End of the Calendar for 2010

Ok... today wraps up the calendar for 2010 ... pretty cool outside but the sun is shining and hopes are up :-)
Challenges can be stepping stones or stumbling blocks. It's just a matter of how you view them. -Unknown
Remember the good things of last year... look for the good things this year.
Best to you all.

Oil on canvas pad  5x7

Idealist

I'm an idealist. I don't know where I'm going but I'm on my way. -Carl Sandburg
Well said, Carl.
The harder you work, the luckier you get. -Gary Player .... hard to argue with that.

Oil on canvas pad 5x7

Roots

Nice rain last night ... cleaned up the area very well ..... today it's off to the Endodontist :-) ... fun. ... then a stop at the Portrait Society of Reno's weekly live model painting session... then to sign up at a new fitness center ...... sun is shinning already... it's going to be a good day.

Mid-day

Mid-day Friday... it's up to 40 out there and headed for 47 ... time to grab a bite to eat then on with other paintings in progress ... but I will be off to the fitness center in mid-afternoon .... who knows, the weather might turn bad again in a couple days like the weather prognosticator is dreaming up  :-)

oil on canvas panel  9x12

Weekly Gestures

The gesture painting continues. I want to do at least 100 of these... maybe by then I will catch on :-)
Yesterday's attempts were family .... always nice to have family around.

Oil on canvas panel 9x12

I yam doin' OK

I always feel like going out on these beautiful sunny days ... so I went to the fitness center ... ran and pumped a little iron .... felt real good afterwards. Vistied the Save-More on the way home and picked up a yam... I'll eat that one tomorrow.
Y-all have a good evnin' now, y'hear :-)

Ol' Ron

Still working on the gesture paintings in monochrome ... but got diverted today with internet work and mailing forms. Will get back on the brushes in a little while.
Smile .... what ever comes along.

Oil on canvas panel 8x10

Monochrome Studies

Monochrome studies are fun, interesting and helpful. They are supposed to be 30 -60 minute projects .... likeness is not the goal .... technique and learning the medium is the goal.

Oil on canvas panel  9x12

Jeremiah

Old pictures pop up occasionally. Great Grandfather Jeremiah.

Oil on canvas panel 9x12

A Sunny Day

At 8:15 am it was 21 degrees outside. Remembering long, long ago back east it was not nearly that cold but my nostrils would freeze as the artic air slipped in my nose turning the snot into multicolored ice formations
like an ancient cave filled with stalagtites and stalagmites. ... my eyebrows gathered cakes of wet snow until they sagged down my face nearly blocking all vision ... the tip on my nose so red Rudolph would have been proud and my fingers by that time would not move. I peered out the window again. The sun was bright and glistening off the new-fallen snow across the meadow and over the hills. It was totally frozen.
OK. I'm going for it. Layers and layers of what I figured would help keep me warm I bundled up. By now I look 100 pounds heavier but these are light weight garmets. Forcing my way out the ice-jammed storm door I carefully stepped across the sheet of ice that covered the deck.
 Hey! It wasn't really all that bad out there. In fact, it was very pleasant. No frozen nose. No blast of artic air paralysing my throat. I loved it. A short walk down the driveway and to the highway and back was wonderful. Can't always rely on old memories..... just get out and go for it today.

Heh heh ... Aric, you'll just have to deal with this  :-)

