Bruce Van Patter
As a freelance illustrator, graphic recorder, and author, Bruce is on a lifelong journey to delight in the handiwork of the Creator. And he’s always ready for fellow travelers.
Welcoming challenges
Sunlight is often playful. Today it sneaks through a window in the room where I am prepping for a meeting and selects one word out of all that I’ve written. Challenges. Is that some kind of sunny joke?
Unexpected beauty
Her face is striking, even seen through the window of a moving car: pale, beautiful, slightly anxious. I only catch a glimpse as we pass. Later, I have to walk back to get a better look.
Into the tunnel
Traffic is moderate on the dreaded I-95 when my phone reminds me to pay attention. The industrial landscape around Baltimore did not look very promising for a post. But then, ahead, I saw it.
An accurate portrait
If you were to have one image to communicate who you were to the world, would you smile? What might you hold in your hands? What background would you choose?
Pot luck
Having had enough of the cold, I am in my house, trying to see something in a new way. My tiny rose bush catches my attention. It is surprisingly healthy.
Hearing voices
Out in the woods, there is a layer of sound in silence. One has to get seriously quiet to hear all the noise.
Empty vessels
For today’s exercise in random association, I will attempt to connect logo design, classic black gospel music and a box full of jewels. Ready?
More
Using the overhang at the entrance of the hotel to shield us from the rain, my grandson and I are watching the skies intently. We strain to see movement or hear distant honking.
Co-creation
As I stand in the middle of a wide field, the morning sun glints off the frosted blades of grass as if the turf is strewn with diamonds. Is this what I am to notice today?
Willing to let go
When I take this shot, I don’t notice the diner light perfectly placed over the head of my friend Tim, hovering like a UFO. Or a glowing megaphone from heaven. Only later will I see it in the photo.
Disappearing act
I like fog, when I’m not driving in it. For someone who seeks new angles on the familiar world, fog is like a Magical Mystery Tour. Looking outside, I see the ghosted landscape, grab my camera and jump in the car.
Exits and entrances
In front of me, the president of the large university my daughter will attend in the fall is speaking. But in my 8:18 moment of observation, I notice something else.
An exit sign.