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Our Mountain January 23rd, 2010
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 "Phone Home" |
Progress On My Watercolors (2/31): Yesterday morning, I made some progress on my newest watercolors. The "Flute Player" is a challenge because of the geometric elements I've added - but his jeans are looking good. The painting I'm calling "Phone Home" is moving along smoothly. Part of my success is perhaps because I'm working larger (full sheet) now. I like working larger - it gives me more freedom to be expressive. I'm not as tight working on a larger painting.  "Flute Player" Tuareg:
Some told me this morning that the gentleman I was painting was a "Tuareg". The Tuareg (pronounced TWAH-reg) people are predominently nomadic people of the sahara desert, mostly in the Northern reaches of Mali near Timbuktu and Kidal. The Tuareg are often referred to as "Blue Men of the desert " - because their robes are dyed indigo blue. They live in small tribes with between 30 and 100 family members and keep camels, goats, cattle and chicken which graze the land. They are a proud race of people, famous for their fighting abilities and artwork, now staring urbanisation and resettlement in the face. The sword is a Tuareg's most valued possession. Many are passed from generation to generation and said to be protected by the victories of its past owners. |
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Mega Millions Now in New Mexico (2/30): A new multi-state lotto game is coming to New Mexico. Starting Sunday, residents can begin buying tickets for the Mega Millions game, now sold in 12 states. The first drawing for New Mexico tickets will be at 9 p.m. Feb. 2. Winning numbers are drawn on Tuesdays and Fridays. Now we have more chances to get rich or just more chances to loose our money. But, at least that's more money going to fund the Lottery Scholarships to send our students to college. |
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 Bonfire in Sudan |
African Update: If you are trying to follow Jason's great adventure across Africa - here is the most recent report. They are currently in Sudan - the 2nd of ten countries they will traverse. Our campsite on the grounds of an abandoned zoo in Sudan is surprisingly clean, albeit somewhat starved of amenities. At first glance it could be a mini-put golf course, with its peacock statues and manicured blankets of green sun-scorched grass. Riders were hoping for showers after baking on a bicycle in the hot sun, but settled for outdoor cement mounted taps and a bank of squatter toilets. Dongola is the site of our second rest day of the tour. Unlike our last day off in Luxor, tomorrow will also be a rest day for our livers, given that Sudan is a dry country. Last night’s camp along the Nile was another stellar desert tenting spot, with river access to cool off and escape the clouds of tiny, irritating flies that enveloped us from the moment we stepped out of the saddle. The flies, known as midges, don’t bite, but made it difficult to breathe without inhaling a cluster of fluttering microscopic wings and crunchy miniature exoskeletons. The appearance of a small Nile crocodile during yesterday’s swim did little to deter riders from a second dip, and despite the absence of an AK47-wielding security guard, most took their chances and basked in the fast-running Nile waters 600 kilometres north of Khartoum. In keeping with the wholesome beer-free atmosphere of Sudan, our night ended with a bonfire drumming circle under the stars - the driftwood fire licking at the sand, casting shadows over dusty, sun-burnt faces. Posted by - Allison Barnes on January 29, 2010 on http://www.tourdafrique.com/epictours/tourdafrique/blog Jason sent me a message on facebook: he suggested going to - and the typing the name Jason Becker for the route to follow - I finally got it to work. Jason must have a GPS devive that reports his location every few minutes. Here is the most recent report.   Current Location Last Two Days Travel |
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| Slide Show Needed: I spent most of the day on Thursday (trial and error) teaching myself how to create a roll over slide show as part of a web page. I don't know how to write html source code - but I finally got it figured out. I was wanting the slide show to be part of some web pages about the Collograph Printmaking Workshop I conducted in Ruidoso last November. http://www.taospaint.com/Collograph2009/Ruidoso.html Now that I know how to do this - I can use it to show stages in my watercolors.  |
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 "Phone Home" |
Friday Painters: I paint on Friday mornings with my friends at the Unitarian Church. This Friday, I made some progress on my "Flute Player" and quite a bit of progress on one I titled "Phone Home". I'll continue working on both watercolors Saturday morning with another group of artists at the La Mesa Church.  "Flute Player" |
