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Tuesday, October 31, 2006

tick or teat

so what'll it be then??

Oy, I woke up late today. My body, I guess it needed the sleep because I didn't crack open me eyelids until 9:30. Almost unheard of!! And I think there are new next door neighbors to the south. Sigh.........they like to play their spanish music pret-ty loud. Dammit but I don't wanna trudge next door and ask them to turn it down. I'm the resident baddy around here because I insist on respectful noise levels. Ah well. I'll just see how it goes. Sure was nice to sleep all the way to the late morning hours........although now, it's already a quarter after ten and where did the day go?!

Well I decided to treat myself to the neighbor's fig tree again. I think me it's the last haul of the year. It froze up overnight last night, and probably the night before. I don't think that the figs stand much of a chance of maturing any further this year. I also helped myself to a few tomatoes. Well......okay, but my trick or treat bag (and my stomach) were wanting! And they haven't picked ANY and they're rotting on the vine! The house looked pretty dark and empty too. So it was kind of a sneaky raid, but not entirely.

Got a nice blister on my finger, from cracking walnuts for an hour straight yesterday. Talk about a haul and a half. Still there are mountains to be shelled! Can you imagine doing this without a nutcracker? Or doing it for hours on end, to feed a whole family or a village? Those walnuts are superb, though. I pass another walnut tree on the way home from bike riding, only this one is down by the river and it's one of those that drop black slime-filled pods instead of the clean green ones that I pick from. The last few times, there was a guy gathering and cleaning his glean. Now THAT would take a LONG time.

Josie is quite the tilt-a-whirl-girl. She's still as cute and spunky as ever, but the girl she does tilt. And when Jacque mimes her, I laugh even harder. And then I cry. And then I laugh. Oh lord. But, Josie does seem more even-keeled on her feet, steadier and surer of paw. Little darlin'.

Art night was another fun fest. Love those girls. I begin to really understand what all those chick-flicks are about. I've never enjoyed the company of so many women, and got along with so well, and been able to talk so openly and laugh so much. It's just great. I think we'll start doing figure studies one of these times; Charlie and I were talking about that. COOL.

So here is this week's latest print:



Size is about 4 1/2" x 6" or 11.5cm x 15cm.

Also in the same vein, with that nifty Pilot Gel pen and water wash, ATC-sized:



And there's another one, not a print, in this direction.

WARNING! SPOILER FOR WRICK!

Also, my October swaps for Wrick.

And some more Cake from me to Haddock, and some from Haddock to me!

Wouldn't want that clicker-finger to atrophy now, would we??

Off to the drawing table with me I go.

Monday, October 30, 2006

BOO!!



And it is most definitely autumn here. And daylight savings time, or whatever. Darkness rules the land mwahahaha. A good set of days to just lounge in front of the computer, watching Samurai Champloo, drawing, sipping inka with almond milk and honey. It's the life, I tell you. Tres pampered and tres rich.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

beta carotenoids..or something

OMG!!! Delicata squash is superlatively scrumptious! Remembered I bought some, just baked it and ate several forkfulls. OoWow.

Earlier today I did this little card for a swapsy (ATC-sized), the theme is 'back in black'. And a few days ago I started drawing these little hands poking into places. I guess I'm on another roll, I can't seem to stop with the nostrils, either.



I drew it with a Pilot G2 gel pen, then brushed water over it with this keen synthetic fiber fine-point brush I got who-knows-where-or-when. The paper, now, that's a mystery too, I wish I could remember just where it came from because it really gives the drawing instruments a good surface and it also doesn't buckle with the water, but it's definitely NOT watercolor paper. Must be some printing paper, and maybe some old stuff. Sure had me some fun though.

I think I'll draw another poking hand somewhere. Filling up the Cake journal with Haddock is quite satisfying but I'm sure I could do another ATC.

And do try some delicata.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

doot de doo...de doo....

Well well well. Where to start? Josie had another seizure last week. She couldn't walk for a day or so and her eyes wouldn't track, she didn't poop or eat, and she threw up a lot.

