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Woody's April 2010 Blog began March 2007 ......................................................................... |
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| Click Here To See Where Woody's Watercolors Are On Exhibit in 2010 click on any photo with a blue border for a larger image |
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 click on logo for auction details  |
Win Frani's Beautiful Quilt (4/29): Help support our after school art program (Art in the School) by buying a $10 chance on one of Frani's quilts. You can even use paypal or send a check. This is the second quilt auction we have held. The first quilt is gone - but it wasn't made by my beautiful bride. Now you have a chance to win one made by Frani. In fact there is a second prize this time - a baby quilt, also made by Frani, which is the second prize.   Mexican Stars Quilt Only 100 tickets will be sold
– so your chance of winning one of these quilts is excellent
– a one in 50 chance! When you buy a raffle ticket or make
a donation to Art in the School this year, the benefit to children will
be doubled due to a special challenge grant from the Lumpkin Family
Foundation. If we raise $10,000 this year, they will match that
with another $10,000!
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<<< click on quilt for a larger image |
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 "Sunlit Shack" |
Watercolors Framed for Exhibits: This morning I framed three watercolors for upcoming exhibitions. I need to ship one to Alanama for a national show. Next week, I can hand deliver the two which were juried into the New Mexico Watercolor Society spring show at the Fine Arts building at Expo New Mexico.  "Helping Hand" and "Different Tune" |
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| Two Watercolors Entered Into Taos National XIV  "Jazz Singer"  "Ticket to Ride" |
Turner to Cezanne (4/27):
Yesterday's
lecture on our
upcoming exhibition "Turner to Cezanne" was given by a very well
prepared senior from Albuquerque Academy - so much confidence in such a
young lady. We are looking forward to the exhibition which opens on May
16th and runs all Summer till –August 8th. The full title of the
exhibit is:
TURNER TO CEZANNE: MASTERPIECES FROM THE DAVIES COLLECTION, NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES
I was especially taken by one image, by Jean-Francois Millet, discussed
yesterday. "The Gust of Wind" was painted just a couple years before
Millet died in 1875. It seemed so unusual for what I knew of his work
like the many of peasant farm workers. The exhibition includes
masterpieces by, among others, Cézanne, Daumier, Manet, Millet,
Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, and Van Gogh and of course Turner.
 "The Gust of Wind" by Millet |
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 Are You Next ? |
Who's Next ? (4/25): "THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist." "THEN THEY CAME for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew." "THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist." "THEN THEY CAME for me and by that time no one was left to speak up." My skin's not brown and I don't speak spanish, so I shouldn't have to worry - RIGHT |
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 Waiting For Poppies |
Frani and I walked our three miles plus today. It's been quite a while since we walked and it felt good. I also fed my roses but I can't hang around waiting for the roses and poppies to bloom. There is evidence by the buds that I'll have both roses and poppies soon. I planted geraniums in pots as well - but not my normal red geraniums. The pink one's looked better this year. Frani says I need to accept some change in my life.  Pink Geraniums |
 Waiting For Roses |
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 Reading Starts Early |
Dollars Wasted On Research (4/24): Yesterdays Albuquerque newspaper reported on researchers studying children learning to read. They studied 550 1st and 2nd grade classrooms with sets of identical twins. The twins were placed into different classes to compare genetics vs the effect of teachers on reading abilities. It's the old nature vs nurture debate. The researchers assumed that identical twins who both had good teachers would improve at the same rate. One conclusion by the researchers was that "the best teachers made the biggest difference in learning achievement." Duh - how much money did we spend to discover this major revelation ? Ask any intelligent person how to improve education and they will tell you to hire quality teachers. We don't need to be spending thousand of dollars on research when at the same time we are laying off good teachers and increasing class sizes. Reading Begins At Home: Actually, these photos of Tiffanie reading were taken at Grandma and Poppie's house. I dug through my computer files for a long time to locate these pics of my grand daughter reading. I'm not very organized, so I'm surprised I ever found them. Now she will be mad at me for posting them - Sorry Tiffanie. (Tiffanie Reading At 2 years and At 9 Years)  Tiffanie Reading At 2 years and At 9 Years |