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 click on logo to see four pages of workshop photos from 2009 NMAEA Fall Conference |
Working On Updates For NMAEA Website (2/29): In the next day or two, I'll be finishing with my updates to the website for the New Mexico Art Education Association. I'm about two months behind schedule now, but it's getting done - and it looks good too. Sample page shown below: Watercolor Master: I found someone who is a true master of the simple strokes with watercolor. Thomas W Schaller creates the most with a just a few strokes of his brush. His web site is at http://www.twschaller.com/ Schaller also maintains a blog about his work at http://twschaller.blogspot.com/ I discovered his watercolors while looking at paintings posted on facebook watercolor. One painting he posted looked familiar - I had seen it on a recent posting of Artists Daily written by Steve Doherty titled Watercolors by Architects. The website called Artist Daily is an on line publication by American Artist magazine that I've been posting my watercolors on. Thomas W Schaller lives in Venice, California. He is definitely a watercolorists worth keeping track of. |
 Demo at My Workshop Last November in Ruidoso, NM |
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 Wabi Sabi |
Happy Accidents in Watercolor (1/28): The concept of "Wabi Sabi" means to me the accepting of the little happy accidents that happen in the painting process. I've always told my students, "there are no mistakes in art - only happy accidents." To watercolor artists, wabi-sabi is an aesthetic - a way of appreciation of the errors which occure while painting. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" "Wabi Sabi" nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect. Wabi connotes rustic simplicity, freshness or quietness, and can be applied to both natural and human-made objects, or understated elegance. It can also refer to quirks and anomalies arising from the process of construction, which add uniqueness and elegance to the object. "Wabi" may be interpreted as the imperfect quality in anything. While "Sabi" is beauty or serenity that comes with age, when the life of the object and its impermanence are evidenced in its patina and wear. Wabi and Sabi together suggest sentiments of desolation and solitude... representing liberation from a material world and transcendence to a simpler life. A very simple translation of wabi sabi would be Sad Beauty. |
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Ambiguity Lacking In My Art: Besides taking advantage of "Wabi Sabi", happy accidents, in my painting - my goal is to search for greater "ambiguity" in my images. My painting now is way too percise and carefully done. I not only need to loosen up - but I need to create images that require the viewer to think more, to look for varied meanings in the marks and brushstrokes. At least that's my current goal that I'm setting for myself. |
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| How Do You Price Your Art ? In searching the web, I came across an interesting survey on how different artists price their art. It was posted on a British Artist's Blog: |
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 Andrew Connors (Art Curator) |
Albuquerque Now (1/27): On Monday, Andrew Connors (Art Curator) gave docents a guided tour of portions of our new Exhibition. "Albuquerque Now", is the second of back to back invitational exhibitions of art being created by artists living in the Albuquerque area. 100 pieces of creativity created by 101 artists. It's a great experience - don't miss it. Frani and I went to the opening on Saturday night. Frani even liked 20% of the art - that's a mark of approval from her.  Curator Explains Albuquerque Now |
KU beat Missouri by 19 points on Monday  Buy a Blow Up Jayhawk for only $154.99 |
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| Wisdom From The Comics: When asked: how I managed to stayed married to Frani for 46 years. I answered - "I believe in Monotony." When asked: Don't you mean Monogamy ? I replied - "What's the difference ? |
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Where is Jason ? click on map to see entire route  click on photo to read tour blog |
Follow the Tour of Africa (1/26): Here is the blog where anyone can follow the tour of Africa. The post details and lots of pics. http://www.tourdafrique.com/epictours/tourdafrique/blog  Day Three Day
7. Our first rest day. For some it’s a bit of a misnomer - a time
to hand scrub a week’s worth of laundry and make the switch from
physical exhaustion to the mental athletics that compressing seven days
worth of insights into a single blog entry demands.
