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	Back Home in New Mexico (8/5):           I'm back home in Albuquerque. It's a 15 hour drive from eastern Kansas counting stops for meals and walks with the dog. We love the triplets and all the family but it's just more comfortable here at home - just Frani, Kuan-yin and I.         I got news that my watercolor sold in Western Fed. It's the one of the triplets at the beach. That's six paintings I've sold this year. Lucky that I've got more paintings of them. "Digging for Shells"		About Me March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007
	Diet Time Again (8/7): I weighed in at 223 1/2 lbs this morning. Frani and I started on the "South Beach Diet" today. We walked about three miles and then shopped for salad stuff to go with our dinners. There will be no bread, potatoes our goodies for quite a while. I plan to post my progress daily on my blog as incentive to reach 200 lbs.		October 2007 November 2007 December 2007
	August 9th:          It took a bit of elbow grease to remove all those Kansas bugs from my Oldsmobile. But it's good to have a clean car again. My weight this morning was 222 lbs. 12 more days on Phase One of my diet.         I'm finally getting my i-mac back in shape. It was a virgin at the start of the week, just like a brand new computer. Apple walked me through putting i-photo files, i-tunes files and my address book back on to my computer. Still I have to reinstall all my 3rd party software all over again, like Photoshop, MS Office, Nvu, Fetch, etc. I also figured out how to put mailboxes back into my mail program. So I still have my saved e-mail files from before I lost my e-mail.         Yesterday, I received the prospectus for next years Western Federation of Watercolor Societies. This year the sponsor is the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild. The exhibition will be held at the Tubac Center of the Arts which is located 40 miles South of Tucson, Arizona. The juror is Katherine Chang Liu. A prospectus for WFWS-33 can be found on the NMWS website. Download it as a pdf file here plus framing and matting instructions. Entry deadline is October 12th because the exhibition opens on February 22nd. This may give us a reason to visit warmer climes next February.          Katherine Chang Liu's own paintings are very abstract. I don't know if her personal style will effect her decisions as a juror. Abstract painters may have a better chance getting into Western Fed this year.
	August 10th:          Down to 218 lbs this morning. I sure could use a candy bar. But I'm being good - salads, steamed veggies and salmon for tonight. I'm aiming for 200 lbs - but that will take a while. The first ten lbs are easy to loose. The rest will come off a bit at a time.         Sunday, the new exhibit opens at the museum. "Blue Winds Dancing" - it's the Whitecloud Collection from the New Orleans Museum of Art. Lots of baskets and beadwork. Frani will appreciate this exhibit. Details about events for the exhibit are posted on line as a pdf file. I plan to do a session for docent training on what the artists used to create their pigments prior to European contact. Not just in painting, but colors were used to dye the quills prior to beads being introduced. The sources of most of these pigments have been lost and are now being rediscovered.		Quillwork
	August 12th:         The scale read 217 1/2 lbs this morning. It good to see a bit of progress on this diet. Six pounds in six days is OK. At the end of two weeks I'll get to celebrate with some fun food. Too bad that Indian Market is next Saturday. My two weeks on phase one of this diet will not be over by then. It just won't be the same going to Santa Fe and not getting a wonderful meal of Chili Rellenos and Sopapillas at my favorite spot to eat: Tortilla Flats.         Tonight I'm typing up material for the NMWS newsletter. You can download copies of our newsletter "BRUSHSTROKES" from the NMWS website. My smiling face is on he front because I have the honor of being president this year.         We attended the opening of "Blue Winds Dancing". It's a delightful exhibit. Mercedes Whitecloud spoke about how she and her husband collected the items over more than 30 years. Hearing the background about the collection was wonderful. We also heard from Paul Tarver, curator from the New Orleans Museum about why we got this fantastic exhibit which was never suppose to travel. Katrina happened and the city is still rebuilding. Exhibition schedules were drastically changed - so we got this jewel.         One special treat was to see Joyce and Jessica Growing Thunder demo beadwork. They represent two generations of native artists. These ladies have won many awards in Indian Market which is next weekend. Their work is represented in the exhibition. While some items are contemporary, others date back 200 years. If you are coming to the area stop by the Albuquerque Museum for this exhibit.
Baseball Player Tim	Docent Training (8/13):         We got a very informative walk through of the new exhibit: "Blue Winds Dancing". We heard more about how the Whitecloud family collected these beautiful items over 30 years of collecting. Mercedes enlighten the docents on various techniques the artists, past and present, used. Being a weaver herself gives her special in site. The New Orleans curator, Paul Traver, explained about the changing traditions as tribes were forced to relocate again and again. I got the clearest explanation of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 that I've ever heard.         The most recognized style of Native-American art is that of the Plains Style. Perhaps Hollywood made it stick in our minds. Yet it was only in existence for about 150 years. The plains tribes were forced into that region by other tribes that were being pushed out of the north and east. Food was plentiful with millions of Buffalo on the plains and with the horse being introduced a plains culture developed. But we killed all the buffalo and an era disappeared forever.         Today I'm down to 216 lbs, that's 7 1/2 lbs in seven days.
