the way

Dinosaur doodling is the way of things today.

Current events mean retreating into my sketchbook is the way of things today, until it blows over(ish, emphasis on the -ish).

Welcome to Bike Burg, where whimsy is the way and everyone is welcome!

Deffinitely the way forward, models that never move and lighting that never changes, I might even go back and complete this next week......

Found this quote a few days back, and it really resonated with me. The message is clear that we really shouldn't wait for the "perfect moment" or spend too much time looking for the "easy way" as neither of these options truly exist, they are in effect excuses for not getting on and doing what needs to be done. in order to achieve our goals. If we are honest with ourselves "now" is always the best time, and doing rather than thinking about doing is the way forward. This is a mixed media artwork as the drawing of the girl has been reworked in Photoshop along with the wording and torn paper effect all being digital. Many thanks for looking !

I stumbled across this dilapidated coach house that would have once been part of the Glynhir estate while exploring the public footpaths around Llandybie. I loved the way nature had reclaimed it.

Years ago, I sketched Gibby at work—pencil in hand, bold strokes alive with motion. I caught them from over the shoulder: just the back of their head, the soft curve of their face, and that focused arm bringing something into being. They were 9 or 10 then, already showing the spark of creativity and concentration that pointed toward who they’d become. Now in their mid-20s, Gibby is thoughtful, insightful—quick to listen, slow to speak, and wired to process the world with care. Their path has been remarkable: two degrees in 2.5 years, no debt. That didn’t happen by accident. It took grit, German immersion schooling, 16 college credits earned in high school, and testing out of 24 more once at university. That’s Gibby—quietly determined, resourceful, and steady. But their story isn’t just academic. Gibby’s always been gifted with their hands—drawn to set design, locksmithing, welding. Trades they wanted to pursue early on, and still feel pulled toward. They’re at a bike shop now. It’s not the dream, but it fits: their hands know how to build, repair, and reshape the world. There’s been frustration—maybe even anger—that we didn’t let them follow the trade route right away. I get that now. Life veers, and sometimes the path chosen isn't the one imagined. But Gibby’s resilience—their ability to adapt and press on—is what I admire most. They’ve embraced their journey with honesty, stepping into their identity as a they/them person, unafraid to define success in their own terms. That takes courage. I’m proud of them—not for a résumé, but for who they are. This old drawing isn’t just a memory—it’s a thread connecting past to present. A reminder that the creative spark, the steady hands, the deep soul I saw back then is still shining. So here’s to you, Gibby: the kid who sketched with fire and the adult who still shapes the world with quiet brilliance. Your value has never been about the path you’re on. It’s about the person you are. And I’ll be here, cheering you on—every step of the way.