:-(

Went to see her last thursday night and she barked once when I came in the door, which she hadn't done since before the seizure, and she was walking. And listing to the right. A lot. And stumbling. But she is still Josie. God I love that little girl. She is the sweetest, and she is taking it all in stride. Don't you wish you could do that half as well? I know I do. She's like....oblivious, she's not whining, thank god she's not in any pain, and she's still alive. Hopefully she won't seizure again. She's almost 13 years old. She acts like a puppy though.

And now...at least for the time being......she permanently tilts. You can kinda see her doing that here. And the thing is...since she's mostly okay as far as being able to walk (though unsteadily at times and not for very far) and over the worst of it (hopefully for good).....she is really REALLY cute now, instead of just cute. Now you can see her cute little teeth in her cute little mouth all the time. Jacque says she is going to turn herself upside down. Poor little cute girl.





Sure hope she sticks around for awhile yet.

You know that Shelties are herders? Well - they are. So now when she tries to do that, she's like a spinning top.

More art this weekend, among the usual bike riding and household puttering. Really is beautiful round here. Finally shut the bathroom window at night though, gettin' real chilly.

A postcard for Haddock:






And a print (natch). I want to do another with my arm even further up my backside. Can't do it with my left but it's kinda cool, the contortions. The way this side of the soft block is, is filled with little tiny holes which in some prints look like little tiny pinprick stars........



Time to close up shop, I think. You can check next door for some Cake that Haddock's sent over the last coupla weeks, if you fancy. Nighters!

Sunday, October 22, 2006

sunny sunday

Boo!

I'm up early (7:30 to be precise) on a sunday - on a SUNDAY! - my day off! That's rather frightening, don't you think? Well it's for a good cause. I'm going for an early morning bike ride and on the way back I'm stopping over at Marsha's where the gang's all there and we'll do brekkie. YUM. Then it's off to the art library with Haddock to check out some Egon Schiele. HE ROCKS. I did this print last night -- I was looking up Schiele on the 'net a couple nights ago and got linked up with Butoh, a japanese contemporary form of dance that's spooky, disturbing, eloquent, macabre and utterly mesmerizing. I remember reading that it means Dance of the Night. But, it was really late when I was cruising around watching videos like The False David so I could be completely mis-remembering.



Here's one of Egon Schiele's paintings titled Chills. You can see the connection between butoh dancing (the more I see and the more I read about Butoh...maybe to call it a dance is a misnomer but it's the closest descriptor, I suppose) and Schiele's work.



On a lighter note, here's a card I made for Haddock. He was saying how there's so much female energy at work (there is, most of our staff are women) and they're always wanting something (he said with a chuckle and not a whit of rancor). See, but he can't change lightbulbs. We have to call the ELECTRICIANS to change the lightbulbs. And, this is no joke.






Into the saddle with me I go, mufflered and gloved for sure...'tis nippy out there, not even 40 degrees...that'd be four degrees celcius for those of you who are not of the north american bent. G'day all!

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

three to get ready

Done this weekend, between and among all the other stuff going on around here. Which is fantastic. Did a second study of the one, since there were areas I wanted to try differently.

This series is Morning After 1, 2, 3.

Enough said. Wooo!





mise en scene






Two more sets of body shots - viewed as a reel, they take on a sort of graphic novel/comic strip/film composition. I'm itching to do even more, and I have a few others, will post again just been busy offline :^)

Saturday, October 14, 2006

sssshhhhh.....

I don't even need to shush anyone, it's so quiet here today at the library (work). I am really enjoying how subdued, in a peaceful sort of way, the environment is here. An occasional cough or whisper, but otherwise, blissful quietude.

Oh, right. It's because half the area's population is over at Autzen Stadium screaming their heads off for the football game! YES! Never have I been so glad of a football game!

Clouds have moved in, too. What a golden week it's been, though. Haddock and I picked walnuts on lunch yesterday. Sunny and just-right-warm. Bidding summer a fond farewell....it was an awesome one!!

Monday, October 09, 2006

great glory

Wow. What a glorious day. A slow start but I just geared down.