Our campsite on the grounds of a Luxor hotel is our home away from home for another night. It has a pool - there’s no water in it, but it‘s a pool. According to a dusty brochure, “Lundry services” are also available. Some have already learned the hard way that letting someone else do your laundry may not be the wisest choice; the underwear and socks and t-shirts of dozens of cyclists get thrown en masse into a communal wash bucket, soaked and stirred into a stew of sweat and suds and hung in a perplexing outdoor drying system that turns finding your favourite pair of shorts into a scavenger hunt. Lesson learned. This morning the coffee drinkers among us enjoyed a break from instant disappointment in favour of syrupy sweet Turkish coffee. Black as tar and served burn-your-tongue-hot in ceramic cups on small white saucers, this potent brew is a welcome jolt to the senses. Primed by last night’s slideshow presentation by an Egyptologist, many riders are taking the opportunity to visit the famed sights of Luxor on this sunny Friday, a day of public worship for Egypt’s predominantly Muslim population. Dubbed, “the world’s greatest open air museum,“ Luxor is home to the famed Egyptian city of Thebes. Just across the Nile rest several more ancient sights, including the tombs of the Valley of the Kings. This first week on the road has been a challenging one. Already many aboard Tour d’Afrique 2010 have had to relinquish their EFI status to fatigue, mechanical failure and extenuating circumstance (EFI refers to Every Fabulous Inch of the road ridden by bicycle, without having to hop on a truck to camp). Luckily several new and much less arduous acronyms have begun to emerge. For riders who prefer to spend every rest day in the comfort of a hotel: EFH (Every Fabulous Hotel). For tour leader Sharita, who sleeps aboard one of our trucks: EFNT (Every Fabulous Night in a Truck). Other staff have committed to another EFNT (replace Truck with Tent), a title I quickly lost following my desert tumbleweed debacle. For now, with the savoury street fare of Egypt offering up soft pockets of fresh bread filled with crispy hot falafel, tender eggplant and buttery fuul, I hope to adopt an acronym of my own: EFM (Every Fabulous Morsel I can consume). - Posted by Allison Barnes |
Follow the Tour CLICK HERE   Chase Truck Follows the Tour |
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These Are Not Paintings (1/25): I'm just playing with Photoshop to create effects that look like watercolors. I'm using some of the cloud photos I took on Saturday and then at sunrise on Sunday morning. These might turn into paintings later on.  Not A Painting  Sunday Morning click on photo to see the birds |
 Birds At Sunrise |
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 Jason Becker (in Asia) |
Update On Jason: Jason Becker is staying in Aswan tonight. Tomorrow they plan to cross the lake and land in Sudan. Assuming that customs goes smoothly (highly unlikely) they will all be back in the saddle and pedaling south on Tuesday. It's a long ride bicycling from Cairo, Egypt to Capetown, South Africa from Jan-May. This 7,500+ mile trip is an adventure of a lifetime to say the least. In addition to the personal adventure and experiences Jason will derive from this trip, he also wanted to support a worthwhile project with his ride. I will post updates on Jason's adventure as the ride progresses. It began on January 16, 2010. The Tour: Features 96 cycling days or stages, averaging 123 km (77 miles) each, broken up by 22 rest days and 2 days of ferry boat travel for a total of 120 days in traversing Africa from north to south. Stages range from 80 km on rough terrain to more than 180 km on the best paved roads. Traveling through 10 countries in all, you will cycle along the Nile past ancient temples, through the Sudanese desert, and up and down the biblical landscapes of Ethiopia's rugged Simian Mountains. After crossing the Equator in Kenya, you will pedal past legendary Mount Kilimanjaro, to Lake Malawi, Victoria Falls, and along the edges of the magnificent Kalahari and Namib deserts, en route to the finish of your epic journey in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa.  2 days into egypt |
 Where is Aswan ? |
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 Snow in Albuquerque 1/23/10 |
Snow in Albuquerque (1/24): Blossom woke up yesterday to a thin layer of white stuff all over the ground. I quickly took a few pics before our major snow storm fades away. She quickly did her job, tested the white stuff, and came back inside to her warm bed. Her recent hair cut would work better for the Spring.   Welcome to Winter in Albuquerque  Clouds over the Sandia on Friday |
Over Our House
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Watercolor In Taos: Every June, since 1985, I've driven to Taos, New Mexico to take a watercolor workshop. This workshop is always at the historic Sagebrush Inn. We are treated like royalty and the food is fantastic. I'm exercising and dieting now getting ready for that week in June. If you are interested, contact Judy Jones at ascart@adams.edu or phone her at 719-587-7823.  June 13 - 19, 2010   |
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"Phone Home" I started on a full sheet watercolor that is titled "Phone Home" I think it's a long distance phone call he's making  "Phone Home" |
Fond Farewell Air America (1/23): Sad News - liberal "Air America" radio is going off the air. The nation wide network, which once had such hosts as Al Franken and Rachel Maddow, struggled from its beginning in 2004 and had already gone through several management shake-ups, a bankruptcy and sale. Al Franken has moved to the US Senate and Rachel Maddow is on MSNBC television. That's where I can get my dose of Big Eddie (Ed Schultz) now as well. I will have to listen to NPR now. There will be no more Thom Hartman pod casts on my i-pod. Air America was launched in 2004 in a bid to counter the dominance of right-wing talkers in the radio market. Its reach extended to approximately 100 radio outlets nationwide. In recent years, Montel Williams, Ron Reagan and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were among the personalities on Air America's airwaves - but no more. Is this the harbinger of the future - like the ghosts haunting Scrooge in Dicken's Christmas Carol. Except, the outcome is reversed - American air waves is left with Limbaugh and his ilk.  Bad Omens come in three's don't they ?
