John's Art

I was looking at some work that John had to do for one of his classes, Gospel and the Global Media. He had to do a drawing or something that represented him and put it on his class blog. Well, I love it and thought you should all see it as well. I will also put what he wrote about it. Enjoy!


I used my illustration to set my own table. There are four people in my family and each of us is represented in this photo which is laid out on our kitchen table--the place we share meals as a family and representative of sharing our lives and faith with friends, family, and neighbors.
Items of note:
At the bottom of the photo, my wife Taryn's stethoscope shows her nursing care and love for people, and also the IPod with headphones shows how she enjoys running and being outside.
My daugter Adina is almost 3 and loves Dora the Explorer--if you don't have kids, Dora is the American Idol of toddlers. She also has a stethoscope from her "doctor" kit because she loves to take care of people and is like her mom.
Then, you see a feeding tube and stuffed animal. This represents my son Oliver, who is 1 1/2 and has a feeding tube in his stomach to get most of his nutrition/medicine. He has severe developmental and physical disabilities from birth, but he has taught me and my family so much about love and overcoming obstacles. He may never walk or talk, but he communicates by smiling and laughing--and he loves to bring that stuffed animal to his mouth which always brings a smile to my face.
I am represented by my well-worn Twin's cap which shows my love of sports, as well as the Bible demonstrating my journey at seminary, but also our family's united faith. Each of our items is clustered together--family and togetherness are essential to our lives. Each day, Taryn and I watch Dora with Adina and feed or do therapy with Oliver and we love being outside.
On top of the Bible, I borrowed some of Adina's blocks to build a partial wall. There are walls in each of our lives, but as long as we leave room to come in and out, we are constantly interacting and sharing with our neighbors and don't let the walls hold us back. We are living in a world which has walls built by the media and different perceptions that influence who we are--through cartoons, sports teams, the music we listen to, the version of the Bible we read, and the reaction people have to seeing my son, but through it all, love unites each characteristic.