"Hanging by a Moment"

Hello everyone, today is 'Cheap Trick Day' (or April Fools for those of you who don't live in Illinois) and I have no tricks for you today-rather, something completely opposite.  The new artwork I have is not something I can take complete credit for; it's true I drew it, arranged it and made it look the way it does but the idea for the figures came from a wedding invitation set that I had to match-and although it is NOT a perfect copy of the original, it is close enough for me to push some of the credit away-

Congratulations again to Chris and Trish who were married on the 13th of March - without you this wouldn't exist.

Now, "Hanging on a Moment" is a very simple piece but sometimes the meaning gets lost in my more complex stuff and I think this says what it need to right away.  I just wish I had more moments to hang onto...and if you happen to find yourself in one of these moments in the future at some point, hold onto it for as long as you can-time moves quicker than the best of us could possibly predict.

*Next piece - either "Dig Out Your Soul" or "Secrets" as soon as I figure out which one I want to throw you first...

**ALSO-The piece "The Nature of Reality" has been updated; I guess I wasn't paying attention to what I posted earlier and what everyone saw was an early version but the final version is up now, sorry about the oops.

-I love you and miss you all...and who knows, I might actually see some of you soon.
-me

First things first...

I am one of the happiest people on the face of the Earth!  Know why?  Because I just know that after so many years of doing what I thought was right and good - people have stopped judging me!  Oh sure, there are no more people left that think that there is something wrong with me because I'm not married or that their jealous of me or that they think whatever it is they think!  Great huh?

Not hardly, I'm an idiot-not stupid; I know even when you think I couldn't possibly know.  [beep] is what it is.

More artwork on Thursday.

-me.

The INCIRCLES Series

[edited-jm]


So far, we have these pieces done and being finished...but the rest-I don't even know...we will just have to see what happens... (currently, 13 of 16)
x   1.      “The Nature of Reality”
x*  2.      “Evolution of a Perfect Heart”
x~  3.      “Tripping the Light Fantastic”
z    4.      "Politely"
x*   5.      “Dig Out Your Soul”
x    6.      “Let Me In The Sound”
v?   7.       “Wake My Mind”
x*   8.      "More Than A Dream"
x    9.      “inthered”
x#  10.     “Simple Things”
x~  11.     "Secrets"
x    12.     "Hanging by a Moment"
x*   13.     "Shove"
x*   14.     "Why Not Smile?"
x#   15.     "Falling Slowly"
z    16.     "All This Time"
-thank you all...
x=released/complete
z=near complete/not released
v=concept artwork only
k=may change
?=may be replaced or cut for a different piece

"Tripping the Light Fantastic"

I wanted to do something fun and I decided almost immediately what I wanted to do.  See, I have been sitting on about a hundred different ideas for "Tripping the Light Fantastic" and most of them were almost completely done until after some last minute changes, the artwork became something else and the title was changed.  Then, a few days ago...I woke up in the middle of the night, did a few doodles and went back to sleep.  This happens more than you think but this time I kept thinking about how it needed to be-the feeling you had to get when you looked at it, instead of looking at it like it was just some lines thrown on a page to make a design.

This in particular was important to me to finish and it was important for me to release this, specifically today-it's a wonderfully happy, special day today and this artwork needed to be fun-with a hint of "a rave in formal ware" crossed with some classic 'jason' drawn figures.  I wish everything was as fun to do as this was and I hope you enjoy it.

-Thank you; I miss you and love you all more than you could know.

me.

P.S. Thanx for Hating Me a Little.

"Evolution of a Perfect Heart"

I was going to wait until tomorrow to release this one but now is as good a time as any to give you the next release in the new 'INCIRCLES Series'

This, "Evolution of a Perfect Heart" is just a fun little piece with an understated message-again, not my normal stuff but this whole series will be a slight departure of sorts.  It's really not so much as an evolution as it is a definition...but over enough time you will begin to understand how certain 'definitions' and things that use to seem perfect for you have changed; even and especially what you once thought about love.  It is true that love is one of life's only constants; it's something that will never change but all the things you use to love have evolved into slightly different versions of what they use to be.  Hell, for a simple little white and black drawing, it sure seems like it says a whole lot all of a sudden...

