to find the local Catholic church to attend.

This is hands down one of my favorite things about planning a trip. I also like to go in to every church I see if I am exploring a new town or city.

It's annoying, when text messaging, if your phone's predictive text feature takes FOREVER to supply the ackronyms "Fr" or "Sr" when typing the name of a priest or nun.

- Thanks Linda for your contribution!!

Walking for Lives

2010-10-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

This Sunday I participated in my first walk for any cause whatever. For most of my adult life I’ve understood intellectually the tragedy of abortion, but it wasn’t until recently that my heart began to ache for the women and babies that cry out for help every single day in this country.

Jennifer Fulwiler* speaks very beautifully about her conversion from being a pro-choice activist to being a pro-life advocate. I appreciate her sensitivity and love towards young women. She gives several insights that I hadn’t thought of before and for anybody wrestling with these issues this is a very good place to begin unravel the true nature of what we call ‘abortion’. To listen to what she has to say go to http://www.conversiondiary.com/2010/10/why-i-went-from-pro-choice-to-pro-life-audio.html

Jennifer Fulwiler writes @ www.conversiondiary.com and is a smart, funny, Christian writer who always brightens my day when she has a new entry.

The Catholic Geek

2010-10-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

You know you’re a Catholic GEEK when:

1) You get home at 3am on a Friday night because you went to Mass and decided to stay and chat with a girlfriend about God, chastity, and how Cardinal Sean’s* voice is so deep he sounds like Santa Claus.

2) 4^th of July Fireworks make you think of Pentecost.

3) You know where the ‘religious’ section is in every Barnes and Nobles in your area.

4) You have Pope John Paul II as your desktop background.

5) You look for a “Which kind of religious sister or nun would you be?” Quiz on the Internet and upon finding none, get exasperated because the Internet isn’t meeting your entertainment needs. *

*P.S. Cardinal Sean O'Malley is a blogger. Visit his site @ http://www.cardinalseansblog.org.

*In response to my no response on the interwebs I will make a quiz shortly.

New Blog

2010-10-05T06:20:00.000-07:00

Catholic Colors

Hey Peeps, I have a new Faith/Art Blog I just started, where I post art, talk about my faith life and any other random thing I think is cool. Please visit, comment & follow. I'm also going to be posting some art demos there for anybody whose interested.

love, love
Fabi

More Colors

2010-10-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

Meh.. trying to figure out a quick way to do color studies in a style that I like.

★ Movie, Music & Game Review ★

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

Legend of Ga’Hoole: The Owls of Ga’Hoole

★ ★ ★ 1/2

A.K.A The Owl Movie. This film feels exactly like living your favorite fantasy novel you read as a kid; it might not win the Pulitzer but it makes you happy. The visual aspect of the movie is breathtaking, but I feel the film could have used six more months of polish time. A clearer direction and better pacing would have helped, as well as a more restrained use of slow motion. However, if you enjoy adventure, brave animals going into serious battle and a movie with a big heart (and OWLS!!) The Legend of Ga’Hoole is worth your pennies at the box office.

Hmm... and I can quite decide if an Owl City pop song can live alongside a Lord of the Rings wannabe score...

Florence and the Machine

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Amazing. Beautiful. Fantastic.

Listen to these and judge for yourself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U76QmKG-stU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U76QmKG-stU

Disney Fairies @ DisneyFairies.com

★ ★ ★ ★

Disney Fairies online now offers a new gaming experience. You create your fairy character and explore the world of Pixie Hollow where the fairies live. Although it is obviously geared to kids 13 and under, I am “proud” to announce that I’m experiencing my first gaming “addiction”. I work in the gaming industry so this is monumental. I never quite understood how people would want to spend hours a day gaining achievements in an imaginary world. Scratch that, I never understood how on earth it could become an addiction. Now, I have to make sure that I stay in the ‘I play only an hour a day at most’ zone.

I love the Bubble Bounce Game!

The graphics are extremely beautiful, and as an artist I am grateful for that. I personally have trouble investing myself in a world that I don’t find aesthetically pleasing in some way. All the little assets in the game are well considered, sometimes even above the visual bar that is standard for kids’ games. I highly recommend this!

St. Joseph and Little Jesus

2010-09-15T22:39:00.001-07:00

So I know I've been drawing Baby Jesus a lot, but I love babies and I love Jesus so it was inevitable. Props to Fr.J for giving me the prompt. The drawing was created in pencil and the rest is photoshop.

Sketch

St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Francis de Sales

2010-09-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

InSitu Dosp

2010-09-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

Finally! Done... for now. I might do a more rendered an painterly version. The text is just placeholder for now. I'll do another pass later on it depending on what Fr. J thinks.

sketch

2010-09-02T22:17:00.001-07:00

would be in color but I'm too hot and it's late... again...

