JB Digital Art Blog

I received your letter this morning. You write that you have met a woman who stirs your interest, and that your mother believes she is a gift from heaven. Yet you ask: “How can I know if she truly cares for me, or if she is a harlot seeking only to steal my soul?” You have asked me such questions before, and though I hesitate—for I treasure your soul and wish no harm upon you—I feel compelled to answer. I fear you will pursue her, and perhaps follow too far, only to discover the truth at great cost. So bind my words to your heart, that you may be spared her poison should she strike while you are intoxicated by her spell. Investigate your mother’s hopes if you must, but be wise: your soul is at stake. Do not enter the arena unprepared. Clothe yourself in the full armor of God, for if I am right, she has been sent only to test you. Do not be deceived. Her snare may unfold slowly—days or weeks of seemingly innocent conversation before she strikes. Do not fall in love with her; do not fall...

I wonder, while world history supports slavery occurring as far back as we can find in our history books, museums, and oral histories handed down by those who experienced it, whether or not that is the issue being brought here today by “Black Lives Matter”. While I am not a member of BLM, I am a member of the human race and am cut to the heart by the atrocities in our day at the hands of those hired to protect US. Looking back at history, I find slavery the worst form of oppression and dehumanization; and I believe the BLM movement was meant to bring current issues to light and not to cloud us with past offenses against many people groups, such as American Indians, and others, as historians record. Therefore, I believe BLM must be judged by the deeds they do today, and by those they support through silence, for what may be considered as condoning violence for the expediency of their cause. Historical evidence and memories support the roots of slavery as not just an American problem b...

When is it time to break out of old paradigms? especially when they have proven to hurt and divide large groups of people and pin us against one another? I grew up in a single-parent home with little to nothing, but in some ways, the essential ways, we had it all. We had safety, shelter, food, and the love of a Mother who taught us to not think poorly but to thank God for all his blessings. So when others saw how happy the little warfare family seemed, they sought to rob us of it by lumping us into a group called Welfare Recipients, along with other names too hurtful to mention to those who have also borne names given by those ignorant among us. I grew up being placed in groups like fat, stupid, encourage, and the like; it stings like arrows, remembering how these words often came from those I sought encouragement from. I find it offensive to be forced to lump myself into a Race Group on questionnaires at medical offices, hospitals, and any other organization. I vote we stop answerin...

Pull up a moment and view the world from a different perspective. It can be disconcerting and throw us off balance. Face it, we prefer right-side-up, if only we truly knew where "up" is in every situation. My perspective on life is like this picture; it can be unsettling and uncomfortable more often than not. At those times, my brain has to work considerably harder to interpret which way is up in a given situation, challenging my view.  It is at those times that I must trust my gut to make wise choices. I usually begin by reading and chasing rabbits down trails, which leads to a better understanding of my surroundings and how to interpret  the data. Feeding the Gut -  Going Down The Rabbit Hole In my research for this article, I read an article by Marcia Reynolds, Psy.D. ,  published in March 2017 in  Psychology Today.  The article is on trusting your gut and is named, " Should You Trust Your Gut? How to determine if your instincts are right. " In her arti...

The Real Battle Is Within You As I sit down to write, battles and fires are raging across America's cities and in me. Jesus said that the hearts of many would grow cold in the last days because evil would become rampant and people would say "Yes" when they really mean "No", and a Lie would be considered a Truth. We appear to be in such a time and place as he described, and I, like many of you, find myself growing weary and cold, having weathered this evil generation, watching the deterioration since my birth. Coldness seems like a place of refuge in such a case, and Hate is following her lead; both are deterrents to fighting well and surviving. I want to fight well and to do more than survive; I want to thrive! So it follows that I don't want to grow Cold or fall into the dark well of Hate. It appears the first battle is spiritual, as the battleground is invisible in the Heart and Mind. We are instructed by Christ's Apostles to ready ourselves for ba...

For me, abandoned places are not sites of gloom, but vessels that carry the past into the present. They are mysterious and beautiful, speaking in quiet volumes to the deepest parts of my soul. This image reveals a place that once lived only in my imagination, now brought to life in yours. How marvelous that the unseen can be shared. Across the world, abandoned cathedrals are taking on new forms—transformed into hotels, flea markets, coffee shops, or swallowed by the march of time. In my fictional vision of Duke Chapel in Durham, NC, its walls crumble as the world around it changes. Some may call this morbid, but to me it is an awakening—a reminder of the fragile line between life and death, presence and absence. From these places, I have learned the brevity of life, the inevitability of its final breath, and the necessity of moving forward. I now see the past not as loss, but as a celebration of existence. For even in its passing, I lived—and I live still, to remember.

You find yourself in an abandoned train car; outside the door is outer space; your head is swirling as  Rod Serling  narrates your experience. “You've entered  The Twilight Zone .” I took this original photo of a retired train car at  Pollen Park in Raleigh, NC .  My interpretation of the subject follows the train as it enters its twilight of life; outside, no longer heard are the sounds of people hustling to make the noon train, it's now replaced with the sounds of night creatures and the solar winds. The door is open, allowing light reflected off the moon to fill the car with a pale light, revealing the reds and washing out the blues. Peering out the door, she can see stars hanging in the darkness like beacons beckoning travelers to come and see. But no soul peers from the window and dreams of visiting the distant lights, for this train is fixed and will never visit the lights, for it has traveled its last track; the hiss of steam and its warm breath is...

Spirit & Future "Our space program, and the scientists, engineers, and astronauts who have made it possible, symbolize the spirit of America: optimism and ingenuity, daring and determination". Ronald Reagan Unity & Principle "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately" (though a general call for unity during the Revolution, it reflects determined resolve).  Benjamin Franklin About this picture: Taken in 2022 Compilation of two original photos, The East Coast Memorial Eagle , and the roof of The World Trade Center Memorial Transportation Hub .

When I first did this piece, I had my mind on the narcotics problem we face in America, especially the drug this piece is named after.  Now, as we face a pandemic requiring people all over the world to wear a breathing mask, it takes on new meaning for me. Those who are addicted to OxyContin and the like are suffering right now as their suppliers are facing the same unseen killer the world wrestles against. While lack of availability is a unique opportunity to come clean, it comes at a very high risk to the addicted, physically and psychologically. Having been legally addicted to OxyContin and a number of other pain meds over the years, managing my chronic pain condition, I have become personally familiar with withdrawal; the crawling of my skin and the climbing of the walls in my bathroom scared my family and me more than one night. John Lennon's song " Cold Turkey " best represents the struggle of those who go cold turkey; whatever the reason, the experience is real...