Piebald Dauchsund and WIP

Finally, here is the update!  This is what I have been up to all this time.  I am beginning to dread uploading pictures for some reason.  For one thing it is hard to get a good picture of artwork with the camera I am using (parents camera). 

The Piebald Dauchsund in progress you see her is a commission of a friend.  This portrait is of her dog Daisy, taken directly from a photograph.  Replicating photographs is not easy.  But that's what I'm here for!  So far, this pooch has been alot of fun to burn.  I know her personally and she is so sweet and spoiled.  I feel knowing her helped me to portray her engergy and charm onto the wood.

Next is the Work In Progress I laid aside to do Daisy, the Dauchsund.  This is a Cowboy at the Cross portrait that I sketched on paper in June of 2010 and decided to improve.  I did indeed improve it, tweaking things here and there, and am pleased with how it is turning out so far.  I am struggling to add texture to the horses skin at the moment, as I know horses are so spongy, fleshy, and alot more bumpy than a pencil or pen will often allow you to portray.  The eyesets, and the mood overall are pleasant, contrast is fine but I will continue to work on deepening that contrast.  I like being able to set it to the side for a moment because it allows me to contemplate my next point of attack. 

I hope to offer prints of this work in the near future.  I do not know when the origional will be for sale.

Also, I am now burning on Birch Ply which is very fine for burning.  In fact, I like it better than Basswood.  For any of you pyro guys and gals out there, who are like me and wonder just where in the world can I find good fine art proffessional canvas wood.  I looked high and low, here and there, but the only place I was able to find fine birch ply was at my local Lowes.  But it was fine wood, and a good price ($4.00).  I just had to have my dad run it over the table saw, cut it into three pieces of different dimension.  Cheaper than basswood and an excellent burn, excellent grain.  I just love it!

Merry Christmas and Daisy Commission

         Ran across this video and wanted to share it.  I wont say much because it speaks volumes in itself.  I was especially touched by the little girl's reaction, which was nothing but genuine.  I can imagine it is hard for these children to know that their dad is working far away from them for months at a time, and that he might one day never come back. 

Merry Christmas!

I have put aside the Cowboy at the Cross portrait, visible on Facebook, for a short while as I have been commissioned to do a portrait of a lovely little Piebald Dachsund named Daisy for a friend.  Will post pictures soon.  Thanks for visiting.

The Diamond of India

I have always thought that the women of India were some of the most beautiful women on Earth.  The colour of their skin, the shape and depth of their eyes, their mysteriousness and modesty, everything about them.  Even the old ones, with wrinkled skin and greying hair, possess a pristine look and natural beauty no make-up queen could ever attain. 

Yet we know that India is one of the most crowded and over-populated nations on earth, and in fact, starving- although most of this is due to religious views.  (Recalling the picture of the woman with hungry children pouring milk and cream into a bowl for the rats)

So, perhaps it is their tradition that is causing all this trouble.  If the men had to pay huge dowries for a woman the woman would be treated as though she were worth something and the families would want to have girls instead of boys. 




However, what we truly have is a great pedjudice, a gender predjudice.  If the man doesn't want a daughter...he doesn't want his own wife.  The ridiculous part of this is, the man doesn't seem to realize that by putting women in that position, they degrade themselves to the same level of worth. 

Take a look at these videos presented, and know that the people of India would truly be the most beautiful people on earth, if they would only treat themselves and each other as such.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

It's that time of year again, Thanksgiving and the day following, Black Friday.  I have never attended a Black Friday Jungle event or what they call a Sale.  There isn't alot I suppose I should say about either holiday, it is only the placement of the two that concern me. 

Thanksgiving, is the day we're taught from little on up to give thanks to everyone from God to our friends and family for all that we have and- everything and everyone.  We be thankful, one day out of our usually selfish lives.  On that day of thanks we feast, greedily and selfishly helping ourselves to multiple servings of stuffing, turkey, hams, sweet rolls, pies, icecreams, and on and on.  Then when all the greedy selfish feasting is over, we rush out of the house, early in the morning, with the children and the dog, and set up tent in a shopping center parking lot, waiting for the store to open and the sale to begin. 

