tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49769025785998002962024-02-22T02:36:21.201-08:00Learning through the ArtsCharliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699428873132045878noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4976902578599800296.post-21216636536143828782011-10-28T09:28:00.001-07:002011-10-28T09:28:19.196-07:00Censorship and Age of Consent<br />
<h1 align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Censorship and Age of Consent<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I’m
sure this essay will be offensive to most non-Pagan readers, but my intent is
to show stupidity of our law makers and of the Christian people who have voted
for these insane statutes.<span> </span>I like to refer
back to the height of the Roman Empire for my displeased interest in censoring
the visual and written arts. The Greco-Romans were of a working democracy and liberal
free thinkers of their time.<span> </span>Our
civilization grew from their utopianism, but as we know, this was practically destroyed
by the Christians.<span> </span>I am not an atheist;
I am a very religious and spiritual person that comes from years in the study
of Paganism.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Censorship
is and has been an unpleasant subject for me to dwell upon.<span> </span>I usually try to avoid it in conversations, writing,
and the arts.<span> </span>I do believe censorship
should not be controlled by any government.<span>
</span>This is the responsibility of the parents and teachers to educate family
values of their own morals and righteousness.<span>
</span><span> </span>In Greco-Roman times, the ruling
republic had no interest in governing the censorship of human sexuality and of
what today we call victimless crimes, such as prostitution, pornography, and
lewdness.<span> </span>In the Roman society this
meant fewer laws to enforce. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
cannot understand of what one does in his/her own privacy, would be the concern
of others and of the officials in a democratic government.<span> </span>The Constitution of the United States is a conceptive
thought procreated by Christian men, and it also gave everyone freedom of
religion.<span> </span>At the signing of this
document, Pagans, Jews, and other non-Christians were not a part of the voting
public, and women was also excluded.<span> </span>At
this day and cultural age, the Native American’s pagan faith is not recognized
in most lawful extracts of cities and states.<span>
</span>Pink liberals of the Christian Church, it seems, had wished to play upon
some god (who they refuse to name) when they created their inspirations and
victimless laws.<span> </span>Would this be because
of the myths they read in their holy book?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">At
the age of eight, I discovered I loved art.<span>
</span>In some of the old encyclopedias of the 1940’s and ‘50’s, I studied the
works of the old masters.<span> </span>The old
geography books, I came upon information of the wall paintings in a little
coastal town of Pompeii, which is near Napoli, Italy.<span> </span>I could only read about them, since the art
had been censored.<span> </span>But, Pompeii was a
resort city for all Romans and seafaring visitors to relax and enjoy the
pleasures given to them by the gods.<span> </span>Most
of the artwork, when discovered in the year, 1764, was either reburied or removed
and hidden in a sealed vault in Napoli by the Christian excavators.<span> </span>These immoral, hateful individuals didn’t
wish the so called “modern civilized” population to be embarrassed by the
“dirty” pictures.<span> </span>In the year 2000, the
vault was finally opened for public viewing.<span>
</span>And, because of the internet, I am now able to view most of this
splendid art work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
can’t interpret the primitive teachings of the cement-headed Christians, but I
know my God and Goddess developed this world and the purpose is for all creatures
to procreate and preserve life. <span> </span>We, as a
human race, are here to learn about our environment and to make life improvements
for future incarnations.<span> </span>Each cell of
our bodies has been placed there for a purpose, and should be glorified and
worshipped.<span> </span>Meditation and yoga must be
studied to acquire the purification of our soul and the healthful mechanics of
our bodies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Christians
censored the teachings of Rome, replaced the government with bad Popes, and became
responsible for Europe’s dark ages.<span> </span>The
sinful lunatics attempted to place an end to the Pagan Gods and this became a
Christian Medieval Europe.<span> </span>Pointed out
in history records, nothing of any importance was invented during this time.<span> </span>Most of the world could not read or
write.<span> </span>The only people with power and
