The Handy Pocket Desk

I’ve got one and you may too. Especially if you’re a gent and in the habit of wearing shirts with breast pockets. For me it all started when I was probably in my mid twenties. I was cowboying at the time and I noticed some of my older riding mates carried a notebook and pen or more likely a stub of a pencil in one of their breast shirt pockets, typically the one on the left if they were right handed, and often a can of PA in their right shirt pocket. In case you are wondering, PA is short for Prince Albert which is a smoking tobacco.

The typical notebook that was in fashion at the time had a brightly colored flip cover and was spiral bound with ruled pages. They were, and still are, widely available. The spiral was particularly handy because one could tuck a pen in there or a short, yellow, number two pencil. A pencil was the instrument of choice for many reasons but mainly because during the winter it wouldn't freeze up when removed from the shirt pocket. I noticed these older hands would often jot things down in their notebooks and there were any number of sheaves of loose paper stuffed in them. In order to keep it all held together, it was common to use a wide thick rubber band. 

My curiosity finally got the better of me and one day I asked the foreman, who I highly admired and aspired to be like, what all he kept in his notebook. He looked down at his pocket and removed the tattered little bundle. Holding it out in his grizzled hand he looked up at me and said that it was his “pocket desk”. He went on to explain that it was really a handy place to keep receipts, jot down unfamiliar brands, tally numbers, business cards for saddle makers and any other important information he needed to remember like the phone number for the vet and his wife’s birthday or their anniversary. Right then and there I decided next time I went to town I would pick one up.

Today I favor the Moleskin Pocket Notebook. My current one is rather tattered and I really should consider getting a new one but this one still has a few blank pages in it and I'm not ready to transfer the important notes I have collected in it. As an artist today, I no longer use mine to record brands and the vet’s number but more for sketching out an idea when nothing else is handy, a fellow artist’s website address, prescription refill numbers, or something I need to remember to do and of course, receipts. It does require a bit of housekeeping from time to time however, as just the other day I found a missing gas receipt from our Harley ride to Idaho last summer. That made the bookkeeper happy. 

Of course for those who almost live in their pickup trucks there's the handy dash desk . We'll take a look at that next time. Thanks for tuning in and do stop by if you get a chance. 

Catching up

It's hard to know where to start, it's been so long since I posted anything. I see that I left you good folks in Battlemountain, NV on my way to Petaluma, CA for a screen printing and gilding workshop I attended at Letterhead Sign Supply. In short I will say that it was a great class. Ron and Kristi were great hosts and I came away with some fantastic knowledge that I have yet to use but am saving for when the need arises. I'll put some photos and video together on that little trip and get it posted.

When I came back I had a job for some sandblasted signs to do for Cresto Ranch, an affiliate facility of Dunton Hot Springs here in Colorado. Go to www.duntonhotsprings.com for more information on these two places. here is a shot of three of the six signs I did for them.

These were sandblasted out of cedar. I then stained the background and brushed some 1-shot color on the raised border and lettering. They wanted an old weathered look to them which I believe I achieved. I was down there last week and saw them in place and they fit in just perfect with the tent sites and natural landscape.

I've been busy here in the shop with lots of framing. Art sales have been slow but just today sold two oils. Maybe the drought has been broken.

Over the fourth of July week I managed to get away for 8 days and took the Harley up into the Sawtooth Range in Idaho. What a great trip that was. More to come from that as I get photos and video put together.

I know there isn't much detail in this but I thought I ought to get something posted before too much time passed. I'll cover these topics in more depth as I can. It'll give you something to look forward to and now that I've tipped my hand I feel somewhat committed to get it done. I'll try to be more diligent. Stay tuned.

Snowy Day in April

Here's the view outside of the studio/gallery window this morning. I can't believe it. Sure was a surprise to wake up to this morning. I guess I'll just spend some quality time in front of the easel.

This is a little piece I just finished up yesterday. It's all gilded in reverse (on the backside of the glass) with 23kt gold. The legs of the "A" are inlaid with abalone shell and the colors are painted on the back of the glass as well. A nice addition to my collection.

Earlier this morning I spent some time "tagging" all of my posts in this blog. In otherwords, now when you are looking at a post, down at the bottom you can see the corresponding tags. If the post has a tag of "paintings" you can click on that tag and all of the posts about or with paintings will be shown. The same goes for other tags. A tag of "motorcycle travels" will give you all of the posts of my motorcycle travels.

I haven't done much in the way of "fine art" painting lately. Can't really say why except that I've been busy with frame making and gilding letters on glass. Those distractions only go so far in satisying the creative urge.