Anyway, a special thanx goes out to Jodie for making sure to let me know (over and over again) that I didn't have a clue how to draw a perfect heart...without that, I would have never done this.  Thanx Lady-

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it-

Tomorrow, for the very special person on a very special day...a special NEW piece of artwork called "Tripping the Light Fantastic" -

I love you and miss you all-

PS: I can't wait to see you (Jon and Nikki) it's been years.

"The Nature of Reality"

Thank you all for waiting so patiently; here is the first in the New 'INCIRCLES' Series - it's a small departure from what you are normally use to seeing but I think it's got a certain something to it.  Here it is, "The Nature of Reality" by me.

I love you all and I hope you enjoy it-more on Monday!

-jason.

(just click the picture to view and/or download the High Definition version)
[revised edit 3.30.10 (rev2)]

Signature Series

I don't make it a habit to put my name on just anything and I certainly don't put my full name on a piece of ordinary artwork and in 2005 I began a series of artwork that included a few adjusted photographs that I thought was good enough to have my name all over it.  The 'Signature Series' was a huge hit in 2005 when it was released and gave me a spring board for my artwork that put me on the map.  Today, although the technology at the time had limited me to a slightly lower resolution, they are as popular as ever with everyone.

So here we are, 5 short years later and I am re-releasing them in their original format to get everyone excited about my new Series for 2010 that we will see released in just a few days-I hope you enjoy them just as much as I do.  This June, I am planning to re-master and re-release them all again in High Definition 3-D but for now, enjoy the 1024x768 artwork like everyone did for so long-and keep checking back for the next few days-there will be all new artwork and as always, I am extremely excited about it because of how it all came to be-but more on that later.

Below, click on the link or on the pictures in the slideshow to the right to view and download all 37 pieces of artwork.

I love you and miss you all-
-jason.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW

New Artwork Preview - first for 2010!

Hi there everyone, there's so much I want to say about everything; politics, religion, health, education, love and war but that will be for a different day-

Today I am giving everyone an early preview of artwork to come...now, this is not the final piece of artwork, it's only a promo piece of a Series that will include 16 new pieces of artwork that I have not even come up with a name for yet-so it's kinda like I may have rushed it a bit because I got a little excited-but it's ok, something has to inspire greatness.

This particular piece is called, "Dig Out Your Soul" and this is not the final version-this is actually an early version that is missing quite a bit-I did seven different treatments for this separately and pushed them together to come up with the finished piece that you will see within the next week-but I hope everyone likes this sneak-peek at things to come.

I love you and miss you all.
-me.

forever|colors

In 2005 I completed a collection of 21 pieces of art to be showcased on my website; five years later and my old website is a thing of the past but that collection of artwork is somehow still a favorite of people.  I will be honest with you; I was in a very 'not nice' mood a couple of days ago (as you might have figured out by the entry prior to this one) -and although I can't say I am in a completely better mood again, two very important things have happened to give me a much needed 'kick' back in the direction I needed to be going.

The first, was a phone call I received from a friend.  The call was about nothing important really but I enjoyed the conversation right up until I was locked out of my house and I had to have someone come and unlock the door.  Second, a friend that lives halfway around the world sent me a message and shared with me something that very few people have seen since it was penned in 2005.

I will not share the specifics of each instance, they both know who they are and I thank them both immensely for their kindness but what I will share with all of you is that collection of artwork from 2005.  forever|colors was a very simple collection I did and I do not believe all 21 were ever released at the same time like this and I know they have never been in HD - I have spent roughly 22 hours redoing them all in High Definition so that you may now download them for free and use them as your computer desktop images or whatever it is you use them for.

I hope you enjoy them - I love you and miss you all...and thank you again to both of you; you both have no idea how much feeling needed or wanted or a kind word or two means to me.

-jason

to view and download all 21 - simply click the following link: forever|colors

you might not want to read this...

I really don't know what to say.  For possibly the first time, I've got nothing.  I can't win...ever, I think.  This week is suppose to be a nice week; I cleared my schedule to help a dear couple move this weekend even though I was sick-it went well; I am even feeling better - to about 90% or so.  One of my other dear friends is getting married on Saturday, March 13th - which is also my Brother Christopher and my God-Daughter Bella's Birthday.  And then there is Monday the 15th...I won't even get into what it is but for those who know...well, it will be pleasantly uneventful, I hope...maybe with a movie.

