September 12, 2014

  • Gatos en la Noche

    January 1st 2012, whilst in Guayaquil I turned to close the shade before retiring for the evening.

    A shadow caught my eye shifting swiftly across the courtyard beyond the alley.

    A cat scampered across the concrete wall and up the Spanish tile roof, followed by its shadow, and then another and its shadow and yet one other and its shadow.

    As quickly as they appeared, they vanished somewhere, where cats go to gather in the night.

    Too abrupt to capture with my camera I grabbed my sketchbook and rendered the fleeting moment.

    (Click on images for full size view)

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    Pen and watercolor 1-1-2011

    I have been wanting to translate this moment onto canvas and finally yesterday I began...

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    Acrylic on canvas 9-11-14

    And today I continued...

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    "Tres Gatos en el Tejado"

    The Ghost Pepper shrub is contrived.

    I shall endeavor to complete the piece by day's end mañana.

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    Updated

September 11, 2014

September 8, 2014

  • A Deprived Childhood

    I was talking with my folks the other day and I came to realize that they both lived  deprived childhoods.

    They didn't have cell phones. They didn't even have a phone at all. Most people didn't though.

    They didn't have blue ray players and big screen TV's. In fact they didn't even have television. Most homes didn't have TVs in those days.

    They didn't have Netbooks, I pads, laptops or even PCs. The personal computer hadn't even been invented yet.

    So likewise, no internet.

    Neither one of them had an electric refrigerator, or freezer. Just an old fashioned ice box. The ice man delivered ice regularly. The milkman delivered fresh milk daily.

    My parents were not poor. Both my grand-dads had good jobs.

    My parents never played video games as children. They never watched Monday Night Football.

    Their family auto, when they finally got one, had no heater or AC or seatbelts.

    They had no microwave popcorn, because they had no microwave ovens.

    My parents grew up without an electric washing machine or clothes drier.

    They had no gas powered lawn mowers, just the old heavy reel push mower.

    My parents were deprived children. It's a wonder they survived at all.

September 1, 2014

  • The Dragon's Lair

    She guards her treasure with fire and sulfur
    eying intruders with disdain and contempt
    A pool of acid her bed, a river of lava her quilt
    selfishly she bathes in piles of gold and gems

    Latichia's Lair

    The naked bones of heroes and treasure hunters
    lie scattered and motionless throughout the lair
    And now she spies you boldly standing here
    Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide your fate is sealed

August 24, 2014

August 20, 2014

  • The time is late

    Like the rain gathering in the cloud I am ready to fall to earth and find a place to sleep,

    but first I must share a little of my art with you.

    Humpy17

    "The Humpalumpalaff wanders out from the woods"

    Oil on canvas -2014

    cave gallery

    A corner of my cave...

    0820141950

    "Sunrise in my rearview mirror"

    Acrylic on canvas - 2014

    Good night and good rest.

     

August 7, 2014

  • Aloysius_son Reporting In

    I am very busy with roofing work this summer.

    I have a $4.5 million roof project to complete before Labor Day. We are working ten hours a day, six days a week. I have a 41 man - 3 woman crew. Yes women can be roofers too, although most women have more sense than to become roofers.

    Between the gardens, the art studio and the roof work, I haven't been able to entertain you all with my famous wit and charm.

    I will stop in and visit you soon. I promise.

    Until then, goodnight and God bless.

July 21, 2014

July 7, 2014

  • My Man Cave

    Welcome to The Artists Cave

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    Come in take a look around

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    That is the break room. We'll stop back here later.

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    This will be the main gallery, but I have a lot of work to do first to get it ready.

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    This space is our community work space. We will be holding small intimate, seminars and art classes here.

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    Plenty of wall space to hang the art.

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    A small workshop, to build stretchers and make frames.

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    My private studio space.

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    The Verboten Room ( Where I will show controversial art) You can see I have started converting the ceiling into a cave.

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    Another view of the main gallery. I have a guest artist who is temporarily using the space.

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    The sales counter, for those art aficionados who wish to make a purchase.

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    Behind the counter is Loriliy's work station. She makes jewelry and note cards.

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    My office.

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    The break room. We don't have a table yet, but there is a fridge and microwave. (just behind me)

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    Back out through the store front. Thank you for visiting. Come back again soon.

     

July 2, 2014

  • Ok...

    I spent the last two months working in Erie Pa., a three hour drive from home.

    I have been spending the weekends remodeling the new studio gallery trying to get it up and running. I have an opening show scheduled for July 25th and 26th. I think I managed to put up about 180 works so far, only a fraction however are framed. This show is part of the Irondequoit Artists Art Trail. It will be my first testing of the waters at this location.

    We celebrated my granddaughter's birthday at the cabin a few weeks ago. I am sure someone took pictures.  I haven't seen any yet.

    I discovered, I am not really good at drywall. or rather, I am very amateurish at it. I don't think I really want to get good at it either.

    Working out of town set me way back in my gardens. I have been trying to catch up this past week, now that the Erie job is completed. It only takes me 22 minutes to get to the current project.  My beans and berries are doing great, but I never got to plant most of the things I usually do. The Ecuadorean Insanity Ghost Pepper plant I grew from a seed I procured on my top secret international roofing mission is doing great though, now that it is getting hot outside.

    This weekend I am taking dad to camp to see if I can get any work out of him. Just because he is 79 is no excuse for him to lollygag about. If he gets all the chores done I have lined up for him, I might let him try to catch a fish in the pond.

    Now you's is all caught up with what's goings on 'round here.