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EDIT:
THE CAllING’S SONG OUR LIVES COMES OUT ON iTUNES TOMORROW!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!! I’M SO EXCITED.

but anyway, while I was anxiously awaiting that song, I discovered another song . . . “Greg’s Last Day” by the starting line. The lyrics fit several different events (past present future) freakishly close depending on whose name replaces Greg, what replaces evergreen, and wheither or not you leave Ohio as Ohio. PA becomes IL no matter what. . . . Also bought Accidentally in Love by Counting Crows. I decided to forgive them for their attrocity called Big Yellow Taxi.

Um, Edit again (Tuesday)
don’t know why I don’t just make a new post

THE CALLING LYRICS

Our Lives

Is it love tonight
When everyone’s dreaming
Of a better life
In this world
Divided by fear
We’ve gotta believe that
There’s a reason we’re here
Yeah, there’s a reason we’re here

Cause these are the days worth living
These are the years we’re given
And these are the moments
These are the times
Let’s make the best out of our lives

See the truth all around
Our faith can be broken
And our hands can be bound
But open our hearts and fill up the emptiness
With nothing to stop us
Is it not worth the risk?
Yeah, is it not worth the risk?

Cause these are the days worth living
These are the years we’re given
And these are the moments
These are the times
Let’s make the best out of our lives
Even if hope was shattered
I know it wouldn’t matter
Cause these are the moments
These are the times
Let’s make the best out of our lives

We can’t go wrong
Thinking it’s wrong
To speak our minds
I’ve gotta let out what’s inside

Is it love tonight
When everyone’s dreaming
Can we get it right?
Yeah, well can we get it right?

Cause these are the days worth living
These are the years we’re given
And these are the moments
These are the times
Let’s make the best out of our lives
Even if hope was shattered
I know it wouldn’t matter
These are the moments
These are the times
Let’s make the best out of our lives

(click) I wonder . . . Idaho . . . Salt Lake . . . Divine Intervention.

edit:
Yesterday was the last day of high school. It certainly went out with an eventful week.

On Monday my best friend came up from St. Louis and stayed at my house. He didn’t come to school with me on Tuesday illegally (and by didn’t I mean did) and it was lots of fun. In fact it was the most fun it could have been. Old friendships came back together for the occasion. We (Jeff James and I) met Dana and Mary at Wendy’s, and that was so much fun. We just talked the whole time, something that we hadn’t done in a while but that we used to do all the time.

Funny story, Mary called my house and my dad answered. She asked for me and he said, “This is Brian, Dan’s not here” and she thought Brian was my little brother, so she started talking to him like you would a little toddler. hehe.

Wendsday was terrible. Tried to bring Weggs to school again, did not go so well. At the Senior Awards night I was named Outstanding Artist of the year and was given the Fine Arts Service award (and check ) but it was tainted cause my parents yelled at me because they thought I did something wrong. But it’s ok cause I was right and as soon as they figured that out they owed me, and so now I have a cell phone for work.

Thursday- I decorated Elizabeth’s garage because they won their regional soccer game and it was so much fun with balloons and banners and I think it made her night!

Friday- dinner with Margaret, then I met little Hoovie. Went home, blasted some Jaded by Mest.

Anyway, today the pool opens, but I’m getting payed to not be there cause it’s been raining ::does rain dance:: . . . yeah but it’s been more work than I expected to get the pool ready. Being a manager actually does require responsibility and more hours. Go figure . . .

Going to Gina’s house tonight.

You know what song is really scary because it’s really beautiful and creepy? The Reason by Hoobastank . . . kinda shady. And I really want The Calling’s “Our Lives” to come out NOW but it won’t until June.

Yesterday was an amazing day where I had more fun than I have in a long time, but I don’t want to write about it now cause I’m in a bad mood. My teachers were all grumpy today and I felt like I was back in Junior High when most of my teachers hated me. I guess we’re all just jaded, or it’s like my creative writing teacher said, “I’m treating you like Seniors. I’m giving you more freedom, and then yelling at you.”