Title: Heart and Soul Medium: illustration pens on sketch book paper Style: surreal Category: illustration Created: Dec-Jan 2024-2024 Artist: Stephen J. Vattimo Heart and Soul This is preliminary drawing for a painting I am about to begin. The concept for this illustration started as a design for a pumpkin carving contest. I feel the message of the design is so important for people to hear, I decided to make it into a painting. The original design, done in pen and ink. The design only shows the two doors of the entrance to a fortress. It was designed for a live pumpkin carving event in mind. At this type of event, the carver must create their piece of art live on site with spectators watching and asking questions, and there is a time limit. The evolution of the design? I added a wall on each side of the entrance, with matching pillars. Explaining the design of the pillars The triangle top: the triune God. Representing three persons of God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The cross shape opening in the pillars: The cross is the only path to God, to have the debt of sin satisfied. To reconcile humankind back to himself. To be released from being a slave to the Devil. To be a new creation empowered by God Spirit. Explaining the design of the entrance way(gate) The top of the entrance is in the shape of a heart, represents the seat of human passion, ambition, and allegiance. The cultic three petal flower is used to represent God in three persons united. The symbol inside the flower: God’s ministry toward humankind. Crown: Highest authority Cross: God’s loving salvation and restoration plan. The dove: Spiritualty made alive, fellowship with God, empowerment to weather the storm of life, and equip for service to God. Change in the design of the door. In the original design, one door had roses carved on it. The pattern took up the whole door. The other door had a grape vine carved on it. The pattern took up the whole door. I modified the emblem on the doors by making them smaller and simplified, so I could place them inside heart shapes, so the new images would more clearly communicate what they are meant to represent. I also added color to the emblems(color pencil) to make them clear of what they are, because of their size and the ink medium ,they were hard to interpret. Understanding the symbol of the two doors. The door with the rose inside the heart emblem represents a heart whose passions, ambitiousness, allegiance are focused on the cares, worries, and abstaining riches of the world. Only giving God lip service. I chose the rose to represent the heart of spiritual allegiance to the world, because roses are pretty, but you can’t eat them to nourish your body. They also have thorns that can cause injury to the body. So, the parallel point is, just as flower fade and turn to dust, so will the person who chases the thing of the world and has no time for God. For life is very short, we know not which will be our last breath on this side of eternity. But if a person leaves this earth without excepting the gift God offered them which is salvation from penalty of sin and given enteral life through the work that was done on the cross by God’s son. Then that soul will appear before Jesus, and just as they did not know him in their life on earth, He will tell them he knows them not. Into the lake of fire, they will spend eternity. The door with the grape vine in the heart emblem represents a heart whose passions, ambitiousness, allegiance are for God. To know Him intimately, to obey His teachings, to serve his will. I chose the grapevine to represent the heart of spiritual allegiance to God, because grapes are nourishing to the body. Jesus also used a grape vine in one of his parables. He paralleled the spiritual relationship he had with his disciples and the grapevine. He told them just as branches of a vine must depend on the base of the vine to live and bare fruit, so they must abide him to have abundant life. Abiding in Christ is not a religious act. It is outside of religion. It is an intimate relationship. Example: you can belong to a fan club of Paul McCartney and know a lot of things you have heard about him, but he doesn’t even know you exist. Where, if Paul is your father, and you have a good parent to child relationship, then you know him intimately. So, abiding in God, we commune with him through read his word and living by its teachings. It is spending time in prayer. Sharing our hearts with God and spending time listing to him. Trusting in him as our provider and giving thanks for his provision. Living our lives, with the purpose of pleasing him with the work of our hand and loving our neighbors in the workplace as well as in the community. Just as a healthy grapevine continues to grow and produce much fruit. Having an imitate relationship with God should be more and more evident in the way we live our lives. So, when the angel of death pays you an unexpected visit, he escorts you to Jesus’s throne, you know for certain he going to welcome you with loving arms and said welcome home my faithful servant. Now to which door I chose for my life? It’s the one that is open. This bible verse one of a couple that inspired me to design this illustration. 1 Corinthians 3:12-13 King James Version 12 Now if any man builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble. 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. This verse is not referring to the rebellious people who have rejected God, this is referring to people who are children of God, who failed to serve God faithful. Written by Stephen J. Vattimo. 3 Jan 2024 .

2B pencil focusing on the eye, nose and mouth. The reflection today is a suggestion that we find what we look for, and we see what we want to see. Our family dinners include a sharing time of: 1. Who blessed you today? 2. Who did you bless today? and 3. What are you thankful for? It is suggested by some that if you focus on the abundance, you will not see so much of the lack, but if you focus on the lack, you will not be able to see the abundance so well. This was illustrated by the questions: "How many red cars did you see on the way to work this morning?" My answer was: "No Idea!" It is because I was not looking. If I was being given $100.00 for each red car I spotted, I would have certainly been looking, and maybe even getting creative with the definition of 'red'. What are you looking for? What are you finding?

For the barbarian "Attack!" always sounds like a good plan.

