Piece #3a

...not a bad place to live.

Attitude

I met with annother owner of annother wall downtown. He saw what I had done on the other wall and wanted to get his wall painted too. I was on my way out the door and just gave a little prayer "If you want me to do the wall then don't let anything stop it and if you don't wan't me to do the wall then don't let it happen." So I meet with him and he seemed all aboard until he saw my sketches. He wasn't a fan, he didn't like what I had thought of. It was strange he said he was a christian and that he went to church every week but he didn't like the religious overtones in my work. He kept hinting at doing the exact same thing I had done on the other wall (a flag, london tree, london knights symbol). So, I put it to him like this: If you let me do whatever I want then I'll do it for free, if you want something a little more specific then you gotta pay for the paint. If you want me to do something I don't like I won't do it. He said to give him a call in a week or two.

I was dicouraged so I walked around in a slump. I looked at other graffiti artists who get to paint wherever they want illegally. I felt discouraged and this homeless guy asks me for some change and I give my typical responce "Are you hungry? Do you want to get something to eat?" He says yes and we head off to McDonalds and on the way he asks me if I'm a christian. I'm in a bad frame of mind so I start thinking: "is this guy going to try and rip me off or make me feel bad for him?" We start eating and the guy tells me alot of stories all really amazing stuff about how God is working in his life. He only talked about two things his life experiences and about evolution (which was what my mural idea was about). And everything that came out of his mouth was just so good. He was filled with the spirit, alive, on fire, passionate, and nothing that he said was even in the slightest way bad. He was an awesome guy and never asked me for a thing, never even hinted at it. Totally changed my attitude around. Reading back through some of my previous posts I get discouraged too much, I gotta work on that.

My Favorite Piece of Graffiti

There's this church in a really bad part of my home town and at the back of the chuch you can find hypodermic needles, used dime bags and some graffiti. To the left you'll see one such example of graffiti someone had painted 666 on the back of this church. Then annother graffiti artist of some sort (not me) came with annother can of black and vandalized the graffiti... I love it.

Ephesians 6:12 For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

-Battle the three 6's

Confirmation

I was talking to a friend of mine Isaac who is in the news again. We were talking about what it means to be "a christian artist", how we'll have friends who don't like what we're doing, he was telling me about his new music tracks and I showed him a picture of what I had done on the back wall of the church (bottom). He stopped and said "I think this is a confirmation". He is going to deliver a message/sermon soon and he was torn between two messages. One message was Jesus walking on water and the other was about light. I stopped, cuz the plan before we (viceral and I) got to the wall was to do a candle casting out the darkness but we felt that we should do this instead (read about it here). This to me is annother conformation that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

The Night Shift

I'm taking some time to paint this one really big mural so, I've been doing it in peices. Tonight I went to the alley where I'm doing the mural and someone had tagged my work. It's only been a week and someone is disrespecting my art but, it was an easy fix so the tag is gone. Viceral and I worked for a while and layed down some more quality work that both of us are proud of (preview left).


While I was driving Viceral back home we did a calculation of how much this wall has cost us (spraypaint, rollers, paint and gas) it wasn't the cheepest wall but, I'm happy with what I've spent. We also had talked before about how for most people money is freedom when your living for yourself and you act like you can do whatever you want with it. But, when you live as though your money is not your own and should be dedicated to a higher purpose than pleasuring yourself money is a responcibility and who want's more responcibility? In any case I'm glad to unload some responcibility on a worthy cause.

I won!

I threw down in my first battle and came out on top! There was a contest at gospel graffiti to write the word "Genesis". First prize was a cd and poster of J-silas. Well let's take a look at the blow by blow to see how this epic battle went down...




Battle-Hey Fasm here's something for the contest. Thought I'd show some support so the contests wouldn't look so pathetic j/k I love the podcast and how it's like this chill radio announcer style.

Fasm-nice job man!!

...a few weeks later...

