Make Art

I watched the Oscars last night, DVRed so as to skip commercials and annoying dance numbers, but one performance stopped me from fast forwarding, those eventual winners of best original song, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. I had never heard of them, but they sounded genuine and were unlikely winners, which seemed to be a dominant theme of the night. Marketa, cut off by the orchestra on her first attempt, came back out and delivered something like:

This is such a big deal, not only for us, but for all independent musicians and artists who spend so much of their time struggling. No matter how far out your dreams are, it's possible...this song was written from a perspective of hope, and at the end of the day, hope connects us all.

The song came from their own movie which they shot for 100,000 euros.
Marion Cotillard was another surprise and she looked like she was really going to pass out when she was walking off stage. I felt her joy. And then there was Diablo Cody. I read her book and although she is a talented writer, something about her winning an oscar for original screenplay felt like the girl from down the block just won it. And I felt hope and connection. So let's get out there people and change the world! Vive la vie!

Painting day

I did some more work on Russian Lullaby, but I'm still not happy with it. I may have tackled more than I can handle with this ornate wool blanket. The silver shaker poses challenges as well. Live and learn. I also sketched out a new painting. I may give this one the old Tanner treatment vice the Harris method. There is a photo from the beach that I like up above too. Click on it for a better view.

i Google.

There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth - not going all the way and not starting.
- Buddha

Buddha would have made a good software engineer.

It's my first week of serious blogging and I'm wondering where to go with this thing. I'm thinking part travelogue, artlogue, random musings and other detritus. Picture above is from Bill Harris's art class, a little number I like to call bowl of fruit, number one. I have one other painting from that class that is still unfinished. I have a lot of unfinished paintings in the studio. I should take some of my own Buddha quoting medicine?

talk to me machine!
we can drink together.
we can have fun.

think of all the people who will hate me at this computer.
we'll add them to the others
and continue right on.
so this is the beginning
not the
end.

- Charles Bukowski, from 'my first computer poem'

Happy Franklin Pierce Day!

The long weekend at the beach is over. I return to Richmond to discover that the Civil War is not over people. Mortars from the 1860s have been fired in Chesterfield County damaging a home there. Is the South rising?
I decided during the long drive back that I want a sailboat and a vacation home. Donations accepted. Weekend getaways are good for your health. Is this the warmest February ever? My heating bill likes it. But some of me misses winter and snow. I could travel to China. I need to paint something.

Happy Hour

The Red Balloon

Standing on the beach at Corolla with free wifi at my back. Ocean too
cold for bare feet. Sun comes out again and so do the people, dogs,
and fishermen. Almost cocktail/happy hour...