Scott Brown Wins as Massachusetts Senator Court allows corporations to fund candidates to no end Now - Air America Folds Progressive Talk Radio Still Lives:
Like other avid listeners, I found out that all left wing talkers were not on Air America. This column in the New York Times, by Brian Stelter, explains the story. Thom Hartmann, identified by Talkers Magazine as the most important progressive host in the country, said in an interview Friday that Air America’s lasting contribution was the notion that “good talk radio can come from either side.” But he left Air America last year, due in part to his dissatisfaction with the network’s merry-go-round management. “We’ve been far more successful since we left,” Mr. Hartmann said in an interview Friday morning. So, Albuquerque and Santa Fe will continue to have progressive voices for me, and others, to get liberal views and reliable information from. |
"Flute Player" I made a bit of progress on my watercolor of the flute player in New Orleans |
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 Twisted Court Decision  |
Blow To Democracy (1/22): Yesterday, In a ruling that has major implications for how elections are funded, the Supreme Court has struck down a key campaign-finance restriction that bars corporations and unions from pouring money into political ads. The long-awaited 5-4 ruling, in the Citizens United v. FEC case, presents advocates of regulation (like me) with a major challenge in limiting the flow of corporate money into campaigns, and potentially opens the door for unrestricted amounts of corporate money to flow into American politics. Critics of the stricter limits have argued that they amount to an unconstitutional restraint of free speech, and the court majority agreed. "The censorship we now confront is vast in its reach," Justice Anthony Kennedy said in his majority opinion, joined by his four more conservative colleagues. Strongly disagreeing, Justice John Paul Stevens said in his dissent, "The court's ruling threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions around the nation." Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor joined Stevens' dissent, parts of which he read aloud in the courtroom. The justices also struck down part of the landmark McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill that barred union- and corporate-paid issue ads in the closing days of election campaigns. In my mind, the major issue is one of people vs. corporations. Each person gets one vote. Corporations are considered as people by this court ruling. Money is also a large influence in politics. The law limits how much I "a person" can give to a candidate. But the court says that a corporation can spend all they want to in a political campaign. My $2,300 limit is a very small voice up against the millions of dollars a corporation can spend. Where is the equality in this ? And, why does the corporation have any voice at all - it's not a person. The court thinks it is - by their ruling yesterday. And the corporation could be a foreign owned with business interest in the US. This ruling says that the foreign company can spend any amount they wish to influence the outcome of an election in the US. This money as free speech is bull shit. We need public financing of elections now more than ever. President Barack Obama indicated he supports efforts to restrict the ruling through legislation, saying "We are going to talk with bipartisan Congressional leaders to develop a forceful response to this decision. The public interest requires nothing less." According to the president, "This ruling gives the special interests and their lobbyists even more power in Washington -- while undermining the influence of average Americans who make small contributions to support their preferred candidates. That's why I am instructing my administration to get to work immediately with Congress on this issue," Justice John Paul Stevens led the dissent, arguing corporations are not actual members of society, pointing out they cannot vote or run for office. "In the context of election to public office, the distinction between corporate and human speakers is significant. Although they make enormous contributions to our society, corporations are not actually members of it. They cannot vote or run for office." Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), one of the fathers of campaign finance law said, "The American people will pay dearly for this decision when, more than ever, their voices are drowned out by corporate spending in our federal elections. In the coming weeks, I will work with my colleagues to pass legislation restoring as many of the critical restraints on corporate control of our elections as possible." |
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Sandia At Sunset (1/21): Yesterday, just before sunset, I took more photos of our mountain. Sandia in Spanish means watermellon. The mountain turns red at sunset and the pine trees (dots) appear to be the seeds of the watermellon. In the Tiwa language (Pueblo) our mountain is "posu gai hoo-oo", meaning - "where water slides down". Albuquerque lies on the west side of the Sandia. The west side of our mountain is steep and rugged, with a number of sheer rock walls and towers near Sandia Crest. That's the side we see from our backyard. The eastern side, where the HDTV dream home is located, has a gentler slope. <<< If you are a Kansas University Alumni: here is the 2010 watch party schedule for the Fox & Hound off Jefferson @ 25 - Basketball, Beer and Good Friends.  Frozen Sandia |