All of that is still a go but with exceptions because apparently I am a fucking horrible person that no one fucking wants to be around-when did I become such a bad person?  When did people decide that I didn't do enough?  I don't usually do this and I apologize in advance...this is just venting I suppose.  Everyone seems to want a piece of me and then, when I want anything...everyone is just, well-I just want to know when it's enough...that's all.  Someone tell me when I have done enough for people to figure out that I am not a horrible person.

You know, quite a long time ago for those of you that remember, I had an AOL blog with a pretty large following and I use to just say whatever I felt all the time-and then I got crap for that.  I got shitty comments from people and others that were my family and friends, just feeling sorry for me.  So, I took it down because I don't need that.  I don't want you to feel sorry for me.  I don't want you to think that there is something wrong when there is because even if it's meant to be just a small thing, it is blown out of proportion.  I think of myself as a very fortunate person to be able to do the things I can and to have the support I do...but whenever I feel like writing shit like this I get grief-and everyone wonders why I wind up only showing the happy shit or the well constructed shit...or the shit that was designed to that reason I designed it-or whatever.  Well today, it's just me bitching.  If you don't like it...don't read it.  If you want to feel sorry for me, get lost.  If you want to yell at me for the language, fuck you.  If I have in some way offended you, it's about time someone other than the person writing this feels offended.  I will have a happy fucking birthday whenever it is-even if I never see a damn soul and maybe I will feel more like writing something a bit more worthwhile than a few paragraphs shoved with shit and fucks when I have decided that I have gotten at least one damn thing I wanted instead of everything I never asked for.

You know, I wanted to be happy...I really did but it's just never enough is it...I am telling everyone, I can only stretch so far before I am torn apart.  If anyone has ever asked me what I wanted to do instead of telling me, I might actually shoot myself out of pure excitement-so please, whatever you do...don't start that; I might realize that I had a choice in life.

One last thing while I am being completely fucking honest; I absolutely enjoyed talking to you.

Thank you for enduring the rant.  I think I am done now.  I appreciate you letting me have this one...don't ruin it please.
-me

It's Easy

It’s easy for me to sit here behind this computer screen and write these things that fly out of my mind at breakneck speeds; I can never really be sure who even reads them.  Some people comment to me that they could never write things and publish them for anyone to read and I have to think that I’m no more discreet than they are; after all, I only write what I want you to read.  No matter what anyone thinks, all journals or blogs and even websites are all designed for a specific reason.  It’s easy for people to think or dream that you’re a greater person than you are from what tiny slice of ‘truth’ you let them see.  Sometimes it’s a far fetch and sometimes it’s closer to the genuine article than you think.  For me, it gives me the chance to say things that I might not normally get the chance to say.  For me, it’s easy because I never want anyone to think I am giving a sermon or a lecture and that’s how some of these turn out to be when I end up reading them afterwards; people who visit always have the opportunity to click a button or close the window.  It’s easy for me to be whomever someone needs me to be when they need something they can’t get where they are.  Behind this keyboard, it’s just easy to know the right answer for everyone with a question.


It’s easy to know what you need; what’s hard is admitting it to yourself.  It’s easy for me to know what it is you can’t admit to yourself because you already know it, I simply help it along.  I have always said that I will always be around for whoever needs me, when they need me the most and when they don’t anymore, I’m very quietly not around.  Now this is not exclusive to this computer and this collection of mindless ramblings that seem to go on forever but not hardly, in life I have followed the same paths.  I seem to be where I’m needed the most and although it’s not practical for me and it’s not the life I had originally had in mind when I was younger and full of ambition, this is where I have ultimately ended up.  I enjoy helping other people out; it makes me feel useful…I enjoy being useful.


It’s easy for everyone to take things for granted like waking up for work or cutting the grass; things that seem like meaningless chores that you may or may not enjoy.  It’s easy to be numb to the ever spinning world around you only to feel that proverbial ‘brick wall’ when everything seems to be falling apart.  I must insist that reality is there 100% of the time and 98% of the time we find ourselves in this fantasy world; gliding through life at speeds that make that 2% of reality blur past you without ever noticing.  It’s only when you hit that wall that it hurts, surprising to you because you have been looking beyond it most of the time.


