Tim Timmerman's Blog

Cameron Seipp's portrait of Tim Timmerman

This image was shot in the drawing and painting room by Cameron, yet another intermediate photography student.  I like how he blew out the color and contrast on the image.  The couch is a ratty thing that rendered so dark, looks almost classy.  More images of Cameron’s work can be found here:  http://www.cseippphotography.com/

Austin Tott's portrait of Tim Timmerman

Shocking really.  Austin Tott is a VERY talented student that we have who has been working on a 365 photo project where he is creating one photo a day.  Having seen his work, and the sense of adventure in his images  I invited him to look at the work of photographer Oliver Herring.  After doing so and inspired by Herring, we decided that I would stand outside and spit food dye all over myself. The things professors do for students…  After various takes he asked me if I could “get angry.”  Being outside, I let things fly.  This was the result.

Perhaps down the line here, I’ll show you some of the other takes from the shoot.  They’re pretty intriguing.

To see more of Austin’s work click here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/tottphotography/

All the new illustrations for Clella Jaffe’s book “Public Speaking:  concepts and skills for a diverse society” are done.  Thought I’d give you a look see of the last two new ones:

Clella wanted an image on "structure" talking about the construction and "bones" of a speech. This was my visual solution.

my "organization" chapter image.

I was in need of getting these illustrations done, and was at a lecture and the George Fox Seminary in Portland in February.  The author Maggi Dawn was speaking, so I used her as my model.  She was delightful, was a good model and gave a very nice lecture on the arts.  Check out more about her at:  http://maggidawn.com/

My two collage/painting on glass pieces are a part of the rock, paper, show that opens this Friday at Bush Barn Art Center in Salem.  Unfortunately I won’t be able to be there – but there are some other wonderful people in the show like artist Kay Worthington, as well as the large show upstairs featuring my friend Totem Shriver.  Check the show out!

Nicole Johnson in taking the photo decided the camera would be in the mirror. While shaving she would stop me and say "Wait, let me photograph that!"

Here is yet another photo by one of the intermediate photography students.  I found this quote and thought you’d find it appropriate:

Gustave Flaubert to Louise Colet, August 1846:  “What stops me from taking myself seriously, even though I’m essentially a serious person, is that I find myself extremely ridiculous — not in the sense of the small scale ridiculousness of slapstick comedy, but rather in the sense of a ridiculousness that seems intrinsic to human life and that manifests itself in the simplest actions and most ordinary gestures.  For example, I can never shave without starting to laugh; it seems so idiotic.“

Part of a sketch I entitled "growth model" found in the book.

So the book “A Bigger World Yet, Faith, Brotherhood, and Same Sex Needs” has been in the hands of others now for over a month.  It’s been interesting seeing the books get out there.  I feel like they’re little seed packets.  I have to wonder what kind of soil they’ll land on. Here are some interesting bullet points regarding the book in the last month.

•  A bookseller who I don’t know very well, came up and hugged me after she had been reading the book.  She simply said “Thank you for your boldness and willing to put this out there.”

•  I got a very kind note from a therapist in Los Angeles who said, “I have just finished reading “A Bigger World Yet.” I am stunned at the magnificent shot to the heart of men, women, gay men, ssa men, this country and the church which you have let fly from your bow of experience and faith. Actually, the book I longed to write has now already been written, and I am in awe of how revolutionary and loving it is.“  He’s recommending the book to his clients, and I know of three other therapists that have ordered a stack of books and are doing the same.

•  A student at George Fox referred to the book as a “cheese grater for his soul.”

•  Thaddeus Heffner, a therapist in Nashville put up a blog post mentioning the book as well as putting up several quotes:  http://thaddeusheffner.com/2011/04/26/man-to-be-or-not-to-be/

•  Of the number of men and women of influence that I have gotten the book off to, the two that have replied back to me are Catholic.  My buddy Mike says that’s because Catholics think and read.  There responses have been very kind and it’s clear to me they are men that are very much willing to jump in the fray if they aren’t doing it already.

•  And there are just a number of stories that are just heart warming, men that have told me they are risking with their friends, being honest, forgiving, finally telling their parents of sexual abuse that happened to them as a child and the like.  It’s humbling.

•  My Aunt said she only found one spelling mistake in the book.  (I actually know there is more.)

If you don’t have a copy of the book and are interested.  Here is the Amazon link:  http://www.amazon.com/Bigger-World-Yet-Brotherhood-Same-Sex/dp/0578072173/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1304183541&sr=1-1

Angela Cazel Jahn"What Mankind Could" 2010

I was invited this Spring to create a piece for the Bush Barn Art Center down in Salem, specifically for an exhibit that opens up here in May called “Rock Paper Scissors.”  In the winter while down in Arizona I saw two painting/collage on glass pieces by Angela Cazel Jahn (http://www.cazeljahn.net/).  Very illustrative in nature I liked her use of patterns and the playful character of her work. Moreover, in teaching Mixed Media this semester, I thought this would be a fun assignment for the students, and in the process of creating a couple pieces myself that integrated collage and painting, I would have some work that fit into the parameters of the “Rock Paper Scissors” show for Bush Barn here in May.

I had old postcards I had gotten in St Mere Eglise, France two years ago, as well as some old mining certificates, letters, and Berean Bible cards from the early 20th century. I decided to use these as the basis of my collage.  Here are images of the two works in progress:

Here with the piece "Company," the collage part done, I'm now figuring out the location of the other elements I'm going to be painting in the composition.

Here I am working on "The Steadfast." I'm building a figure in the piece out of a colored paper and various postcards.

The collage part of "The Steadfast" done, I'm now figuring out the location of what will be the painted elements.