money lived in the expensive palace of Rome.<span>
</span>Since this time, every Christian explorer discovering a new world would
always bring the righteous clergymen with them to save the heathens. <span> </span>By the way, Pope John XII, also known as
Octavian, practiced the same immoral sins of the previous rulers of the Roman
Republic, and in my opinion, could have been another Caligula.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">From
the time the self-proclaimed holy men ruled the world, people were forced to
wear clothing, which is against nature.<span>
</span>I, at one time, belonged to the AANR, but after raising their dues, I
couldn’t afford the nudist organization.<span>
</span>Why pay for something the Goddess gave us for free?<span> </span>My wife and I visited several clubs, and the
one important item I noticed, the children were very comfortable in the
nude.<span> </span>They were not forced to do this by
anyone, and most kids had their clothes off before the parents were done
unpacking for the weekend.<span> </span>The ages of
the members in the AANR were from an infant to over a hundred years old.<span> </span>I met and became friends with several
nudists; these were the happiest, healthiest, and relaxed people I had ever
met.<span> </span>Not one pervert in the whole bunch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">During
the medieval period, water was rarely used for anything, especially washing
one’s body.<span> </span>Seeing yourself naked was
one of the most terrible sins.<span> </span>Wearing
dirty, unwashed clothing over dirt covered skin, plus the flea-infested rats,
over fifty-percent of the world’s population died from the black plague.<span> </span>The ruling Church blamed this on the wicked
sinners.<span> </span>They refused to listen to the Heathens
of Arabia, who had knowledge of a cure.<span>
</span>But, a modern person would have to understand, the world at this time was
not globular.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The
Christians does not realize what germs and bacteria a person can obtain from
clothing.<span> </span>A naked body fights its own
bad cells as the Goddess intended.<span> </span>It
does not matter how often you have your clothing washed, the skin picks up
bacterium from cloth and leather material.<span>
</span>This is why we now have inoculations and the wild savages of the
Americas never became sick, until they met the Europeans.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
have no hatred towards any structured religions.<span> </span>I am totally uncomfortable with the theology
of the Christians and their book of mythology, or what they call a <ins cite="mailto:Charlie" datetime="2011-10-21T11:40">holy</ins> bible.<span> </span>I know most of the Christians believe this
comic book was written with the inspiration of their God, and I have read this
book a few times and find it no different than reading the stories of Ancient Egypt.<span> </span>Most people do not know at one time Egypt
practiced <ins cite="mailto:Charlie" datetime="2011-10-21T11:43">henotheism</ins>,
the belief of one God.<span> </span>This ancient
religion continued on by a group, who later became known as Israelites.<span> </span>As history shows, the Church followed through
with this tradition, but then added a Goddess, they called Mary, and another God,
and they called him Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Recently,
an exhibition of the Qumran Scrolls has been placed on the internet.<span> </span>These scrolls were hidden by the Jewish
scholars over 2000 years ago, possibly because they didn’t want the ancient,
academic intellectuals to discover the truth of world history and of the facts
of the ancient religions.<span> </span>I have always
been leery of the Jews deceitfulness.<span> </span>Israel
never has been a country, except what they had stolen from Palestine.<span> </span>Hoping in the near future, more pages of history
will be discovered by open-minded, intellectuals from within the sands of
northern Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Being
a Pagan, I do not believe in sins, hell, or this fantasy creature the
Christians call Satan.<span> </span>Summerland is a
place my soul will go for reincarnation.<span>
</span>In Summerland I will find the spirits of our forefathers, who attempted
to teach the truth of my Goddess, which we call Earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Over
the years, since the beginning of the dark ages, the Church has screwed up the
minds of millions of people; their peaceful God has caused many meaningless
wars, developed crimes against humanity, and invented sexual perversions.<span> </span>In ancient times, wars were planned and depended
upon, in the acquiring land for their people, and to please their Gods, not
forcing others to accept their Gods.<span>
</span>Now, all wars are a religious bureaucracy.<span> </span>It seems, this all started with killing off