Painting is my true calling and I'm begining to feel the need to give in to it. I've got a couple of pieces that I was working on last fall that I just put aside before they were finished. Time to bring them out and get to work again.

I've been followint the plein air painting convention on Facebook and I must say that it has sure got my juices flowing again. Click here for a look at the activities. I belong to a couple of Plein Air painting groups and unfortunately I haven't been very active with them. There are several plein air painting events that are coming up this summer that I'd really like to go do but it is difficult to justify when art sales have been so slow. Of course if I remove the monetary motivation then there is no excuse not to go. Maybe I'll have to revisit the invitations I've received.

In the meantime, I think I'll refill my coffee cup and squeeze some paint out on the palette.

I'll be in touch. Thanks for stopping by.

The Art of Being an Artist

I’m telling you right here and now, it isn’t easy…being an artist. It used to be that one could get away with just painting good pictures but that has changed dramatically over the years. Painting the picture is the easy part. It’s everything else that goes with it that is becoming a real challenge.


I see two factors that are causing the most grief. The first is the competition. There are a lot of really good artists out there, creating some really good art, not to mention all of the marginal artists, creating marginal art. I’ll let you draw your own distinction between the two. I’m not going there.

The second factor contributing to this angst is technology, specifically computers and the internet. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for it. The problem, as I see it, is that those who have grown up with it, and have embraced it as a way of life, expect us all to think and operate on the same level in order to be successful. I don’t know. Maybe they are right but I’ll tell you it is exhausting trying to keep up.

Those who think they are “in the know”…and who knows…maybe they are right, tell you that to compete in today’s marketplace, you need to expose what you do in all the right places and in the right way. Here’s what I’m talking about.

I do a painting and hang it in my gallery. All of the career coaches and experts say you need to keep a regular and interesting presence on Facebook too. You also need to keep a regular and interesting presence on your “blog”. Keep your website current. Post pictures of your art. Every time you do a new piece, get it on the ‘net. Tell the story. Keep up your presence.

Now they are telling us that we need to create videos of the creative process. People want to see what we are doing and how we do it. People want to know. Get it on Youtube. It’s the next big trend…and it’s true. I spend way too much time watching videos on Youtube of “what and how” others in my trade are doing. I suppose that it beats watching what’s on TV, which is time waster, but that’s a topic for another time.

The problem is that by the time I try to do all of what it takes to just keep up, I haven’t much time left for what I do…paint pictures, make frames and lay a little gold. They say “there’s no rest for the wicked and the righteous don’t need any” so I guess I better quit whining and get busy. Thanks for stopping by. See you downtown.

It's Simply a Matter of Time

Don’t be expecting some apocalyptical prophesies here. I’ll leave that to those more qualified. I’m just thinking that sooner or later we’ll emerge from this cold grip that Old Man Winter has had on us these past weeks. While I realize that a low of 9 degrees this morning is a 20 degree improvement over last week I still think it’s cold.


I suppose since I brought it up, we ought to take a look at this phenomenon called “time”. I looked it up in my paperback Webster College Dictionary and one of the definitions it gives for time is “the period during which something exists or happens”. That’s pretty good.

In practical terms, we can say that it takes a certain amount of time to go somewhere, or do something. It takes a certain amount of time for something to happen too, like write this column or eat breakfast, paint a painting or make a picture frame. It’s probably a good thing we have this invention called time or everything would be happening all at once and that’d be really hard to deal with. We all spend our time doing something, even if it’s doing nothing which can be a worthwhile pursuit sometimes.

It’s been said that time waits for no man, and that time marches on. We’ve all got a certain amount of time. We just don’t know how much we have, unfortunately. If we did, I bet we’d use it differently. What we choose to do with our time is what separates us. I saw a video the other day in which Alan Watts, a British philosopher, makes a good point of “doing what we’d like to do” with the limited amount of time we have. He says it’s really stupid to spend our time doing something we dislike just so we can make some money to continue doing what we dislike. Point taken.

While I think that is an admirable outlook, I also think that sometimes life gets in the way and we do what we have to do to make things work out. The important part is that we really need to take the “time” to enjoy some of what makes life worth living. Stop and smell the roses, sort of thing. Pretty heady stuff for so early in the morning so let’s move on.

I’ve been spending a little of my allotted time lately looking at the map. As you know, I like to get out and about a bit and it’s been awhile. Cabin fever is settling in. Lots of choices out there and I’m getting a list made. Stay tuned. Thanks for spending some of your precious time with me. I appreciate it.

