Time for a new Fudgemobile

Dear Stanley - my '93 Honda Civic Hatchback,

We've had a good run and some good times. You've been a pretty reliable friend. But you're getting up there in your years and mileage (about 175,000). And we had that little accident back in September that left you with a smashed nose. I just can't afford to take care of you anymore. You were great as a second car, but now that you're my only vehicle... I need a newer model. One that has A/C that works and can hold larger canvases, and hopefully is a manual transmission. I'm sorry. I've changed and you just don't meet my needs anymore. ( It's not you. It's me. I love you but I'm not in love with you. etc. you know the drill. )

Sincerely,
Richard

Contenders for new artmobiles:

Subaru Outback
Honda Accord wagon
Toyota Matrix
Scion xB

The goal (beyond having a car with working A/C) is to be able to transport LARGE canvases, to have an ideal roadtrip vehicle, and to have a car with less than 175000 miles that is threatening to die if i dont spend tons money on it. You're so needy, Stanley.

Midtown makes the New York Times

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/travel/31next.html?pagewanted=1

They cover some great hidden gems like The Cove and Mollie Fountaine's. but the Lamplighter and the Buccaneer? seriously? Sure they have lots of character and i like a good hole in the wall... but i dont enjoy those two. I'm usually too concerned that I'll catch a deadly disease to enjoy the "atmosphere." Anyway, check it the article it has a great list of places.

Artsy Christmas Gift ideas

I thought I'd share a list of some alternative gift giving ideas. Artsy and handmade gifts that a person will treasure long after the those socks get holes, the sweater shrinks, and the gadget breaks. So here are some of my favorite artists:

Deeann Carson Rieves does custom abstracts which she can add your photos and quotes to. She also sells blank journals that she designed.

Arian Armstrong is a talented painter and illustrator. You should check out her affordable and adorable prints on etsy.

Melissa Bridgman creates some wonderful pottery pieces. They are both practical and beautiful. I've got a pretty sizable collection at home. Best thing is that they are dishwasher machine safe.

Of course you could always buy one of my paintings.

TOMs Shoes are also a cool idea. For each pair you buy, they donate a pair to a child in Africa. I've got a pair and I get tons of complements on them. They are super comfortable.

Here's another neat product that gives back. Each Suubi™ necklace is 100% unique - hand-crafted by the Suubi women in Uganda and made of recycled paper.

Crows on the Cross

So, I thought I'd share this totally random occurrence. Last Sunday, I am walking up to the church for The Stirring. I hear a lot of cawing and I look up at the top of the church. Gathered on the cross were three black crows and a moment later a fourth landed. It had a very Alfred Hitchcock feel to the scene. Like something out of The Birds. Very creepy and ominous. What were they doing there? What sort of meaning should one take for seeing something like that? Coincidence or not, those two things have tons of symbolic meaning that the artist in me was fascinated by. I can't help but wonder, "Um, God, what was that all about?"

From wikipedia "Crows, and especially ravens, often feature stories as a sign or warning of doom or death, because of their dark plumage, unnerving calls, and tendency to eat carrion. They are commonly thought to circle above scenes of death."

Luke 12:24 - Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!

Art Studio Renovations

I love shopping at antique stores. Oh the cool old things you can find! I dont know what this was originally - a large card catalog, storage cabinet? All I know is it can hold art supplies really well and looks super cool. Fellow artists who love antiques, eat your heart out.

Blessed - a funny observation

So I just wanted to share a personal story about our plans vs God's plans. Last year, I worked really hard to get art shows in coffee shops and the like around town. I had my art at Java Cabanna, Starbucks, Energy Fitness, and Republic Coffee. Between the 4 shows, my art was on display for a total of about 6 months around town (each show was up for about 2 months). You'd think that would have been beneficial to me - more art sales, more connections, meet other artists, etc. Nope. I sold one painting during all those shows. That's not a good return on my investment of time and energy. Especially when you consider that I sold 3 paintings at The Stirring during that time.

It was very disappointing. Not that I was hoping to sell a lot of work, but I thought I might sell like 3. Also, my wish to network and promote the Stirring didn't turn out very well either. I was hoping that the my art openings and my artist statement would spark interest in The Stirring. I cant say it did.

After the 2008 November art show featuring Deeann, I realized that it was much more rewarding to focus on the Stirring and its art gallery. We drew in a lot of people who had never been to The Stirring before.

So this year, I've mainly focused on writing this blog about art and worship, having artists gatherings, hanging group shows in the gallery, and painting live at churches. How's that been going you ask? Awesome! The Stirring got a nice write up in the Commercial Appeal. I'm connecting with more artists and churches. And the real kicker... I've sold 6 paintings SO FAR, and I dont feel like I'm even really trying hard. What i need to be working harder on is finishing more paintings. I'm just painting and hanging at church - no special openings, coffee shops, etc. It's amazing. Instead of me trying to sell my paintings, my paintings are selling themselves. I'm so thankful, so encouraged, and so excited. You know God really does take care of things when you let him.

Needless to say, dont expect me to have any art openings at coffee shops, etc any time soon.

Gardening for men

I have a BIG yard. With nearly an acre of land and two dozen tress, picking up fallen branches and cutting the grass is some hard labor. It can take 3-4 hours to do it properly. In the dead heat of the summer, I dont even bother to cut the whole thing at once. I let the "back 40" go longer too.

Anyway, between the 3 wheelbarrow loads of branches and mowing, I did some checking up on my gardening. I think more husbands should do a little gardening. I'm not talking about wimpy, constant attention, costly plants. Better Homes and Gardens type flower beds. I'm talking hardy plants like Bruce Willis in Die Hard, "Yippie-ki-yay!" kind of hardy. Mean flowers that can choke out weeds. The Chuck Norris-es of the plant world like sunflowers, black eyed susans, daffodils, day lilies, and wild flowers.

Black eyed Susans got those shiners from kicking weed butt.
"Miracle-Gro? Whatcha talkin bout Willis!"

I like my plants to be almost a weed themselves. Stuff you can plant and let it take care of itself. I want to just shove those bulbs or seed in the ground and yell like a drill sergeant, "GROW. ON THE DOUBLE!" Let the nurseries baby their plants. I just want some flowers because if it blooms then I dont have to mow it.

Seed bombs - now that's manly gardening.

I had a relative that lived in the country. She had a wonderful flower bed. Half of the stuff she wasnt sure what the name was because she had found it out on a walk in the pasture and just dug it up. I like those old fashion plants that my grandmother had. No nonsense plants.

Mr 7ft tall Sunflower looks down at the little weeds and laughs.

Now, why bother? Points with the wife. Wives always want flowers. "Honey, you never buy me flowers anymore." Most men dont care for "wasting" money on cut flowers that die in 4-7 days. How much thought does that take anyway? "Here love, I got the milk, eggs, Coke... oh and the roses." Picking out a bottle of wine takes more effort.

So I pick flowers. Not all the time, but probably half the time those are the bouquets i give Erin. Hey, that's effort. "Here honey, I selected this, planted this, cared for this, and I'm giving you a small portion to enjoy inside."

So hardy that the sale of OxEye Daisy seeds is prohibited in CO, IL, IN, KS, MO, MT, OH, WA, WV, WY and Canada.