Farmin'

My "boss" just posted some pictures and videos to his Picasa website

Towards the bottom there is a video of the antique corn decobber that my co-worker brought in for us to use. It says that it was built in 1904 or 1905 for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. It's really neat to use a machine that was used so long ago and has been sitting in someone's storage for decades. They sure new how to build things tough back then.

We grew three varieties of dry corn. A popcorn, and two varieties for corn meal (Painted Mountain and a dent corn).

Things are really slowing down as it has been below freezing for days on end here (which is rare). We are, however, building a new greenhouse that is 20x50 feet. It's pretty exciting to be a part of building an entire structure. I have done a bit of construction type work but I don't think I've ever done a start to finish, free standing structure. Working with the metal pipe skeleton of the greenhouse in this weather is "fun". I'm sure pictures will follow.

Trivial Winter 2009

Inspired by figure drawing class.

Inspired by Chris's mustache.

Inspired by chilly weather.

Uninspired by chilly weather, just want to stay in bed all day and read.

I am very much looking forward to my trip to Kansas in 9 days. The winter doldrums have begun to creep up on us here in the land of no sun (though it has been oddly sunny lately). I find that when the sun is out it is a bit unsettling. I look at it and ask, "Why must you tease me so, dear sun?" It's not the sun's fault really. The unfortunate thing about sun in the midst of weeks of drizzle is that one can't help but dread the drizzly days to come, even while the sun is out. This is where Trivial Pursuit and Buffalo Springfield come into play.

I have really taken a liking to pursuing those little wedges of knowledge as we round the wheel of many colors. Koolaid Trivia and Sweet Valley High were once my calling but the winds of change blew through and crashed Enid's beach party.

Here's one for you...What country banned the Bible, Koran, and Talmud in the year 1926?

Check out This American Life. I know you'll love it.

Inspired by my pink marker?

Wildflowers and Kitchens

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Tiny painting, about 2"x2".

Coast inspired.

Learning to balance.

Come with me!

This was a sample of wood that I got from a little store in Portland called "Scrap!". They sell things, that would normally end up in the landfill, to artists and teachers. Google it, it's pretty cool.

This one was an old bald man, I didn't like it and turned it upside down and his little piece of white hair became this young lady's dress.

Wildflowers in jars are my favorite.

See what I mean? Oh, this is a sliver of an old door, lazy me liked it because it had a built in hanger.

More jars and wildflowers.

And...more. This one sold before I got a better picture of it, the photo I had was really washed out by the sun so I tried to photoshop it to its original splendor but it's not quite there.

This one's coloring is a little off too. This is the future of my love-life, unknown.

Spending two months in a cabin on the coast was exactly what I needed. I picked wildflowers (which Bobbie, my roommate, informed me were actually weeds), I painted, I ran alot, I hung out with people I love, and just generally had a mellow and wonderful time.

Summer Painting/Reflecting

I want to say something really profound about the last five months of my life, because they have felt profound to me. I have learned alot. I have been down and out and come up out of that. I don't know what to say really but time really is amazing. Sometimes time is all that can help, all of our efforts may not do as much as the simple passage of time to get us back to a place where we feel happy and healthy.

As I feel more happy and healthy my paintings become more full of color, I'm not trying to put more color in it just happens. Craziness.

This was my kitchen for the summer.

Cheers!

New Work

Pigtail Mountain


Indian Plum


Ideas


Poppies


Different Point of View


Little Boy Lost


A Bird in the Hand.


King Corn


Defying Gravity


Swift

Etsy it up.

I now have an Etsy site where my paintings are for sale. You can check it out at www.trilliumbrella.etsy.com.

On Growing.

I am putting alot down in the next couple of postings (sorry for my longwindedness).



Mmm...garlic.

Future peas and fava beans.

It has been really great working in the garden lately, it keeps me sane getting dirty. When the future is so uncertain, it feels like the perfect use of my time, working with what I have, where I am.
I guess that's my recent motto (my mother used to say)..."Grow where you're planted." That's not to say settle for less, but just work with what you've got and be happy to have the things that you do have.

Getting creative.

My new project is starting a baking business. I am grateful at the moment for the economic (what are we calling it now?)__________. It is allowing/forcing me to get creative with my moneymaking endeavors. I have been baking our bread recently to save a little money (it's so expensive to buy right now). This brought me to the current business idea. I will do home delivered bread within our neighborhood (Woodlawn). I'm still working out the details but the flyers are coming right along and everyone I share the idea with is enthusiastic about it. Here's hopin' (and alot of bakin').

Inspiration in the Plaster

This came out of nowhere. The texture that the sanded plaster left on the board turned into this lonely older man. I quite like it though.


Another vision that came from the way the plaster was sanded. My process is becoming a bit like looking at the clouds. If you look at them long enough they become things you never would have imagined on your own.




I start with a piece of plywood, then cover it with a layer of joint compound (with a little bit of gesso in it). Once that is dry, I paint a single color wash over the entire thing. After the paint is dry I sand it down to a smoother surface. That is when the "cloud gazing" effect comes in.

This one I painted directly on the plywood. This piece had the interesting diagonal piece of wood in it, which inspired the piece.


This is a scrap from a desk that Chris and I made recently. I thought of Grandpa Fritz as I carved it. I also thought about his handy chain-mail glove when the blood beaded up on my finger after I stabbed it.
Here's the desk. It's an old door and old kitchen cabinets, we're pretty proud of ourselves, and it's very handy.





The posting that follows is incomplete. I had to take a break, but I haven't covered Washington DC, NYC or Vermont. You're probably overwhelmed anyway, this unemployment gig is allowing me a little more time to update my blog.

The Epic Journey

My housemate and dear friend Ruthie has decided to move to New York City to be a nurse. So, after just a few short days after arriving home from Christmas, we hit the road. The trip was exactly what I needed.

Eugene, LA, Tucson, Silver City, Navasota, New Orleans, Brookhaven, Auburn, Asheville, DC, NYC, Waterbury, Portland.


Santa Monica Beach...cold...rainy...quiet...hilarious purple raincoat.

Joshua Tree National Park... stunning...warm..awesome bouldering.

Our friend Sayuri made us felted sheep. This one came along for the trip. We let him graze in Joshua Tree, don't tell the Park Ranger.

More Joshua Tree.



Ruthie's friend Kelsey "dumpster diving".
Mt. Lemmon...headache...nap...warm...beautiful.

The climate on Mt. Lemmon goes from Mexican to Canadian in a short 30 minute drive. Cacti on the bottom, snow and pine trees on top. We stayed with Kelsey and Ant. Check out my sunglasses if you will...$5 special at the Tucson flea market.


MMM...Silver City, NM sure has some good cake, art,


...and sunsets.

Mississippi everyone! These little ones were super fun to walk around the farm with, best tour guides ever, hands down.


Oh Amzie. We stayed with this man, he was totally, awesomely crazy. He is a painter and a regular character in the French Quarter. Walking around with him we quickly learned that he was a local celebrity. Even Brangelina might recognize him.


Scoopin' poop with Coop. In the Blueridge Mountains! So peaceful.



I love this one, she's a keeper! I'm sad to have her all the way over there but I got to see her in her new community and it all felt very right.

What I took away from the trip...
1) The world is most definitely shaded by your inner well-being.
2) No matter where you go, people are people. They may be a little more this or that but we're all in the same boat.
3) I love New Orleans.
4) I love my family and friends.