So hot in my apartment...

2010-08-31T21:08:00.001-07:00

I am going to die of this heat!

Clothed by the Son

2010-08-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Hey Peeps... Love you all...I'm really enjoying sketching before I go to bed :D

The Holy Family

2010-08-25T21:38:00.000-07:00

Quickest sketch ever! I'm hoping to do a larger final but you know, sometimes a small sketch'll do it! The lighting was very much inspired by my artist friend, Pascal Campion!

Sketching while Skyping

2010-08-23T20:56:00.000-07:00

I did a sketch while skyping.

Alice and Life

2010-08-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

So, yes, I thought, "Why not try out for a play, you've always wanted to." So, I went online and looked up community theatre troupes in my area. I prayed really hard that something suitable would come up. I don't think there could have been anything more suitable than Alice in Wonderland. I mean I used to go around elementary school with the book under my arm, I made my mother make me the dress from the 1985 Alice movies, and I had my dad film my rendition of the story.

Dragonfly theatre invited me to come try out and at first I was offered the part of the White Queen (totally sweet!), but at some point during the week after the audition I got an email that I never saw telling me that although I was a little OLD (and I'm guessing too Latina Looking), I would be playing Alice. Way cool. Pressure. I'm on stage all the time.

The play in itself is only 40 minutes long and for kiddies, but that's just been making it less stressful.

If you're near Dedham, MA you should come!

This sketch is for Fr. John Gerth (mostly widely known because of LifeTeen). He is doing college ministry down in Florida and needed something catchy but meaningful, etc, etc, as mascot for the community. The headphones being plugged into La Bible is not my idea, I borrowed it from my friend Ellie's facebook profile pic. The Pelican is an ancient symbol of the church (I was going to try a fish character as well, but you know I liked this one so there).

Random thumbnail I did.

To Dance

2010-08-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

This little spot illustration will be featured in the Providence Monthly. Thank you so much Alli for thinking of me. It will be printed on newsprint, which does not lend itself to detail so I restrained myself (it was really hard, I had this whole star pattern picked out :) )

Late Night Cottage

2010-06-25T19:53:00.001-07:00

I'll write more about this baby later :)

The Twelve Months

2010-05-28T11:21:00.001-07:00

Book Cover #2

The Twelve Months is a Russian Fairytale that was translated into a film by Toei Animation in 1980. I loved the story as a kid and I couldn't wait to do my own take on it.

This is the small thumbnail I did of the cover before I started. I knew I was going to do it in watercolors, and I prefer to have everything worked out before I start. Watercolors are not very forgiving and require a lot of patience. This is really is the most important tool you will ever use when you watercolor: PATIENCE.

For the most part I work layers from light to dark, although sometimes I work in the darkest darks just so I can see what my range is going to be, and so I can preserve the focus where I want it.

This is the final watercolor.

This is the final cover with text, snow, and a couple of small tweaks.

Nate & Elf

2010-04-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

Save the Date Card!
Sketch and Color by: Me
Ink: Nick Kole

Pretty Angora

2010-03-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

For some time now I've been following The Meek. A beautifully told web comic created by Der-shing Helmer or alexds1 (on deviantart). http://www.meekcomic.com

She's created a cast of amazing characters and I wanted to to draw Angora. The process to make this piece was pretty simple; beginning with a pencil drawing and rendered with watercolors.

Enjoy!

Baby's First Art Rage

2010-03-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

Hey! I played around in a new program called art rage. It was soooo much fun, even if the painting was not very intuitive.

The Goose Girl Cover

2010-03-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys!

Ah! Something that I've done that I can actually show. Weeeeeee!

I want to have something to show book publishers so I can do some illustrations on the side. After working exclusively digitally since I left school (except for my crayola marker phase) going back to watercolors was bliss.

Let me know what you think :)

Also, I expect to see a great many of you at Comic Con this summer. Are you coming? You better be!

hugs,
Fabi

Spare Time

2010-02-02T09:25:00.000-08:00

Hello One and All!
Um, it's totally frustrating to be under NDA, but I'm trying my best to do some my own art as well.

I'm all settled in into my little home. I did a marker sketch of it a little while ago. The flowers are no longer there since the snow has ravaged the front yard, but they'll be there soon again!

I started thinking about a little comic project based on a story I'd started to formulate a year ago. If you look back some entries you will find a few color swatches involving a wall.

The comic project is currently called "The Wall", and is of course looking to be a longer commitment than I had previously thought, but I'm really excited to finish a story for once. Here are is a layout I did (which will probably change), and a sketch of one of the protagonists. I'll be posting more things as this progresses.