When it does we rush greedily and selfishly through the doors, pushing and shoving against our thankful neighbors, contesting, trampling, screaming and grabbing, we clear off the shelves of everything our hearts desires- greedily trying to grab the last DSI or Xbox of Wii Kinect or Ipad before our neighbor can get one.  If they can't hold onto what they have tightly enough, you might not be thankful for what you are clutching in your own hands and snatch the product from them, and then greedily make your way to the checkout.  Then you leave, triumphant at how much money you saved, if not a little thankful...

Those of you who have lost loved ones in these stampedes, are probably a bit thankful that your own life was spared.  It is a shame that a life was stomped into the Walmart ashpalt over an electronic that was then dropped in a toilet (on accident) and ruined just two months later.  Daddy would have lived alot longer than that cellphone.... 

So this holiday we celebrate the very morning after Thanksgiving, what is it?  Is this what our day of thanks provokes us to do?  To fight like wild animals, to herd like jackasses or wild cattle, trampling everything in our path... for merchandise we think we "need", which is in reality only a luxury and not the joy of life.  Is this what Thanksgiving Day has taught us Americans?  To grovel like serfs under parade floats, and grab and claw for merchandise we are fully convinced we must have. 

Thanksgiving Day was proclaimed a holiday when we realized that the pilgrims were thankful to God to be alive, for the land of oppourtunity that lay before them.  They were thankful for the raw materials, as in: The raw lumber and concrete and drywall used to create a house- not the finished mansion.  The materials.  They had uncultivated, uncultured, wild land.  No towns, no tradesmen, no shops, no government, no economy, ... and they were thankful. 

So, my dear Black Friday shopper, consider my words.  Only a hypocrite can celebrate Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday.  This year, I will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day. 

The artist~

Shearling Vest Upcycle

This is one of two shearling vests my grandfather brought to the states from Romania in 1975.   They are rather inexpensively made, being common farmer's coats and the outer jean is quite torn and worn.  In fact, the shearling liner is even torn in two places on one.         

So,  with Shearling now the fashion and very expensive, I plan on refurbishing or upcycling these two vests.  After all... (sarcastically) if Sheepskin scraps are SO expensive, why bother to throw it away? 

It will be an exciting project and I should be very glad to have a shearling vest once I am done. 

My plan is to first, pick the jean away from the shearling pieces (the vest is only three pieces of material) and lay the jean pieces on the new material and cut it out accordingly (adding 5/8 inches for seams). I hope to detail certain areas of the vest to dress it up a little, and may or man not add buttons.  The vest wont have that inside out look some shearling coats have but it will surely be nice. With success, the old will be spectacularly new once again!!  Wish me luck! 

                                                                     



What I Think of Your Boyfriend

Something that has annoyed me grealty for most of the years of my life is the couple- not the couple themselves, but usually how the couple react to me or my prescense.  So I have decided to take a stand on it.  Ladies:  I DO NOT WANT YOUR BOYFRIEND.

This is the message of this post, clear and simple.  I consider myself to have average looks.  I see myself realistically.  My face isn't perfect, my body isn't perfect.  My jaw is too stubborn, my brow kind of thick, my hair kind of wiry, my cheekbones a little too flat, my face somewhat round, my facial pores a little large, my nose kind of snippy, my lips a little thin, my eyelashes way too thin (thanks to my habit of toying with them) and on and on I could go critisizing myself. 

I am a sociable person, but somewhat distant and rigid.  I make acquaintances and contacts but I rarely committ to a close friendship, especially one that seems a little to restrictive.  I like to spend a moment talking to a stranger, make his or her acquaintance, rub off of them, rub a little of me on them, and then pass out of their life quietly.   