 Shot From Our Backyard .................................................. |
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| click here to see this morning's cloud photos |
Snow Above Albuquerque (1/20): Monday night, the first of three winter storms, predicted for this week, moved through New Mexico. In Albuquerque, we got a nice gentle "female rain". The rain was so gentle that Frani didn't even realize it was raining. At higher elevations they got snow. From our view of the Sandia, from our backyard, it looks like the snow stayed above 7500 feet. I assume that the HDTV dream home, up in the "East Mountains" got 6 to 8 inches at least. It's good that they are giving a 4-wheel drive vehicle along with the house. Below is a photo I shot from our backyard on Tuesday afternoon.  Snow Above Albuquerque |
 Clouds Over Sandia |
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 Carol Carpenter Demo |
Watercolor Society (1/19): It was a very well attended meeting of the NMWS, last night, at the Albuquerque Museum. Carol Carpenter did her demo. Putting paint to paper always draws a nice crowd. Carol has an ease with the medium. Using her well worn brushes and neat clean pallet. Actually, it's hard to see her pallet through the layers of pigment here and there. Her best advice was to be leery of what you read and try, try, try - to find out what works for you. Frani's famous "Cheesecake Squares" were a hit - I brought empty platers home. That always makes my bride happy. I was able to announce the names of the 12 New Mexico artist who had their paintings selected for Western Fed this year. Our planning committee for WFWS 2011 meets tonight at Dave Cook's house. We need to make some decisions for next year when the show will be in Albuquerque. Also, yesterday - I finished the February issue of the NMWS newsletter (Brushstrokes) for the watercolor society and sent it off to be printed. Some members get it via the web but most still want a paper copy in the mail. Included was the prospectus for the NMWS Spring Exhibition. Click Here for a copy of the prospectus. Ron Ronson will be our juror this Spring. He will also conduct a 5 day workshop from May 3 - 7 - 9:00AM – 4:00PM in the Fine Arts Building at Expo New Mexico. You can see his work on his website at www.ronranson.com The cost is only $350 for the week. That is much cheaper than the $495 he will be charging at Cloudcroft two months later. But it's a really good deal when you figure out that you don't need to drive a long distance, rent a motel, and can even bring a sack lunch from home every day. These hometown workshops are the best reason to belong to the New Mexico Watercolor Society. Congratulations to the following NMWS members who had their work selected into WFWS 35 in Salt Lake City, Utah: Patricia Baca, Nancy Frost Begin, Marcella Boushelle, Dave Collis, Erich Fisher, Lyda Garcia, Linda Grace, Robert Highsmith, Hazle Orr, Nan Simpson, Todd Tibbals and Sharon White. Some artist were selected for the first time this year. For Hazle Orr, this was her fourth time being it this prestigious exhibition - so, Hazle is now a Signature Member of Western Fed. As WFWS delegate from New Mexico, it's my job to ship the watercolors to Salt Lake City for the exhibition that opens on May 14th. To learn more about Western Fed go to: http://www.wfws.org/ |
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| Is It Finished (1/18): When is a painting finished ? I applied some white acrylic with a fan brush this morning. I'll lean it up against the wall and live with this painting for awhile. I'm not use to mixing mediums. Time will tell. Or, I'll just move on. Tonight, is the monthly meeting of the NM Watercolor Society. Carol Carpenter is doing the demo tonight. I'll finish the NMWS newsletter this morning and then go walk off some pounds. Of course, I'll need only a small taste of Frani's cheesecake to put another pound on. She made her famous "Cheesecake Squares" for treats at tonight's meeting.  "Frozen Kansas" |
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 Flute Player in progress |
click on paintings for larger views
Know Anyone in Massachusetts ? Please tell them to remember to vote for Martha Coakley for the US Senate. Massachusetts has sent conservatives and liberals, white men and black men, great men and tarnished men to the United States Senate, but we have never sent a woman. Martha Coakley is the state's highest law enforcement officer, and yet she is still a woman with impeccable liberal credentials. Her career proves that our country can have good laws, well enforced, without surrendering any of our hard won freedoms and civil rights. She has a long record of middle of the road wisdom, and is precisely what our state needs after a half century of flawed hero worship. The United States Senate is often called the world's most famous deliberative body. It has several exclusive powers not granted to the House of Representatives, including consenting to treaties as a precondition to their ratification and consenting or confirmation of appointments of Cabinet secretaries, federal judges, other federal executive officials, military officers and other federal uniformed officers, as well as the impeachment trials of federal officials. |
 Martha Coakley for the US Senate |
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Jason starts his bike ride across Africa today  follow Jason by clicking on his photo above |