Order Lessons on  CD from PO Box 91703 Albuquerque, NM Zip 87199-1703 $17 includes shipping	Diet Working (8/15):         This morning the scale read 215 lbs. That's down 8 1/2 lbs since I started 9 days ago. The hard part will be going to Santa Fe for Indian Market and using good judgment. That means refrain from good food and good art as well. Just look and smell. Can I do that ? A very good question. I did have only a green salad yesterday when our docent team went to lunch in Old Town, so perhaps I have some will power.         I am suppose to hang seven paintings today at a business locations around Albuquerque. Lucky that I write these commitments in my calendar or I'd surely forget. I also sent in a proposal to do a workshop for New Mexico art teachers at our state conference. I'm planning on doing one on Tessellations. It is always a winner. I think it's been used, around the country, more than any other lesson I've created. Judy Decker was gracious enough to put my plan on her website. Her web site is even bigger than mine - if that's possible. sample student tessellation         Over a year ago I created a website for the New Mexico Art Education Association. Soon - I'll post the workshops that NM teachers can sign up for. You can check out the site at http://www.newmexicoarted.com/ . The conference will be held in Albuquerque this year. The last three years I've attended the annual conferences in Santa Fe. It's a great group and growing stronger every year. Also, from time to time - I still get orders for my MS art lessons on CD. You can check out the list of lesson <<< here - that are on my CD. You must have powerpoint to see them on your computer. For you mac people - your Keynote will display them just fine.
We Prefer Green	Hatch Chile's (8/16):         It's that time of the year again in New Mexico. You can smell the chile's roasting as you drive through Albuquerque. Today we go out and buy a 30 lb box - watch them tumble in the roaster - and then take them home to peel and freeze. If you are not from this part of the country you won't understand this important ritual near the end of summer. Once you are hooked - you can't get enough of chili for: Chile Relleno's, Enchilada's, Green Chile Stew, or Salsa. My favorite is a Chile Relleno Cassarol we make up to freeze. Here's the recipe I got from New Mexico Magazine. The "official state question" in New Mexico: "Red or Green ?" The "official state answer" is "Christmas"
	Build a Bridge (8/17):         A favorite saying, lately, for our grand-daughter Tiffanie (Little Miss Attitude) has been: "Build a Bridge and Get Over It". She said it often to grandma. I'm sure she picked it up on Hanna Montana. She will out grow the saying and the attitude - I hope. Children are delightful and an irritation at the same time. As long as we remember they are children we can enjoy a few blowups. I put a hot link on Hanna's name in case you've never watched the new shows on Disney and are totally clueless. Miley Cyrus plays Hannah Montana		I'm at 214 lbs and dropping
Pot Puzzle in New Mexico	Pot Law Stalled (8/18):         Last session the New Mexico Legislature passed a Medical Marijuana Law. Governor Richardson signed the law and said it was the right thing to do. So patients would not have to grow it or buy it on the street the law had the state growing and distributing the drug to patients under doctors care. This was to insure that the drug was safe and potent enough to be effective. Well now - it's all in limbo because the NM Attorney General ruled that state officials could be prosecuted by the Feds. Now suffering people who could be helped must find their own sources. What ever happened to States Rights or at least the courage to stand up for the ailing citizens of New Mexico. Pot was to permitted for cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and HIV-AIDS and for patients in hospice care. The state was to set up guidelines for the program by October 1st. Now it's all in limbo.         Stealing Pics:         If anyone wants to download pics from my blog - have at it. The easy way to access the files is to go to: http://www.taospaint.com/WoodysBlog/ there you will find an index to everything I've posted on this blog for the last six months. Most images are mine, but a few images I "aquried" from other sites on the web.
	Recycled Computers:         Albuquerque is big on recycling everything and that's good. Today I dropped off an old printer, two VHS players, some old speakers, an ancient laptop, etc. etc. at a lot near the Balloon Park. There were acres and acres of computer stuff piled ten deep. It was quite a site. It's good to know that stuff won't be going into a landfill somewhere. I don't know how many chemicals are in all those monitors.
Indian Market Santa Fe	Indian Market (8/19):         We had a wonderful day at Indian Market in Santa Fe yesterday. We even picked up a few goodies while we were there. As usual the quality of the art displayed was fantastic. I even got a chance to visit with Jody Folwell and her daughter Susan. They are potters from Santa Clara Pueblo although Suzy now has her studio in Phoenix. I also got a chance to speak with Sharon Dryflower Reyna from Taos Pueblo. We started collecting her humor filled clay pieces back at Haskell in Lawrence, Kansas years ago. We were worn out after several hours of walking and as it started to rain so we took the hint and left to find our car.         Now, truly the best part of the day was having a Breakfast Buritto for lunch at Tortilla Flats to celebrate my losing 10 lbs. Wonderful - Wonderful - bacon, eggs, and hash browns wrapped in a large flour tortilla - then smothered in cheese and loads of green chile. Every bite was so, so good. Perhaps fasting for two weeks made it that much better. Perhaps in another two weeks we can do this again. Dieting has it's rewards after all.		I'm at 213 1/2 lbs and celebrating
	New Web Pages (8/20):         Finally, I edited the pics from the triplets visit to New Mexico last month. The pics are posted on my website at: http://www.taospaint.com/AlienSummer/InNM.xhtml We spent time swimming, exploring museums, going through caves, looking at petroglyphs, and walking on white sands. Earlier, I posted pics from the grandkids and great-grandkids at various lakes in Kansas. Those are posted at: http://www.taospaint.com/SummerFun07/InKansas.xhtml         Check out how fast my grandkids are growing.