Oil on wood panel 9.5x10

Loving Winter

Offically Winter is not here yet... but you just tell that to the weather outside :-)
Yesterday it rained all day... a lot... and the wind blew somewhat briskly ... the weather man thought it would blow up to 70 mph ,,, but what does he know, really? ... it may have been up to 40 in gusts,,, heh heh ... and that's enough to get water in lots of cracks. I don't like to be wet and cold... just never seemed right to me ,,,, now warm souther rain, that's a different story... I like that. It's good to do things we do not especially like once in a while so yesterday, in the afternoon, I bundled up and took off in the pickup to the gym. Going to workout I like very much ... it's going out in the blowing, cold rain that takes extra effort ...... It wasn't long before I worked up a sweat and felt REAL good .... after a stop at Trader Joe's it was back to the cabin.
I was glad I did that for several reasons..... maily, it snowed during the night and today did not warm up much... the driveway is a sheet of ice... the windshield is fronzen over ... the highway is slicker 'n glass .... the internet is down taking the telephone with it ... I painted, watched a gesture portrait training DVD.... ate a hot lunch with a Winterfest brew while a movie played... then painted some more.
Not where I want to be yet but still working on it. No live model today,,, just photos. A week form Wednesday I want to start painting with live models with the Portrait Society of Reno222 got an invite several weeks ago.
Next Wednesday I meet a local Endodontist... now that should be great.... it must be fun being in a business where all your patients hate to come see you .... maybe the money compensates for the alienation.
Keep smilin' no matter what :-)

oil on canvas pad 9x12

Coconut

I love coconuts. Recently I found out that some folks don't call that liquid inside "coconut milk" ... they call that "coconut water" ... they feel coconut milk is made from the meat of the nut ... shred it - pout hot water over it - let it soak - drain it ... and then you have a nice white liquid called coconut milk. This coconut is from the grocery store.. none on the trees here. Shortly I will drain and drink the water then make some coconut milk.
Danny Kaye sang about Coconuts .... I've liked that song since I was a kid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c-D35DRPbY&feature=related
Some refer to that lump on top of your neck as a coconut
Some of us just like to eat the things

oil on canvas board 6x8

Dreaming

Yesterday it started snowing here... snowed all day and into the night... then sometime in early morning, I guess, it warmed up and began raining... most of the snow has melted ... all the while I remained indoors doing other things I enjoy more.
In Sept and Oct I went up to Hope Valley a couple times. In the inclimate weather I then look at the fotos and can dream about those please days of hiking and walking. One of those trips I cam upon some strange looking rocks next to the river.... so here is my interpretation.. think of the good times.

Oil on canvas board  9 x 12

Breakfast

Another cool day ... with the sun shining and a few fluffy clouds out there ... don't you just love these winter days?
Yesterday the rain froze and everything was covered with ice .... today, clear and cool .... so I'm inside enjoying easel time :-)

Oil on canvas board  6x8

These will be long gone by the time you get this  :-) Mmmmmmmm

Over the hill and down the road

Today, bright and early I rushed around getting my painting things ready to drive off to the weekly live-model painting sesson of the Portrait Society of Reno ... unfortunately yesterday it rained a lot here, then froze up very solid.... the wiper blades were frozen to the windows... the windows were covered with a thick layer of ice .... we can deal with this we think.... then... we find the doors are frozen shut... both sides ... time is running short and there is no way to get there even close to being on time. ... No meeting next week so we'll have to catch it later this month.
The sun is shining brightly... has been all morning .. so the ice should be gone after while :-)
I'm not going anywhere else today anyway so it matters not.

OK... so you saw my bananas painting before but I had to shoot this one .. I'm preparing to do more food still life paintings and saw the bananas all lined up there on the counter top with the old painting in the background ... interesting, eh?

Monday I painted and did a few other things around here before leaving for K's house. Had a great dinner there and spent the night so we could get up early Tuesday to head over the hill. Weather reports told us to expect rain and/or snow. We got both. Rain here in the valley and snow at higher elevations. As long as there are no problems, traveling trough a snow storm is  very exciting ... especially when we make the first tracks.

We did not make the first tracks here ... but close ... it was a light storm and we were right in the thick of it all.

We are much higher here and leading the way... slowly, very slowly.

On the return trip in mid-afternoon the snow was still falling. there was no one fishing the river in Hope Valley today.

Sorrenson's seems to always be busy .. even today in the middle of a snow storm their place is packed... good for them.

Finally heading out of the hills and down to the valley ... not long after this scene we left the snow, arrived in the valley with it's cows feeding in the pasture and hints of green grass here and there.