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 Blossom Back Home from Mississippi |
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Getting In Shape: Frani and I went to Defined Fitness again today to workout. We are trying to loose a few unwanted pounds. Membership comes as part of our Medicare Advantage plan with Lovelace here in Albuquerque. After an hour on the treadmill - we went to Sam's Club for lunch. I also needed to pich up some Sant' Gria - that's really important. Wine keeps my blood flowing. |
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Painting With Friends (1/15): This morning, I'm going over to the Unitarian Church to paint with friends. I need to get back to my watercolors to make sure I don't loose my edge. I was on a roll before the holidays - now I need to get back on track. Yesterday, I entered nine different paintings into three different juried exhibitions. This year I'm going to try my luck in several different states to see what happens. I got one watercolor into the exhibit in Arizona so far - but struck out with Western Fed. Perhaps my work has some degree of quality or perhaps it's just the roll of the dice - time will tell. I always post the paintings that I enter each year on a web page. It helps me keep track of which paintings I've entered - where and when. Painting Today: Didn't get much done this morning. I started by sketching out "Frozen Kansas" on watercolor paper. It might be a tough subject in watercolor (so much white) but I'll give it a try. I put a light wash on my "Flute Player" and small finishing touches on the "Snow Rose" I started before Christmas. I also took some didigal photos of watercolors so friends can enter them into MasterWorks of New Mexico. Then UPS drove up, meaning Blossom came home (the painting from Mississippi) in her shipping box. That means I can box up my watercolor of "Jazz Singer" to ship off to Arizona now.   "Frozen Kansas" and "Flute Player" |
 Added a few snow flakes to call her finished |
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| New Creations (1/14): This morning, I began a drawing for a new watercolor. Again, based upon photos I took in the French Quarter last October. It shows a street musician - a flute player, entertaining the tourists. He was seated on plastic milk crates - but I'm putting him on a concrete wall to add more diagonal elements in the composition to echo the direction of the flute. Frani is also busy working on a new quilt. The large white area in the center will end up having a large basket design in it's place. Last night, I selected the watercolors I'm going to enter into three upcoming juried exhibits. As well as entering the annual "MasterWorks of New Mexico", I've decided to try the "Watercolor Missouri National" in Fulton, Missouri and the "Louisiana Watercolor Societies Annual International Exhibition" in New Orleans.   New Creations Began |
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WFWS in Utah (1/13): Last night, I sent off acceptance notices to 12 New Mexico watercolor artists. I'm informing those artists that one of their paintings will be on display in Salt Lake City in May. As NMWS delegate to the WFWS (Western Federation of Watercolor Societies) it's my job now to collect and ship the twelve New Mexico watercolors off to Utah. There are now 11 Watercolor Societies which make up the WFWS. My name was not among those selected by the juror this year. But, at least now I know that I can enter my "rejected" watercolors into other shows. WFWS exhibitions are difficult because there are usually over 1000 entries in each years competition. I know my entries were quite good this year - So, I'll just have to enter them into other competitions. MasterWorks of New Mexico and the NMWS Spring Show are both coming up soon. I'm also considering other watercolor shows in both Missouri and Louisiana. |
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| Albuquerque Now Winter (1/12): Yesterday, Andrew Conner (Art Curator) gave a fantastic preview (slides) of many of the creations which will be in the next exhibition "Albuquerque Now Winter". I loved the first Albuquerque Now exhibit - but the new one will be both bigger and better. Andrew has a great way of explaining art so that even if it's a piece you are not especially fond of - you begin to appreciate what the artist had in mind. Several artists, in the slides shown, were familiar - one especially. When the image of clouds by Angus Macpherson came on the screen - a large gasp of approval came from the docents. His style is not just well known - but also, highly appreciated.  Preview Opening: Saturday, January 23, 7 - 9 pm Members Opening: 5:30 - 7 pm meet the artists, Public Opening Reception: Sunday, January 24, 1 - 4 pm artists talks, 2 pm |
 Docents Ate All of Frani's Treats |
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Jason Becker |
Bike Across Africa: Follow Jason on his 7,500 mile bike trip across Africa at: https://projectrwanda.org/civicrm/contribute/pcp/info?reset=1&id=3  Jason
is trying to raise money to build and deliver custom bicycles outfitted
for Rwandan coffee farmers. Rwanda has nearly 500,000
small-holder coffee producers who rely on getting their beans to market
quickly to ensure the best price. Until now, they've relied on
simple wooden scooters. The Project Rwanda Coffee Bike, which can carry
loads of 200 lbs, allows Rwandan farmers get their beans to market
faster, ensuring a sustainable livelihood for their families.
