This Week In The Studio...

"Violet Sky" 12 x 16 inch oil on canvas

"Deep Blue" 12 x 16 inch oil on canvas

"Dans La Nuit" (Into Night) 16 x 20 inch each, oil on canvas

"Untitled" 8 x 24 inch each, oil on canvas

I'm having a great time painting these seascapes. Very relaxing. They have been getting a lot of positive feedback and attention in the gallery. We have sold seven of them in the last month. Not bad considering I really don't go out of my way to sell them.

I have been getting asked about the "Quick Draw" event already. It will be the first week of November.

Last year it was a bit nerve-racking and took me more than a month of preparation. For what we got out of it in traffic and sales, I can't really say it was worth it.

In fairness, I'm a complete unknown around here. This area is very fond of their local artists and are often offended by those of us that have come from other locations. It's even worse that we don't represent any local artists in our gallery. Snobs.

This year I know that at least five of the local favorites will not be participating. I think I will wait for a while to see how it's going to play out.

I already know I can paint one of the seascapes within the time frame of the event. We'll see.

Perspective...

Antares is the 15th brightest star in the sky and is more than 1000 light years away.

This is a Hubble telescope ultra deep field infrared view of countless "entire" galaxies billions of light years away.

This is a close up of one of the darkest regions of the photo above.

Hood To The Coast...

This is the course for the Hood to the Coast relay. 195 miles, day and night. The thought alone makes me tired. It's for a good cause but I would rather write a check and watch than participate.

This is Precious and Mr. Man. He and I are on our own for the weekend while Precious is participating in the Hood to the Coast relay. I am so proud of her. She has been training for months now. Getting up at 7am to go run while I slept.

Last night as it started to get dark Mr. Man began to ask where Mom was.
"When Mommy coming home Daddy?".

"She'll be home tomorrow." I would tell him.

He slid down in the chair and said, "That makes me sad daddy. I want Mommy home."

In the middle of the night he woke up asking if Mommy was home yet. As well as the first thing this morning. "Daddy, is Mommy home yet?"

"Not yet Mr., later today she will be home."

"That makes me sad Daddy."

"Me too buddy. But, it's only two days and for a good cause. Besides, you have a very cool Mom."

Good luck Baby!

I Paint Young Man...

One of the true joys of working in the art business is getting to meet artists. Most of them are wonderful people.

Over the years I have come to recognize artists fairly quickly when they come in. You can almost always spot them. Not all of them, just the ones that have never sold any of their work. The ones that think an occasional weekend arts and craft fair is "The big time". The ones that have taken an art class at a local community center. These people stick out.

They are the only ones that ask and say things like:

Do you have water colors? I only like water colors.

I'm looking for a charcoal.
Any thing specific. Figurative, landscape...?
No. I just want to look at charcoals.

How do you decide how to price your work? How much does the artist get out of that amount?
What do you pay for the frames?

Where do you have the gickles made? Do you make them yourself?


All of which brings me to a lady I met this morning. Her face could have curdled milk from across the room.

I could tell before she spoke, what she was about to ask and how the conversation was going to go.


Lady: So, what are these? Gilsays, no doubt?

Me: To which of "these" are you referring? And It's pronounced, giclee (Zhee-clay).
(alright, I may have taken a tone with her)

Lady: Any of them. These all look like gilsays. I can tell.

Me: Actually the one right in from of you as well as the one beside it are oil paintings. The price is usually a give away.

Lady: Those are not oils young man. (wait for it...here it comes) I paint. You can't paint that smooth. That's a print.

Me: Actually, you can paint that smooth if you know what your doing. That, and I would never be able to sell a print by this artist for $23,000.00. An oil yes. And we do.

Lady: Have you ever tried to paint young man? Paint leaves a texture. I think you should spend a little more time learning about the things you are selling.

At this point, several things went through my mind. I could tell her to get bent. I could explain to her that I have multiple advanced degrees in art. That this was in fact my gallery blah blah blah...

Instead, what came out was a very loud belly laugh. I just couldn't hold it or help it. She was just too funny. Her unwavering arrogance was more than I could take. The look on her face when I laughed at her, was priceless. I turned and went back to what I was doing and she huffed off.

And I have only been open for an hour. It's going to be one of those days.

Saving The World...One Child At A Time.

Let me start by stating that I am all for children (under 18) having certain rights. We want them to grow up and be responsible human beings, so we should give them the tools and responsibility they need.

There is one right however that I strongly disagree with. That is a child's right to privacy. Sure they should be able to have a little personal time at home, but a parents right to know where their child is should out weigh any right of the child.

We seem to have forgotten that they are children. Not adults. Not capable of caring for them selves. Not capable of making adult decisions. Still in need of adult supervision.

According to the National Criminal Information Center, 800,000 children a years go missing.

The first National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART-1) was released in 1990, and the second, known as NISMART-2, was released in October 2002. According to NISMART-2 research, which studied the year 1999, an estimated 797,500 children were reported missing; 58,200 children were abducted by nonfamily members; 115 children were the victims of the most serious, long-term nonfamily abductions called “stereotypical kidnappings”; and 203,900 children were the victims of family abductions.


Here is how you put an end to this. Once and for all. No child will ever go missing ever again. Kidnappers, abductors, pedophiles, family members, runaways, it wouldn't matter. They could all be found in a matter of minutes with out fail.

How?

Implanted GPS. Capable of being tracked by satellite any where on the planet. Placed in the child's body until the age of 18. For their 18th birthday they get the right to privacy and freedom.

Before you start screaming "Big Brother", human rights groups have beat you to it. Having these implants placed in your kids is illegal. It violates the children's, right to privacy.

That's right. A child's right to privacy. WTF?

What is wrong with us? What is more important to us as parents? To us as a society?

We would rather have children run away or be taken and sold into slavery or used as some perverts sex toy than infringe on a child's right to privacy?

These are rules that are being made by people that don't have children. What if it was your child? They go to park to play with friends and don't come home. You give them the benefit of the doubt and wait for a while. Then you go to the park and look for them. Not there. Their friends say your child went home. Now what. You call the police and wait. And wait and wait and wait. While God knows what is happening to your child you are helpless to find them.

Where are our priorities? How could the ability to find our kids be a bad thing? What ever happened to the "Greater good of society"? No more missing children, ever, is a Greater Good.

It's our job to protect them. To keep them as safe as we can. Why aren't we doing everything we can?

800,000 children a year.