Cry

2010-01-14T14:38:00.000-08:00

Two little doodles :) One mostly in marker, the other in photoshop.

The Beginnings of Great Things

2010-01-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of sketches I did over Christmas Break. Straight marker. No pencil sketch. Markers are hard.

Ish and The Kite

2009-11-13T09:23:00.000-08:00

I haven't had the energy to do anything outside of work, but I finally did something ;)

I'll explain her in more detail later, but I'm on my lunch break and the time is not enough!

CAMAQUEN A Conversation Game

2009-08-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

It is here! It is DONE! It is Playable!

http://gambit.mit.edu/loadgame/summer2009/camaquen/camaquen_play.php

CAMAQUEN

This is the game I spent my summer working on. All of the concept art on this page or the property of the Singapore MIT Gambit Game Lab.

The game was produced in order to help explore Conversation in Game, and although it can be confusing to play through I ask you all to Play It! I did most of the painterly illustration work while my co-artist, QX specialized in the more graphic elements.

This summer I met Color, and we had a dazzling encounter. I stopped using line work for a while simply because I was in love with Color. I gave Line a very needed vacation sent him to Hawaii. I've been reintroducing Line slowly. I'm hoping we all get along.

I spent forever designing our little goddess, Alux (pronounced A-loo-sh, but no one really knows that).

This was the basic final design for Alux.

Five other games were produced this summer,

all awesome and note-worthy @

http://gambit.mit.edu/

At the end of our summer the whole art gang got together to produce our All-Stars poster. We each did a character from a different team. I miss all you guys! I'll visit Singapore as soon as I can! :)

Most Enthusiastically!

Fabi

De La Luz

2009-08-24T17:56:00.000-07:00

For Christmas my dad asked me to "reproduce" the image of the Blessed Virgin that is native of Leon, Mexico (where my mother's family grew up), so it can be given out as a present to all my aunts and uncles.

I wanted to do my own take on it, while respecting the original painting.

En Casa

2009-08-23T19:49:00.001-07:00

Hello Dear Hearts!

I've got one week left of freedom. Just one. My family has been spoiling me to absolute bits. I start my job at 38 Studios next Monday. It will be filled with Maya and Ultimate Frisbee. I took a few Maya tutorials before I left Gambit and it's software, and here in Texas I've been practicing my frisbee toss. I was terrible at it. I looked up instructions on 'How to Throw a Frisbee' in secret.

I also took on a freelance job, and here is my due for this week.

You'll be seeing kitchens for a while.

My sister and I watched the entire series of Ashita No Nadja (59 episodes) in two weeks. We take in absurd amounts of anime ever vacation. I'm a little miffed by the ending...

Nadja

I'm also playing Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure on my new DS. It's been dangerously addicting. You go on a musical quest to win the Prince's heart and save his life! :D I think I'm playing moderately all things considered.

Coming Up Soon: Budgeting Home Decor and Conquering 3-D Modeling.

- Fabi

Shhh!

2009-08-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

Don't tell Lauren!

But I made this for her. I'm pretty sure she never looks at my blog so it's safe.

The colors still look to dark and intense on screen. I'll try to fix it.

Also...a sketch of a lady.

Doodle

2009-08-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the NASA Space Center AND saw a mini-exibit of props used in Star Wars, Willow and other Spielberg enterprises. Helmet Heaven.

Also, I drew this fly for freelance purposes.

Fishy in the Sea

2009-08-15T01:31:00.000-07:00

I've indulged in movie watching. First order of the day was going to see Ponyo with my little sister. When I came out of the theatre I was a little jarred since it was an insanely visually rich film. It was like a child's dream and as such the moments didn't always make sense together, but individually were magical. The more I think of it the more I am dumb-founded at Miyazaki's ability to understand children. It baffles me. I actually had to step back to understand in what world this story worked. To my embarrassment I realized it was the world I often attempt to capture: a child's. Admittedly, Miyazaki is usually an aquired taste for me, which means I have to see his films a number of times before I fully get it. Ponyo has so many layers I think I hardly licked the surface. Perhaps it's only because I had a professor in college who is crazy about symbolism, but I would kill to know what everything in Ponyo means or represents.

Actual crtiques? Like I said sometimes the story didn't flow incredibly well, and so I thought for moments that I was bored, and really I just have to forget that in order for children to go on adventures they can't always be SAFE and DRY. I nearly choked when I saw the mother taking Sosuke in the car during the storm. I thought, "Lady, leave your kid with the old ladies!" You really know you're getting old when you start thinking those things during an animated movie where you're practically assured the main character, who is five is not going to DIE.