Thawing Out

Yes, it's been a little chilly around these parts. The other night we had -12 degrees...that's below zero folks.

 I haven't been in cold like that since I left Wyoming several years ago. Fortunately I have a nice warm shop to work in these days. I've got a number of frames to gild with 23kt gold which is exactly what I like doing. That and gilding on glass...and making paintings... OK. I like everything I am doing. Feeling really blessed to be in that position.

I was going to upload a photo I took of the thermometer outside the other morning but for some reason it's not working. I'll keep trying and show you the proof. We're in a bit of a warmup right now as last night's temp was only 5 degrees above zero. I think we've got it whipped now.

There we go. I checked on the blogger help page and they said they were aware of the issue and it only affects the Internet Explorer browser so I just fired up the iPad and here we are...no problem.

This is a seies of frame I'm working on in my cozy warm shop. Luv the gold.

This is a new to me (used) Dodge van I recently bought to use as a shop/delivery vehicle. I really like all of the glass. This will be great for some gold leafed lettering. After getting the transmission rebuilt it has turned out to be a great little van. Good mileage and lots of room inside...did I mention all the glass? Can't wait for it to warm up enough to get the windows lettered. Wish I had a heated shop with an overhead door I could just pull into. Maybe I can do it at the gilders conclave I'll be going to next month in California. Should be warm enough there.

Happy New Year

Well, it appears we've been saved from plunging over the cliff. Life can now go on. Idiots.

I managed to get through the Christmas rush...just as I suspected I would...just as I have for the past 26 Christmas rushes. It's always nice to take a couple of days off afterward to regroup and recharge. Hanging out at the shop the last couple of days with some time on my hands led me looking around and realizing it was a mess. I've got 26 years worth of stuff accumulating in various piles here and there. I got a new vinyl cutter a couple of days ago and realized I had no place to set it up.

Thus began the clean up. I filled one dumpster with stuff and probably have enough for another one. What a great feeling to purge all of these little treasures I've been hanging on to, thinking I would use them some day...which of course I didn't. Sure enough though, I'll get a job next week for which I cold use that piece of cork I've been saving for the past 12 years.

I'm pretty excited about this vinyl cutter I got. I'll use it primarily to cut sandblasting masks. Oh! I forgot to tell you. I got a sandblaster too. I'll be using it to etch glass. Exciting stuff coming. Lots of gold leafing, glass etching and lettering on tap for the new year. Who knows. Might even get some painting done too.

Current plans are to go to Telluride at least one day a week. I've got a designer up there who is interested in working with me. I can deliver/pickup framing jobs and maybe land a little gold leafing job or two from some of the business who want to make their signage and or windows stand out.

"Clink"! Here's hoping you're as excited about the New Year as I am. Great times are ahead.

Waiting

Thought I'd drop a few lines while I'm waiting for a delivery. While the Christmas rush for picture framing was slow getting started, I'm in the peak of the crunch as I write this. Why do I have time to write my blog if I'm in a crunch? Well....I'm glad you asked. I was supposed to get a delivery yesterday for the final fifteen or so jobs I have yet to finish for Christmas. The driver, from Denver, called yesterday afternoon to say he was broke down near Vail and wouldn't be able to make it here until late today (Friday) or probably tomorrow (Saturday). Not his fault...stuff happens. In the meantime, I'm answering calls on the phone from people wanting to know if their work is done. I try to explain what happened and so far everyone has expressed frustrarion but understanding also. I'll get it all done just as soon as I can, knowing I'll have to work through the weekend and probably wrap it up Monday Chrismas Eve.

Every Christmas, for 26 years, I've managed to get it all done, one way or another, and I will this year also. I will however, take some time off the week between Christmas and New Years...but...then again maybe not.

Waiting for the Glue to Dry

This morning I was putting a frame together for one of you good folks. This particular style of frame required that I glue and nail the corners together as opposed to using the underpinner which is quicker. In either case, I use glue, which actually provides a more secure bond than just nailing or using the underpinner without glue, but that’s more information than most of you really need.


In any case, when I do it the old fashioned way, with glue and nails, I join one corner at a time and I like to let the glue dry a bit and set up before I switch to the next corner. This amounts to about 15 minutes per corner. Do the math. Four corners at 15 minutes each leaves me with an hour, or so, before I can move on. Usually during this time I have other things to do so it isn’t actually “wasted” time as such.

