CYMBALS AND SCRATCH ART

My grandson called me (through his mother) to let me know that he thought he needed more cymbals for his drum set. Boy, does he take after his granddad!! I remembered that I had gotten a new set for one of my favorite kids in the world, Kriss Proctor. He said that Liam could have the old set. He is the starting quarterback for Navy this year, so probably won't be playing the new or old set. Liam is going to be one happy little drummer!!!

Newest scratchboard art to the left.

A LITTLE BIT OF ME

I can't help but try and ponder

  as I trace my dream

Are the lines on my paper

  really what they seem

The lines are there for all to see

  they try and tell my mind

But when the others look at them
  I wonder what they find

I see the colors there on the page
  they seem so bright and clear
But maybe I'm the only one
  that's my real fear

Do the others really understand

  the shapes seem bold and fair

Maybe they can't comprehend

  or worst they may not care

The things that touch me oh so deep

  are there in black and white

I've put it down for all to find

  It's right there in plain sight

From these works and all I give

  you'll find the real me

All the things that mean so much

  please take some time to see

BURIED TREASURE (AT LEAST TO ME)

I mentioned in my last post that I needed to start getting my studio back into some kind of reasonable order. I am now in the middle of that task with some rewards uncovered with my effort. I had a stack of paintings and various prints that had grown over the years to a pretty large collection. Many just needed to move on to a final resting place (fireplace), but others were fun to revisit. To the left is an acrylic painting I did of my wife and a friend when we were staying on lle Verte Island near Quebec a few years ago. It was the off season and we had the whole island to ourselves (literally). Reminded me of what a beautiful place the island is and what a wonderful and peaceful time we had.

PASTEL A WORKIN'

I think I need to narrow my focus a little bit. Too many irons in the fire would seem to fit. I have a large woodblock going that I can't seem to resume because the blocks just don't work very well. A reduction linocut that is in the halfway stage. I am really excited about continuing my new attempts at watercolor with the Edwards techniques, and I still have this pastel I am trying to finish.  I also need to sort through things in my studio and put it back into some semblance of order. Breathe John!!!

NOTE TO SELF...LOOSEN UP

My new watercolor is still not quite finished, and not quite what I had hoped for, but I'm enjoying putting down paint without trying to be precise. When I paint with acrylics, I try too hard for photographic results. Much more fun without those expectations. Thinking I might actually get better at this!!

Older acrylic painting below.

PASTEL VS WATERCOLOR

As mentioned in my last post, I am attempting another watercolor. I'm at the halfway point with mixed results. Parts of it are pathetically bad, but other parts are close to what I was trying to do. For a "just in case" measure, I'm also working on another pastel! Sky work below.

TRY, TRY AGAIN

Sterling Edwards watercolors have given me the bug again. I'm going to attempt another painting. I have all the correct supplies so if it's a failure it will be easy to identify the problem.

Below is another scratchboard drawing I recently finished.

BACK TO NORMAL

Most of the visitors have gone home and we can move around our little town again. Great fireworks show as usual!

HAPPY HOLIDAY

Big Bear Lake and the Forth of July. Definitely the good and the bad. One of the best fireworks displays in Southern California happens over the lake. With that comes masses of people looking to take in the show and escape the heat down below.

Speaking of the lake, most of our waterfowl have returned to the valley. Below is an acrylic painting I did a few years ago.

Lunch Time - Acrylic painting on Arches paper