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| Way Back Machine: While looking for some photos I'd lost - I used the "Way Back Machine". If you have the URL (web address) of an old or current web site you can look up pages which have been deleted from that site. It even works for sites that are no longer on the web. Go to: http://www.archive.org/ then plug in the web address (URL) and have fun exploring pages that no longer exist. Here are links to updates stored about my web site.  |
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| Looking For Venues (4/23): I dropped off two watercolors this morning to be reviewed for a possible group show at the Unitarian Church next year. I'm also donating a few paintings for a fund raiser to benefit Art in the School. Right now I'm considering which national watercolor shows to enter next. Kansas, Wyoming and Mississippi are on my list of possibilities. Rain and Snow: Yesterday's rain here in Albuquerque (.21 of an inch) meant snow up in the mountains. We live at 5000 feet altitude - at higher areas, they got the snow. So I took a photo from our back yard (300 mm lens) of the snow on the Sandia.  From Our Backyard n |
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New Mexico Sunrise (4/22): Awoke this morning to another beautiful New Mexico sunrise after a gentle rain last night.  Morning Light Watercolor in Mississippi:
Today, April 22nd - in Jackson, Mississippi - the Mississippi Watercolor Society opened an exhibit at the Cedars Gallery. I donated a painting of "Little Miss Sunshine" to be displayed and sold in support of the Fondren Renaissance Foundation. Advertisement for the exhibit includes my watercolor of "Blossom with Ball" which was juried into their national exhibition last October. Jason's Journey Across Africa: On April 22nd Jason Becker is still a member of the "EFI Club" Every F***ing Inch is a designation dedicated to the few souls hardy (and lucky) enough to manage to ride every inch of road we through at them. Through the off roads of Sudan’s Dinder National Park, the brutal off roads of North Kenya and now the unending long, flat and hot days in Botswana these tough riders roll into camp day after day. Many riders start in Cairo determined to join this difficult club, unfortunately only a few survive through talent, determination and a little bit of luck.  The riders will continue their long stretch through Botswana and Namibia with hopefully more elephant, giraffe and monkey sightings. With preparation for Cape Town in our dreams and only a month remaining on tour the riders are torn between enjoying every last bush camp and elephant sighting and the comforts of home. Only 3042 kilometres remaining on the world’s longest bike race. |
 Little Miss Sunshine |
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 Blossom Loves Spring Too  |
Love Springtime (4/21): While I wait for my roses and poppies to bloom - many other colors are showing up. The ground cover I planted between our flagstone five years back is now a carpet of bright blue flowers. And our Desert Broom is bursting with yellow and providing a wonderfully strong fragrance into the morning air.   Ground Cover   Desert Broom |
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| Watercolor Critique (4/20): Last night at the monthly NM watercolor society meeting, Laurie and Bud did critiques on paintings that the members brought. This is always one of our most valuable programs. Museum Tour: This morning my docent team took fourth graders thought the Albuquerque museum. It was my turn to be the lead docent and plan the tour. The teacher requested an art related tour, so we emphasized portraits in the tour. At the end the students drew portraits. Great students - we had a wonderful tour.  Fourth Grade Portraits |
 Critique Night |
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 Peter Krusko Best in Show |
Mentoring A Student (4/18): Noon today - I'm headed to MasterWorks of New Mexico Open House Paint-In to mentor a high school student in watercolor - we will paint together this afternoon - I did it last year for the first time - it's a good way for an old teacher to keep from getting too rusty. I've been out of town - so this will be my first look at this years MasterWorks Exhibit. For a look at some of this years award winners CLICK HERE. Best in show went to my friend Peter Krusko for his watercolor of Placer and Ortiz Mountains. |
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| MasterWorks Open House Paint-In: I painted along side a very talented High School senior today at the MasterWorks Open House Paint-In. I'm posting photos of her painting in a way so she can't be identified. She has an excellent eye so all I had to do was paint next to her. She plans on attending UNM this fall. The watercolor I did today was very different than my usual style - if I really have any. An artist I admire said it was my best ever. Perhaps that's really just a comment on all my previous paintings.   Student I Mentored Today at MasterWorks |
 My Painting Today |
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We Have A Winner (4/17): All the entries, and the quilt, went to Apache Elementary one afternoon and with help from a couple of cute little students - they drew the name. And the winner is....Corinne Sisneros!!! Corinne is a new volunteer at Bandelier Elementary this year. She said she was speechless, and very appreciative. The information is posted on the Art in the School blog and on Facebook, along with a photo of the name being drawn. - http://artintheschool.wordpress.com/ So - Frani's quilt should be up for auction next - stay tuned.