If I am an attractive lady it is through no fault of my own.  I am no flirt.  My ex-boyfriend was the playful one.  I was the rigid other trying not to draw attention to myself at all costs.  Compliments towards men are scarce.  I am not a sympathetic or doting person.  Extended conversations with men are a chore.  And lastly, what kind of woman would want to steal another girl's man?  

This is my reason for writing this.  I want all of you couples to know how offensive and imature it is, especially when you are under the age of eighteen.  I had such absolute faith in my guy friend that when he was surrounded by a group of females all competing for his attentions I left the fray, knowing he would handle it appropriately.  I had no fears he would leave me for one of them.  

When you and your partner, sitting alone- socially deprived, on a lonely cold loveseat while dozens of other happier youth frolic and talk and laugh together all around you, and you are approached by a lady who wants to talk, dare you give her that jealous look.  In doing so, you accuse her of being a very low woman.   Why would she want your boyfriend?  Why would she want to hurt you? 

If your boyfriend did take to her, would she want a guy that just dumped another girl?  Might that guy do the exact same thing to her? 

Might that guy not have any emotions to sort out about leaving his first girl?  Personally, I can't even understand jumping from one companion to the next.  After leaving one I would need a couple of weeks if not about three to four months to sort out my feelings, redirect my focus, and re-analyse what I am looking for in a companion of the opposite gender. 

Then of course, there is the guy who wont give any other girl the time of day for fear of making his girlfriend jealous.  For shame!!  A man and woman must had enough grace that he or she can be socially cordial with any other person. 

Jealousy in a partnership is a healthy thing in healthy doses.  Remember that finding a companion of the opposite gender should not keep you from interacting with others of equal or opposite gender in casual and formal social functions.  

I personally, do not have any interest in a man already claimed by a girl.  That makes him all the more distasteful to me, because I do not want to see that my partner has had any interest in another.  Ladies:  I DO NOT WANT YOUR BOYFRIEND.  Does that make you feel bad?  Do you want me to want him?  

No apologies.  I have spoken.   I don't want him. 

The Sun Came up Today...Aren't you Glad?

I must be on a roll here.  This is the third streak of inspiration in three days.  I haven't had time to woodburn, now that I am "officially" employed, but surprisingly, while work has stifled my artistic creativity, it isn't squashing my mental creativity. 

I realized today just how little people notice the very essense of life, and how much they take for granted.  Citizen #0000590 from Sunshineville, Anystate, USA wakes up and turns on his TV.  He eats his breakfast, he surfs the news on his fifth generation Iphone.  Has the fifth generation come out yet?  Anyway, as the clock draws nigh the top of the hour he rushes out the front door to head to work.  His head is down.  He is grumbling, likely cursing everything and everybody.  I would say Citizen #0000590 is in a bad mood.  This is normal.  Citizen #0000590 has just Facebooked his plight for his 862 friends to see.  This has made him feel only a little better.  But Citizen #0000590 is about to have to Facebook more curses as his car hesitates to start.  He will be late for work...again.  While he is busily facebooking the new turn of events....the lights, suddenly go out.  He is left in a bone-chilling, lead-dense blackness cut only the light from his fifth generation ipod illuminating his face and the surrounding surfaces of the interior of his "Blankety-blankety car". 

The sun just went out.  Science is warning us that one day the star we call the sun will fail us, and there are blips of concern from the general public when people mention "the end of the world" or the "sky falling".  But really, would Citizen #0000590 really care that someone turned off the sun, or would he just facebook it? 

As I lay on my couch at break, taking a power nap to recharge my batteries after the two waves of maddness at my workplace, I contemplated this.  Not the sun refusing to shine...but the essense of life.  My every breath.  The peace, and quiet.  The vibrations of sound waves from the strings of my sister's violin in the next room hitting my eardrums, teasing the musical areas of my brain...  My beating heart, my pulsing arteries... again, the unconscious contracting of my diaphram that keeps me breathing when I am too busy to think about breathing.  It is something we all take for granted.  Our own lives. 

