Visit with the Boys

David and James

Went to visit the boys yesterday. They are getting over colds, but they seemed in good spirits. Takes more than a head cold to keep them down. James was playing a video game Plants and Zombies. I couldn't figure out the objective - I think the plants eat the zombies, or maybe the other way around - but he was enjoying it.

David is becoming quite the "little brother." They squabble and drive their parents nuts, but they really are sweet and get along most of the time. What can you expect from siblings...and boys.

We'll be going back on Thanksgiving. Lila is preparing dinner for everyone. I admire her gumption. We have lots of dietary restrictions...low salt, low sugar, lactose intolerance, no red meat, no meat at all and so on. It makes menu planning a real challenge. 

Holiday Art Show

The Wall

My Meet-Up group has some art work hanging at Johnny's coffee shop in Carrboro again this year. I had a successful show last year and am hoping to do the same this year...with higher prices. We'll see how it goes. It is very hard for me to price my art. I tend to go low and then everyone else gets mad at me because my stuff sells. I'd rather sell 10 pieces at $1 each than one piece at $10. I mean, what am I gonna do with all this stuff. It will probably just get thrown away eventually.

Art is ridiculously priced. I don't feel like only rich people should be able to afford original art.

I've been painting again. It comes in waves. I don't paint all the time. I have to wait for the Muse and sometimes she's a lazy cow.

A Walk in the Woods

Fine Autumn Day

The weather is spectacular. Absolutely perfect for the middle of autumn. About 50 degrees and sunny. I took the dogs for a hike in the woods behind the house along the logging roads. They stayed with me for most of the walk, then decided to strike off on their own. I guess I'm just too slow for them.

I am happy to note that we didn't see any people or any other living thing for that matter. I suppose the wildlife ran for cover when they heard us crashing through the leaves. I love the fact that we are far enough from civilization to actually experience solitude. Unfortunately I did see signs of human activity--trash. Seems like the humans can't go anywhere or do anything without leaving some of their shit behind. Too bad.

According the the weatherman, we should have excellent weather right on through Thanksgiving. That is something to be grateful for.

Blast from the Past

My first gallery exhibit. What a thrill that was.

https://chapelboro.com/photos/artwalk

A few years back, posing for a picture with my picture.

The gallery is gone now. It was a great experience being able to actually sell my artwork for the first time in a real professional way. My family and friends came out to support me. And a camera crew from Chapelboro interviewed me! yikes. I have to thank Ruth Mennom for encouraging me to join the gallery. God bless you, Ruth. I miss you.

Wild Weekend

Lots of visitors and activities this past weekend. Very fun and very exhausting!

Mad skills, yo

James at work

James is very creative and imaginative these days. He's been building things and he set up an ADT security system (with yard and window signs made of cardboard). He's put numbers on all the doors in the house. Here he is building a garage out of Lincoln Logs. He'll be going to half day pre-school this year until a spot opens up in one of the year-round charter schools. Otherwise he'll start kindergarten next year. He'll be fine. He can already read and write. All he needs is some socialization with other kids which he can get at the pre-school.

Thank YOU, Art-O-Mat!

Yay ME!

All the little guitar paintings sold and I got a check from Art-O-Mat. So very cool! Now I need to order another 50 blocks and get to painting again. 

School starts soon

James, ready for kindergarten

Just got back from two weeks babysitting duty in D.C. There was a gap in childcare between summer camp and school, so I stayed with the boys while the parents worked. Bert got an excellent job with Hillel in the district and Calvin is working for White House communications and cyber security. James starts kindergarten at a charter school on the base and Calvin will go to day care on the post where Calvin is working. I enjoyed the time with the boys, but it was exhausting! I'm getting too old for this -- at least on a full-time basis. Getting rested up today to go see the other boys tomorrow.

James has to wear a uniform at his school, so here he is modeling his new clothes. Adorable!

Whip it! Whip it good!

Birthday boy, almost 5

David, James, James, Marcus

Birthday party at Lake Michael. Actually, it was birthday party part 2. The real party was yesterday and I somehow got my dates mixed up, so Jon and Lila were kind enough to perform a do-over for me, Bert and the boys. I don't know what happened. She told me Saturday and I wrote Sunday in my planner. What a dope. Oh well, it turned out just fine. The boys were happy to spend some time together at the lake. It was a beautiful day and Lila had plenty of leftovers from yesterday. I can't believe that James is almost 5. My mind is just a little bit blown right now.

Work in Progress

I started this painting yesterday. I think it is in the style of the impressionists, maybe post-impressionists. I'll go with "abstract post-impressionism". It was fun to do. Not sure what else is needed at this point. I'll sit on it a couple days and see how I feel about it.

acrylic on canvas 16 x 20

Sunday in the Park

Art-O-Mat Special Editions

I've almost finished the Art-O-Mat blocks. I've got 48 completed. Most of them are the generic guitars with generic birds. Then I did these 12. They are real guitars played by real musicians. This was a lot of fun. Had to do some research and look for iconic images. I should be able to ship the completed blocks back to Art-O-Mat next week. I have a few finishing touches to add, like the labels and signatures, and a clear coating. Then I wrap a piece of cellophane around each one and that's it! Sit back and wait to see if they sell. I've had a positive response on Instagram with the few teasers I put out there. I think they're worth $5! SO...fingers crossed...