This morning however, I needed the workbench that the vise and frame were occupying, for another project, so I decided to go to the computer and start this column while I waited. That idea was short lived, however as Vinnie, you folks know Vinnie, was curled up in my chair sound asleep. I didn’t have the heart to disturb him so I decided that I would perch myself on the director’s chair behind my framing design counter and engage in some quality “thinking” time. That chair is at the right height for me to prop my feet up on the counter and assume the “thinking” position.

I’ve got a number of things on my mind these days and I decided I would spend some time mulling it all over. One can never get enough time to just sit and think. I know folks who are just ramming and jamming all the time, constantly on the move and busy with something. I used to be that way. That’s all and good, but these days I’ve found that giving something a little thought results in a better outcome. It doesn’t make any difference whether it’s a painting, or business or personal relationship matters.

Sure enough, while I was busy thinking about stuff, wouldn’t you know it, someone came in and caught me “thinking”. Of course, I have to admit that it looked like I was merely daydreaming and watching the traffic on the street and folks walking by the front windows. My best efforts at explaining that I was actually “working” fell on deaf ears I’m afraid.

So, if by chance you find me just sitting there, doing what appears to be nothing, I am actually working. I’m probably waiting for the glue to dry. Then again…maybe not.

Absolutely Ridiculous

I know there is a lot we could chat about that would fall under this topic but time and space won’t allow it…fortunately. Almost each and every day we encounter something to which a natural response might be, “What? That’s ridiculous!” The other title I considered for this week’s column was “Stupid, stupid, stupid”, which would’ve been just as appropriate.


Being an artist and an entrepreneur is somewhat of a difficulty in itself. In a pure sense, an artist will create art for the sake of art. When an artist chooses to make money from whatever talents he or she possesses then the picture (pun intended) changes, sometimes drastically. With a new season (summer) approaching us here on Main Street and the anticipated arrival of visitors (tourists) to our fair community I’ve been looking around the studio/gallery and trying to anticipate what it is that they, or you good folks for that matter, might be interested in buying.

If you’ve been in the gallery you know that I like to paint a lot of different subjects. Many are subjects that appeal to me and some are strictly “market driven” so to speak. It’s that “market driven” subject matter that brought me to a new series of paintings I’m doing. I make a number of note cards and prints of the paintings I do, and I was thinking of doing something new that might have a broad appeal. It’s been in the back of my mind for some time now and like many ideas I have, it got pushed to the back of my mind as I tackle life’s every day occurrences. Yesterday I decided that now is the time.

I’m starting a series of Colorado wildflower paintings. So far so good but the idea has proven to be more of a challenge that I thought it would be. My chosen medium for these delicate delights is watercolor. I’ve got all of the reference material I need so that’s not an issue.

The problem that I’m having is that I can’t seem to get the results I want and here is the point of this column. I tried five paintings and none of them worked. Frustrated, I lined the paintings up and stood back to have a look. They all looked the same. All five had the same problems. Then it dawned on me. I had repeatedly been making the same errors. I had continued to do the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. How stupid is that? It is absolutely ridiculous to continue doing the same thing over and over and expect the effect to turn out different. That little insight can apply to many things. Lesson learned…finally.

Yard Art

We took a little trip down to Santa Fe last weekend. I’ve been wanting to get down there again for a couple of reasons. It’s important to me to stay abreast of what the art market, and the related framing market, are doing in terms of not only what is being offered but what it is that people are buying.

I pick Santa Fe to be my source for inspiration and fact finding because Santa Fe is considered to be a significant art market. 2007 Census Bureau data places Santa Fe fourth in the market for sales, behind first ranked New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), followed by the second ranked Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, MSA, and the third ranked San Francisco-Oakland, Fremont, MSA. It is interesting to note that Santa Fe is the only individual city ranked, where the others are all metropolitan areas. Another reason Santa Fe is attractive to me is because it is close and I like it there.

So, with justification established, off we went. We had another couple with us who wanted to look for some “yard art” while we were down there. I figured “art is art” so let’s see what we can find for them. Driving around we saw all kinds of stuff that I suppose could qualify as yard art. Everything from junk cars to old refrigerators including the requisite worn out couch on the front porch. Lots of that. We had something a little more tasteful in mind however so we kept going.

There’s a great little place on Cerrillos Boulevard on the left, headed south, just past Tortilla Flats, which by the way is a great place for breakfast, that had some really interesting metal fabricated… sculptures…I guess you could call them. I saw a really cool eight foot tall scarecrow looking thing behind the building. It had what looked like a deer head welded out of metal with a small set of real antlers on it. Metal fabric of some kind hung from outstretched horizontal arms. Kind of evil looking, like something a shaman would have. I figured my wife wouldn’t allow it in the yard as her cats would never come home again. We settled for a couple of rusty old Spanish cross designs instead and the other folks found what they wanted too.

