AT & T

A Few years ago The Woman and I took a trip to San Francisco, we stay at the Tuscan Inn close to Fisherman's Wharf. We left in February on the day of a huge snow storm - barely got out of Chicago ( they cancelled our direct flight and we had to get there via LAX ). Although the weather in Illinois that winter was miserable - the weather in San Francisco was wonderful, Blue skies, and warm temps.

On the trip I took many photos for paintings, lots of diners ( have painted two paintings of Lori's on Powell Street - both have sold), Chinatown , Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf , and other things along the Embarcadero.

On Super Bowl Sunday (our trip was that weekend) we took a private tour of AT & T park. Turned out that we were the only people that showed up that day for the tour.
Since I'm in the mood of finishing things up that I've been putting of after this group of painting I've started that ballpark. The ironic part of this is that I started this painting on Super Bowl Sunday

It is also Ironic that Ironic is playing on the radio as I'm typing Ironic -

Isn't it Ironic

Holt /Cat

A few years ago ( time seems to just fly by as I'm getting older) in Feb. of 2010 I had the opportunity to visit the Caterpillar Company archives in Mossville IL . I had requested to paint an image that they had displayed in a local paper about their 100th anniversary. After some emails from their legal department - I was given a rare outsiders invite to be briefed about the image and permission to pursue the task of creating my painting.

I started the project as soon as I got back to the studio - about a week in I got a call from a show that I was eagerly painting this image for that the rules had been changed and the new maximum limit in any one direction was 36". Now, anyone that has seen one of my paintings knows that almost all of them are at least 48" in one direction. So feeling a little slighted I shelved this painting.

After finishing Miller Park I looked up and saw it hanging, un-finished on the studio wall and thought I should get back on it .

The show that changed its size rules is moving back to the newly remodeled Peoria Main Library, so hopefully they will go back to the old rules.

The Boy is Back in Town

My oldest son is back home for the next two weeks, even though he lives in the UK - The Woman and I get to see him more than our "Practically Professional" daughter who lives in Des Moines and doesn't post http://newadventures-charliegirl.blogspot.com/ . (She still hasn't posted!)

I'm posting this because this forces me to clean my studio periodically so he can use it when he returns as an office. So before he arrived I had to stop painting and get things organized so he doesn't think I'm a total slob (even though he pretty much still does) These visits are probably the only thing keeping me off the next episode of "Hoarders".

This last time, I move the Windows computer to the easel side of the room ( mainly so I can use it to look at images that I'm painting with out having to constantly look over my shoulder) with my wide format Epson. The Mac is now on the desk - since I can't figure out how to print using the Epson. I made some trial prints that were excellent - But the learning curve is steep and for now when I want a print - I want it now - without running through 10 sheets of paper to get the thing right.
I just finished another painting last evening - It seems that I do like have the studio straightened up . I will be sharing that painting at a later date - as it has local significance and I think I might want to "unveil" it at the next First Friday at the Sheridan Galleries. I could create quite a stir - I think.
I will have to post the one that I finished before Miller Park - May be tomorrow - Tonight is another stinking meeting - I know that they are necessary but they are tiring, the only good thing about them is The Woman is going. Hopefully I can get started on AT&T Park as it is the next one that is sketched out in the studio.

Miller Park

Got an email from my web site ( http://www.acryliccityscapes.com/ ) from someone who was wondering when I was going to get going on the Miller Park ballpark. I have it listed on the site as one that will be available shortly.

I went to the park a few years ago ( It has been so long ago that the photos that I had were real photos - the kind taken with film ) Really great ballpark, fun tailgaiting parking lot, domed of open, clean , and family friendly. For some reason though this one never got into the rotation. Most of the time I am trying to complete something special for some event and things get a little hectic. This one just sat in the file waiting.

It just so happened that I had a ballpark canvas stretched and ready at the time of the email. I responded and told them that I had taken the time to sketch out the ballpark and place it the winter painting lineup so it was finally going to be finished.

I was happy to send the image to people that got me going on this as they got to see the "first look" last week. So here is your chance - I think it turned out very nice - and if I do say myself - They just keep getting better.

Shuffle Board

I've finished a few new pieces this winter - Thought I would share a little bit of two of them. The Woman was sick over the first part of the Christmas break and I had a few days to get out in the garage and made a shuffleboard that was custom fit for the room.

The family room wasn't being used at all, we had loaded it with a random collection of things that we just wouldn't throw away ( old leather sofa and love seat - large 60" projection TV - weight bench that literally had dust on it - some old computers ) So I started taking some of it to work and disposing of it in the dumpster. On my first trip one of the guys that works in the building asked what I getting rid of and then the next night he showed up with a trailer and took it all. We again had an empty room.

The Woman had acquired a pool table/ping pong table ( we had one in the room before - our oldest son took it when he bought a house in Chicago ) - we set it up hung some new paintings and we had a game room. I thought it would be cool to have a shuffle board table, but when I started looking at them the first thing that I noticed was that they were expensive ( and I'm not about throwing money around) and the second thing is they are very long (most are 16').

I had sort of convinced The Woman that I could and should do this - we even went out to Great Escapes and looked at one - but she had reservations (mainly that her carport was still just a cover for the garbage cans). So when she took ill for a few days on Christmas break, I took advantage of her bed rest and constructed my own 10' shuffleboard ( total length is about 11' 6") After trying various powders it turned out way better than I expected.

The table is on the right and on the wall behind it is a new painting " Grain Belt Beer"

From Better Post Something to Nearly Professional


It has been a while since I have posted anything - mainly because I've been wearing out brushes - celebrating holidays - hanging out with friends - celebrating birthdays - even built my own custom sized shuffleboard table for the family room.

I'm not the only person in the non-posting funk, my daughter Charlie aka / http://newadventures-charliegirl.blogspot.com/ also hasn't posted anything since December. Maybe it is just that wintry, getting dark early, hot chocolate drinking, kind of time of year.

I've been in my studio working lately and have finished some new paintings for the upcoming year. Also have applied at several shows - the first for the season is looking like the Springfield Old Capital show at the end of May. I have decided to trim the early shows off the show schedule as by the time you figure out entry fees, hotel, gas, and food - they were losing propositions.

Hopefully the mood of the patrons this next season is a little brighter than the last season - It's hard to think about spending money on art when all the news about the economy is gloom and doom.

But as I'm painting in the studio in the evenings - I hear that the college basketball season is winding down and that means March Madness - and that means spring , warm weather,deadlines for applications to summer events.

I guess that the main reason for the long delay in posting was just that I was content and comfortable with life in general and was just enjoying its cyclical rhythm.

Hopefully I'll be posting some images of activities and paintings and the like shortly - but at least I broke my silence - now we have to wait for Charlie!