the Pagans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Censorship
is an invention of the Christians to insure their wealth.<span> </span>Although clothing can be unhealthy to the
body, it’s a mollifying business of extreme financial income.<span> </span>The intellectual age of the Roman Empire,
clothing, if worn at all, were loose fitting and allowed air to destroy the
bacterial attaching itself to the skin, from the cloth material.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Why
is a painting or a photograph of a nude so obscene?<span> </span>The body, created by the Goddess Earth, has
been represented among nature to show love and to prove the human race is part
of the universe.<span> </span>There is no such thing
as pornography.<span> </span>A child has pleasure and
sexual feelings in the same way as adults. Art has shown since the beginning of
recorded history sexual attractions to each other is normal.<span> </span>From the time I was seven to about twelve
years old, a neighbor girl (the same age) and I walked two miles from town to a
small creek, and went skinny-dipping during the summer months.<span> </span>At the age of twelve, one of the other
neighbor kids told her mother, and she quickly put an end to our visits, but
even though I had an attraction for her, I never thought of having sex with
her.<span> </span>I can see no harm was done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
enjoy the beauty of the visual arts.<span> </span>I
have had no sexual attractions to the nude in art, even to the skin magazines
popular during the ‘70’s and ‘80’s.<span> </span>I
did absorb the creativeness and the pleasure the artist communicated.<span> </span>The nude photos and movies are all produced
with paid models and actors, but this is an expansive, profitable business.<span> </span>I would rather have my children watch art
films instead of the violence, mayhem, murders, wars, and live shots of people
dying, which we all see in the news.<span>
</span>People represented in a sexual composition is art, it is the gift the Goddess
created for us.<span> </span>I am not talking of
forced rape and sexual assaults on children or adults, this is not the consent
of the people involved.<span> </span>Every unforced act
of love is a sign of worship to all the Gods and Goddesses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
pray and meditate in the nude.<span> </span>Why
should I be ashamed of what the Goddess Earth created?<span> </span>I am sure she seen a lot of naked humans,
being the Earth, She knows and sees everything.<span>
</span>There is no need for censorship.<span> </span>A
researcher from the University of Hawaii, Professor Milton Diamond, spent a few
years studying child pornography and its effects on children and adults. In the
countries, where pornography was once illegal, but is now legal, the sex crimes
are noticeably lower.<span> </span>Sex crimes against
children have been much decreased.<span> </span>In
other studies, children used with their parents’ consent during filming sex
scenes have no bearing on their psychological development. <span> </span>A good example is Brooke Shields in the movie
<i>Pretty Baby</i> and <i>The Blue Lagoon.</i><span> </span>I can
recognize the crime and the terrible insult to the Goddess when forced, uncontrolled
sexual assaults are taking place with underage children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Paintings,
sculpture, and all forms of the visual and written art have introduced naked beings
within the composition.<span> </span>We find this in
the works of the great masters, and to name a few:<span> </span>Sandro Botticelli, Caravaggio, Mary Cassatt,
Eugene Delacroix, Edouard Manet, and Michelangelo.<span> </span>We can even go back to the cave paintings
discovered in France.<span> </span>The great art of
photography, like Sally Mann and Jock Surges has even produced naked
children.<span> </span>This was never a crime until
in the late 1970’s, about the time the Catholic clergymen were caught molesting
boys, which I can testify this has happen to me in the late 1950’s.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My
parents, being strong Catholics, and I being sixteen, thought I should have a religious
education at St. Mary’s Monastery in Kenosha, Wisconsin for a few weeks.<span> </span>It wasn’t until the second day, I found
Brother Thomas giving another brother oral sex right outside the poolroom.<span> </span>I remember, I was not shock in witnessing
this, but very curious.<span> </span>Soon after, they
wanted me to join them, but turned them down.<span>
</span>And, I had a cousin at this place, who also wanted sex with me.<span> </span>I have nothing against gays, I have a few
friends who are, but I was sixteen at the time, and being a farm boy, this was
new to me.<span> </span>The Brothers of the monastery
were all practicing celibacy, but not with each other.<span> </span>I avoided everyone, even Father Superior, who