Last fall when we were in Santa Fe, we came across some really cool, and really expensive, metal whirly-gig kind of things that rotated in the breeze creating quite the visual experience. There is a lot of talent down there and something for every budget.

Of course it is hard to beat nature for yard art. this is a great shot my wife Kathy took.
As always, a great time, great art and good food too was had by all. Stop by if you get a chance.

Three Essentials for Life

We could probably count wind, water and fire as essential. Surviorman would have us believe that water, food and shelter should be at the top of the list. Some of you might even include love, happiness and generosity and while it’d be nice to include a fine bourbon, a steak and a good cigar too, I’d have to say you are all missing the important stuff though.


What are my three essentials for life? I’ll tell you. Duct tape, bailing wire and deck screws. That’s what I’m saying. Sure, all of the afore mentioned fundamentals are necessary to sustain life but when it comes right down to the nitty gritty, I find that my three are absolutely indispensable. I know some of you are nodding in agreement.

It is highly probable that almost anything, in the right hands, can be fixed with either duct tape, bailing wire or deck screws. If you need a little back up, throw some super glue into the sack too. It might not look real pretty when I get done with it but it will get me by until I can do it properly or, more likely, call someone who can.

There has been more than one time when I was out in the field working studiously on a painting and I had some sort of malfunction with my portable easel, or I find a branch next to my tent rubbed a tear in it during the gale force winds that came up while I was out painting. Then there was the time the radiator in my pickup truck sprung a leak, the result of hitting a deer over in Utah, or the time the bottle opener accidently broke off of the bathroom counter in the motel room. The list is long but the solutions are all the same.

Yes it helps to be a bit of a do-it-yourselfer but even the most inept can take advantage of the benefits of what’s in my sack of essentials. In fact I would go so far as to say that the more incompetent one is, the handier it is to have these items. I speak from experience. Let’s face it. Those of you who have a higher degree of finesse when it comes to repairing the unavoidable malfunctions that plague us in life will be shaking your heads in pity. I know. I know. I’ve been on the receiving end of those looks, but hey! It works. Most of the time.

Say! Have you been in the new shoe store a couple of doors down from me? D’Medici Footwear? Debbie has brought us some very fine quality shoes, which happen to be on my wife’s list of essentials. Stop by if you get a chance.

Food for Thought

As you know, if you’ve been following along, my mother had a close encounter with death when she had her heart attack in February. As it has turned out, she is on the road to recovery and is doing fairly well.


One of the issues that came up during this “event” is the matter of how far do we go to save her life. While she was living with my sister in North Carolina, the two of them went to an attorney and had a couple of documents drawn up, a Living Will and a DNR. A Living Will is simply a document that states what your wishes are should it be necessary to take life saving measures, typically by medical personnel, in order to keep your smiling face amongst the rest of us. A DNR is a “Do Not Resuscitate” order for anybody who may need to know. Hence the initials DNR.

This would be a good place for me to say that I am in no way going to tell you what you should put into a Living Will or whether you even need one. The same goes for the DNR. That is your business. I think it is pretty important though or I wouldn’t waste your time here.

The whole idea is this. Somebody needs to know what your wishes are. How far do you want medical people to go to save your life, considering what the consequences of such measures might be. In other words, you could wind up fine or you could be hooked up to a machine for the rest of your life. Where do you draw the line?

I’m just going to provide a little food for thought in case you have one or both documents or are thinking about it. It is not as simple as it may seem or sound. It is nearly impossible to spell out all of the procedures that may be performed on your behalf much less for you to decide which ones you want or don’t.

Never-the-less, let’s say you have made an attempt at it. Now you need to be sure that everybody knows it AND has a copy of all 138 pages of your single spaced, typed wishes. It’d help too if they were indexed. By everybody, I mean family members, hospital docs and staff, EMT’s who have been called, and anyone else who needs to know. You need to have numerous copies and they need to be READILY available. A daunting task when emotions are running high and you are uncommunicative.

So, what to do? Maybe get it tattooed on your chest. I can’t really say. I’ve got a painting to finish. Let me know if I’m involved though…please. I’ll need a copy.

Merry Christmas!!

In a couple days Santa will be bringing gifts to those amongst us who are believers. Everybody else will probably get something from someone else. Of course the true meaning of Christmas for us Christians is the birth of Jesus Christ…but it’s nice to get a little something under the tree too.