It’s easy for me to say the difficult things that I feel need to be said because I am here and you expect me to; I was trained to by you.  What’s not easy for me are all of those intangible things that could change my own life.  I have the same hurdles you have; the same trials and heartaches, the same hopes, dreams and wishes but what keeps me from what I really want out of life…I just don’t know.


You know, a long time ago I use to get a Chicago Sun-Times every day.  It was delivered to me and I enjoyed reading through it; it made me feel like I was part of the world when I was up to date on what was happening in it.  When I eventually moved and didn’t have the paper, I felt a bit lost and I didn’t quite know what was going on anymore.  I was so use to my routine that it was chaos when I didn’t have it anymore.  Everyone who does anything throughout the day has always done it that way-don’t lie to yourselves.  Nothing has changed, it just became more frequent and easier but nothing has changed.  You wake up in the morning and brush the sleep from your eyes and you go on with your day.  Maybe your lifestyle has altered when you do things or how often you do things but they were always the same.  A radio becomes an ipod or that rotary dial became a cell phone; chances are your book hasn’t changed but the amount of information you intake during the day has.  And you may go to work; at home, at a business, with your children, running you errands, whatever…you go and complete those tasks as quickly as you can while you might notice trivial things during your day that fool you into thinking that you see the bigger picture.  If you’ve done a good job at fooling yourself, you will be disagreeing with this bit as you read but remember one thing and understand how it relates precisely to this:  “The completely insane never question themselves about it but the sane person questions their sanity almost constantly.”  So I will ask once more, are you guilty of watching the world pass right by you?  There, you see?  It’s easy for me.


It’s easy for me to pretend everything is right with the world as long as I can touch it and get my fingers into it only to manipulate things the way I think they should be for you but that would be naive of me.  It would be easy for me to take advantage of people and that’s exactly why I don’t.  Even for someone like me, that could do so much with what everyone gives me, I need to take my own advice and live to challenge myself because it’s absolutely not easy.  It would be easy for me but easy all of the time is boring and where is the adventure in that?  I am here for the adventure.  The adventure of a life that has your line bumping into mine or his line crossing mine or even her line making mine a bit twisty in the middle.  It’s easy to sit behind this screen everyday and type a few words and I am sure it’s easy for you and the other millions of people who do that but why?  I know why I keep doing this; so maybe today you won’t but why do you dismiss it and keep doing it anyway?


Dou you know what else is easy to do?  It’s easy to say hello.  It’s easy to say I love you one more time than you normally do.  It’s easy to pet your dog when you pass it when normally you wouldn’t.  It’s easy to turn around on your way to the car when you're leaving for work to see if the gutters need to be cleaned.  It’s easy to reach over and hold a hand when you wouldn’t.  It’s easy to be mindful about the things you wish you were mindful about.  It’s easy to change.  It’s easy to not read this when you want to.  It’s easy to say I can’t do that because you honestly believe it but it really is a lie.  It’s easy to not pay attention to the fact that you aren't the first person that this incredibly horrible, life altering thing happened to.  It’s easy to decide that you should ignore all the things that you can do.  It’s easy to forget you have talent.  It’s easy to stop doing something because you can’t do it the same way you were use to.  And then again, it’s just as easy to decide to do things differently and to the way you are doing them right at this moment in time…simply stop.


Now that’s easy.


Thank you for reading; I love you all...(and especially you)
-me

Just Something I felt Like Saying

There isn’t much more to life than you can see;
The trick is to know where to look for it and learning how to see it.

In the past I have been called names by my critics and scrutinized over the content contained in the things I write and in my drawings; and truth be told, I very rarely listen to any of it unless it’s structural.  See, everyone that reads something can think and interpret what they want from it…and the goal is to move someone so much that it affects them in a way that causes them to form some sort of attachment to whatever piece of artwork it happens to be.  Regardless if it’s getting lost in a story or it’s picturing yourself in the artwork, that is the goal…love or hate, it’s what moves you that’s important.  Tell me, before you were with the person you are with or were with, what made you make a move or respond to a move with one of your own?  It’s the same way…you felt something that made you do something you might not have normally done with any ordinary person on the street.