	Diet Stalled (8/22):         Well the diet is still in place, but I gained 2 lbs. I'm up to 215 1/2 lbs today. I did start eating Brand Flakes with strawberrys for breakfast and a bit of rice with dinner. Perhaps it's because I went back to wine with dinner ????? Why can't I lose weight as easy as I lost money in the stock market lately. Life ain't fair - is it ? I check the scale each morning and I check my mutual funds every evening. Some things lose weight easily - but not my body.         Because of the heat wave (Albuquerque hit a record 97 degrees today) we walked our three miles in an indoor mall. Then of course we went shopping.
J K Drummond	Back on Track (8/23):         We walked 3 miles at 7:30 this morning to beat the heat. I'm back on track cause the scale read 213 1/2 lbs today. It was 70 degrees at sunrise this morning. Normal for this time of year should be 63. It's the excessive humidity that's making it so warm at night. At noon yesterday it was 22 % and by 6 pm it was still at 15 %. That might be dry elsewhere but not here where it should be more like 6 % humidity.   Watercolors by Jae Drummond:         A fellow art teacher out there in cyberspace asked me for watercolor advice for a promising student. This student has been with her since the eight grade and will now be working on a portfolio for college admission. After seeing samples of this young ladies work I sent her links to watercolors by J K Drummond. I thought Jae's work would inspire her, as it should. Everyone interested in watercolor should check out Jae's website. Her work is some of the best. Her background as well as samples of her work is detailed on her web pages.         But, better yet I just discovered that Jae has a blog with samples of her watercolors at various stages of development. Her blog is called "Value Added Paper". So I forwarded Jae's blog to Sharon - the art teacher I mentioned. This sort of blog is an invaluable resource to any student of watercolor. Jae is a master of the medium and it really helps to see the earlier stages of her process.         Of course, I stole the image of the rose (on the left) from Jae's blog. I'll let her know and then find out if I'm in trouble. Also, Jae illustrated a children's book titled "Sophie's Castle" (seen on the right). It would make a wonderful resource (as an exemplar) for any school art class library. Of course - I got a copy autographed for the triplets.         If you wonder who Jae's teacher was - check out her fathers watercolors. David Drummond is famous for his paintings of Lake Powell. It is really great to have these two watercolor resources right here in Albuquerque. Thank you Jae and thank you David.		Sophie's Castle available from Barnes & Nobel
	Maya Lin (8/24):         When I was teaching art in Middle School, one of the student tables in my classroom was named after the architect Maya Lin. She became famous when she won the competition for her design of the Vietnam War Memorial for our capitol. She has been very busy since that time becoming famous for her memorial designs, buildings and earthworks. My students studied her creations like the Civil Rights Memorial, in Montgomery, Alabama, which honors the achievements and memory of those who lost their lives during the Civil Rights Movement. More recently Maya has designed earthworks like her Wave Field in Ann Arbor, Michigan or her "Eleven Minute Line" in Sweden. As Newsweek says, "she's no one-hit wonder".         Currently Maya Lin is working on an expansive new work titled the "Confluence Project" which pays tribute to the human spirit. It is a series of seven art installations along the Columbia River created to evoke the history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the tremendous changes it brought to the Pacific Northwest. There are several schools in the Northwest participating in the Confluence Project. As many of her earlier creations did - her first site in the Northwest contains words: passages from the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery's journals describing the journey from the mouth of the Missouri River to the mouth of the Columbia River, a distance of 4,132 miles, in 1804-05.		I'm at 212 1/2 lbs today
	Maya Lin is a fantastic role model for art students
	Play Ball (8/26):         A night at a baseball game and no foot long hot dogs. That's the price I pay for being on a diet. The Albuquerque Isotopes have a beautiful ballpark. Of course the best thing about it is the food. Lets hope I can resist the temptation because Frani and I are taking in a game this evening. If it's been awhile since you attended a Minor League ballgame in Albuquerque, then you wouldn't even recognize the city's baseball stadium. The old park was demolished, and a modern -- if somewhat whimsical -- ballpark was constructed in its place. Where else will you find a concave incline at the center-field wall, colorful stained glass in a stairwell and a team nickname adopted from an episode of the Simpsons? This might be the most fun ballpark in Triple-A baseball! Ballpark Food is an Art Form in Albuquerque
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	let me know what you think woodyduncan@comcast.net

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