PONYO

Other than Ponyo I've watched:

17 Again- For anyone who can't quite admit they're attracted to Zach Efron, but want an excuse to look at him anyways. Not bad, actually.

Sister Act- Always a popular choice in my household. Musical fun AND nuns, what more could I ask for?

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium- When I dream of being a character Natalie Portman has played, it's usually the role she plays in this one. She's bright, funny, momentarily insecure, and gets to work in a magical toy store. Watch it with your brothers and sisters, or alone if lonely.

On the Art front, I managed to get this little painting out today. I'm having terrible trouble actually drawing. It's like my hand refuses to remember what things look like. It's because I've been painting, isn't it?

Big Hello from Texas,

Fabi

End of Program Adventures

2009-08-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

This is my last week at Gambit. Dommage! I don't like the idea of leaving one bit, but I am glad that in as little as two weeks all of the games the teams have worked on this summer will be going live! I'll finally be able to show some of the concept art I've been doing.

Other than that I visited my best friend from high school, Claire or Cal, in New York City! My camera is still currently with her so I don't have any pictures to show yet. I did buy a HUGE pillow at ABC Carpet & Home, the most beautiful home store I've ever seen.

http://www.abchome.com

Also, a slightly more affordable store worth going to is Ten Thousand Villages. Where I bought this pillow.

http://www.tenthousandvillages.com

Artistically, I'm still pretty tied up here at Gambit until the game is released, but I did manage to do another character portrait inspired by the same adventure series. I'm actually really hoping to get the books, even if I can't illustrate them.

Isabel & Juana

2009-07-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

These are a couple of character sketches for a Science Adventure book series. It's a potential freelance job, but it is very casual at the moment since the editor knows I already have a 9-5 job in the fall. I'm up against a couple of other illustrators, who I'm sure will do lovely work.

Isabel

Juana

Bright Days

2009-07-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

I love this game! Even if I get zapped, crushed, and mauled more times than I see daylight.

My Little Sack Person

I read this psalm a bit a go and I thought I'd share. It's lovely.

Psalm 57: 7-11

My heart is steadfast, O God,

my heart is steadfast!

I will sing and make melody!

Awake, my soul!

Awake, O harp and lyre!

I will awake the dawn!

I will give thanks to thee, O Lord, among

the peoples;

I will sing praises to thee among the nations.

For thy steadfast love is great to the

heavens,

thy faithfulness to the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

Let thy glory be over all the earth!

Enjoy the day!

Fabi

Little Houses

2009-07-07T14:22:00.001-07:00

Quick Little Doodles.

I'm in the middle of our second sprint here at Gambit. I'm pooped.

Hope everyone has a lovely day!

-Fabi

Colors and Cambridge

2009-07-01T10:26:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone!

I can't seem to find a moment to write, let alone find artwork that isn't under NDA at the moment. I'm still interning at the Gambit Game Lab (http://gambit.mit.edu/) in Cambridge, except this time I've been a part of making a new computer game from the ground up! There are plenty of meetings, lectures and dead ends, but overall it's amazing. My team is mostly made up of students that came all the way from Singapore to take part of the summer game development program, and they are all extremely talented in their own areas. Luckily, I was able to get permission to show a few pieces that were scrapped for newer ideas. These images will not make it into the final project. What project you might ask? Well, I can't tell you so I hope you can just look and enjoy.

The project I worked on earlier this year is now up online for you to play! Please Go and Play!

http://gambit.mit.edu/loadgame/rosemary.php

Artwork in the game was a collaboration between myself and my two lovely friends, Brandon Cebenka and Nicholas Kole. Both of them are at Gambit as well, working on their own projects and making beautiful work themselves.

I made these two little doodles in my spare time.

There are many more things to talk about but my lunch break is limited. Stay tuned for apartment hunting adventures and how being absentminded as an adult is a terrible thing.

Wishing you all lovely Summer Sun,

- Fabi

EXPLORATORIUM

2009-05-24T10:03:00.001-07:00

Fabiola Garza

Lisa Cunha

Brandon Cebenka

Alex Lee

Kirsten England

Lia Marcoux

Nicholas Kole

These are the posters from my senior show! It was amazing and I'm so grateful to have such talented and lovely friends.

The Lamplighter

2009-05-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

This little story was made for my comic class. I had a lovely time working with opaque watercolor and I cannot wait to continue it over the summer. I will be posting all of the work I've been doing these final weeks of school so keep keep your eyes open.

I can't believe I'm graduating this weekend end!

Muties

2009-04-11T14:43:00.001-07:00

Oh, my cover class, the class that somehow always get done. This week we had to illustrate the cover for a graphic novel called Muties: The Changeling. My original illustration for the young girl on the cover was to prettily lit for the tone of the narrative so I toned it down for the final.