Love makes everything I do move.  Love makes me lay down the lines and the color or scratch some sentences on a page.  Love draws you toward it.  Love keeps you enticed.  Love gives you attachment to it.  Love makes you hate it or not.  Love brings you to respond with a feeling.  Love makes you look again.

I could never even think to do anything I do if I wasn’t honest with myself about what is really behind everything.  I have gone on record to state that I have a God complex because I am as good at what I do as everyone says I am but the truth is, I say that to be funny.  The truth is, that if I didn’t dissect why things happen the way they do, I wouldn’t know myself nearly as well as I do.  It’s called being true to one’s self and I like to think I hold pretty steady to that.  Trust me, I am that good and my ego isn’t nearly as small and humbling as a many great artists and writers I have studied throughout the years but the fact remains that you don’t have to be closed off to the world about where the confidence and ego comes from.

The funny thing is that no matter how many times I define what I do and why I do it, people always forget…or they think it’s changed over time or they might interpret things differently and it confuses them.  I find it difficult and taxing for the most part, to continue to define myself through different words because they don’t change but reading the same thing over and over again just isn’t fun for you, so I take a little bit of that ego and mix it with some inspiration to give you this.  To me, my life is an open book; if you looked for it, it’s all there.  You could look at everything, pictures, words, whatever and learn nearly everything there is about me.  There are people on the other side of the world who have emailed me what they think I am…and they tend to have a better grasp of it than the people who really want to know or so it seems.  I enjoy the fact that people in Germany, Whales, Sudan, Great Britain, Taiwan, Japan and even China have a desire to follow what I do with great regularity. If I was logged into my Google Talk more often, I would constantly have many people with a genuine desire to be part of my life and what I do giving me everything from advice to money to wedding proposals (yes, there have been a few) and it’s nice to think that I have touched someone enough who is so far away that it boggles the mind.  Some of you have shown me something special that spoke to me in ways that are amazing and to all of you, that is why it’s important for me to make the time to be involved or want to be involved with your lives in the same way you wanted to be a part of mine.

It’s important to know that you aren’t alone and if you think I am talking to you, I probably am but you should also realize that I have written this with the intention that many of you believe I am talking to all of you, individually and at the same time.  It’s nice to think that you are special and every single one of you are but those special things I write specifically about and to you, I write directly to you when I can.

There is one person however that I must address here because I have no other choice; to you I say that I am done, I have been done for quite a while but you wouldn’t know that.  Go out of your way to avoid me, after all-I am a horrible person.  Maybe one day you will understand that I have only tried to be a friend when I didn’t need to. If that’s worth staying away to you and being weird, that is fine, no matter what your opinion of me, mine will never change of you.  I know I am a better person for ever having met you and I have to respect the fact that you have no clue who you really are; it’s just too bad that I couldn’t help you find that out.

And to the rest of you, you might think that the above is for someone specific or you might think I just wrote it to make you think or to move you in a certain way.  Like I said before, interpret this any way you like…after all, that’s what it’s here for.

I love you and miss you all-and yes, especially you.

PS: For Everyone; The best way to find the answer to anything is to ask the question; I will always answer any question without bias but if you want to know, that is exactly how to find out.

“Accidentally”

I love it that sometimes things can go completely wrong all of the time.

Contrary to popular belief...I have not been writing anything on this blog for anyone in particular unless I have specifically indicated it or you happen to know something I don't...which is possible, I'm not that smart.

-I love you all very much...and for those of you who know what 'especially you' really means...then, especially you.

“Accidentally”

(2005)

By: Jason Marshall

I could have been great.

I could have done anything

With my life and my time here;

I could have been unstoppable.

I could have been found,

Instead of just being lost.

Simply waiting around.

I could have had purpose.

I could have been everywhere

Or anywhere that I decided to be,

But most of the time I was nowhere.

I could have been somewhere.

I could have been smarter.

I could have done more,

When I didn’t do nearly enough.

I could have been brilliant.