Jason will be bicycling from Cairo, Egypt to Capetown, South Africa from Jan-May. This 7,500+ mile trip is an adventure of a lifetime to say the least. In addition to the personal adventure and experiences he will derive from this trip, he also wanted to support a worthwhile project with his ride. I will post updates on Jason's adventure as the ride progresses. It begins on January 16, 2010. |
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 Tim Burton |
Alice In Wonderland in 3-D (1/11): Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and IMAX Corporation announced that Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen and Mia Wasikowska as Alice, will be released to IMAX® theaters simultaneously with the film’s wide release on March 5, 2010. The release date is perfect, because we hope to be in Kansas City in March and can take those fantastic triplet grandkids to see the movie. CLICK HERE to see a trailer of the movie. Tim Burton has a fantastically creative and twisted mind. His art teacher must be quite proud of how he turned out. For a look at the art of Tim Burton - CLICK HERE.  Tim Burton's Art |
 Alice Poster |
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 "Cheesecake Squares" |
Treats By Frani: My docent team is bringing treats to docent training this morning at the Albuquerque museum. Of course everything I'm bringing was baked, yesterday, by my bride. What would I do without her. Frani makes me highly appreciated with every group I belong to. They seldom see her - but the sure know she can cook. I'm taking her "Cheesecake Squares" and a "Peach Coffeecake" to the training session. Her recipe for is on my website at: http://www.taospaint.com/Cheesecake/Squares.html Tomorrow, my team has a tour scheduled. There will be only 23 second graders from Governor Bent elementary school. If you are not familiar with the history of New Mexico - Charles Bent was the first appointed governor of New Mexico shortly after the US army took the territory from Mexico in September 1846. He was killed, in his home in Taos, as part of a revolt led by Taos Pueblo members and other local citizens in September of 1847. I highly recommend reading "Blood and Thunder" to learn more about the period. I've read the book and both Frani and I have listened to it through my i-pod as well. |
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 So Long Ago |
Frani's Quilts (1/10): My bride started a new quilt while I was off learning about acrylics last week. She made some very good choices in the new colors and patterns. This morning we head out to get some additional material for more quilts. CLICK HERE to see some of her earlier quilts.  New Quilt
Today is the final day for the Mississippi National Watercolor
Show in Jackson, Mississippi. I received a copy of the exhibit
catalogue yesterday. The museum will be shipping my painting of Blossom back soon. That will allow be to use the shipping box to send off my watercolor of the "Jazz Singer"
to the exhibition in Arizona. I do have two shipping boxes - they are
quite expensive - but, they are the best way to ship a framed
watercolor.