We must admitt we are fighters, but only when we have to be.  People suffer vehicle and sporting accidents and cling to life with all their might as complete strangers struggle to keep them alive and transport them to a hospital.  Those victims may or may not have much appreciated their life while they had it.  They are at the moment fighting to keep it with all their might...but very few have appreciated what they had when they had it. 

I write this simply because I have been taking the time to appreciate these things over the past few days.  The busier I become, the more time I try to make to remember that my exsistence is blessed.  As I stepped out my door today, my mind was on getting in my car, getting safely to work, and on time.  My mind was on what might happen today at work, and what might happen tommorrow.  At the same time, another area of my cerebellum was contemplating yesterday's happenings, and how it all effected today.  Then, halfway to the car,...I just stopped.  I felt something warm all over my body.  It was pleasant.  I hadn't noticed it much before.  It felt good.  It made my heart leap, brought a little smile to my face.  I closed my eyes and lifted my face up to it.  I have never been able to look straight at it and most of the time I ignore it and forget that it there.  That bright star, the sun, was making my day.  So far, it has never failed.  Scientists say it can cause skin cancer and do all kinds of harm to the eyes if I don't wear sun lotion and expensive sunglasses and all kinds of junk like that....it might.  All I know is, I like that star right where it is.  Not too far from earth, not too close.  It warms me, it feeds me, it makes me smile, it tickles my heart (emitts energy and radiation essential for life), it is there.  And I like it.  

Nobody seems to take the time to facebook it because it is always there, doing the same ol' boring thing it always does.  Shining.  It never does anything else.  So maybe that is why people forget about it.  The only time they really remember it is when it is "too hot" outside.  When I look up at the night sky, I don't think much of those far away stars as being like the earth's sun.  

But then, I don't think much about the fact that I'm breathing.  Even when we think of death, we don't much about the fact that if we were dead, we wouldn't be breathing.  To us, breathing is comparisant to exsistance.  Each breath I draw...is a blessed one.   I enjoy my life....every breath of it.

How to Legally Speed?!

This seems a little out of the norm for me.  But since I'm a driving teen I believe all you other driving teens out there can relate.  Again, another non-art topic, but I'd say it's the art of speeding. 

Speeding tickets, a source of income for the city, a pain in the wallet, a motivator to slow down and be safe!!! 

Every time I think of speed limit signs and speeding tickets I think of a particular cousin of mine who first counseled me on the art of legally speeding.  He is a teen driver and he has not gotten a ticket yet.  But still, we cannot look to him as an absolute in this matter. 

For most of us, the speed limit sign is a speed suggestion.  And then once we've received our first ticket we take it a little more seriously.  Some of us...never learn.  Especially those Type A personalities...you know who you are. 

I'm a laid back person, but now that I am employed there is an ever present need to make sure I get to work on time.  I've never been late to appointments and I didn't speed to make it on time. 

The reason I write this article is because I am the one wishing I had the blue lights on top of my vehicle.  There's not a day I go driving that I don't see someone blowing through a stop-sign, doing a u-turn, or speeding at least fifteen to twenty over the limit.  No cops, no stops, we say.  Yes, I'll admit, I've been in a few situations where the yellow line did not allow me to go the way I wanted, and since there was nobody to see my error...I did it my way. 

You must understand, city driving is a lot more dangerous and different that country driving.  You think country rednecks are rogues, you wait until you have the mad texter who is weaving his or her way to work at an insane speed.  City driving is insane.

Digressing aside, we realize even our law enforcers have broken the law and we often catch them doing it.  But what can we say.  I will say...that even though I have seen a few break the laws they fine us for... I have also seen a few uphold those laws themselves.  And so this paragraph I pause to commend them.    ..................................

