DATE: 10/18/2008 04:59:45 / MOOD: other
Today is the Oconee Fall Festival here in Georgia.. woohoooo..
but now that im not really a festival virgin any more...yesterday as I was driving to the festival.. w/ paintings in tow....
it never ceases to amaze me... people are funny or basically like moths to a flame....
my truck was full of the things I would need.. tent, hmmm paintings..., etc etc.. its gotten streamlined over the years.
but as I was driving... in the rain.. I noticed how people tend to get right up on your ass when your truck bed is full ,,, of stuff..... I'm thinking.. "hey cant you see... I'm going a bit slower for a reason"?
I tend to "over secure" things... in the truck like that when traveling to a festival.. but like I say.. "people are moths to a flame" ... they are natrually curious.... and thats putting it as nice as I can..
tune in for more updates from the festival today.:)
Wow.. the fesitval came and went.. really fast.
I was
worried that Wall Street might have hit locally in a local town.. but.
hmmm nope... I dont even think they have heard of Wall Street.
I
was fortunate that I did really good at the festival. I beat my least
years totals by 400.00 so I'm really happy and thankful for that. I do
realize others may not have done as well... but how can they not?
People
are curious creatures. They come in the tent and look, do the circuit
of tents and hopefully find their way back to you... which is a plus
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DATE: 08/18/2008 09:55:24 / MOOD: other
Sunday evening I decided hell or high water I was going to get up early for some Plein-air. So the monkey brain in me said.. “you know you wont go.. So don’t prep anything.”… then I start to think.. Well I don’t need nothing but the basic colors, simple easel, turp, and something to sit on., plus a cup of coffee…
Monkey brain even talked me into sitting up till 1:30 am, trying to convince me there was something better on just next channel.. So after all that channel surfing I finally went to bed around 1:30am. Monkey brain had won, because I had talked myself into… “well if I sleep late.. I sleep late… I can always go later in the afternoon”..
I woke at 6:45am, cracked the blinds, “hmm overcast, to go back to bed or not?” After having a cup of coffee and watching Good Morning America for an hour…… I knew monkey brain was slowly waking up, but secure in the knowing from the previous night that I wouldn’t be painting. So, I got up grab my gear, headed out to a spot I had been looking at for a few days and set up.
I had placed a wash on the canvas the day before, and using the tailgate of my truck for a seat all was set to go and in place. All I had to do was just start painting. I did.
The place I had chosen to paint was a field w/some trees, typical rural , farming, pasture landscape. I pulled off on a side road that appeared to be no longer in use, and I was right about that, no regular vehicle, could have driven over it.
Getting there and setting up I’m thinking around 8:00am, I set up my easel & paints, get it all laid out, feeling good. I start to paint . About 30 minutes into painting Monkey brain wakes up and says, “Your on someone else’s land”.. hmmm I’m thinking, “well its better to do it then ask for forgiveness later”.. so I continue to paint.
Along about 8:45, I hear the groan of a screen door, followed by the all to familiar slamming of it being pulled back by the spring. Then you would think it would be a car/truck starting up, nope, it’s some sort of tractor/hay bail carrier combo. I continue to paint.
Out of the corner of my eye I new he had driven across the road, I knew exactly where Farmer John was going. Next thing I knew he was coming around the curve, w/bails of hay front and back, and heading in my direction.
I’m still painting when he pulls over and cuts the engine.. I say “hello” . He doesn’t. Already Monkey brain is ready for a rip, somehow I manage to subdue monkey brain.
The following is somewhat how the conversation from then on went:
Farmer - “what chur painting?
Me: “that field and trees over there”
Farmer: “you from around here”
Me. “yes just right down the road”
By this time I had gotten up to shake his hand and introduce myself.
Me : “I live right behind so and so *(started dropping names at this point), been living out here for the past 10 yrs .
Farmer: “ that’s that road where that house is for sale ain’t it?”
Me: “yes”
Farmer: “You retired?”
Me: “No today is my day off.”
Farmer: “ Painting the tree, hmmmm…” as he ducked back into the cab of the tractor and drove off to feed his cows….
So now after feeling like I’ve been interrogated by the Grand Wizard. I start to think the following thoughts:
(a) : has Farmer John ever seen anyone paint before?
(b): why does he associate retirement w/painting? *(( I should have said, no I’m not retired, I paint for a living.., yes this is what I should have said))
Meanwhile, should I have asked permission from Farmer John earlier in the week? I can see his point though, I was on his land, *Just 10 feet from the main road*, but none the less “his” land. I’m guessing he was making sure he hadn’t see me on the Americas Most Wanted , from the night before and basically just looking out for the welfare of his property..
I’m sticking w/my thoughts of “better to do it, then ask for forgiveness later”.
I guess next time I’ll forgo the grand vistas of the local countryside and go to a park… “boring”… or so monkey brain tells me!!!!
Until next time… “Paint it up!”
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DATE: 07/13/2008 08:26:35 / MOOD: other
A couple of weeks ago.. I signed up for a portraint class.. woohoo... I love these regardless, if I can paint them or not.. BUT I always learn something from the teacher... if not the class.
Best part of the class to me is when.. your finished and /or taking a break and you get to see how all the other classmates have perceived the model....this is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. No wonder there is so many choices in the world! 
I just tend to want to get into the psychi of the people painting.. *(i know dangerous stuff)... I can not stress enuff how each painting amazes me....
i.e, I've seen the most romantic, doe-eyed models pose, but somehow an artist will end up drawing her w/ a pointed nose? ... I'm thinking "where is this"...
BUT as luck would have it.. lol the artist that paints the pointed nose is the one that gets into the juried shows ... so Im thinking... hmmmmmmmmmm... but then again juried shows are so "subjective" to the juror @ that time.
But all in all I still remain amazed.. and yeah i'll have some works from the portrait class up b4 2 long.
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