This quick sketch of an impressionist painting is a reminder to me of how we cannot see anything until we are taught to see it. I was enjoying the painting because of the way Tarbell captured light, when a man and his wife joined me. The man said to his wife: "This is a wonderful painting, but I wonder whose lap the baby is on.". I was shocked because I was not able to see the baby till he mentioned that there was one. I noticed that it was indeed difficult to tell whose lap it was on. It was a transformative and humbling experience.

I've seen recently how much someone can change a picture with a normal I-phone so I decided to edit it all the way- Please tell me if there's any way, I can improve my editing skills lol. By the way I only used my phone to do this, so try it out too, it's fun!

I got a pack of loose watercolour paper from eBay in 2018. The side this was painted on had a really strange pitted texture on it. I thought it might be interesting but I didn't like the way the paint gathered in the pits. I just use it for sketching and testing colours these days.

This is part of a beautiful moment that was created as I was painting on these mini watercolour sheets. During the journey, I painted around 5 paintings. This is the first painting I painted during my train journey. A group of girls ( students ) got excited when I showed some of my paintings. So I gifted them this. More on the way ....

A little doodle I made in class. Zentangles aren't really my thing, but I've been doodling a lot with a pen, and I love the way it looks. It's supposed to be some sort of stick-monster.

TheStephen Vattimo 7 mins The Three Witnesses Acrylic on Canvas Size :48"x68" Year finished: 2004-14 This painting illustrates three witnesses who are taking part in the salvation of a homeless person. the figure in the background is angled, this imposed by them being Positioned on second-floor balconies, symbolizing they are not humans, they are a higher class of beings. To the left side of the painting a demon and to the right side an angel of God . the kingdoms they serve are identified by the breastplate emblems of their armor. The demon has a dragon head overlaid on a pentagram. The angle of God has a lions head overlaid on a cross. The demon face is partly hidden by a hood which represents deception, where in contrast the angle of God is wearing nothing on his head that hiders the view of his face., representing honest. Angel is always involved in the affairs of the human race. The demon is warring against man to turn their heart against God, and lead them to destruction. God's angel is always warring lead mankind to salvation through Jesus the Christ, and lead him away from the path of destruction that comes from sinful living. The ally way is representing three kingdoms, to the left, the kingdom o Hell. The center road, the kingdom of mankind. To the right side, the kingdom of Heaven. The path of these kingdoms is represented by the direction of stairs. To go the way of Hell is to take the stairs down to the sub-level door. To the go, the way of heaven is to take the fire escape upward. The lighting and the condition of the structures of the walls also identify the nature of the kingdoms they represent. The kingdom of Hell is represented by the dark and crumbling wall. Man's kingdom is represented by a boarded up windowed wall that is a dead end. Symbolizing that mankind only has two roads to chose from, there is no such thing as a third reality. The left side of the paint is a cardboard box and a newspaper floor which serve as a makeshift shelter for the homeless man. The turned over bottle reveals which devise he had that lead him to a life of living in the street. The tipped over trash can which spills its trash onto the light source that is lighting the alleyway, which is in the shape of a cross, represents mankind's sin which Jesus The Christ paid in full the debt which God demand for the payment for sin which is death. So that The guiltless took the place of the guilty, that by faith in this truth all will escape Hell and enter the Kingdom of God as children and heirs of The Highest God. The Homeless man, who is dirty,ill-clothed, cold, tired, hungry, hopeless, symbolizes the condition of Mankind outside a flourishing relationship with God. The Christian witness is better dressed implying he is walking with God, and his life is blessed through God provision. The witness is showing compassion and the love of Christ to this homeless man by wrapping his arm around the shoulder of the dirty smelly homeless man. He points the homeless man in the direction of the path that leads to salvation through faith in the work of Jesus The Christ which is His work on the Cross, receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior. That through a relationship with the Christ, He can receive the guidance, the strength, the willpower to leave his old life of being a drunkard and living in the street. Because in Christ old thing pass away, and all thing are made new. The light that falls on the Christian witness and the homeless man and opens up in the shape of the cross in the alleyway, comes from a heavenly source outside the picture. Written by Stephen J.Vatttimo June 16, 2014

Not much in the way of the colour orange, or candles, but nevertheless here we are!