had one of the Brothers sleeping with him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The
gay individual should have the same rights as anyone.<span> </span>The gift of the Earth Goddess is to love,
whether in lust or in commitment of any age or gender.<span> </span>I speak as a straight person, but how can mankind,
who had invented a one God religion, and where in this Christian myth book that
says anything about a gay individual being condemned to some comical place of
fire?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span> </span>A few months after this experience at the
monastery, I met a man, who lived in Chicago, and yes he was gay, but I was
introduced to various copies of the Wiccan hypothesis manuscripts.<span> </span>You have to understand, my knowledge of being
Pagan happened before computers, and the written books of Pagan subjects were
hard to find.<span> </span>I lost contact of this
person, but kept the papers for years, and I studied them religiously.<span> </span>At sixteen I proclaimed myself a Pagan.<span> </span>I have never belonged to a coven, but after
stepping out of the bloom closet, I recently met other people of the same interest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">But
are naked children in visual arts wrong?<span>
</span>There are so many innocent people being jailed because they took a
picture of their kid in the bathtub.<span>
</span>What harm does a photo of a naked child do?<span> </span>Does it harm the child or the observer?<span> </span>Ancient Rome practiced pederasty, and this
only occurred as long as the boy was a slave.<span>
</span>It was also a custom to take a twelve year old boy to the brothels to introduce
him to manhood.<span> </span>And, this was all legal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
understand that a child, who is forced to pose naked, is a crime against local
laws and the Goddess.<span> </span>But, if the parents
and/or the child consent to it, I cannot see a crime.<span> </span>Most all countries of Europe have the age of
consent at fourteen years for both male and female.<span> </span>I also found it interesting the countries who
recognize the younger age of consent has higher scores in academics than what
we have in the United States.<span> </span>The most
important of these are math and science.<span>
</span>This may not have anything to do with the age of consent, but I do find
it interesting.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Because
of the idiot Christian culture in the United States, most all schools are very
primitive in comparison to the foreign schools, which are liberal with their
sex taboos and free thinking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My
favorite artists have always been Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh, Sally Mann, David Hansen,
Jock Sturges, Pissarro, Monet, and Manet.<span>
</span>Yes, some are very controversial in their art, but they are masters in
their work.<span> </span>I read Henry Miller before
his books were legal in the United States.<span>
</span>I also admired the erotic writings of Marquis De Sade when I was twelve.<span> </span>How I received these books was the result of
knowing a pen-pal in Japan, who I haven’t had contact with for a lot of years,
but hope to someday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">During
my years in the U.S. Navy, I visited Subic Bay, Philippines several times.<span> </span>Instead of paying money for sexual pleasures,
I took my sketchbook and drew naked girls that agreed to model for me (for the
same price of having sex).<span> </span>I admit some
were as young as ten years old, but this was in a country where prostitution was
tolerated, and this was the only means of self-supporting. <span> </span>They were interested in being paid, and I had
no interest in having sex with someone that young.<span> </span>I also knew at the time, many of the girls
were forced to work the streets because of the people who owned them, and had
paid the parents for the girls’ services.<span>
</span>I could do nothing about their legal prostitution, and I kept away from
the sexual pleasures because of the diseases.<span>
</span>I concentrated only on my pages of sketches.<span> </span>By the way, my art work has been destroyed because
of the insane laws of this country.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
am also a photographer, and I do not take many pictures because of the insane discrimination.<span> </span>A person can be sued for taking a photo if a
child just happens to be in the frame.<span> </span>I
usually concentrate only on landscapes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
wrote this manuscript to remind myself why I dislike censorship and the
victimless laws of this country.<span> </span>It is
very unfortunate that an artist cannot express his true creativeness in expressing
his art.<span> </span>The human body is created by
the soul of Earth, and should not be considered sinful.<span> </span>It hasn’t been too many years ago, I would be
