Christmas is behind us (Merry late Christmas to you!) and 2020 is about to come to a close. As I looked back on this year, I was surprised: I know it was a crappy year for many people. I've had my own share of disappointments. But I don't look back…
I got a coat from my friends from Suubi Teen MOPS in Uganda. It is made by recycled plastic bags. But since it is too stiff and small for me to wear, I am turning it into a backpack! I cut the pattern out of brown packing paper. Then, I…
The streets of Kampala, Uganda, Summer 2020: Someone buys a can of soda, some tomatoes, or a few eggs. They buy it from a street vendor, in a crowded street among countless market stands. Or perhaps in a side street. Is it daytime? Nighttime? Is it brutally hot or raining…
I drove home to my parents house last Sunday. Apart from the usual stuff, I brought some cases of books and DVDs: I had gone through my shelves and sorted out what I no longer needed, so I could sell it online. It ended up being 50 items! Since I…
This week I saw another headline about Covid-19 and how it is hard on the schools. I thought of the effects of climate change and of the mess we call politics. The weight of it all seemed to get to me. But then I thought of the privilege I have…
Here in the village where I go to school, the season of fall is beautiful. Not just for the leaves or the last rays of warm sun, but also for the harvest. I went with a friend on two harvest trips: one to gather mushrooms by the fields, one to…
I teach at my campus tomorrow. I decided on the topic of "gratitude" and "telling each other what good we experience". To make it interesting, I made a short Video of "Good News" from our local seminary. I made a simple stop-motion intro, asked people to send in their stories,…
My school has a long walkway between the library and the secretary. And today, I got to hang some of my artwork there! It's the second art show that I get to do in this location. Due to Corona, there will be no vernissage. But even still, it's nice to…
It's still over 2 months until Christmas. But you can already feel Christmas coming: Christmas cookies are on the shelves, oranges are coming in season, and "Operation Christmas Child" will be open for donations very soon. For those of you who aren't familiar: "Operation Christmas Child" is an organization that…
School started two days ago. Time for reading and writing academic stuff. But on Sunday, I still had time to do a creative project: my favorite cardigan was falling apart around the elbows, and I wanted to give it a new purpose. So, I took up my sewing supplies and…
Two weekends ago I went with my dad on a 3-day-trip to Venice. It was a spontaneous trip to surprise some of my dad's friends, who were also on vacation at that time. We enjoyed the sun, the water, and the scenery. Due to Corona, the city only had about…
I did some more watercolor tests for my book "Ryan's Truck of Eggs". One page was just random drawings, the other was a test illustration for the book itself. I experimented a bit with brown paper and ink. I like the overall look but am not quite sure how to…
I still have a few sketches to do for my children's book "Ryan's Truck of Eggs". But I decided to still go ahead and do some color/style samples: Sketches on their own don't tell you what colors you would I use, or whether to use watercolor or collage or digital…
I've been working on my children's book sketches. Every few days I try to get one sketch done. But at lucky number 7, I hit a roadblock: the original layout felt boring, so I tried again. And again. And again. Finally, I had to let it sit before I could…
I am working on some sketches for my children's book "Ryan's Truck of Eggs". So far, half of the spreads are done. So far, the story follows Ryan from his boss to the town with ballerinas, over a mountainous construction site, past a fishing party, and into a tornado! He…