Inside the box

Decided to make some use of those cigar boxes I've been collecting to make guitars.
A little 3 dimensional piece. Haven't thought of a name for it yet.

Complicated Game

Painting/Collage/Digital Print.
All-a-dat.

Merger

We've been talking about doing some collaborative

stuff for awhile, so we finally took the plunge and

started a few pieces.

This is our first outing. Probably not quite finished

yet but well enough along to show the dimented direction

we're taking.

New Offering

The latest in the "Offering " series.
This guy has gone through quite a transformation.
I didn't realize it until I looked back at the first ones
in this series.

So what's up?

I kinda got lost in my world this week. Feeling a bit under the weather, so I'll make this update short. Gallery show this weekend-- Saturday night's the reception if'n yer in the Orlando area. Come see me, intro yerself, and bring me a glass o' vino (it just helps me log the name with the face--no, really.)

Playlist this week's been kinda slower-- some old Talk Talk, Elbow, Sia, Keane, Nouvelle Vague, Yann Tiersen..

oh yah-- and paintings!

Gimme some new blood. Who's on your playlist? New read? Who's this week's hero in your world?

Bruce Springsteen - in - progress(... or writer's block ain't so bad.)

Writer's block used to scare me. Not necessarily at face value, but the fact that it could turn bad if not managed--not unlike if you can't sleep, trying to force yourself to sleep only making it worse.

Malcolm Gladwell in his book "The Outliers" refers to the 10,000 hour rule-- paraphrasing, it's the magic number of hours someone needs to practice in order to attain a basic level of achievement in their field. Twyla Tharp in her book "The Creative Habit" tells of a painter friend who's productivity would depend on identifying whether it was going to be a 'painting day' or not early, thus planning his time to work with that-not fight it.

Today I painted this Bruce Springsteen. I've painted him before, but haven't been completely happy with the results. I like the way this one turned out. --and clicked off a couple more hours toward that 10,000 hour mark.

Day trip to Savannah

Needed to get away for a bit so we headed up to Savannah
for a few days.

One of the old buildings on River St.

Downtown Savannah... checking out some of the art galleries.

One of the many statues adorning a grave at Bonaventure cemetery.

The road leading to the remains of the Wormsloe estate.

Stopped here for breakfast on the way home. Some of the locals were giving the cook a hard time about being on drugs. All in fun (I think).

Window of an old building on the waterfront in Darien.

An old abandoned church.

Bowie

for zenfrog..

a request..
Thanks for the suggestion, zenfrog!

Our New Space

Gallery On First

Tracy working on Robert Deniro the
Saturday before we moved in.


Sunday, hanging our stuff.

Pretty much filled the space but we still have more to add.

Ybor Highlights

Here's a few images of our trip to the west coast.

They gots devil crab as big as a man's head over there!

This 3 piece band was kickin it at the Blue Shark.

Step 1 in making the perfect sandwich.
A good piece of bread is essential.

I heart Shawn Barber's art

Not to rip off Sinatra, but I don't get around much anymore. But I had to take a break from the ironing & housework (man, I crack myself up so much) to go see Shawn Barber's show in Ybor (Tampa) last weekend.

And if that ain't the sweetest uh... whatever, the next day he gave a demo. The guy's truly amazing. Go to his website, go see his shows if you can. Then thank me with a box of dark chocolate for helping you make one of the best decisions of your LIFE. Yah, that's right.

New Diggs!

As of April, you'll be able to see us in person at Gallery On First in Sanford, FL. We're excited to be able to have a physical presence, to be able to meet and talk with collectors, and possibly get a square foot or two of living space back. (sweet!)

The Gallery is located at 211 E. First Street, and is right in the center of the downtown historic district.

(pic coming soon...)

New Joe Strummer

Painful Eggsalad

3 eggs, 1 T horseradish, 1 T mustard, 1 T mayo, 1/2 t oil, pinch o' salt, a bit of shredded cabbage, some dill, 1 T onion, and some pickled jalapenos-- not sure how much, but a crapload. I mean, otherwise, what's the point, right?

It's way too cold. I'm just trying to creatively clear my sinuses. When it comes to whippin' up some creative cooking, I'm there.


I didn't say I was good at it, I just said I was there. --Yes, I really did ignite this cookbook. (email me for the recipe.)

Andrew Wyeth left us a whole lot to be thankful for.

"A lot of people say I've brought realism back - they try to tie me up with Eakins and Winslow Homer. To my mind, they are mistaken. I honestly consider myself an abstractionist. Eakins' figures actually breathe in the frame. My people, my objects, breath in a different way; there's another core--an excitement that's definitely abstract. My god, when you really begin to peer into something, a simple object, and realize that profound meaning of that thing--if you have no emotion about it, there's no end.

...You see, I don't say, 'well, now I'm going out to find something to paint.' To hell with that. You might as well stay home and have a good glass of whiskey."

Richard Meryman interview with Andrew Wyeth, published in 1973

No Laughing Matter. I'm no photographer.

