Freeway walker

While I was on the 101 fwy, I saw this woman walking along side; didn't see a broken down car or anything.

The How of It

Art college for the fine artist is all about the why of it - theory and critique. It's all about figuring out why you are making art.

In art college, very little is directed to the how of it. No one taught me how to prepare a canvas or organize a palette of colors. No one showed me how Rembrandt or Rubens painted.

Now, it's time to learn the how.

I'm taking a painting class that is the exact opposite of the painting classes I had in college. This one is all technique and no content. No one here cares why I'm painting; they only care how.  A hard mental switch, and a slow process of painting. But I'm happy.

The underdrawing on my carefully prepared wooden panel

Lucky Penny

I pick up coins from the ground. Even pennies. I pick them up, put them in my pocket, and feel richer and wiser and luckier. 

 Every day, when I walk the dog, I see this penny. I want to pick it up and put it in my pocket. But this penny mocks me. When our street was resurfaced, someone placed a penny on the wet tar and pressed it just enough to embed it. It shines and winks at me everyday. "Pick me up. You know you want to."

a pair

This pair of avocados are just asking to be picked...soon.

Fearless Playing

Today, my violin finally moved from the piano bench where it had been sitting quietly since last Christmas. I dusted it off, tuned it (sort of) and played. I tried to fearless, but I am quite sure it must have sounded something horrid to anyone passing by the open windows. Now it sits on the dining room table. I hope I have a chance to be fearless again tomorrow.

instructions

Step by step instructions on how to wash your hands in a local restaurant restroom.

Daily News, 1947

We pulled the cheap 1970's paneling off the wall in the bedroom. Underneath we found more, but this time heavy wood panels. And glued onto that, we found pages from the Daily News, October 31, 1947.

License plate

I was on time, I guess this driver wasn't.

Christmas Violin

Last December I got out my violin (that I hadn't played in 35 years) and did my best to learn the most simple Christmas carols I could find. I promised myself that the following year I would spend some time with my violin and really learn to play something right. So I didn't put it away; I left it sitting on the piano bench (the piano also gets little to no use) thinking that if I saw it sitting there, I would remember my promise to play it. Now, it's almost October. The violin hasn't moved since last Christmas.

I promise that tomorrow I will pick it up and, at the very least, dust it off.

Meow!

Was quite surprised by Milo when I went to get a bath towel.

Endeavor

How could I not post the space shuttle today? Very cool to witness history in the making.

Space Shuttle over L.A.

The space shuttle was just shuttled over our heads. 

In a few weeks it will travel through the streets of L.A.to its final home at the Science Center 

near downtown. Would love to see that, but just don't know if I can handle those crowds.

Dumpster Books Redux

Books saved from the dumpster, scissors, glue, and old press-on letters make for a well spent evening.

Today's vertigo challenge

button

Four years later...still haven't changed my mind.

You should probably avoid this staircase if you have vertigo...

Flower Switch

There are a lot of one-of-a-kind things in our house, repurposed or handmade by a long-ago owner. I love all these quirky things, but over time, one by one, they are disappearing. All the electrical on this wall needs to be replaced, the entire wall ripped out. This light switch cover may be the next disappearing victim. But if I can just grab it before the workers start trashing everything (I've lost so much that way), this little piece will find a new spot somewhere.

trio

This little Gnome has now joined the other 2 fellows in my cubicle; too funny.

Similar texture

Shadows in the Living Room

I don't know where these shadows came from. I've never seen them in my living room before. I hope they come again tomorrow.