Graduated!

Congrats to the Grad

My baby girl graduated from Methodist University today with a degree in accounting. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 3.9 grade point average. We are so proud of her. She worked so hard. The ceremonies were held in Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, where the minor league hockey team plays. It was a rather long, drawn out affair...nearly 3 hours. The boys were really, really good--all things considered. It's asking a lot of a little boy to sit still for 3 hours. Afterwards we ate at Twisted Grape in Spring Lake. Adequate food, overly expensive. It was a very nice day, now I've got to get back to painting the Art-O-Mat blocks...

The blocks have arrived!

Preparing the blocks for painting

The shipment from Art-O-Mat has finally arrived. I can now start painting. As soon as I finish 50 blocks, I will mail them back and they will put my little art pieces into Art-O-Mat machines throughout the country. This is so exciting. I hope they are well received.

I have to prep each block. 2 coats of gesso, sand it down a little bit to get rid of the rough edges and then a base coat of acrylic. The backgrounds will take another couple of coats of some design or other and then I'll paint the main object. It's quite a bit of work for $2.50, but it's truly a labor of love.

Many, many thanks to Sharon for turning me onto the whole Art-O-Mat concept.

Another Art-O-Mat purchase

Tiny House 

I'm becoming obsessed with Art-O-Mat art. The idea of converting cigarette machines in art dispensers is just too cool. I love it! My latest purchase is this little kiln-fired earthenware clay ornament. The artist is Kathleen Hill of Kismet Art Studios. I think she's from NY, but I'm not sure. My guitars and birds paintings were accepted by Art-O-Mat so I am waiting for a shipment of blocks so I can start producing my stuff for the machines. This is very exciting. I am a little anxious about having to paint 50 separate blocks. . .it's a lot. But I am hoping that once I get started I can get into the flow and just crank them out assembly line style. They will each be original, one of a kind, paintings, but they'll be similar. I want them to be good. I want people to like them. Good grief. I'm so needy and insecure.

Volunteering

Glenna, Lynn and me

Last week, me and a couple of coworkers participated in the Backpack Buddies event at the office. We packed 300 meal bags that go to the area schools to give to kids that are on the free and reduced lunch programs. It supports kids that may not get decent meals over the weekend. Each bag contains canned meat, fruit and vegetables, milk, juice, oatmeal, granola bars and some instant noodles. We had an assembly line going and we packed up all these bags in an hour. It was fun but I wouldn't want to have to do that kind of work for a living!

A Walk through the Trees

photobomb by Junior (neighbor's pitbull puppy)

Lila and James x2

All the kids came over yesterday. It was a beautiful day for a hike through the wooded area behind our house. We found a lot of flowers in bloom. The boys were picked some camelias and daffodils. We found 2 different varieties. We also found the biggest holly tree in the history of the world. I thought holly only came in "bush" size. Apparently they can grow into huge trees as well. The dogs had fun running through the mud and the boys got to climb on some boulders. After hiking we came in for lunch. I went to the Greek place in Pittsboro for take-out. That seemed easier than trying to get all the boys back into the car and into a restaurant. After lunch we burned a pile of trash (great fun!) and watched "Blippy". I realize how very, very blessed I am to be able to enjoy my grandchildren. They are amazing little creatures and I adore them!

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Art-O-Mat

dispensing art rather than death

adorable!

I went to Carrburitos in Carrboro because I found out they had an Art-O-Mat there. These are repurposed cigarette vending machines that dispense small, original works of art from local artists. I just love this idea. For $5 I got this adorable little painting from Beth Murray, a Winston-Salem artist. I signed up with the Art-O-Mat folks and I HOPE to get some of my works into the machines. We'll see. . .

Springtime?

We had a short break from the cold and rain and all of a sudden things started to bloom. Makes it feel like spring, except that we're supposed to get snow next week. Unbelievable. I took the dogs for a hike through the woods and found these daffodils. Also saw spirea and vinca in bloom. The bradford pears, redbuds and camelias are blooming as well. It sure feels like spring today. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Happy Birthday to Dad

K & W Cafeteria in Chapel Hill

chicken and dumplings, green beans, fried squash, cornbread

In memory of Dad's birthday yesterday I took myself out to lunch at his favorite eatery. I haven't been there since he died because, you know, memories... and I don't actually love their food. I got some chicken and dumplings that were swimming in a rich oily, buttery soup, some rather stingy green beans. The fried squash was pretty good, but the Mexican cornbread was cold and had bacon in it so I couldn't eat it. So, all in all it was not the best meal I ever had, but it wasn't the worst either. So, until next year. . .

Marcus and James go hiking

climbing boulders

an elf baby and a hobbit

The boys spent the night with us while their parents went to D.C. for a show and to scout out their possible new home. Friday was a very warm winter day. We went hiking in the woods, or "the forest" as James calls it, looking for the terribly scary black hound. No monsters were found. We had a wonderful time climbing on boulders picking up rocks and sticks.

James and David build a tree fort

David and James at the fort

the boys with Lila inside the fort

I went to visit the grandboys yesterday. It was a cloudy, but mild day. A nice break from all the REALLY cold weather we've had lately. We wandered into a wooded area behind the house where the boys were constructing a fort.