Tim Timmerman's Blog

Penntti Sammallahti, Soloviki, White Sea, Russia, 1992

There are two photographers that I’ve been looking at as of late, Joel Sternfeld, and Pentti Sammallahti.

I find their work striking, ordinary, human, humane, and images of  life situated in a bigger picture we find ourselves in.  There also seems to be clearly a deliberate and patient act of looking, and waiting for them to find their pictures.

I encourage you to simply take time to look at what they’ve found.  Their images are quite engaging.

Joel Sternfeld: http://www.luhringaugustine.com/artists/joel-sternfeld/

Pentti Sammallahti:  http://www.nailyaalexandergallery.com/artist/pentti-sammallahti

Joel Sternfeld, McLean, Virgina, 1978

Yet another John Bennett protrait taken while snagging dinner.

Had to put up yet another photo John Bennett took of me.  I put this on Facebook only to receive comments that I looked liked a 1950′s Sunday school illustration of Jesus.  Well, I do know Jesus, but this photo was taken at our local Thai restaurant and that light just happened to be shining on the orange wall behind me.  It was not emanating from me, I swear.

There will be student pieces from John’s intermediate class I will put up here mid April once they turn them in.  I have had a four of John’s students photograph me so far.  He has given them rules, one of which is I can’t look at the photos once they’ve taken them.  So far things have been pretty interesting. With one, all I’ll say is that I had to take a shower afterward.

It was Rachel Belgard's idea to have me do a shadow box for the cover of the book, and so, if you've followed the blog here, you've seen all three I created for possible use. This was the first version Rachel came up for the cover. How the marbles tie-in from front to back cover was a lot of fun, but I felt like the image read too much as a single image of an old legend or myth. It also looked too little boy-ish for me. It was a possibility, but I liked the final she came up with using the shadow box that was a deeper color that used the lion, doctor, church, and soldiers. It seemed to have a richer quality to it.

Two designers worked on the book.  The one who designed the cover:  Rachel Belgard, was a student of mine and is a phenomenal talent.  See her wonderful work on her blog at:  http://rebelgardesign.blogspot.com/

May I say a kind shout out to her as well for her post on March 4th 2011.  Monday of this week I went hiking in Silver Falls for the day, only to get my bag soaked with waterfalls and rain.  Getting home my phone which was in the outside pocket was very wet, the screen flashed for a bit, and then went out.  Thanks to Rachel’s post, I quickly took it apart, and immersed it in a tupperware container of rice.  Tuesday morning and since, my phone has been working fine.

Rice is a very good thing.

"Portrait of the Five-Year-Old," approximately 6"x12" colored pencil on paper, 2001, Private collection AZ

Well, continuing the colored pencil drawings I wanted to show you from a while ago (see posts Jan 31, Feb 3, 10, and March 3)  Here is yet another element of myself I chose to embody in a drawing.  I guess I’m keeping with some of the writing of Madeline LeEngle when speaks of the truth that someone who is an adult is able to be all their ages at once; that an adult can play with a child because they know exactly what it is to be one, and are in touch with that part of themselves.

My five year old has never been far from me.

A John Bennet photo taken at a local Chiniese resturaunt.

Now, our photo teacher at the University has done this one time before to me. Not just taken a picture of me, he’s done that more than once, but John has offered me up as a “project” for his photo students.  All of his intermediate and advanced students have to take a photo portrait of me for one of their assignments.  A condition I gave is I get to post what they created here (giving them credit of course). Let’s see what shows up and maybe then I’ll have you vote as to which you like best.

John took a couple of “sample” photos of me to get them moving, this being one of them.  We’ll see what happens here- I’m just hoping that I don’t have students getting a hold of me the night before it’s due.  That won’t happen, right?  Students NEVER procrastinate.

This is the title page image for the chapter "Jesus With Skin On" it's from an image I saw many years back of some men in the Korean War.

I thought I’d  give you another image from the book, and put up the contents page here in the event you’re wondering, “What on earth is this Bigger World Yet all about?”

This will at least give you an idea, click on “contents” and you’ll see a PDF:

contents

The picture for this post, I think gives you an idea of the contents too, in fact it may be better than words….

A sketch I did called "Mercy on Me," that is one of the 69 spot sketches and illustrations that can be found in the book. Come on, I'm an artist. Did you think I would wrtie something that didn't have artwork in it?

It’s now official.  You can purchase “A Bigger World Yet:  Faith, Brotherhood, and Same-Sex Needs” through Amazon.   Here’s the link:  http://www.amazon.com/Bigger-World-Yet-Brotherhood-Same-Sex/dp/0578072173/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299708123&sr=8-1

You are also more than welcome to write a check for $14.95 (the book) + $3.00 (for shipping)= $17.95 (total) payable to “Tim Timmerman.” send that to:  Tim Timmerman, George Fox University, Box 6003, 414 N. Meridian St., Newberg, OR 97132, and I’ll do my best to get you a book in a jiffy!

Blessings to you.

Well, it’s time for me to open up to you what has been on my heart for a long time.  For over the past four and a half years with the help of some wise individuals in my community I have been working on a book.   A Bigger World Yet: Faith, Brotherhood, and Same-Sex Attraction, as of last Friday is now in print.

Currently the book has been independently published by Bird Dog Press,  and from here I’m working on locating a larger publisher who would like to run with the book.  A Bigger World Yet, will be available to purchase through Amazon shortly, as well as at Chapters Bookstore in Newberg.  I’ll alert you when you can get your very own copy!  It should be some time this week.  Your prayers would be very much appreciated in all of this.

Here is the back cover with the description of the book.

"The Caretaker" Tim Timmerman, colored pencil on paper, approx 6"x12", 2001 private collection AZ

Yet another one of the colored pencil drawings from a bit ago.  Here is yet another part of my personality I choose to draw in allegorical form.

An endeavor as of late for me has been to read through Bill Bryson’s book on Shakespeare for alas, I and a gaggle of students will be visiting Will’s old haunts this May.

What struck me that Bryson talks about is that Shakespeare added a number of words to the English language (frugal, critical, horrid, vast, excellent, eventful, lonely, zany…), but more than any other individual created a whole series of familiar phrases that we still use today; including: a fools paradise, a sorry sight, all that glitters is not gold, as dead as a doornail, dash to pieces, fair play, for ever and a day, good riddance, hot-blooded, I will wear my heart on my sleeve, in a pickle, in stitches, like the Dickens, love is blind, milk of human kindness, salad days, night owl, primrose path, rhyme or reason, send him packing, and star crossed lovers, to name a few!

I found a curious site where you can look at a quote and then go to the piece of Shakespeare’s work it is from, as well as get it’s meaning.  It’s worth a look:  http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/phrases-sayings-shakespeare.html

Well, that’s the short and the long of it.  (-;