When I was young, my aunt and uncle would host a huge Christmas Eve gathering for the family. It was a really big deal. I remember one time someone said there was over 20 kids under the age of 6 there. They would have a dinner and everybody would dress up in their Christmas finery. They always had a big white flocked Christmas tree with lots of lights, balls and tinsel on it.

At the appointed hour, one of the adults would sneak outside and jingle sleigh bells. All of us little ones would get ushered into a bedroom to await Santa’s entrance. There were lots of shrieks of excitement and the adult chaperons stood guard by the windows to keep curious deviants like myself and my cousins from peaking out the windows.

One of the male adults, preferably one who was a bit on the portly side, would dress up in a Santa suit and do his “HO HO HO” thing with more bell jingling. Another adult would climb up on the roof and clomp around driving us kids nuts.

After what would seem like a couple of hours of torture, the door of the bedroom would open and we would rush out. Somehow they always timed it so we would catch Santa in the doorway just as he was leaving (they didn’t have a chimney). He’d turn to face us and belt out “Merry Christmas” and before anyone got too close to him he’d duck out and the door would slam shut. Our attention was quickly diverted to all the gifts piled high under that magnificent tree.

Years later when I was older I remember a star struck little guy who walked up to my Dad, tugged on his pant leg and shouted, “Uncle Glenn! Santa has shoes just like yours!” Gasp, gasp! A hush fell on the room. My Dad just winked and patted him on the head and said that Santa must shop at the same shoe store that he did. That was good enough for the little guy and he turned and joined the other kids ripping into their presents still a believer.

Yah, those are some good memories. I don’t remember when it was that I learned any different nor do I remember exactly when I realized that just maybe there really is a Santa Claus. How about you? Merry Christmas folks! Thanks for stopping by.

The Art of...

This column I wrote for the Montrose Daily Press is reprinted here for Anna...hope to see you soon.

Over the years I’ve expressed my appreciation of “the art of…” a lot of different stuff. Of course we all know that art is very subjective. I’ve gotten into a bit of trouble with you folks for expressing an opinion of what I thought art is. That’s not bad though because it has opened my mind up to some really beautiful designs and ideas that I had previously ignored.


One aspect of art that I’ve only scratched the surface of with you folks is the art of cooking. While I know that a number of you are no doubt better versed on this topic than I am, I do have an appreciation of a well prepared meal whether it is served up in a high class restaurant, a diner down the street or at home. It makes no difference.

My wife is a good cook. Because we both work longer hours than we’d like to, she doesn’t get to practice this art as often as I’d like. Consequently when she does put something together, it is a real treat. She has a couple of recipes that if we were ever to open a restaurant they would need to be on the menu.

A recent creation involved Anasazi beans. Never heard of them? They are grown right over in Dove Creek. Lots of acres devoted to the little multi-colored bean. They are good, if you like beans. Ironically, we came across a bag of them at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, in Santa Fe of course, the last time we were down there. I’m told that they are available at City Market too. I would hope so.

Kathy, my wife the cook, adapted a generic recipe for beans and ham using the Anasazi bean and some ham hocks. She added another favorite that we have come to use in a lot of dishes, chopped/diced Hatch green chiles. Our daughter lives in Albuquerque so we have a somewhat direct source for them. She buys them by the gunny sack full, has them roasted and then chops them up and freezes them in quart bags, which we pick up a few of whenever we visit. Daughter Mandy’s “significant other” is a chef in ABQ so that helps too.

Southwest cooking in general is pretty good eating. I’m originally from Minnesota, land of meatloaf, tuna casserole and white gravy, but I really enjoy well prepared chile rellenos, huevous rancheros and the like, anything I can put green chile salsa on.

Here’s a little tip. If you like green chile salsa, look for Santa Fe Seasons Fire Roasted Green Chile Salsa in the market or go to www.santafeseasons.com. Highly recommended. See you downtown.

Collecting Stuff

People have collected stuff for a long time. I don’t know that for a fact but I see no reason that it should be just a current day phenomenon. It amazes me why people collect what they do. Some folks collect art, some collect dolls, some collect stamps. Collecting stamps seemed to be pretty big when I was young. I tried it for awhile. Of course collecting coins used to be big too. My grandmother used to collect buttons. That all seems to be pretty normal stuff to collect and I can see why folks would do it.