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Back to speeding.  We all seem to know that if we're go just five miles over the limit, we wont get caught.  Give us an inch, we take a mile.  Oh, the psychology.  So then, the moment we see 40 MPH our brains go, "ok. 45 here I come."  No mathematical calculations are needed, the brain seems to instantly make room for an extra five miles an hour and soon enough we can't seem to remember if the limit is 40 or 45.  So...if it's 45...can I go...50 on this road? 

My cousin's theory is that when driving on the highway you can get between two speeders and the speeder behind or before you will be pulled over and you will escape.  I don't have enough money to donate to the county to prove or disprove this theory.  But he hasn't got a ticket yet. 

When I first began driving,  I used to quake and hit the brakes every time I saw a policeman.  I didn't speed then, in fact, I was usually five miles under the limit.  Now, I don't even alter my speed.  For one thing, cop cars don't bother me.  I like having them around.  First, I can see them coming from way off.  I'm a Ford fan.  Even in the dark, the headlights of a town car strike me right away.  Secondly, I can tell when a policeman is out to catch speeders and when he's cruising home or going for lunch. 

But what has provoked me to right this is the temptation that has welled up in me for some time.  Have you ever been on a completely empty...five lane road?  With no one for one mile in either direction....and the Mr. Wheeler begins to come out in you.  You could do ninety...just to feel what it feels like... or you do circles in the road.  It's all yours.  Trees on either side for several miles...empty five-lane road...you can see for about a mile and a half down either stretch of the road freedom.  Like wilderness America.  ...again, the rogue I didn't know lived inside of me.  And the speed limit on this road...is 45 MPH.  I'm sorry, did I say limit.  I meant, suggestion. 

Well, when there are other vehicles present on that road, I do take that as a limit.  Which means, 50 MPH.  45+5=50.  But here's the part where the legal speeding comes in.  As I merrily do my 45-50 MPH range I find other vehicles blowing by me at 60 and 65 MPH.  What then? 

You know from being around elderly, overly-cautious, touristic, or terribly inattentive and slow drivers that slow driving can indeed be a hazard.  So you don't want to be a hazard, but then again, you don't want a big speeding ticket.  Legally speed.

Again, let me state that legally speeding is a safe method of speeding.  Realize that speed limits have their purpose.  That bend in the road- yeah, you better take it at the number they tell you to, sometimes less.  Ever notice how the 10 MPH over that speed bump still leaves you with a bent frame.  Just because the speed bump sign says 10 MPH DOESN"T MEAN 10 MPH is a safe speed to cross that bump.  They ought to just say CREEP.  Or tiptoe one wheel over at a time.  You cross a speed bump at 10 MPH and you'll be leaving parts in the road.  So legally speeding needs it's grains of salt.

You judge the speed of the car about to pass you or preceding you, and match it.  Read on your speedometer the speed you have reached.  Then...ease off the gas, until you are slowly and gradually falling behind them.  You will then be travelling at a speed that will not be a hazard to other speeders, you will probably not be going too fast to get caught, and you will not be going at an "insane" speed.  Remember, everyone else is going faster than you are.  

Also, if you find a policeman who is speeding, you can ride behind him- at a good distance- they will get you for following too closely, and go a little slower than him.  I do not recommend passing because then...you will be speeding. 

When it comes to in-town, I do not recommend speeding at all.  When it comes to highways filled with big trucks, I do not recommend speeding.  But if find yourself in a situation that calls for some more notches on the speedometer,  my cousin's method, or mine may help. 

Oh, and if you get caught, don't tell the officer about legally speeding.  There is no such thing.  Dude...just admitt it, You were speeding.

Happy Trails,

Country Field Mouse or City Sewer Rat?

Now there's an interesting twist on things.  I don't normally blog interesting articles.  But when provoked, or the inspiration hits, get outta the way.  Here I come!!  Mostly...I've got a point to prove.