Battle-Where's the January contest? I wanna see if I win by default.

Fasm-yes, you did sucka! haha whats your address?

So don't get too excited everybody I won by default (the two sweetest words in the english language)

My Alley

Well, I've been painting alot over the past few days in the alley. Things are going really well. Everything just seems to be flowing out, I haven't had many drips or mistakes. Lots of people stop by and talk to me while I paint and talk to me about stuff. I really like the interaction that occurs while I paint with the people who walk by. I had an offer to paint someone else's wall and a few people came by to talk about thier graffiti artwork. And I've had some time to just listen to music and think about life and God while I paint. With all this interaction and time spent downtown I'm getting a real sence of London's community, it's nice. I did a little work on one of my breaks for the guy at the pita stand and he gave me a free veggie pita and pop. People walk through the alley and I know who they are and what they do. I also have my fan club of the kid who I can't remember his name who sits and just talks with me while I paint. He keeps asking when I'll be painting again. There is just alot of positive energy rolling around. But with all the compliments and admiration I just gotta make an effort to stay humble and not let the fumes go to my head.

Paint it Black

Well I started working on the wall I just got (left). I was just laying down the base coat then took a break then came back painted some more and I saw some young kids (16-21) and asked if they wanted to earn some money helping me paint the wall black cuz I was tired, the one guy said yes. So I talked with the one guy he said he really needed the money and I asked him what for. He's had a hard time he got kicked out of a shelter so he's homeless and he's been feeling bad recently so he needs the money to go buy a joint so he can feel better cuz he hasn't had weed in three days. He was so desprate that he went to the liquor store and stole a big bottle of jack daniels so he could sell it but no one wants to pay him enough for him to get weed. We keep working and talking then it comes time to pay him and I said I'd get him something worth more than $20 like shoes or something. He's really greatful but he wants his weed so I try and convince him otherwize. We talked about how I could help him out with something a little better for him, about his life, some of his decisions, a bit about God and he says he's a christian, he fasts and he's been having a hard time recently. Anyways, he got a cheep track suit and some time at a video arcade out of the deal and he gave me his bottle of Jack Daniels which I poured down the sewer. I love that kid, I don't remeber his name but I'll never forget him.

He Said "Yes"

YEAH!!! I can't belive it, it's finally here! After all the waiting it's finally here! No, it's not more paint, tips or a graff dvd ordered from the internet... It's the wall, my wall, it came. I had a meeting with the owner of a big beautiful wall and he's going to let me paint it. I'm just so happy, annother real wall! It's gonna be a lot of work because like I said the wall is big and long but I asked for it and now I've got it. I wanna run out tonight and paint it, maybe after I'm done this post but, I just got a flat tire coming back after talking to the guy. It didn't ruin my day cuz nothing could and then later I found out my mom just got CAA today. God is so amazing! He's given me annother chance and annother visual sermon to give! Four months ago I never would have thought that my inspiraion would come this far. I'm just stoked that the passion acctually stayed with me and now...

...and now for a message from Ray Comfort that I read today, I found it applicable...

We are not going to wait for the world to come to Church because we know that the world hates the light of the gospel, and will not come to it "lest their deeds are exposed" (John 3:20). We are taking the battle to them. It's easy to forget that we have a very real enemy that "walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). But we know that if God is for us nothing shall be against us and that we have been issued with "weapons of warfare that are not carnal but mighty thought God to the pulling down of strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4). The rousing words of General Douglas McArthur are applicable for a conflict such as this: "The enemy is in front of us. The enemy is behind us. He is to the right and to the left of us. He can't get away this time!" Be like David--run to the battle. Refuse to surrender to the enemy's weapons of intimidation. Take ground for the Kingdom before some tool of the enemy passes legislation to ensure that precious school kids aren't harassed by "religious sects" (that's us). We still have liberty, so use it for the most noble of causes--to fight the good fight of faith. Whatever you do, do something... and do it now.