It’s the strange stuff people collect that makes me wonder. I had a friend who collected empty cans of black olives. He’d eat all the olives first then wash the cans and stack them up. Said he liked the labels. He probably had fifty or more of them in a cupboard. He also collected the cardboard tubes from toilet paper rolls. I found that to be a bit weird. I once knew a guy who seemed to collect wives. Knew a gal who collected husbands too, so apparently it's not a sexist thing.

I recently stumbled upon a collectible that I think I can get into. Cigar boxes. I’ve always admired the art work in the labels. When I was in North Carolina a couple of weeks ago visiting family, I noticed an attractive cigar box on the counter in my sister’s kitchen. My first thought was that maybe she had taken up the habit. I have enjoyed cigars over the years but never have bought them by the box. Out of curiosity I asked her about it. She laughed and said she used it to store some things in. I asked where in the world she got them and she said the cigar store sells them for a couple of bucks a piece. She them gave it to me along with another. My eyes lit up.

Over the Thanksgiving weekend I was in Santa Fe and came across a cigar store. Every once in awhile I’ll treat myself to what I think is a good cigar so my brother-in-law and I ducked in to see what they had. Low and behold, there were a couple of stacks of empty cigar boxes for sale. I asked about them and was told the nicer wooden boxes were five bucks and the cheaper ones were three, help yourself. I could hardly contain myself. I sorted through them all and picked out two of the five dollar ones to take home along with a couple of Macanudos (my favorite cigar) to enjoy later. Those cigar boxes will be real handy to store my gold leaf in.

Don’t forget the Merriment on Main Street Festival this Saturday from 3:00 to 5:00 followed by the Parade of Lights. See you there.

Flying Our Friendly Skies

I just participated in one of the most ridiculous human activities ever invented. Last week I voluntarily boarded an airplane with some 200 other fools to have my body hurled across these United States. I think this activity ranks just below the “running with the bulls” that takes place every summer in Spain and probably below the once popular practice of streaking by college students.


Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I have a fear of flying so much as a bit of claustrophobia perhaps. I mean, there is just so much wrong with this idea. Sure, it’ll get you from point A to point B rather quickly, relatively speaking, but I think that is the beginning and end of the advantage.

While I’m not much for standing in line I have to say that all in all it went much more smoothly than it could have. I’m thankful for that. Taking all of the stuff out of my pockets and the pat downs weren’t bad. Kind of reminded me of when I would get shook down as a teenager in high school or during a traffic stop in the middle of the night where much worse things can happen. “Up against the wall…” you know how it goes. On the other hand, maybe you don’t but I’m sure you’ve heard of it.

A friend of mine who is a Fed was flying out of Charlotte the same day I was returning to Montrose. As part of her job she is allowed to fly with a gun. I asked her how she gets through security and she said she just shows her travel itinerary and her ID and walks through. No lines at that desk. I asked if she could get me through that easily and she responded, “probably not”. I then proposed that maybe she could cuff me and pretend I was her prisoner, and release me when we got through the gates. She said “probably not”. I had to try at least.

Sitting in the terminal waiting for my flight did yield a side benefit however. I had lots of unsuspecting free models. I generally take a sketch book with me everywhere I go and I managed to fill a couple of pages of portraits of these characters…and there were plenty of them. For a people watcher such as myself, an airport terminal is a treasure trove. Lots of very interesting looking folks. Not quite as good as a bus depot but still worthwhile. Time well spent.

Of course when I travel, if I’ve got the time, I much prefer to drive or ride the Harley but I suppose in the interest of time, joining the rest of the masses in our friendly skies has it’s merits.

September

This is a great time of year. I can already feel fall in the air. Although it brings an end to the fine days of summer, and a fine one it has been, fall has it’s own character and appeal.


We pretty much have ended our motorcycle camping trips for this year. It has been an adventurous summer. I got to see some great country, met some neat people and got a lot of material for new paintings to do this winter. By camping and traveling on the motorcycle we managed to get it all done for a little over $600. Can’t beat it.

September, and most of October for that matter, will still offer up some great opportunities that I’m looking forward to. Our fabulous fall colors will be upon us soon. I see hints of it starting already. For a landscape artist, this is a prime time of year. People pay big bucks to come see and experience what we have right here in our own backyard. We don’t have to go far to see some of the best fall colors the Rocky Mountain West has to offer.

I’ll give you a couple of prospects for you to think about in the coming weeks. For a day trip, it is hard to beat the road over Kebler Pass. Between Paonia and McClure Pass you’ll see the turnoff. You’ll wind up in the colorful little town of Crested Butte which has several outstanding places to get a bite to eat. Highly recommended .

