Agave Botanicals: Treasures from our Dwelling Place
“In my latest sculpture, I draw inspiration from the distinctive shapes of Blue and Century Agave botanicals.”
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Century Agaves: Spiritual Identity of the Desert
Paracosms: Creative sketches of our imagination
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Resilience in Radiance:
Paracosms: Creative sketches of our imagination
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Desert Totem: Sirens of the Desert
Paracosms: Creative sketches of our imagination
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Death: The Predator, Nobody, Escapes
It is a universal truth that death is an inevitable part of life. Moreover, each childhood trauma can profoundly impact our perception of life. My first encounter with death came at a young age, during a vacation in Yosemite National Park. A photo retrieved from my mother’s things after her death included a photo of…
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Spiritual Journeys – an Axiom of Faith
At times, surfing becomes a spiritual journey and a transformative experience. The combination of the power and beauty of the ocean, coupled with the physical act of riding a wave, can create a sense of connection and transcendence. When you’re out on the water, catching a wave, there can be a profound moment where everything…
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A Journey Through Transformation: A Timeless Love Story
The beauty of the desert continues its spell of inspiration.
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Wisdom from a Moleskin Journal
I found a note in a retired Moleskin journal—it became a teaching point I used to create the illustration for the talking point. The details written in the journal were somewhat obscure and indecipherable. My handwriting cannot keep up with transcribing thoughts during lectures and sermons—a snippet of wisdom. “Most of life happens in the…
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Turn On-Tune In-Drop Out
The Jesus Movement created a spiritual revival. The Viet Nam war spilled over the ’60s decade. Timothy Leary famously said, “Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out” to the flower people in the late sixties. Surfing was spiritual, one with nature, and enhanced by psychedelics. California fashion was a lifestyle spreading worldwide. Popular styles included bell-bottom pants,…
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2023: Towers of Babel
How we interpret what we hear and from whom we listen guides our life
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Transcendent Dreams
“Night poured over the desert. It came suddenly, in purple. In the clear air, the stars drilled down out of the sky, reminding any thoughtful watcher that it is in the deserts and high places that religions are generated. When men see nothing but bottomless infinity over their heads they have always had a driving and desperate urge to find someone to put in the way.”
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Fall Open Studio Tour: Sunday October 23
“Our fifth Open Studio tour.
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“Side Hustle” Part of the artist life
“There is nothing more economically valuable than teaching people how to articulate and communicate.” Jordan Peterson
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Contentment
Contentment: A Creative’s Compass Some words blow through a man the way a mild breeze slips downriver—easy enough to feel, and just as easy to forget. And then there are the ones that stop you mid-stride and quietly rearrange the furniture of your life.For me, Matthew 5:5 from The Message did precisely that. I’d grown…
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Transitions
Are You Contemplating a New Journey? After 45 years in Phoenix, surrounded by the desert’s light, space, and stories, we made a move that surprised even us: we packed up our lives and headed for the mountains of Prescott. At first, it was not just for a change of scenery, but to say “yes” to something…
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Modern Pantheons: The Mythic Personalities of Artists
The artist is a shaman, hacker, builder, destroyer, mystic, and seer—each one plays a role in shaping the collective psyche of our time. Artists, in their relentless pursuit of meaning, often embody modern pantheons. Mythic personalities shaped by the forces of contemporary culture, history, and their own internal landscapes. The archetypes of ancient gods and legendary…
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Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen and Yet Have Believed
Jesus is the Image of an Invisible God The portrait of Jesus stirred [something] within me, similar to an eerie spiritual encounter and an inspiration. I use AI in the images that illustrate the stories I write. This portrayal is [created] using advanced X-ray technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and one of the most enigmatic relics…
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Guided on the Journey
Our Guide God guides the “loved ones” through the desert. We wrestle with our minds and then our hearts. The Promised Land: an Oasis or Mirage Our minds are containers full of memories of our journey. Every moment of life is captured, including the memories of discovering an Oasis or following a Mirage. ” My…
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“Cease to Begin”
“Cease to Begin” is the compelling title for this series. The image captures a moment of both ending and inception, wrestling with nature’s cycles and celestial continuity. The imagery of a “Quiote”—the flowering stalk of an agave—emerges in spring under the first moon. The Quiote has medicinal properties and used in making certain type of…
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Solitude: Secluded from Loneliness
Solitude “Solitude” captures an introspective moment set against a backdrop that wrestles with the boundaries of perception. Still, the underlying question of when solitude masks loneliness adds a profound complexity to the image. The clock, frozen at 10:10 pm, suggests a specific moment. This visual metaphor for balance and symmetry could imply a moment of…
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Your Journey to the Promised Land
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks states that in Judaism, humility is an appreciation of oneself, one’s talents, skills, and virtues…
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Woman Caught in Adultery
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks states that in Judaism, humility is an appreciation of oneself, one’s talents, skills, and virtues…
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Humility
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks states that in Judaism, humility is an appreciation of oneself, one’s talents, skills, and virtues…
![“The Return to the Office or [Church]”](https://larryjortega.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Midieval-Times-3-HB-768x1254.jpeg)