This morning I was so uncoordinated - couldn't see how shapes fit together to form parts and wholes as easily as I've experienced recently. So I carved a couple small ones, from erasers. Post those later. I cleaned up my art space - was feeling just so overwhelmed. So easy to be a mare's nest, especially in a small space such as this. Now it's back to being cozy instead of cramped and out of control with bits and bits and bits all over the place.

So then I headed out for a ride along the river - just beautiful. I like being outside every day: it gives me a real sense of time passing instead of abrupt season changes that happen when you're not looking around in the great out of doors. The wind was blowing every which way today. Lots of tree dressing scattered about now!

Then I went to The Fig Tree. That baby is loaded. I plucked. And plucked. And headed over to Trader Joe's for a couple of organic pumpkins.....they sell 'em so cheap (three bucks each - that is cheap). I wanna make Haddock a pumpkin cake for his birthday - ha! That's tomorrow.

I love TJ's. It's got a very distinct smell, that I like, and I forget about it until I approach the double sliding doors. Then it hits me and I get all happy. I don't even know what to liken it to. The chalk drawings inside are AMAZING. I asked if I could take pictures, but - NO. I drank two coffees! They're always offering coffee. Little baby cups though. Sample-sized cups. But YUM. My dad would love that place.

Then, home again, and this:



Ahh! It's so exciting! I really like the way this is looking!!

I'm wide awake still! Imagine that! I am debating whether or not to watch the VERY LAST episode of the VERY LAST season of Six Feet Under tonight, or wait. I'll probably hit The Wall in two minutes and be so heavy-lidded I can't see straight. Guess I'll clean up around here and call it a good day.

Saturday, October 07, 2006

body shots

So okay - I finally figured out where all those miscellaneous, random hubcabs come from that I see alongside the road. I'm always thinking, what? did someone just decide they wanted to see if they could take a hubcab off a car? or did someone just get tired of their hubcab? what?

No. This is what happens. They go to the tire store, get two new front tires, and after leaving Firestone they're driving happily down the lane on new treads which greatly improve driveability and all of a sudden they're bumping over an object that's suddenly appeared in the road. When they look in their rearview, they see a hubcap spinning off to the curb. They scratch their heads: "how in the hell did that hubcap get in the middle of the road? I swear I didn't see anything a second ago." A couple three days later they realize that the guys at Firestone did not secure said hubcab back into place and what they ran over (thankfully leaving brand spanking new tires in unshredded condition) was their own damn hubcap.

Nobody will want to mess with or steal my car. The stereo looks beat up, it's a cassette player; I leave it kinda dusty inside and a little bit in shambles; and now, the front passenget side hubcap for the tire is lying in a ditch somewhere between here and Eugene. I can't remember where it slipped off. Maybe if I scour Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd I could find it. But nah. My car's got character now.

Oh yes! I do own a car. Took me about two years to save up for the tires, but it's'okay because you know how I love to bike and bus. Used to be that I really had to crank on the steering wheel, especially when I was in reverse. And let me tell you, that is no fun on the ribsies after you've biffed it on your bike. Much easier to just ride the bus, all around (being chauffered is nice, you get to read Sam Kieth graphic novels and talk to strangers). But now, I can steer with my pinky!

Here's some stuff I got up to this week. I'm working on a series of small stamps. There's another batch in the works, here's the first:



I made this one for Haddock. I showed him how I do carvings, he's been very interested, and he liked the little ones so I made several more.

Speaking of little....Manekineko over the Small Art Project sent me a feed. It's in the sidebar to the right - a revolving door of mail art calls, updated automatically each time she adds a new one to her website, which features more than just the Small Art. Check it out and consider submitting some Small Art of yer ownsies!

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

still kickin!!



Eroica took the photo of this fish, I took the liberty of carving and printing it :^)

A trip to the chiro and I feel MUCH better...been biking all weekend! And, the score of the century: an untended, unloved, and unplucked FIG TREE! I gave it some TLC and I thanked it for the fresh figs..oh my god, they're so good.

More updates next door du jour. Just been doing more art and less computer time...Haddock came over on saturday and we totally jammed! Meaning, drew and arted. That was so ace. And monday night art night with the gal pals was schweet too. Beauty weekend!

Here's a small sketch in progress. Of course I'll be going to print with it very soon.