Anyway, will be back . . . happier.

Edit (10:10 pm)

that didn’t work. um . . . will be happier maybe tomorrow?

Thank you for your support of my art work. I am flattered that it has touched and/or impressed so many people. A general comment on my work:

Please do not print out copies of my art. I’ve talked it over with my dad, who hesitated to even put the art work on the internet, and we decided that it can’t be done fairly.

I have seriously considered making professional prints of my work to sell. I will let you know when I do. Please tell me if you think that I should. I’d love to know which ones would sell.

Speaking of selling work, many of my best works have been sold allready. Others are too personal to sell or are needed for future portfolios. However, there are some paintings and drawings that I would like to sell (college is expensive ). Hosanna: Parting the Veil (oil, 99″x54″) is on sale for about $1,500. (price subject to fluxation based on shipping location and framing options). Generally speaking the rest of my work falls between $100-$300 unframed and $200-$500 framed.

There is one more option I’d like to mention. I will paint and/or draw by commision. I can paint family portraits, individual portraits, personal still lifes, landscapes, religious art, and other things in a variety of styles and media. Prices will vary according to size, media, and complexity. Please tell your friends and family and ask them to set up an appointment with me (over phone or at a Chicogoland location).

Pouting because I’m not at the Dashboard Confessional concert and because “Our Lives” by the Calling has not been released yet.

Got pictues back . . . Prom ’04 (click) and the AP Art Show (click) . . . unfortunately the pictures of the AP Art show did not do my show justice. It was way cooler than it looks, if I can say that. I already wrote about it, so I won’t bore you with that, but I will say that on the page there is a link to Dan’s Art that has better quality photos of some of the art work itself.

Enjoy.

Edit: In case you’re too lazy to click the links above, here’s a sample:

Are we hot or what?

I was asked why I am so into the religion, and here is my response . . .

8 years ago I was not so into the religion. I went to Church, was baptized, didn’t do anything bad– but I did not have the . . . passion that I have now. So what happened?

I think it began when I was 12. I went to Nauvoo Ilinois with my scout troop- actually with a whole bunch of scout troops. This was the small Nauvoo- after the thousands of Saints left but before the rebuilt temple and all the hotels and tourist shops. While we were there I went to Carthage Jail and sat in the room where the prophet Joseph Smith was martyred.

In that little room, squished between obnoxious smelly boys and overly enusiastic leaders, I had an epiphany. Like I had never done before, I wondered why Joseph Smith would rather die than forsake his beliefs in Jesus Christ and the restored gospel. When they played “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief” (a touching song about Christ that was sung in the cell the day Joseph was killed), I was swept away in this intense emotion that overwelmed my senses.

I am passionately religious today because of that emotion; that sweet euphoria. In that jail cell, I learned for myself that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that Jesus is the Christ. Then I decided to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover, and after that I prayed to discover the truth of the book. Again the feeling filled my heart and I knew that the Book of Mormon is genuine and authentic, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. I feel a small portion of that feeling now; even just talking about these experiences makes my heart swell just like taking off in an airplane, only longer, sweeter, stronger. It is a part of me: a knowledge, a memory, a high, an emotion that has made me who I am today.

Why am I so into the Religion? Because the religion is so in me.

Today we celebrated the 175th Anniversary of the restoration of the priesthood. What a marvelous thing to celebrate. There was a broadcast today in which I learned many fascinating things about the Priesthood ministry. I enjoyed learning about the “Kingdom of Priest” that Moses refered to; that foreseen kingdom has now existed 175 years. As I heard President Hinckley speak specifically about the Aaronic Priesthood, which I hold, I was deeply moved by the sincerity, energy, and passion he held for the Priests. He struck a tender chord in me when he expounded on the rights to the ministry of angels that Aaronic Priesthood bearers hold. I have a strong testimony of that right. It is something that I have thought a lot about, something that has been emphasized to me personally through personal blessings and experiences.