And Even Another Rejection:
The Saturday mail brought even another watercolor rejection notice. So I won't have a painting in the Watercolor USA Exhibit in Springfield, Missouri. But, I'll keep trying. I do need to ship one to Alabama next week as well as take two paintings to the New Mexico Spring Exhibition. |
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| "Home Sweet Home" (4/16): It's always good to return home - everything is familiar and comfortable. It's a 14 1/2 hour drive, but our car knows the route by heart. When in KC - I saw some old friends and even a couple of ex-students. While there - I went by the Kemper Music Hall, in downtown Kansas City, to see the progress. Frani picked up some quilts and dropped off more to be quilted. We finally picked up our curio from Nebraska Furniture Mart and it filled the mini van. It's uncrated now and looks great in it's new home in Albuquerque.  Fine Arts Center - Progress Another Rejection:
The mail brought another watercolor rejection notice today. So I won't have a painting in the California Watercolor Association exhibit in San Francisco. You win some - you loose some - but you keep on trucking. So, I'll keep entering more juried watercolor exhibitions. |
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 Woody |
Visiting Kansas (4/4 - 4/15): It was an enjoyable visit with our grandkids back in Kansas. But feeding chickens and ducks every morning is just not my thing. So, while we were there, we drove over to the opening of the Missouri National Watercolor exhibition at the Winston Churchill Memorial in Fulton, Missouri. Of course, Frani and I got our photos taken with the sections of the Berlin wall that were incorporated into a sculpture there.   "Good Morning Kansas" |
 Frani |
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| Arlo Guthrie Tonight (4/3): Tonight at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, in Albuquerque, Arlo Guthrie and Family will perform. Frani and I have first row center seats in the balcony. If you go to this NPR Link you can listen to a broad cast of one of the concerts. Arlo is teamed up with his son, Abe; daughter Sarah Lee Guthrie; her husband, Johnny Irion; and steel-guitarist Gordon Titcomb, to tour as the Guthrie Family Legacy. It's going to be a fun evening - even if it reminds us of how old we have become.  Tess and Tiffanie Decorate Poppies Patio |
 Arlo Guthrie |
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| Watercolor to Alabama (4/2): This morning, I received notice that I had a watercolor accepted into the 69th Annual Exhibition of the Watercolor Society of Alabama. My watercolor is of a shack off to the side of the road on the way to Taos. My painting "Sunlit Shack" will be on display at the Johnson Center For The Arts, in Troy, Alabama from May 15th through July 17th, 2010. The opening reception will be on Sunday May 16th from 2 to 4 pm. But, we need to be at another opening in Salt Lake City, Utah that same weekend.  "Sunlit Shack" |
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 Math Lessons |
Home Schoolers Visit (4/1): The girls, visiting from Kansas, had to keep up with their lessons even when they are visiting Poppie and Grandma. But, they did talk Grandma into getting out some her dolls. Girls do love their dolls.   Girls Love Their Dolls |
 Reading |
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