Not much in the way of atolls here, I went down a Laurel & Hardy flavoured rabbit hole and simply found a title I liked…

I love the way abstract flowers make me feel free.

Okay, try not to focus on those ears... Try to appreciate the nice background and even the dragonflies flying around. Anything. But. The ears. But, my gosh, how adorable! Look at the way he wiggles his ears! How adorable! Isn’t it illegal to be this cute? It makes you want to pick it up and hug it to bits!

A painting I just finished to work on lighting, inspired by a painting done by SamDoesArts. This one was especially fun because I haven’t worked with layer effects for lighting in a little while and liked the way this turned out.

It's a mess, right? Not particularly beautiful or impressive. That is what self-hatred is like. Easy to achieve. Not great to look at. Very common. And very, very hard. To all of the people that struggle with self-hate, it's all in your head don't worry. You are the only one that sees you the way you see yourself.

Another illustration for today! I will tell you a little story. Once upon a time there was a very bad monstrous employer. They hacked all my emails. Trespassed human rights in every way. Shame none of them made it to be an artist! Haha! They held a grudge and spread it like jam everywhere! I shall make a picture book someday! This is not them by the way! It’s just a beautiful Irish ☘️ lady woman just walking in a rainy day celebrating ST. Patrick’s Day.

Finally done! I worked on this for most of the evening and well into the night yesterday. I was so excited to finish it. I did stencil in the letters, but it took so long to paint them in. I bought the board a couple days ago at Hobby Lobby and finished the sign around about 10 minutes ago. Let me know what you think in the comments. (I am aware that the girls foot isn’t hanging down. I’m kinda leaning towards leaving it the way it is.)

This is a stage and it’s background for a bride/groom. I let my pencil lead the way.

This painting was done with the Tuscan style in mind. The Tuscan style favors a rustic look. To me this never goes out of style because it’s as if the new and the old have found a common medium and have agreed to blend so well. There’s plenty of green, beautiful grass. The windows are complimented by the various colors of flowers that are perfectly placed below them. I love how there’s a table set outside of the building with a string of lights (even more beautiful at night) for people to enjoy the scenery as they eat some tasty, authentic Italian cuisines. There’s a group of people walking past the wall of yellow flowers and vines on the way to the inside of the building. In this scene, the ladies are wearing some long, beautiful dresses with gentlemen by their side to accompany them. This gives the impression that this group is out to have a good time. The white birds tops it off in this painting by giving it an inviting feel...”a moment to remember” feeling.

I started with a parallelogram and added details along the way. Would 100% recommend trying.

A beautiful stylish woman reading a book outside beside a brown coloured mountain. Use your imagination. Originals downloads sold elsewhere and anyone selling these is liable to prosecution for art theft and illegal art dealing. By the way, if it doesn’t say your name on the description its obviously not you! Busy with new things that don’t include your name sorry it not you! She actually is reading literature fiction in particular and most definitely not newspapers..! No Stalkers from ‘downstairs’ please. You are not part of the picture sorry! Well, Life goes on get over it because I had two angry men stalkers walking behind me too close the other day dressed in red and black trying to bully me on the street. These people understand nothing about art and are illegal hackers and they pretend to be offering employment possibly part of the same company that I mentioned earlier. Haha! no one replied to their offer! If they bother you too freely report them. They could be one here pretending to be artists and bullying people. Don’t give negativity a chance! And I will keep reposting this picture without this negativity at the mosh pit ‘bottom’. Interesting stories to accompany my very beautiful illustrations. Interested in buying? Even better! I am still smiling!

You can live a nice lifestyle but have fun along the way. Some people just have to take a day off from being bougie and just shake some ass!