Justin remembers events by recreating them on paper. He has a great respect for fallen heroes and has recently taken an affinity to the STS-107 Space Shuttle Columbia crew that tragically lost their lives in 2003. With all due respect to the victims and their families. He incorporates other characters he loves in order to remember the event in a brighter light while still holding the explorers in high regard. - Jenni & Justin
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He just can't get enough!
Justin is on a roll this week with his Chip 'n Dale drawings. Disney Channel's Rescue Rangers have definitely struck a chord in is heart. Can you name all of the characters in this drawing? - Jenni & Justin Here's a treat!
Justin doodled this little number FREE-HAND with the specific intention of sharing something special with the blog's readers! Heavily influenced by Disney, Justin's artwork commonly re-creates the characters he knows and loves from his early childhood years. Rescue Rangers was one of his favorite television shows and he only recently stumbled upon an old YouTube video of the show's theme song and opening credits. Nostalgia can awaken all sorts of lost loves! What was your favorite 90's television cartoon? Share with us and Justin may draw them next! :) - Jenni Justin's latest artwork has taken a turn into the comic strip world! Above is a small sneak peek of his newest venture... a comic strip based on Thumper's [from Disney's Bambi] family! His inspiration comes from this Bambi scene: Stay tuned for more! ;)
- Jenni & Justin What a joy it is to see him dance, sing, and interact with the three hooligans once again! For Christmas, Santa Claus brought Justin an AWESOME polo shirt embroidered with The Three Caberellos and he suited up for this meeting. The small things are sometimes the things that make the most of a lasting impact on him. However, life isn't always gumdrops and fairy dust... even at the happiest place on earth. After departing the pavilion where the characters were greeting the guests, Justin shed a tear or two when saying good-bye. I ask myself often, "Does he think that they are real or does he understand that they are just people in costume?" I'm not sure how to pose this question to him, in fear that it may be the first. Nevertheless, Justin does have a picture he specifically gave me to share with you all keeping up with his blog. I hope you enjoy. :) - Jenni & Justin
"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." We are blessed to live in an area of our country that is rich in Mexican culture. From city names to music, from people to architecture, it's a fantastic part of our every day lives. It's so much fun to go to our local flea market or swap meets and watch traditional music performances and devour the delicious authentic food from across the border. Justin loves Mexico and, as I mentioned in a previous blog post, has taken a liking to the The Three Caballeros. Justin is especially excited about a day that happens once a year at Disneyland, Three Kings Day. Traditionally, it's a holiday celebrated all across Latin America and Spain. "El Dia de los Reyes" celebrates the 'biblical adoration of baby Jesus by the Three Kings.' In the Bible, they are referred as the 'Magi' or in newer translations, 'the wise men'.
Celebrated as an official holiday on January 6th, Disneyland takes part on around that date by throwing a celebration rich in Spanish and Latin American culture. The famous Three Caballeros even make an appearance! I know our family is excited to attend this upcoming January! Although the Joslyn family doesn't have any Hispanic or Spanish background as far as we know, it's very fun to explore diversity and different heritages. Its great to have an understanding of how amazingly unique each of our backgrounds are — even when you have Autism! :) - Jenni This is the beginning on a new project Justin is working on... painting on canvases! The above image is one of his first - a finished free-hand painting of The Three Caballeros, a 1944 American animated musical about three daring amigos on an adventure through Latin America. Walt Disney World's Epcot in Florida hosts a Mexico pavilion that celebrates the Three Caballeros and Justin has loved the characters ever since our first visit. Donald Duck, Jose Carioca the parrot, and Panchito Pistoles the rooster make up the motley crew. Yesterday, Justin was able to present the picture (on a smaller scale consisting of paper and a page protector) to Donald Duck himself! And OF COURSE, Donald loved it! It's so much fun spending time with Justin and seeing his face light up when he shares his artwork. Our grandfather is an extremely talented artist. Growing up, Justin and I always had giant paintings by our grandfather hanging on our walls. It's so exciting to watch that talent passed down through generations. One day, it may be Justin's paintings on the walls of someone's home! And then there is this: After having his portrait painted at Disneyland, Justin had taken a liking to realistic paintings of faces... maybe he'll be sharing and they will be featured soon! Another big thanks to everyone following along Justin's artistic journey. It's bound to be a long one! Justin is so very happy. We love you all!
- Jenni “All our dreams can come true...if we have the courage to pursue them.” I recently had the chance to have some sister/brother bonding time with Justin. We talked about goals and dreams and things we want to achieve in our lives. It is a challenge for Justin to speak in perfect cookie-cutter sentences, but his dream came across loud and clear:
"A Disney Animator. Yes, Disney animation." For as long as I can remember, Justin has been a die-hard Disney guy. We used to fantasize when we were kids about our family packing up our stuff and moving into Sleeping Beauty's Castle. I'll never forget the first time we flew to Florida and experienced The Walt Disney World Resort. Justin was ecstatic. So, when he shared with me this dream of his, I wasn't surprised! Being an incredibly detailed artist who puts so much focus on Disney characters definitely points out that the shoe fits. However, the second thing that ran through my mind was... how? What can I do to help this dream be fulfilled? I can research, educate, and make phone calls, and find connections. But my first step is making that dream public. Justin agreed that this was okay! People diagnosed with Autism are still people. They have dreams and goals and desire just like any of us. But they can also be crushed and suppressed just like ours. Our job is to uplift and find a way to encourage those dreams, not shut them down! Whether Autistic or not, we all have the potential to live out our calling. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't. Justin doesn't! Dream out loud, Justin. You're the bomb diggity! - Jenni This is a drawing of one of my brother's favorite CareBear characters, Noble Heart Horse. I asked why he has taken a particular liking to this one and he responded, "Noble Heart Horse has a noble spirit. And he loves all of the others." Hey, that's what I call a good reason to take a liking to a character.
Over the past few days, Justin has been talking non-stop about an upcoming event... his 18th birthday! April 20 is the big day! It is crazy to come to terms that he will be an adult in exactly ten days. Justin will most likely be living at my parents' home for the rest of his life, and my parents worked hard to make a home that is comforting and full of love. His 18 year-old ambitions don't include studying abroad or moving-out... they consist more of goals to write a comic book, travel with his family, and learn about new cultures. I know he's excited to graduate high school this year, as well. We will be going to Disneyland for his birthday. I'll be sure to share all sorts of stuff after. Justin always draws a picture for Mickey that we give to him at his House in Toontown. I'll be sure to share that with you as well! :) - Jenni |