Gælen Mibeck's Blog!
…and then this happened:
(Yes, I am trying to make you squint.)
(From YouTube user ploface.)
I’m back from my trip! In the six days I was gone I had a chance to pray, think, observe, draw, meet some wonderful people, and ultimately, take part in the March for Life (the gigantic Pro-Life demonstration that seems to mysteriously evade the media’s attention each year).
In the days leading up to the March, our group visited the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the Vietnam War Memorial. We tipped our hats to the Washington Monument in passing and gazed on the White House from afar. We were also able to visit the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Mount St. Mary’s University both in Emmitsburg, Maryland, as well as the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. I went with a few of our members to the National Gallery of Art where I got to see some Vermeers and Rembrandts.
Sunday Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception was amazing. I do not know quite how to describe it. Other than the fact that the processions took about 40 minutes each, and there were more seminarians, priests, deacons, monks, bishops and laity present than I have ever imagined in my life, it seemed just as familiar and natural as a normal Sunday Mass at my own parish.
Finally, Monday the 23rd arrived, the subject of much fundraising, planning, prayer and anticipation. We went to Mass at the Basilica once more, but this time we had the opportunity to visit the building’s many shrines and chapels. Exploring these filled me with the sensation that one finds in reading C.S. Lewis or G.K Chesterton: one of “glimpses of Heaven in the earthly landscape” and “the temporary touching the eternal.”
Our group had the honor of marching alongside The Most Reverend Samuel J. Aquila, Bishop of the Fargo Diocese.
The cold, wet, depressing and slushy nature of the weather accentuated the cheery optimism found in the marchers. The vexillum of the Fargo Diocese was hoisted gloriously alongside countless other banners, flags, pennants and signs. The band of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property played Salve Regina (on bagpipes, even), and everyone who knew the lyrics immediately joined in. What I’m trying to get at is this: the experience was uplifting, awesome, beautiful and, I daresay, epic.
It was wonderful to see the actual people who make up the Pro-Life movement. It reminded me that the our cause is a group of people, not just an abstract thing.
Hungry and tired, we took our dinner at Union Station, as did a great many of the other groups from the March. It was amazing being unable to walk 20 feet without passing someone in a cassock or a habit.
My thanks go to everyone who made the March possible through planning and support,Father G. for leading our group, The Franciscans at the Commissariat of the Holy Land for their hospitality and, last but not least, our group’s excellent chaperones.
That was a lot of words. If you’ve made it this far you deserve a robot. ;)
Here are some other folks’ accounts of the march:
As I believe I mentioned earlier, I’m going off to Washington DC for a few days to be a human-rights activist. I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures, bring my sketchbook, and come up with a nice blog post upon my return.
Until then, have a spiffing time my fellow former fetuses.
http://www.marchforlife.org/
That’s right. It’s Samurai time. Here’s a desktop-sized version, if anyone’s interested.
On another note: I’d like to mention that I’ll be going to Washington DC in a week’s time to participate in the annual March for Life. ^-^
It was an interesting experience.
Whatever you were about to do is no longer important. Go check out Kiah Kiean‘s blog immediately.
Alright, I’ve come up with the goals I mentioned in my last post. I decided not to limit myself to what I think I can accomplish in a year, but to what I would accomplish if I was omnipotent. Here they are:
1. Start a weekly webcomic
This is something I’ve wanted to do for donkey’s years. Hopefully I’ll get this baby started before the month is out.
2.Start a toy company
Probably won’t happen, but still, it would be sweet.
3. Put together a comic anthology
The FLIGHT anthologies have been a tremendous inspiration to me. I’m probably insane to think I could pull of anything as spectacular, but I think I’ll give it a shot. That is, after I learn how to draw, finish some comics, and find a handful of people to partake in this fool’s errand.
My spies have informed me that it’s currently new year’s eve. I wish people wouldn’t spring stuff like this on me at the last moment.
Anyways, Back on January 2nd, I laid out some goals for the year. Unfortunately, I haven’t fulfilled any of these (and seeing as how there’s only an hour and a half of 2011 left, it doesn’t look like I shall). Ho hum.
Even so, this past year wasn’t a complete failure. My drawings have definitely improved, I’ve found some amazing artists, and I have finally started to get the hang of running a blog.
Here are some of my favorite posts from the past year:
That one time I posted a bunch of non-terrible people drawings
I’m working on some cool goals for 2012 right now which will be dramatically revealed tomorrow.
I’ll see y’alls next year!
Months of obsessing over the wonderful pencil drawings of Anthony VanArsdale, Alex VanArsdale, Abigail Haplin, and Matt Phelan are starting to pay off. Also, watching more black and white movies has helped me focus on shadows and tones and all that.
The guys on Flickr have been making some awesome underwater things. I just had to try something in the theme.
The lines could be a bit smoother, the shading looks kind of computery, and I’m beginning to wonder if I made the lighting a bit too…sparkly. Oh well.
EDIT:
Flickr user Wimbe did an awesome model based off of my design. Thanks dude!
By the way, you simply must check out this awesome music video:
I look to the wisdom of a certain Marshwiggle to see me through difficult situations.
And no, I don’t really have an awesome seven samurai shirt, but I wish I did. :3
First of all, I hope everyone is having a spiffing Christmas. Remember, yesterday was only the beginning! ;)
Secondly, I have messed around with this blog’s them for the upteenth time. Unlike my past efforts, I think I’m finally happy with the result. I decided to go for a simple Bauhaus-ish look, with colours reminiscent of the Rock Raiders LEGO theme. Feedback and suggestions are, of course, welcome.
Thirdly, wish me luck: I’m trying to get my Epson scanner working in Ubuntu. The more I look into the problem, the more confused I get. I wish I was more of a nerd. :\
Fourthly, I’d like to thank everyone who’s commented on or linked to this blog. It’s nice to know that I’m not insane to think that people besides myself read my thoughts and look at my pictures. That’s assuming you’re real, and not robots or figments of my imagination. Oh man, maybe I really am insane… 0.o
Fifth and lastly, have a nice day! :D
Man, I can hardly believe that it’s already the second week of Advent! I am slow. Anyway, Here’s to a future in which I blog more, respond to your comments, and churn out better illustrations. Until then, check out the links on the column to the right. Those people actually update their blogs.
Purple and skeptical like the rest of my siblings.
The newest addition to the Mibeck family arrived on the 14th. She’s so cute! Every time I hold her I think of Chesterton’s essay In Defense of Baby-Worship.
Anyway, as a result of the general busyness surrounding the birth of a new sibling, and because of things like school, an upcoming trip to Washington DC (like the one I took last January), 4-H duties and so on and so forth, I have fell a bit behind with this blog.
I would like to try and finish the November drawing challenge I started in the last post. That will have to wait ’till tomorrow though.
For the Drawing Challenge.
Happy All Saints’ Day!
I take this stuff seriously, people. Otherwise I wouldn’t use dramatic fonts with spaced out lettering. (NOTE: this is primarily influenced by the covers of the F L I G H T Comic Anthologies.)
I added this to the Giant Robot Wednesday category, even though I’m posting this on a Monday. Why? ‘Caus this is MY BLOG! I can do whatever I want.
So there.
