Well It Seems there are Christmas Miracles


We got word last weekend that our oldest son ( Kristopher) was stuck in London at the airport , all the flights canceled all weekend, the earliest that he could make it home was the Sunday after Christmas.

He had people to spend the Holiday with ( as he lives in London) but he wasn't going to be home . The Woman was beside herself, very distraught when I told her the news. Frantic calls to the UK to try to change the situation. Then she resigned herself to the fact that for the first time in 31 years, her family wouldn't be together.

Christmas Eve morning we awoke to our son Kristopher in the bathroom. It seems that he managed to get a flight out after all and had got in around 2:00 AM that morning.

So thanks to all the people that The Woman had praying for a miracle - It seems that they do come true!

Three Days til Christmas....

And not a creature is stirring. It seems to me the older you get the less excited you get about Christmas. Christmas is for kids. The Woman works in a grade school and I can only imagine the joy, frustration, hope, and wishing that time would fly by to the big day.

In an effort to bring back that youthful exuberance, I've decided to start using the half in my age again - any fraction over the age you are is considered a half , over half your almost the next age. I've used it several times and it feels good.

I think that I will take it a step farther - just like new mothers measure their child's age in months - I will from now on refer to my age that way. I feel younger already ..... I'm just 640 months old.

I wonder where that section of clothes are in the store?

I Cleaned half my Studio!

Yes - in a surprise move I purged half my studio last evening. The Woman was probably the most shocked - she is thinking that it was a ruse to get Santa to nicer to me. Really it was just the whole years worth of photos,sketches,notes,and applications ( if you apply on an on-line source -Zapplication/Juried Art Services/ Entry Thingy - you will get lots of applications) .

Just like most artists though - I quickly tired of this "cleaning work" and as I stumbled across a couple of small blank canvases that were tucked away on a shelf. Pretty soon I was sketching out some things and mixing paint.

I might get back to the other half - Tonight though I have wrestling in Morton and a Board meeting at the Art Guild. At least found an application to Spring Bloom in Bloomington that is due by Saturday and sent that off today.

So I'm feeling pretty good !!

Running out of Time



As the holiday season fastly approaches - it seems that I'm always running out of time. The evening just fly by and the days sort of drag. I hope I still get more done than most people even though the wind is cold even in the garage. ( and this pesky cardinal had decided to claim the area as his shelter from the elements)

Finished up some canvas prints of photos that were given to me by a lady at work - The Woman was really excited about them , so they must have turned out OK.

Had to attend Kaleb's wrestling match and then I had the pleasure take his mother out to get some dinner ( can't have her stressing about whats for dinner after a stressful meet )

The most exciting thing that happened though was upon arriving back home after the meet - leaning against the door was a large package marked "Fragile" ( No it wasn't my "major award" ) . It was the long anticipated full size prints that I had ordered in September. They are going to make all my art friends extremely angry at next years shows - they are amazing . Very good quality and detail - colors are good - should have no problem at all selling these at summer events. The only problem is the lead time - The company says 8 weeks - Mine took 13 weeks . They say that it was because they got hung up in customs ( yes - they are from an overseas provider - I'm an Art Ho remember ! ) Hopefully the next order won't take as long - even though they did raise the price since the first order !! Greedy B@s^*%!!!

Well at least I have another happy customer as the 10" x 10" photos turned out really nice. Wonder what else I have to do before Christmas!

Great Weekend

The Peoria Art Guilds Holiday Show is now past - and as always - It was wonderful! The weather was a little uncooperative (but at least it wasn't snow - that came Sunday ) Got to meet and greet many happy patrons at the show. As always the staff at the guild did a wonderful job of making the day as pleasant as possible ( Kim wasn't there to control the weather - like at Junction City - Who is this woman, that the wind and the rain obeys her?)

Sunday was cold and snowy - I tried to go to the Shift Christmas party - I got there about 2:00 and it was evidently cancelled, as no one was in the lot! So instead I took my girlfriend shopping!

All in all a great weekend - little art show - dinner with old friends that I ran into at the show ( see it pays to volunteer - you may get to go "hang" with artists after at nice little downtown restaurant) Shopping with The Woman - Life is good!

I Just Started Painting

I thought about purging - but that would take some time and I have to get ready for yet another event - the Peoria Art Guilds Holiday Show!!

This the second year that I've got to do this - so it is very exciting!!

Although as with all shows there is a bit of work to be done before the event ( you can't sell from an empty shelf) so I needed to finish up a few things for the weekend and after a good four hours last evening I feel a lot better about my chances.

Tonight I go to set up the display a bit, so it will be ready for the onslaught of customers on Saturday.

I finished up some applications today and I've applied at all but one of the May shows.
So far I've applied at a St Louis inside show on April 8th through 10th. Still have time for the Elmhurst April 30th/May 1st show. Deadline is past for the Old Capital on the 14th and 15th of May. Tomorrow is the deadline for the St Charles IL show on Zapplication .

Purging

I think that I may have to go through my studio and get rid of all the leftover bits and pieces of things that have accumulated for the last few years - I always like the whole "new brush" thing and it seems to get me inspired. So I might have to purge all the 3/4 used tubes of paint and all the old photos of paintings long finished.

I think I would like to do a short series of San Francisco paintings ( I have done two painting from our trip to SF and they both sold - so you would think that I would get the hint and make more) .

I think that I'm going to bring back the check list that I used to use back in the beginning so that I will have more accountability for time that passes without a painting.

I will use any trick in my power to keep producing ! Even if I have to become a art bulimic!!

Back To Work

I've been back in the studio a little this week - I have to get some prints together to replenish the McLean County Art Centers holiday show ( this is a good problem to have - because if they need more then they must have sold some of the others - one would hope)

Also have to field the sporadic calls from random people who have seen me through the summer and now are thinking of gifts for the holidays ( also a good problem - seems all the money I spent on business cards may be paying off)

I have two new shapes of canvases that I will be starting soon - they are for Des Moines/ and other Iowa shows - one is the Liars Club sign and of course the Wilton Candy Kitchen.

Hopefully the weather will allow me to stretch some regular canvases this weekend - as I have a huge list of paintings that I want to attack in the coming weeks. Think I might need a B-12 injection!!