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"The Burger King" by Jason Kotecki. 40 x 40. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. When Kim and I are goofing off, either alone or with the kids, one of us will often challenge the other to "own it.” What this means is that we have to push away any iota of self-consciousness and fully commit to 100% concentrated silliness. When you see someone trying to act like a funny character or dance in a ridiculous way, you can tell if they are not “owning it.” You can tell they feel awkward, and that awkwardness makes you feel a little awkward, too. But if you’ve ever seen someone "own it,” it’s like they’re the only person in the room. They look patently ridiculous — way more so than the person who feels awkward being just a little silly — and they positively don’t care. That is powerful. Each of us has a line that marks how far we are willing to go in looking silly in front of others. For most of us, that line is not very far away. …

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"Shine On (Stained Glass)" by Jason Kotecki. 30 x 20. Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. After months of anticipation about our family’s first trip Mexico and an escape from the Wisconsin winter, the weather report turned foreboding. All eight days were calling for rain. Kim and I were crushed. Our family had finally recovered from a three-week battle with the flu over the holidays, and we were really looking forward to the time away to recharge in the sun and surf. On the plane, I read something in a devotional about God being a “living God.” That really struck me. I too often think of God as some far-off historical figure who did a lot of neat things in olden times, forgetting that he lives in the present tense, active in the here and now. In that moment, I felt totally at peace. I knew that God knew how big of a deal this trip was to us. I believed that if he was willing, he could easily blow a weather system a little north …

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"Wind In Our Sails" by Jason Kotecki. 24 x 30. Oil on canvas. Original is available. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. This painting was inspired by a family vacation to Mexico. One thing that was abundantly clear in the week we were there is that the Mexican people love their color. When you’re accustomed to everything being Pottery Barn beige and gray, it really stands out. I wanted to incorporate that vibrant, whimsical color, along with one of the culture’s great traditions, Dia de Muertos, or Day of the Dead. I think it is a beautiful way to look at the afterlife, and the ancestors who went before us. I appreciated the idea of seeing death as a part of the life process, rather than an end in itself. I also liked the focus on how much we owe to the people who came before us. In American culture, the independent spirit of the individual is celebrated. That’s fine, as far as it goes. Except that there is no such thing as a self-made man or woman. No one …

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"Good Fortune" by Jason Kotecki. 12 x 12 Oil on canvas. Original is available. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. Lucky is winning a game of Candyland against my daughter. Most things in life that seem lucky are often anything but. I don't like how chalking up someone’s success to a lucky break strips away credit. Not only from the person who worked hard, but also from God, who (often anonymously) orchestrated so many of the events and circumstances along the way. Undoubtedly, where you are born, who your parents are, the color of your skin, and whether or not you grow up to be 6-foot-8 with the ability to jump over a school bus are completely out of your control and could all be considered "luck.” And yet, having any of these so-called advantages is no guarantee for success, while not having them does not condemn one to certain failure. Every NBA draft class is filled with dudes who won the genetic lottery but won't last long in the league. I could be all …

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