Pink Road with Shadows, 2006, Oil on Panel, 11x14
I didn't have time to work in my studio all weekend, although I did get the underpaintings done on Friday. I was on track with the to do list (although I did skip the walk, bad girl) until Saturday when Doug severely cut his fingers (never fear, no fingers were lost, just a big, thick patch of skin, gross!) while changing the blades on the John Deere riding lawn mower. So the few hours spent in the emergency room threw everything off. That and the fact that it actually took two days to clean the girls room. A bit of advice to those of you who may have kids someday and those who have kids will know what I am talking about: Do not buy your child everything that they want or that you think they will enjoy. You will someday be spending a beautiful spring weekend indoors sorting through a toy box full of fake food, Barbie doll shoes, puzzle pieces, plastic animals, mardi-gras beads, old school papers and projects, books, socks, bits of paper, crayons, party favors, marker caps and clothes pins wrapped in tape and yarn (don't ask). You will be cursing and muttering under your breath when you notice that there are at least 2000 beads and 47 hair clips wedged into the cracks between the wood floorboards and wads of blonde doll hair behind the iron radiator. Needless to say, we didn't get much done outside, which is a drag because it was a gorgeous, perfect, sunny and warm weekend and there is a lot to do in our gardens. However, the girls kicked ass in their soccer games and our somewhat out of shape son finished a 12 mile hike carrying a 35 pound backpack, so that's something.
Reluctantly, I have entered two competitions. One was the national juried show at the local arts organization that I mentioned previously, and in a moment of pure optimism I sent in four slides to The Artist's Magazine. I have entered that one for the last two years and after seeing last year's winners I swore I would not enter again. The work that won was certainly beautiful and very well done. However, I felt that that most of the art was so realistic and refined, which, uh, doesn't really describe my work. I guess I entered again though, with the hope that this year's judge will appreciate a different view and interpretation of the landscape. I am not holding my breath.
Also, Boxheart Gallery in Pittsburgh has recently sold a number of my small paintings to an interior designer. He is also interested in a few other pieces and has asked to be contacted when my work arrives for the upcoming exhibitions (see sidebar). I love hearing that a client wants to be contacted when new work comes in, it is exciting, yet slightly wondrous and stressful all at the same time.
2 comments:
My wife had a fairly effective way to motivate our daughters to clean their rooms. She set a deadline. When the time came she showed up at the door to their rooms with A BIG PLASTIC TRASHBAG. It was truly motivational. Now they are much older and still slobs but now it tends to be clothing all over the floor. My wife and I joke that we won't have to replace the carpet in their rooms because the layer of clothes keeps them from ever walking directly on the carpet.
Hi Ed, I have tried things along those lines, too. Generally what happens is that they throw everything into the toy boxes, including their underwear, to meet the deadline or they tuck things away in drawers or between the mattresses. So every once in awhile I have to go through it all, mostly for my own sanity, because they sure don't care. We did get rid of a lot of things finally yesterday, so I am ever optimistic that it won't get so bad again. HA
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