Another favorite is to go up and over Owl Creek Pass. You access that loop either by going south toward Ridgway and turning left or go east on Hwy 50 just past the little community of Cimarron. Turn right and follow the road. Either way, the road will take you through some of the best color available. Both are easy drives. A picnic would be in order.

For an overnighter, I would head east on Hwy 50 to Lake City and go over Slumgullion Pass, through Creede and South Fork, over Wolf Creek Pass and into Pagosa Springs for the night. JJ’S Riverwalk Restaurant is a good place for supper. A soak in the hot springs afterwards might be nice. The return route through Durango and over the passes to Ouray and on home will be hard to beat.

Two different overnight trips to Utah in October when the temps will be cooler are worth considering. This is a perfect time to see Moab and Arches N.P. as well as going a little farther to Capitol Reef N.P. If I don’t forget, I’ll expand a little on these next week. See you when you get back.

I Knew It All Along

I was just reading an article about a study on the internet that reported men who engaged in an artistic activity of some sort, whether hands on or viewing, are “more likely to be happy with their lives and satisfied with their health than men who don't enjoy the finer things in life”. Heh, heh, heh. I knew it all along. Combine that with riding a motorcycle and it can’t get much better. So there.


With the slump in the economy the last several years the sales of art have slowed considerably, as in having come to a screeching halt. When you paint for a living, that has a huge impact on both ones income and mental outlook. It is real hard to get motivated and inspired to paint when very little of what you have painted in the last couple of years has sold. It is easy to think about finding something else to do like auto mechanics or plumbing or something that is in demand.

I haven’t done much painting lately. Every time I think about starting a new one I think, “what’s the point?” The problem is that an artist has an inner drive to create. Sooner or later that urge has to be satisfied or life in general becomes problematic. The other day I found myself pacing the floor, aimlessly, back and forth. This has happened before. I know the symptoms. Sooner or later it begins to get on my wife’s nerves and she’s been known to snap at me “go do a painting”.

It is well known, among artists anyway, that one should not paint for the money. An artist should paint for his or her own satisfaction. Since not much is selling these days, it is a good opportunity to do just that. One of my most cherished activities is to paint on location. Get out somewhere and paint what is in front of me. It isn’t just the physical act of doing the painting that is so satisfying, it is the entire process of traveling around and searching for a motif and then setting up and capturing the essence of the subject matter.

It’s well known that I like to get out and about from time to time. The reason is, I see so much that inspires me and I come back from such excursions with a renewed sense of desire to paint and write about what I experienced. I’m not a mechanic or a plumber, I’m an artist. I can’t help it. That’s who I am and that’s what I do and I’m happier and healthier for it. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be in touch.

Small Town America

If you’ve been keeping up you’ll know that my wife Kathy and I rode the Harley back to Charlotte, NC. We had a good trip. In fact it was remarkable and memorable in a number of ways. Riding a motorcycle across the heartland of this great country (and back again) was a real treat.


Our time was limited, unfortunately, so we didn’t get to stop and take a lot of photos or investigate the little road side attractions that are scattered along the highways and byways. One of the advantages (and there are many) of avoiding the interstates is that you get to see Small Town America. Even though these little bergs have a lot in common, they all have their individual personality, which becomes even more obvious as you ride from region to region and state to state. You can tell by the roadside signs, the landscape, the farms, houses and storefronts.

I really enjoyed seeing the old store fronts in these small towns and the signage that adorns them, probably because I have a shop on Main Street and do some signage. There is a lot of character in both. Many are closed up, merely reminders of days gone by.

We saw the devastation of the flooding both going and coming. It was really sad to see partially submerged farm houses and buildings out in the middle of a large body of water. In Metropolis, IL we were stopped several times by yellow caution tape stretched across the streets blocking our way. At one point I sat there astride the idling Harley with water lapping on the pavement just a few feet in front of us and looked around at the neighborhood houses of this small town. Water up to the windows on many, backyard swing sets rising out of the water. Sometimes just the rooftops of vehicles were little islands in what used to be the driveway. Very sad and disheartening.

We took meals in a number of restaurants in which either the waitresses or patrons chatted with us about our trip. We enjoyed some cobbler and coffee in The Old Fort Restaurant while we waited out a rain storm just out of Chattanooga, TN. The waitress was particularly curious about our adventure. There was breakfast in The Round-Up Café in Baxter, KS where some Bikers for Christ invited us to their Sunday service. We had to decline as we needed to move on but I asked them to pray for our safety as we motored off into their quiet morning.

It’s good to be back but I look forward to the next time I get to visit Small Town America. It’s worth the effort.