ART LIVES!

I'm off to the auction. I'm excited and afraid at the same time. I hope someone purchases my painting. I really don't care for how much but I want to raise money for the fund.

It's awesome to participate in any way to support the arts in any community. Your kids need art no matter what your school district says. (art and music is always the first to go...sports last!)
It shapes them into more complex human beings and helps them throughout there life. They will be able to make better decisions based on themselves and the outcome of their environment.

Art lives and art is life. Please support it.

Donation for First Friday Done and Done!

Delivered my piece this afternoon and I'm pretty happy with it. The background is based on a piece of fabric I have had for a long time. The dark, oxblood color in the background is very nice. I wanted it to be reminiscent of the 1920/30's and the figure is based on Betty Bronson who acted in films during that time.

I'm hoping it will bring some funds to support the arts in Las Vegas. We need all the help we can get. Maybe I should start bending neon!

Father's Day

When I was little...

we would go to the woods. I don't know where that was but it was fun. We lived in the North of England and in summer we would spend weekends at a cabin and sometimes take the caravan (trailer). I was stung by a bee on my bum on one of these outings. I'll never forget that!

Here's to you Dad. I miss you and think of you all the time. I'm sorry about the last time we spoke but it's your fault, you gave me that damn temper :)

I love you.

Support First Friday in Las Vegas

First Friday is a big deal. Well, at least to me. I got my first taste in 2005 when 100 artists were given space in 100 tents which were set up in the streets of the Arts District. These tents were paid for by the city to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of Las Vegas and all an artist had to do was apply. I displayed some portraits of founding fathers and mothers, plus some other art that was pertinent but not awesome.

The 'District' is between downtown and the Las Vegas Strip (sort of) for those who are not familiar with the dynamics. It's several blocks of run-down apartments intersperced with small galleries, antique/second hand shops, used furniture stores and radiator repair shops. You'll see old and young alike dressed much as you might find in Venice Beach or Greenwich Village... 5th Avenue or the Sunset Strip. An eclectic group to say the least. Many folks who love art, maybe can't afford to buy it, but, when the doors are open, they love to come out and share the experience of original stuff... lots of which is amazing and a little is, well, not. The thing is, it gets people out to explore something that nourishes the soul if not the pocketbook.

Food stands and live music. Beer on tap and bottled water no end. Nothing better on a hot summer night in the desert.

Sadly, First Friday has lost city support which provided closed streets and security for live bands who could set up and play until closing at 10pm...food vendors provided the pungent scents of Thai food, BBQ Chicken and burgers on the grill. A smokey wonderland in an otherwise world of cement and gambling halls.

The private supporters of First Friday known locally as Whirlygig, (AKA Friends of First Friday), are asking local artist to donate a painting to raise funds to keep this awesome happening alive.

The photos I'm displaying today are of the piece I started this morning as my donation. The donated pieces will be sold in silent auction style at Dino's Bar on Las Vegas Blvd. and Oakey on Wednesday, June 24, 6pm. If you are local, please come down and spend a few bucks for an awesome piece of original art made by the local artists in the community.

Thank you for your support :)

Summer Mornings

I love my yard early in the morning before the sun gets too high. The air is cool and actually feels moist which is unusual for the desert southwest. Those who sleep late miss this because, even though they may stay up late, the air doesn't cool until the earth (and cement) release the heat they have absorbed during a hot day in the great basin.


I have decided to make a small painting of my fig tree. The leaves are huge and provide shade for the sweet figs. I took these pictures from under the tree as the sun is rising in the east. I like the way it enhances the vein structure of the leaf. I'll post the painting when I'm finished.

Figs are very sweet and I love to eat them warm off the tree as an energy snack when I'm working in the yard. I have never actually cooked with these figs but I'm sure they would make an excellent Newton. I pretty much leave them for the birds to enjoy...and trust me, they do!

The Workshop

Decided to share some inside info on the pendants. I know some sellers glue (decopage etc.) to scrabble tiles and I considered using these machine made tiles or glass squares but it just wasn't a good fit for me. I'm a control freak and don't much like stuff that's machine made. Too darn perfect. I like the flaws I get with the handcut wood.




Sometimes, when you cut, a bit will splinter off making the piece irregular. I like that. It makes a thumbprint. Something unique. I sand everything really smooth and I just love the feel of it. It's like a stone you pick up at the beach that is all soft and worn on all it's surface. Like worry beads. You can carry them in your pocket and if you get stressed you can hold this little piece of wood and it makes you calm. You realize that whatever it is will be OK somehow. Calm.


I do a series of sketches and then just jump in and draw one on the tile. The painting part is pretty fun but I love adding detail with pens. I found some Prismacolor markers that you can get in .005 size. The are great for detail but I still wish I could get a finer one for these little pendants. They are still a little thick but if I use color, that's right, they come in colors, I can make more subtle lines with a light brown or red that aren't as glaring.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these little works of art and don't forget to visit my Etsy :)

Thanks for reading.

Iddy Biddy Art to Wear

I've started making pendants. I tried this on polymer clay and just wasn't happy with it but had a furring strip and thought maybe wood would be a good idea. My daughter is an artist in Portland and she paints on raw wood all the time. Her work is beautiful. I figured this may be a way to do small pieces that are affordable to my buyers.

I did several over the weekend and am very happy with the outcome. I want to take custom requests without putting too much detail into it. Easy to add a name on the banner if it's a pet or friend. All I need is details to identify. Pets need breed and colors. People.... you know what to do :)