I procaim boldly that angels are real, literal messengers of God. I bear witness of their influence and protecting powers here on Earth both seen and unseen. The ministring of angels is one of the most beautiful, sacred powers of this world. I will be forever grateful to it, and I pray that I will be worthy of it. It is more precious to me than any wordly knoweledge, than any possesion, any car, any talent, any art show, any prom, any thing no matter how wonderful, beautiful, enjoyable, or significant. I believe that Gordon B. Hinckley is a prophet of God, and I am grateful for his words today.

Home safe. Prom was wonderful.

I will be posting pictures at some point of Heather and I. It was lots of fun, but I’m not really sure what I can say about it. I could tell you exactly what happened and just enfold the story, but that seems trite and boring. I could tell you how I felt, but I’m not sure I could give my feelings justice, and if I did, I would be revealing things too personal. So I think I will leave it at that, it was lots of fun.

412 days of xanga. I’m so excited for Prom!!!!!
Coolest experience today . . . will get to it in a sec.

Can I just say my opinion of the Stevenson Administration has gone up drastically this week? They have cracked down on immodesty as a reaction to a trend of very scandalous skirts. There is a noticable change in the way girls now have to dress, and I love it. I have always been attracted to the girls who take the time to go hunting for moddest clothes or who find creative ways to wear their clothes appropriately. I am glad the school is now encouraging that and hope that the higher demand for modest clothes will increase the stock of modest clothes so that my friends and sisters can find it easier.

Also . . . In Creative Writing I am writing a story taken from the The Book of Mormon. It’s from Mosiah 7, 22- the escape of King Limhi’s people. Anyway, I was working on the story in the resource center today when one of the tutors walked by. He looked over my shoulder, saw the word “Ammon” and asked me if it was from the Book of Mormon. We had a really cool conversation in which he told me about how a student (Mike Robbins) had given him a Book of Mormon years ago and about how he was fascinated by it, expecially by the geographical setting. He told me about all these books he had read about archeological evidence of the Book of Mormon, it was really cool. Anyway, he bore his testimony to me saying that he “really believed the Book of Mormon was genuine and authentic” and that there was no way Joseph Smith could have written it himself, but that it was actually translated.

I was amazed. I have borne my testimony to friends and teachers at school all the time, but never in high school has a teacher borne his testimony to me. It gave me goose-bumps to realize that this work is really going forward. How exciting. I wish this had happened freshman year so that I could continue having these conversations with him. LDS Stevenson students out there: go the rescource center in the old building and read your Book of Mormon. See what happens.

Oh, I told Elizabeth about it when she drove me home and it was a lot of fun, we had also had a good conversation. I’m just all about having good conversations today.

“Do our children know that we love the scriptures? Do they see us reading them and marking them and clinging to them in daily life? Have our children ever unexpectedly opened a closed door and found us on our knees in prayer? Have they heard us not only pray with them but also pray for them out of nothing more than sheer parental love? Do our children know we believe in fasting as something more than an obligatory first-Sunday-of-the-month hardship? Do they know that we have fasted for them and for their future on days about which they knew nothing? Do they know we love being in the temple, not least because it provides a bond to them that neither death nor the legions of hell can break? Do they know we love and sustain local and general leaders, imperfect as they are, for their willingness to accept callings they did not seek in order to preserve a standard of righteousness they did not create? Do those children know that we love God with all our heart and that we long to see the face—and fall at the feet—of His Only Begotten Son? I pray that they know this.”

(Jeffrey R. Holland, “A Prayer for the Children,” Ensign, May 2003, 85)

On this mother’s day I am so grateful for my mother. I have opened closed doors to find her praying. I have seen her study and mark and cry over her scriptures. I have heard her pray for me, and for those prayers I will be forever in her debt.