I was very happy with the purchase of my shiny new canopy. I even got a chance to use it at the last art show in Covington (worked like a charm, by the way). The second time I used it however, it broke.
It was at my son’s first birthday party two weekends ago. The tent was setup over a table in the yard to fend off the mean, old sunshine. And it was a hot day at that, until along came a thunderstorm which quickly gathered water in a slackened section of canopy, building up enough weight until: “Crash!” “Bam!” “Calamity!” I even heard the crack as the canopy collapsed in on itself. Sad. Very sad.
This painting was done as a commission and turned out quite well. The reference photo was great, catching these two relaxing together on their pillow - the only downside was that there was not much detail in the black dog’s face. Anyway, the painting went quick and the client was happy with the result.
And also, happy birthday to my brother Joshua.
Just a quick note on this top five: these come from the experience of my wife who works as a vet technician. She wanted to be clear that these are blatant generalities and your pet’s “mileage” may vary.
5. Any Injured Dog or Cat - obviously, being in pain and afraid can lead to biting
4. Male Neapolitan Mastiffs - tend to be aggressive, plus they are very large and hard to handle
3. Chihuahuas and Dachshunds - just plain mean, these generally suffer from “little dog syndrome”
2. German Shepherds - tend to be squirrelly and untrustworthy, and on top of that if they are aggressive they are big dogs with big teeth
1. Scared and/or Spoiled Felines - some of the most sweet-innocent cats at home become little fur-balls of terror the minute they arrive at the vet’s [for instance, take our darling cat Callie: small, gentle, quiet at home . . . but becomes a tiny Tasmanian Devil at the vet's and has to be "put under" for the simplest of checkups]
One other interesting observation from my wife: the best breeds to work with as patients are Labradors [and other retrievers] and Standard Poodles
5. tossing shingles - like sheetrock, these babies are non-dumpable [if that's a word]. Each bundle must be hand-tossed and hand-straightened.
4. carrying sheetrock - the most heavy-awkward thing you will carry upstairs and around corners. We use the “slap-stack” method for maximum efficiency [in case you were wondering]
3. forklift operation - Certification optional. One cool thing to try is to pick up two pallets of sakcrete and balance on the front wheels - make sure your coworkers are watching.
2. creative customer service - “Yes, Ma’am, that’ll probably drill through concrete”
1. dumping lumber - no better skill at a lumber company than “dumping hard” [this is the technical term]. Offloading beneath carports and in crowded construction sites can be extra tricky.
- This top five list brought to you by Micah Foreman. Thanks Micah!
“Captive Audience #1,” 20×20″, $400
“Captive Audience #2,” 12×12″, $100
It was a hot day yesterday at the Northshore Art Market. Very hot. On top of that, it was a slow day. But it was great to meet those who came out, and all the positive comments were greatly appreciated.
This being my second Northshore Art Market, I was pleased to see a few familiar faces in the crowd. I handed out as many business cards as I could and sold enough painting to cover my booth fee. Needless to say, I was quite sore this morning, and I’m still moving a bit slow as I get ready for church.
“New Beginnings,” 42.5×42.5″, $1700
This is a large painting, completed mainly with pallet knife in hand. It started as many of my paintings tend to do, as an aimless layering of paint on canvas - at one point, I was considering going with a giant clown’s head - but the final idea came together fairly quickly. And the subject turned out to be quite the opposite of a giant clown’s head.
“Handprints,” 20×16″, $150
This was a spontaneous idea. After covering the canvas with a watery slurry of blue, I had the uncontrollable urge to stick my hands in it. Turned out pretty well, I think. And the hand model was great to work with.
top: “City Block #1” and “City Block #2” - 22×28″, $350
bottom “City Block #3” and “City Block #4” - 20×20″, $250″
