ACTION MAN TOYS FOR SALE

My new tattoo! ( excuse the redness and kind of a crappy photo. Ill be taking a new one when its healed ) The placement is on my back between my shoulder blades ( its a bit hard to tell )

I have been toying around with this idea for about 3 or 4 years now, and could never justify getting it because im a volunteer. but thanks to some generous friends and family. this is my late christmas present!

the text is an excerpt of a J.R.R Tolkein quote that goes

“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost.

Like I said, I live in Australia as a volunteer. And have for nearly 3 years. During that time I have not stayed just in one place, I have been up and down the east coast and up several times to Papua New Guinea. I dont think I have stayed put for over 4 months in this 3 year span. and dont plan on buckling down long term any time soon…
I guess you can say I have aquired a healthy case of what they call ” wander lust ”

I believe Tolkien in this poem is saying that things are not always as they first appear, nor should you assume that things will stay as they first appear to be.

so this is a reminder, and to signify that I am merely a wanderer with a purpose. I may seem to jump from here to there and back again, aimlessly chasing my whims. But in fact, my roots run deeper than they appear…even if they don’t keep me stuck in one place or opinion for too long. and im actively gaining a perception of things outside of what I would normally know.

The things I have learned while apparantly wandering around and working for free. are some of the most precious things I will ever have in my life. My preceptions of the world, knowledge of different cultures, my love for people and my relationship with God have drastically changed and through it all have gained a new passion for life and wanting to seeing others live.

A small experiment in tone mapping, one of the photoshop skills I'm trying to master. Call me a total novice at this time, but effectively done, this really adds a lot of punch to otherwise bland images.

I toyed with this one for far longer than I intended, and STILL didn't wind up with anything I was completely happy with. I include it more because I wanted the effort to be worth something than for any artistic merit. I guess learning takes time. :)

This is a wreck off the shore in Bayfield.