Business and Mission Go Together

When the Mission Machine didn't feed all the bill collectors . . .

. . . Earl knew he had to push some of those other buttons.

Our mission is about people receiving inspiration from films and art so that they awaken to the significance of their lives on earth, rise in faith, encounter Christ and go on to live Godly lives. What mission could be more important than that?
But, part of the work is navigating through a world full of obstacles which try to deny us the time and resources to accomplish the mission. When we take on outside jobs, such as the one Mark and Donna have taken at Taylor Research, we do so with the prayer that it will fit in and contribute to our vision, rather than compete with it.
Effective, meaningful art requires sustained periods of thought, prayer, searching for inspiration, and experimentation followed by long hours of highly skilled labor. So, taking an outside job does interrupt the flow of art.
We understand that it has gotten harder to donate, but that you still want to give. Other streams of income can be employed to sustain the ministries you believe in. By building a new stream of income in the Turners' Shaklee business you can support us both through business and renewed donations. Click here to go to their business web site: http://healthinthejungle.myshaklee.com .

No More Small Thinking

The world does not need anymore small thinking. The challenges before us are all big and we all need to think bigger to meet them. If you are thinking "How will we survive?", fine. (Room for doubt) Now enlarge your thinking to "How will our survival help someone else thrive?" (Expectation of succeeding) If you are thinking "How can I help 10 other people?", good. Now enlarge your mission to help 100 people, 1,000 people, . . . and keep growing in God's strength.
We have been meditating on Psalm 18 which is full of metaphors about doing superhuman, implausible feats. As we apply these metaphors to our lives, we move ahead to meet the challenges and find God performs through us what we viewed as impossible. Small thinking keeps us from becoming all that we are made to be.
A business leader of ours, Gary Burke, says, "If you don't go after it, you'll never get it. If you don't step forward, you'll always stay in the same place. If you don't ask, the answer will always be 'no' ". Jesus says, "Keep asking and it shall be given to you; keep seeking and you shall find; keep knocking and the door shall be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)
We're running with you.
Love,

Mark and Donna Turner
September, 2010

LUVmovie Gets New Lease on Life

When we released the film "Everybody knows how to spell LUV" in 2003 we were thinking like Internet geeks before the Internet was ready. Today we take for granted the ease of conversation through social media. This film was designed to generate conversation, but back then, conversation was not as easy to get.

Paul and Sharon Maley put in stunning performances in our indie film released in 2003. View a clip at http://tinyurl.com/LUVflick

New Era for LUV
So, we're bringing the film out again with the aid of Facebook. There is a good clip of the film posted there. Visit the film Facebook page by typing the film title in the search box, or just click this short address: http://tinyurl.com/LUVmovie.
Click the "Like" button at the top of the page to be part of the new audience and to encourage others to join the conversation. Being on the "Like" list puts you in the loop for new discussion topics, announcements and related events.
Get the DVD
We have just upgraded the products page on our web site to make it super easy to buy the DVD. You'll be glad to see it is now half price! Just click here http://www.horizongate.org/products/, scroll down to the film and click "Buy Now".
Still the Same Great Film
The film is still a great performance by Paul and Sharon Maley condensing the twists & turns, humor and pathos from first grade through college and into adult careers all in less than an hour! Simply put, it is an altogether engaging journey which thousands more will be glad to discover.
Help Build the New Audience
Please help spread the word! Tell them to go to the Facebook page, or to the products page of our web site and click "Buy Now".

Art Shows In Two Exhibitions

Mark Turner has been showing five of his paintings and one photograph at exhibitions. Three of his paintings appeared at the "Art-Jazz-Poetry" evening, July 23, held annually by the Arts Council of St. Paul's Cathedral, downtown San Diego.

Storm to Calm by Mark Turner
acrylic, 45.5 x 22.75"

Two other paintings and a photograph are hanging in St. Paul's Cathedral for the month of August for a juried show called "Images of Peace on Earth". The show commemorates the 65th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Composition from Twigs
by Mark Turner
acrylic, 20.25" x 16"

The Cathedral is open during day time as well as at service times for all who want to see the show. It is located in San Diego's Banker's Hill area on the corner of 5th Avenue and Nutmeg St., next to Balboa Park. For more info call the church office: (619) 298-7261.

Film Gets Political Drawings

Early in the "To the Diggers" film we will see flashes of political campaigns. So, Mark has been collecting and studying photos of politicians pressing flesh in the crowds and waving from motorcades.

Detail of a political campaign drawing for "To the Diggers" film by Mark Turner

The poetic words underlying this section are as follows:

"We regard as wisdom
Bright reflections, pixels,
Bites of sound repeated;
Arranging body and face
Choreographed in a timely place,
Makes powerful and great."

The drawings made from these studies will form a fast cutting montage. The images you see here are details from the larger, colored pencil drawings which will enjoy a second life exhibited along side the completed film. Other work on the film has included enlarging images to emphasize individual

A detail of a political motorcade drawing by Mark Turner.

pixels. I have made 17 of these "swatches" and will use them as colorful flashes over other images.
The next set of drawings will be from studies of TV News Pundits, news sets and TV equipment.
To follow the progress on this film and see more drawings subscribe to the blog Artingle.

What is the Value?

Donna and I are asking "What is the value?" more often.
Everyone is concentrating a little harder these days to be sure we get the most value for each of the fewer dollars in our keeping. We also ask "What is the value of my work? Will it pay the bills?"
The inspiring vision which once motivated a person's life mission has the tendency to fade in the urgency of paying some bill. It's not that the vision and mission isn't still valid, but we just have to postpone it, to put it off until there is time, or until "we can afford it."
In "good times" it is easier to affirm the value of beauty, generosity, art, spirituality, faith. However, it is when things get tight that we must affirm the value of those intangibles. In hard times we need the inspiration of art, poetry, beauty and spiritual direction to carry on in faith that God will make a way where there is no way.
If ever there is a time to help sustain the "intangible" ministry of Horizon Gate, it is now when so many need the courage, hope and faith promoted by our art and films. Just the act of giving a little to these ministries is an act in defiance of the slave masters which would steal your vision away.
We pray that our faithfulness to the heavenly vision will inspire courage in your soul to hold on to your mission in life.

Love,

Mark and Donna Turner
August, 2010

Art Film Takes Form

Before Mark could proceed to create the drawings for the film "To the Diggers" he had to script it.

Click this frame to see Mark explain that "To the Diggers" is film 2 of 4 slated for exhibition in a special gallery/cafe next Spring.

Mapping the Journey
This film will be pretty complex even though it will be short. Before picking up the art materials Mark had to type out a script to make himself think through all the visuals and timing. Spinning off of a completed sound track (it was part of a podcast) is a big help because the visuals can extend the poetic images and sound effects.

A composite of a photo and a drawing for the film "To the Diggers" by Mark Turner. See http://artingle.blogspot.com for more.

This is like an animation in that we have to know the split seconds for each sequence. With the script all thought out Mark won't have to pause much to think up a visual the whole trip, just draw and draw and draw . . .
And folks, you are gonna love all these drawings going by.