Downtown Southern California

Video Recap of today's events.
http://youtu.be/W83bB8lgMeg

Here's a shot of a dream view from the living room of a client who bought a painting. That's overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Thanks Julie.

Baker Video

http://youtu.be/sxA41gsYVBU

Here's a link to the video I was trying to post last night.

On the Road

I was going to try to post a video with this blog but am having trouble attaching it. Instead I'll show you a still photo of I-70 cutting through the San Rafael Swell in Utah.

Made it to Baker, CA an hour or so past Las Vegas, NV. Staying in the Wills Fargo motel. Reminds me of a motel I stayed at in Taos, NM one time. I'm having to post this on my phone as there is no WiFi. I' ll try to figure out the video. More tomorrow.

First Friday Art Walk

Had a successful First Friday Art Walk the other night selling a couple of paintings. It was nice to see the turnout. A little wine and cheese made for a nice evening. Always good to chat it up with the folks.

Been busy with gilding frames in 23 kt gold. Struggling a bit with some gesso and clay problems still. Might have to adjust the recipes and do some experimenting. It is so dry here in Western Colorado it makes it difficult at times with the corners cracking. Very frustrating.

Headed to California this week. Stopping in orange, CA to see my cousin Jim who is dying of cancer. They've called hospice in so he must be getting close to leaving this world. He's been like a brother so it'll be a bit difficult.

Then I'm off to Hollywood to see son Jim who is a film maker there. He's just opened a new studio so I'm looking forward to seeing him and his new facilities.

On Thursday I head over to Bakersfield, CA for a conclave. This is an invitational meeting of gilders that I am fortunate to have been asked to come. Should be some of the best in the nation there. Small group, maybe 30 in attendance. I missed it last year due to my Mother having a heart attack the day before I was to leave. So far so good. I will be anxious to meet up with some of the legends in gold leaf glass lettering.

I'll be ack in the shop on Wednesday, February 13.

I'll report as I go along. Thanks for stopping by.

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.