I could have done many great things with my life.

Things that I didn’t do; things that I decided against.

My fate was set in stone that seemed as soft as sand;

The destiny that was before me changed with every glance.

I could have done good but accidentally I did better.

Accidentally, I flew when I should have been simply running.

Accidentally, I gained the knowledge of things before my time.

Accidentally, I felt music when everyone else was just hearing it.

Accidentally, I knew of love more true when others couldn’t see it.

Accidentally, I believed in the world when everyone else was skeptical.

Accidentally, I discovered myself before anybody knew who they weren’t.

Accidentally, I listened to others instead of telling my own story.

Accidentally, love found me when I never should have deserved it.

And accidentally, I found it all over again.

I could have been great; even unstoppable.

It’s just a good thing that accidents happen

Because accidentally I have more

Than I ever could have dreamt for.

 Incidentally, I am not writing this by any accident.

Actually, this is designed to be exactly what it is

Not for self-reflection or gratification; it’s for you.

It just happens to be accidentally defining precisely

How unmistakably, completely significant that all of my

“Happy mistakes” were actually accidentally on purpose.

“these things”

by: jason.

I am not obsessed, I am driven.  I believe in the poetic things life has shown me that brings out the uniqueness in people.  I have a blind faith in all things until it is too late for it not to hurt more than it ever should.  I love love.  I am a romantic; whether you describe it as hopeless or stupid, I am a romantic none the less.  I will do anything for true love, even and especially give it up.  I will always watch cartoons because they bring me a simple peace.  I have done things in life that define my personality but they do not define me as a person.  I know I am not the best at anything except at being me.  I know myself better than anything in the world.  I let people take advantage of me because if you know they are, then they are not. I am most happy with a cup of coffee and a friend to talk to.  I earn money to live and to give, not to collect.  I have realized that there is only one thing worse than not knowing something and that is knowing.  I have witnessed other people blame me for things I have said and done only because they realized that it spotlighted their shortcomings.  I am the most loyal friend to anyone who would have me.  I have found real love at least once and I am sure of it; I also know I have probably found it other times and squandered it.  I am constantly being pulled in so many directions that people end up being hurt but none more than me.  I do things everyday that other people wish they could do.  I don’t do anything that anyone else couldn’t do better.  I have my opinions about everything but I summon fact and first hand experiences rather than offer a far-fetched theory.  I speak in relative terms way too often and it is just as often that it is confused with ‘beating around the bush’.  I have witnessed that people around me have a difficult time believing that someone like me exists; someone that expresses definite(s) that do not alter over time.  I enjoy drawing pictures and creating artwork that brings others joy and hope.  I will not play games that offer the opportunity for no concise winner; I may not win at something but at least I know where I stand.  I have learned that games should never be confused with intimate relationships, love of any kind is not a game; as soon as it looks like a game to me, I will bow out.  I know that it is never too late.  I know you must always say what you need to before it’s too late because too late comes before you could even imagine.  I know nothing is impossible, just improbable.  I know life will always find a way to bring you what you need regardless of the obstacles you put in it’s path.  I know my direction in life.  I know why my direction will never parallel anyone else’s.  I know I will be alone and I am an unhappy person most of the time because of it.  I also know that no matter what I know about my life and the way things will turn out, there is always a chance that something wonderfully unexpected happens that changes everything and that chance is specifically what keeps me going every single day.

These things in our life that we know to be true; everyone has them, few people follow them or will admit them to themselves let alone other people.  I think it’s important to understand how they relate to everyday things instead of just knowing them individually.  See, everyone will take them out of context unless you know me…then when you put them together, these things are without a doubt…me.

You may be going through life right at this moment with heavy things hanging over your head; you may be keeping them all to yourself because it’s just easier to keep going through your life the way you are instead of really understanding how to move on.  You have to keep moving; if you don’t move forward, one day you will wake up to realize you missed the most important adventures life has to offer.  It’s fine to love something or someone; you should-but love grows every single day and if you find that it hasn’t been…you really should figure out why not.  Sometimes it grows in the strangest of ways…and sometimes you may not notice how it grows but that is why you have to look once in a while instead of simply guessing that it has.

I Love you all-thank you for reading.

-me