jailed for being a Pagan.<span> </span>Isn’t it about
time the Christians admit they built their beliefs on pagan doctrine?<o:p></o:p></span></div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699428873132045878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4976902578599800296.post-79870592937509368952011-10-03T16:31:00.000-07:002011-10-03T16:31:11.284-07:00It has been awhile.I haven't been on the blog for awhile, have had some personal problems for the past year. I've been working on THREE STRIKES YOU'RE DEAD, and made a few changes. Hope to have it completed soon, if I can keep people from bothering me. I had a great time at the Nebraska Writers Workshop Retreat at St. Benedict's near Schuyler, Nebraska. I completed a lot of work on THREE STRIKES YOU'RE DEAD. I think things will be getting back to normal, so hope to do a lot of work within the next few months.Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699428873132045878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4976902578599800296.post-15875427285103125292010-08-24T11:56:00.000-07:002010-08-24T12:13:05.564-07:00THREE STRIKES YOU'RE DEADI have begun a new novel, <i>Three Strikes You're Dead. </i>I am really excited about this story, and it has started with a lot of conflicts and obstructions. The protagonist is a retired police officer in Omaha, Nebraska, and has his own business as a private eye. He is working with a young detective on homicides, but the relationship is running like a roller-coaster. How does blue frogs work within the investigations? The manuscript will be completed in December 2010, and hope to have it published soon after I send it in.<div><br /></div><div>What happen to the other three stories I was working on? They are setting on the shelf at the moment. Perhaps, I will work on them at a later time.</div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699428873132045878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4976902578599800296.post-49739403676703688262009-11-24T07:48:00.000-08:002009-11-24T07:56:08.762-08:00ReviewingI am presently working on a sequel to the Bob Norris series, it is the fourth book. I don't like setting dead lines, but I want to finish it as soon as possible. Also I'm thinking about doing another painting, but maybe, I hold off until I finish the fourth book.<br /><br />Did not realize I haven't done anything to this blog for over a year. I must get in the habit of checking it more often.Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699428873132045878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4976902578599800296.post-74276649115614562002009-11-23T12:45:00.000-08:002009-11-23T12:50:05.667-08:00A New Painting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmhqzGHHE0MiOCyIZPE4tjDuLo7raAyr6a33A8X0_cTwK07KEP9VojI2ufAAXVsrS6kGElFjmcDCY8-NzqGykUZt83HBsQs_5uDt2e8uibOzLZZAEuQ7F2GGkjbURoXmGJFSFLmAU04hm/s1600/img_0139+(2).jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 138px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407403903122290066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmhqzGHHE0MiOCyIZPE4tjDuLo7raAyr6a33A8X0_cTwK07KEP9VojI2ufAAXVsrS6kGElFjmcDCY8-NzqGykUZt83HBsQs_5uDt2e8uibOzLZZAEuQ7F2GGkjbURoXmGJFSFLmAU04hm/s200/img_0139+(2).jpg" /></a><br /><div>Just finished a painting of a horse, a girl, and a man. Actually, the man is tightening the saddle for my niece, Danny. The title of the painting is TIGHTENING THE SADDLE.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699428873132045878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4976902578599800296.post-50291326806827326302008-10-11T09:15:00.000-07:002008-10-11T09:31:34.473-07:00Fine Arts<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8c1GKafW0AwnsxiHcD8-C9vJe0KXAb-2XWQoVY9L2v6f1T6n6YJW8Bz_ynCJAMbhbx5qczCsxF1O9nSyTR53rb4T66p5Wx-1TJu7ZyieU1MzxvYVjUkRP4RmeifkCfH13hTd3RsIWCJC/s1600-h/3047.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255931200951291266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8c1GKafW0AwnsxiHcD8-C9vJe0KXAb-2XWQoVY9L2v6f1T6n6YJW8Bz_ynCJAMbhbx5qczCsxF1O9nSyTR53rb4T66p5Wx-1TJu7ZyieU1MzxvYVjUkRP4RmeifkCfH13hTd3RsIWCJC/s200/3047.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfeSZ7JFA32c3LJ9QxcFgH70WZwbQtyYbQxaHd4TkJ7iHdBN0IJjwSuumhjdcls7AwfI9Zc9TInME6LwtpNurR4i-z08XzeLb8YIzuVTNhn76cm2g9Ef-HEajVActM3Gf5CvoQ7viNVbx/s1600-h/8041.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255931208674998914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfeSZ7JFA32c3LJ9QxcFgH70WZwbQtyYbQxaHd4TkJ7iHdBN0IJjwSuumhjdcls7AwfI9Zc9TInME6LwtpNurR4i-z08XzeLb8YIzuVTNhn76cm2g9Ef-HEajVActM3Gf5CvoQ7viNVbx/s200/8041.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br />I completed the above charcoal drawing of my nephew, Thanh, about a year ago. My niece, Danielle, about six months later, and this is a pastel. I really wish I could spend more time working with my drawings. I hope to finish an oil painting of a landscape soon. It is an old barn nested in a field of mustard weeds with two horses grazing nearby. I hope to add more to this section soon.Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699428873132045878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4976902578599800296.post-29293209337928907072008-10-10T17:04:00.001-07:002008-10-10T17:23:14.113-07:00Photography<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBiVwszWoTaVnOTcJ62HveGYrfSAXfgjBKIh1gDDhyphenhyphen_3lSLEV-OTAVRS4u0_H210KJhD_SKJ7QxomXqjGlqNCcPKKL4c5MCherEAQYU-vVy9QNwsh_pg-2BhBuBdA2aWjMNKReGUU41m9/s1600-h/IMG_0030.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255681693894599810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBiVwszWoTaVnOTcJ62HveGYrfSAXfgjBKIh1gDDhyphenhyphen_3lSLEV-OTAVRS4u0_H210KJhD_SKJ7QxomXqjGlqNCcPKKL4c5MCherEAQYU-vVy9QNwsh_pg-2BhBuBdA2aWjMNKReGUU41m9/s200/IMG_0030.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div></div>I normally take scene photos, such as the one above I took at DeSoto Bend, Iowa. Recently, I've been struggling with portraits. The photo below is of my niece, Ashley, which I can see, I will have to adjust my lights.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255682710200315618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQteSiRSnqrJ4gImCrDx6lPYNuOaCqIN1gVk9Z9OVNXhkLGRL3tIzrmhyTPVEUAIiJyIgELGv54ChQ8ToYz2EgHOA5uIvcLGntp5sjLPzmXMpNtdwWK2v-M72dFkOT6f_FzzsJJO4TO-Mi/s200/img_0006+(2).jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />I'll keep working on it until I get it right. My camera is a Canon EOS Rebel, and since this is my first digital, I'm still learning how to use it.Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699428873132045878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4976902578599800296.post-76108534810645599172008-10-10T15:37:00.000-07:002008-10-11T10:21:56.109-07:00I'm Working<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW30ndYIYW6HF-gh2IhJRfH5BIoESfkY-GBB-S3T1Ivabfqumws117k33octx67uvdPPJK0Nim2o-rxr7LLWEvjBE4zOmOIl4pFFEAueQUn31gxvHXo0kw2HkMaHgOhp4Rrf1F6XPDiGey/s1600-h/tofindaBIG+(2).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255658868029680722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW30ndYIYW6HF-gh2IhJRfH5BIoESfkY-GBB-S3T1Ivabfqumws117k33octx67uvdPPJK0Nim2o-rxr7LLWEvjBE4zOmOIl4pFFEAueQUn31gxvHXo0kw2HkMaHgOhp4Rrf1F6XPDiGey/s320/tofindaBIG+(2).jpg" border="0" /></a> My novel, TO FIND A KILLER, is in its second printing and available on Amazon.com. I thought the price a little expensive, but everything has gone up in value.<br /><br />SEARCHING FOR HARPIES will be edited this month and I hope will be available next month, at least before Christmas. The editor who is working on my books is very busy, and I should be patient, but I have two more manuscripts in this Bob Norris series to be edited.<br /><br />In the meantime, I am working on a young adult book, BURNING ROSES. A small farming community of southwest Iowa is populated by all witches. Spirits of a lost Indian tribe attempts to reclaim the ground, and the 13 year old protagonist with the help of two ghost faces the Native Americans.<br /><br />The weekend of October 4 & 5, 2008, I attended the Nebraska Writers Guild Conference in North Platte, Nebraska. Since I am Vice-President of the Guild, I had no other choice. I was supposed to have made the Retreat at Maloney State Park on October 11 & 12, 2008, but a little virus kept me at home. I found staying at home is difficult, since Shane, my son needs to do teenage stuff.<br /><br />I am still trying to work on my oil painting I started six months ago, but the writing has kept me busy. I will have the landscape done someday.</div><br /><div></div><br /><p align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255945546571763346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcuHns60FliXrFA_Mv8-_UokTlrl3Pbj-3xKY3M1wmDP1EdNNkhksc953eHqsc68KvIPzxgGFPF0axfUo6xh_yzjXRVLD3FDmlkCz_v9LEPE-4k1x3fM8JKXroc6IW2d6erkQwuEKaGpQ/s200/waveofdeath.jpg" border="0" />These two books of mine are also published through the Fiction Works, <a href="http://www.fictionworks.com/">www.fictionworks.com</a>. FIND THE SECRETS can be purchased on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/">www.amazon.com</a>, but WAVE OF DEATH is not printed, you can order it from the Fiction Works on a disc.</p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left">FIND THE SECRETS is a Bell Ringer series. I had written the Mystery section, and a good friend, Sally Walker, did the Western. The book is for adult reading, but at a third grade reading level.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255945536420135490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvYL9FtVWeglCjCsy6pXr-UHLVPtF0pZXqtWfH6sQ7qKgiicLwg345D7A2GG-wmFqhEZppuMg3vJYiivnMPowEL9CF3e5dN_yI7lZGhoTnpmMfwqY9YDYs8Pd8wMdiBVEEwsP07qCuaJB5/s200/findthesecrets.jpg" border="0" /></p>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699428873132045878noreply@blogger.com0