Thank you Dr. Morgentaler

"I decided to break the law to provide a necessary medical service because women were dying at the hands of butchers and incompetent quacks and there was no one there to help them. The law was barbarous, cruel and unjust," he said at the time. "I had been in a concentration camp and I knew what suffering was. If I can ease suffering I feel perfectly justified in doing so."

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Abortion+activist+Henry+Morgentaler+died/8450399/story.html#ixzz2UsZRfcra

Pie throwing contest

 

I was asked to make a cut out for the pie throwing cut-out. And this is it! Our council has gleefully agreed to supply their faces for the event. We may have to trim a few inches off of the bottom. I was just assuming that all the guys were six feet tall...ooops! The faces will be cut out.

civic duty

Working on what will be a photo cut-out photo prop for the Village and Canal Days. Hopefully, the faces will be on hinges so that you can push them out of the way and stick your face in the hole.

Red Toque

Red Toque   watercolor

Second attempt watercolor post workshop. Still learning (sigh). It is frustrating when it looks so easy when an accomplished artist like Nuttall paints so (seemingly) easily. Practice, practice, practice!

76 trombones

I bet you can't watch this and not smile. When is the last time you heard "76 Trombones"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmDGntpZC3I&feature=player_embedded#!

and hint, hint...this is what I want for christmas

 a sugarbush draft horse. Gorgeous!!

Asterisk

So to try to explain a bit, the painting was based on photos I took of the Mountain Man rendezvous in Eureka Montana. the young man is supposed to be a mountain man, not an indian but one who borrowed a lot of indian accoutrements.
The tents they favor (I'm guessing they are historically accurate) are square canvas tents, not teepees. They were probably lighter than teepees and available from the Hudson's Bay or Northwest company.
It occurred to me that most people probably don't know these things because they don't go to black powder events.
Comments  ran about 50/50 for one format or the other.
In the original painting, I was trying to go for the counterbalance composition that Nuttall is fond of.

Tedd Nuttall

where you have your subject offset by a lot of space. I will have to play with this more to make it successful.

The tent just looks weak. I think that's what bothers me, that and the fact that the top of it is intersecting that horizontal line which is a bit of a no-no. The backgrounds in the photos were dark and broody and powerful. I don't think I like the painting being so light at the bottom. I may try to change that.
The "problem" with watercolors is that once you screw up, you are pretty well screwed. There is not much hope of fixing. Acrylics are much more forgiving because you can keep painting over things. Watercolors are good discipline though and they have effects that may be impossible to achieve in any other medium.
Thanks for all the comments. People point out things that don't occur to me, so it is good to get the feedback.

Post workshop production

Finally, I got to do a little watercolor painting yesterday. Now for the question, which format do you like better? Never mind the color of the mat. Do you like this one?

Or this one? Inquiring minds want to know.

Recycled frame

I found a particularly nice frame with mat at a garage sale. This photo is after I tore the thing apart so you can't see the lovely tweedy mat that was once in the frame but imagine it over the sailboat picture.

I used that perfect mat and frame to feature Grandpa Charlie Cox in his WW1 uniform. He just looks so dashing and full of himself!

It's a major award!

The trick with winning (or not winning) an award is to not take it too seriously. Nevertheless, I still feel exhilarated when I win something. It's nice to think I'm not just a legend in my own mind.

Red Head won second place at Vis Arts at Artrageous gallery. I have always liked this painting and apparently, someone else saw merit in it too. The nice little cash prize will be very appreciated.

emegency dog wash

The guilty party.

 Normally, Fiona doesn't pay attention to coyote dung but... She stopped to sniff a small pile and when she caught up with me she had big patches of poop smeared on her. She then proceeded to wade through the ashes of the burnt slash piles that forestry had burned off for urban interface fire protection. I'm guessing that she was working on a disguise so that she could sneak up on all the elusive gophers that have been teasing her.

Fortunately, it's a beautiful warm day and we had supplies on hand.

Ta-da, one clean, fresh and slightly sheepish dog.

Derby hats and a wings hat

 

four

derby

hats

and a "wings" hat

Wings reception

Wings over the rockies Artist Opening Event: Saturday May 4^th from 7 to 9 pm. HOpe to see you there!

Most people who have attended the Wings Over the Rockies Receptions know that I try to wear a "Wings" hat.

This arose out of the fact that the Kentucky Derby (a huge event in my younger years) occurred the same week as the Wings events. I decided to create a Wings hat for the festivities inspired by wild and beautiful Derby hats.

I have to go work on this year's hat!

Happy May Day!

Happy May Day. 

 

 

 a may day celebration

  a green man

 

 I'm not sure what these people are but it looks like fun.

 

 a maypole dance.

 How about a bit of Morris dancing to celebrate the day. I hope you washed your face with the dew.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cOn64_AAcs watch the Morris Dance