So here was this morning's project: a request. But lemme clear the air on my photog skills: I got none. **Note the brighter light on the right, and the glare in several areas. Ace!



Remembering the classic line from Ferris Bueller, "Sir--Please. ...You have nothing to worry about. ..I'm a professional."

One Day Like This.

Beautiful day! Got some last-minute shopping done, stretched some last-minute painting sales, and enjoyed the weather. It was actually pretty warm today. Must be spring.

Time to plant the chickens!

Hey Joe..

Watched "The Future is Unwritten" a bit back, and have had the soundtrack on my playlist ever since. It's a strange mix-- Elvis, U-Roy, MC5, Woodie Guthrie.. and Joe Strummer's several band-lives.

"Tracy, are you serious? That's crazy-all-over-the-place!"

I know, right?

Complete with Joe-as-DJ comments in between songs. I can't explain why, but it makes me feel like BBQ'ing.

and painting Joe again. .. and again.

Hey man, what's up?

Oh, everything and nothing, thanks for asking..

Working on a commission tonight... second of 2. The first I finished earlier today, then slacked. Now this:


Really cute tikes!

AND, I received the newest Naomi Klein book in the mail (which actually isn't new, but..). Started reading, but this weekend was full of the usual holiday chaos. Not familiar? The first thing I read by her was an old Harper magazine article. --a knock-your-socks-off sorta thing.

Holy Crap is this your lucky day or what?!? I just found it online here.

"Tracy, this is a Friedmanite economics expose during wartime-- I'm just not into it"

It's 8 pages (with pics). You'll thank me-- Really. That's how I get all my chocolate, ya know.

Oh the locking pill caps thing hit home..

I have a list of sites I *should* hit regularly, but I really treat like the week of finals. I know from past experience that the more I waver from a regularly scheduled list of tasks, the more I'm likely to oh... watch youtube videos of 80's bands for an hour and whine that I didn't get anything accomplished...

BTW, the 'finals' reference was to demonstrate how close I am to college age. buyin' it?

My dog had surgery last week. And I'm more than your average pathetic dog owner. --no, she doesn't have a pink mesh bag that I tote her around in... but I did walk out on her vet. Scheduled surgery that I got that movie tinge about last minute... "these people don't know this dog like i do and her life's in danger!" Yah. Who's your drama queen? That'd be me.

Well, scoot forward-- happy ending, surgery's done...by her *new* vet, and the antibiotics... OH! The antibiotics! And their new fandangled container to keep the bird out-- er me out. ANYONE out. *WAIT--when did *this* happen?? That old age "i-can't-open-the-pill-container" thing happened to me.

So My sign that the planets are in alignment happened when I read Ralph's sister's blog here.
I'm not the only "this pill bottle sucks!" game in town.

wah-wah-winter

Every year I fight winter. I'm not a 'cold's okay' person. I wish I were.

Cold feels like cold to me for a very narrow range, and then feels like numbness --Like when you run fingers under water and can tell the water's either really hot or really cold, but can't determine which. It makes it difficult to stay focused on painting. And I'm not talking 45 degrees, I'm talking 60 degrees.

Yesterday I got some work done. I'm pretty happy with the way this Frank Black (formerly with the Pixies) is coming along.

Fingers crossed today stays on track. Lots of work to do...and hot coffee ready to go.

Observation

Smooth Sailing.

Yesterday was my brother's birthday. His wife (both pic'd above) organised for us to all go out on a short sail cruise off Cocoa. The trip was amazing, the weather cooperated, and everyone had a really good time. I highly recommend these guys if'n yer in the area. (click..)


my mom and the mascott, GiGi..


My dad, my brother, and his wife..

..and Ralph.

How'm I doing? It's my birthday!

Indeed it is. And Ralph got me these bad-a$$ boots (modeled by yours truly.)

Jealous? Yah, I thought so.

Jude Law... in the woiks.

I was hopeful to finish today, but no such luck.

Ricky Gervais

Francis Bacon paints anxiety. That's what I feel when I see his paintings. He communicates anxiety like no other.

New show opens at the Tate.

I think it's gonna be a Keane day.

UPDATE: This is now live on Ebay. Click to view.


Today's project-- another band that has moved in and put permanent roots into my daily playlist - Keane. If you haven't heard them yet, for the love of Pete! get to it. You'll thank yourself. Heck--you may even thank me..by way of a box of dark chocolate. Hay! Thanks!

I don't know how far I'll get on this project today. I have the inevitable scheduled-- death and taxes. --wait: no. Just the taxes part. (who schedules death??)

And the Elbow painting's done. Hopefully will be scheduled to go live on Ebay tonight.. (nudging Ralph).

Ralph's new WIP


Artifacts 4

No Orlando, FL on Elbow's tour

wha--why? Elbow--why no Orlando? --don't answer that, I already know.

Ok, but answer THIS: why no New York?! Ah-HAH! We've been known to fly up for a show. Actually, we did a few years back to see sneaker pimps, and when we flew home, they added Orlando as a tour stop. We caught both shows.

OutEffingstanding.