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Crying Jayhawk Because KU Lost to Tennessee on Sunday |
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 Our Exhibition |
Celebration (1/9): Yesterday, we wrapped up a great week long acrylic painting workshop. Soon I'll post more photos from the workshop. The last afternoon, we all hung our work and had a celebration. I sure hope Angus decides to continue doing these workshops.  Toasting Success   my attempts at acrylics on canvas |
Arizona Aqueous XXIV Feb 19, 2010 - March 21, 2010  "Jazz Singer" Selected for exhibition at the Tubac Center of the Arts Tubac, Arizona |
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| Wrapping Up (1/8): This is the last day of our acrylic painting workshop. I've never seen a workshop where people show up so early - eager to paint and have to be chased away at closing time. That's got to be a sure sign of success - Angus and Donna put together a great workshop. I did find a solution for my painting of "Frozen Kansas".  "Frozen Kansas" |
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| Angus Macpherson Workshop (1/7): Today
is the fourth day of the painting workshop. I've created a web page
with several photos from the first three days. I'll give everyone the
URL today.
I'm learning a lot and
beginning to appreciate the approach to painting with acrylics that
Angus is showing us. Everyone seems to be enjoying the workshop. For
sure - no one has any fear of color. |
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| Painting Clouds (1/6): Yesterday - I painted clouds in acrylic - on canvas. It was a very enjoyable day - and a very productive day. Every artist in the workshop came up with very different look to their clouds. I shot photos all day long and will create a powerpoint to recap our day to show at the beginning of today's workshop.  Here's my canvas where I left it after the first day working on clouds. Below is the canvas I started today:  I'm trying to capture the way the frozen trees looked as we drove across Kansas last Saturday. I'll finish the canvas tomorrow. |
 My clouds finished first thing this morning. |
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| Painting on Canvas (1/5): I'm helping with the Angus Macpherson workshop in the Fine Arts building at Expo. My job is to run the projection equipment, show some powerpoints and shoot lots of photos of the process. I even went out and bought canvas to paint on. I stretched and primed a 30 x 30 inch canvas yesterday. I'm going to paint with acrylics today. The process looks like fun.   Angus Macpherson Demo |
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| More Change That Remains The Same: "The Obama administration has decided not to sign an international convention banning land mines. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Tuesday that the administration recently completed a review and decided not to change the Bush-era policy." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ |
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 "New Mexico Storm" |
Angus Macpherson (1/4): Starting today, I'm helping my friend Donna with a, week long, painting workshop by Angus Macpherson. I've admired his paintings for years. Even though he paints with acrylics - he uses a lot of thin washes like a watercolor artist would. I expect to learn a lot this week. ANGUS MACPHERSON ~ 5 DAY PAINTING WORKSHOP
~ Painting up a storm ~ January 4 - 8, 2010 9am-4pm Fine Arts Building, Expo NM  "Storm Hole" by Agnus Macpherson |
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 Location |
Win a Home in New Mexico: Every year HGTV gives away a new house somewhere in the US. This year the home is a contemporary southwest house in the mountains between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. You can enter at http://www.hgtv.com/dream-home/index.html The house is located in the east mountains along the famous Turquoise Trail. We love the house we are in - but still plan to enter this contest daily.  HGTV House in New Mexico Could Be Yours  Check Out The View |
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| Tribute to Everyone We Lost in 2009: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band seems to be able to get the best together for a songfest. I'm posting this tune to say goodbye to all the friends we lost in 2009.  Click on the above pic to hear "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" Click Here for another rendition of "Circle" by the Dirt Band Will The Circle Be Unbroken - Tribute to Mother Maybelle Carter |
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 "Northern Exposure" |
Back in the 90's there was a quality TV series, on CBS, called "Northern Exposure". The last episode of the show had background music sung by a favorite of mine - Iris Dement. He beautiful voice, as well as her refreshing simple clean looks makes her a real jewel. Listen to Iris sing "Our Town" by clicking HERE. Below is another rendition of the song with Iris accompanied by Emmy Lou Harris. Perhaps the snow back in Kansas got me thinking about old TV shows like "Northern Exposure".  Click on the above pic to hear "Our Town" Here's "Sweet" Iris Singing "In Spite of Ourselves" with John Prine |
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 Blossom's Final Look At Snow |
Return From Freezing Kansas (1/02): It was 2 degrees when we drove away from my son's house in Eastern Kansas. I had totally forgotten what a real winter was like. As we drove away, at 2 AM, they were predicting -5 to -8, for low temperatures, later in the week. The roads, across Kansas, were good but we did not see the sun until we got close to New Mexico. It was 50 degrees when we arrived home in Albuquerque. It was a wonderful visit for the holidays - but it's always good to be home.  Crossing Kansas - January 2nd, 2010 |
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