Great to be back ..... oh yes, and the dentist cleaned me up good and did a minor repair. I'd really like to keep as many teeth as possible until I'm 108 but sometimes I have to wonder about that.

Enjoy you're day.

One Man Show at the Blind Dog Coffee Cafe

3 Dec 2010 was our first 1-man show held at the Blind Dog Coffee Cafe. If you missed it we are sorry you were not there. We thought it was a huge success with over 50 family, friends and strangers attending. The Blind Dog Coffee Cafe is a fine, relaxing coffie shop run by Mark and Robbin Berry. Read more at http://www.recordcourier.com/article/20100917/COMMUNITY/100919903 and http://www.blinddogcoffee.com/zen/.
Although we were scheduled to run the show Fri from 4-8pm it was extended Sat 9 am to 1pm. Snacks were served and live music was provided by local entertainers.... and of course, the wonderful coffee, teas and home backed goods were available.

We had a painting from our plein air trip to the Carson River above the great fireplace.

Heidi, John and Ron sit around a table during lively conversation and snacks.

Support from family was greatly appreciated.

The music was greatly appreciated.

Kris showed up and helped us out of a bind in setting up ... nice going Kris.. and many thanks.

Customers and strangers attended ... there were even some kids there who found paintings they liked :-)

There were 3 racks of 3 panels each .... about 80 paintings and drawings ... oil, acrylics, water colors and pencil.

Mean while , business as usual at the Blind Dog Coffee Cafe.

A couple Days in San Francisco

One of the great things about San Francisco is the diversity. Within jsut a few blocks from the house in 2 different directions we find beautiful parks, lakes, trails and the beach. This time we headed headed out for the beach. The dog likes this walk to the beach as much as we do.... maybe more ... and she just can not seem to get enough of running on the beach and jumping in the water.

Looks like any other part of the city

getting close to the park... notice the big trees

from this part of the trail we can already see the ocean

baron and the dog about to enter the urban forest

Ahhh yes... a friendly coyote watches us

Lots of big trees along this trail

Not too long and we approach the beach

baron and Kristy always enjoy coming down here

Land's end ... refreshing and beautiful

In some spots the city comes right down to the ocean's edge .... at least to the edge of the clift

On the way back now... what a difference

Even in the city there are flowers..... stop and smell the flowers in your life

Round Trip trip to AZ

OK... here's the chopper... custom built by Ben the Baker... an Ohhh an Ahhh machine that turns heads everywhere .... this is really why we went to AZ... to bring it back to CA .... yeh,, he is going to pad the seat... otherwise the ohhhs and ahhhs will be for a different reason :-)

Here is Baron, ready to hit the road

One of the reason he's so anzious to get going... notice the storm brewing up there on the top of Slide Mt

It was foolin' round.... it was moving in with determination .... finally 2 feet of snow dropped after we left

Further down the road... just into CA east of the Sierras ... leaves were making their last stand

From Hwy 395 we took a short cut over to AZ

Up the moutain and then we dipped into Death Valley, finally arriving at sea level .... we had a picnic lunch at Stovepipe Wells

Leaving Stovepipe Wells it was all downhill to the center of the earth ... well, at least as deep as we could drive from this point

Notice the elevation here ... we are almost as deep as it goes

would you have imagined... an oasis at the bottom... and a golf course

Arrived in AZ.... loaded the chopper and left .... shortly we made our way over some hills and headed down into a hole in CA.... 29 Palms coming up

Our route took us around LA, over the grapevine to the Bakersfield area where we turned West and headed for the coast.... very interesting country... went thru some mountains... saw a deer which was too fast for me to dig out the camera and shoot..... but this guy just stood there staring

Finally we pasted a wide vally... about 75 miles wide... and had to stop at Santa Margarita to fuel up

pushing on we finally reached the coast .... could not wait to get to the beach after all that desert

The last leg of the trip was up hwy one..... right on the coast ... waves... clfts... trees

There it is.. final destination..... thanks for joining us on the trip