I've lived in the same house I was born and raised in.  Well, of course I was born in a Hospital, Providence- I wasn't born in a barn.  Though I don't think it would have made much difference.  Jesus Christ was born in a barn after all.  My property seemed an expansive 300 acres when I was little but now that I'm grown, I realize it's only 3.  I've got a mild case of Claustrophobia I feel...or at least, something about my city caused it.  Throughout my 19 years of life I've watched two lane country roads turned into five lane main-stretches, neighborhoods and houses erased from the map and a new road put in, properties squashed to fit more roads in, and apartments, pharmacies, and banks rising all in between so more people could use those nice roads they were paving.  Or...the other way around maybe?  It all happened so fast I couldn't figure it out. 

They call it a booming economy, but that sounds like circular reasoning because the more they build the worse the economy gets. 

I was born with a disease.  The doctors thought I was jaundice, but that's just my olive complection.  I was almost premature, weighed around six pounds, ...but apparently the doctors dismissed me from the hospital as a healthy baby.  What nobody knew was that I had a disease with no name.  Even my mother didn't notice my disease  until almost a decade later.  All my life I dreamed of hundred acre pastures filled with horses and cows and goats.  Expansion, exploration, freedom... it courses through my veins.  ....(and ...I just donated blood this past month...sorry.) 

So my point is, in my elementary years, my town was still a pretty unmapped city.  Now it has a bigger label than the state capitol.  My disease was always there, but just like allergens cause allergies, my disease didn't surface until the city became...an irritant to my condition.  

So, I've decided that as soon as I get my break, I'm headed for the big country.  But, certain people keep trying to crush my dream.  They act like I shouldn't even try.  And then I wonder, Why do city people run to the country and country people run to the city?  Well, some do but I wouldn't say everybody does.  I've been told TOO many stories of kids who were raised on a farm and HATED their parents and RAN to the city where they lived happily ever after and then died at a young age.   Well, I'm assuming they died early since I have my thoughts on the city.  Never have I heard a story yet where a kid was raised in a rapidly expanding metropolis and ran to the country.  But you're about to hear one. 

The purpose of my article is to weigh the pros and cons of city life and country living.  It would seem, country living is no longer a part of American life.  Our television shows, our radio talk, our novels, our news- everything is about the city.  America's agriculture and livestock is only covered in "exclusive" National Geographic articles.  Fewer and fewer Americans are self-sufficient.  And I believe the reason there was a shift was because the government made it hard on farmers and made the city seem more profitable.  In fact, at one time the city was profitable.  So greedy, money-hungry people flocked to the cities.  Then, nobody wanted to work the land, so machines took over, and now, America is being fed by a very large ratio.  I believe one farm feeds approximately 1000 Americans. 

But let's talk benefits.  This is all about opinion.  But I'm going to make it fact.  And we're not just talking country but self-sufficiency.  And we're not just talking suburban, we're talking Mega-apartment-rise city.  Let's start with the city:

DisAdvantages of City Life:

1. Putrid air
2. Increased chance of automobile accident
3. Spread of disease
4. Stress
5. Radiation
6. Noise
7. Crime
8. Regulations
9. High Taxes
10. More services - BUT MORE BILLS
11. Grouchy, stressed strangers
12. Competition for services
13. No trust, kinship, good customer service (Sam Walton would turn over in his grave if he only knew)
14. More likely to be mugged, have your identity stolen, etc.
15. You look out your front window to see your neighbor's window.... (sigh) the blinds are ALWAYS closed...but then,...there was that one time they were left open...and you saw your neighbor walking around his house in his underwear.
16. Noisy neighborhood dogs.
17. Neighbors.... the good, the bad, and the unbearable.
18. Treated water.  That's right.  It's treated. Treated.
19. Spread of contamination and effects of chemical spills
20. Pathetic architecture.  Prefab homes.  Cookie Cutter houses...built right on that old landfill.  (I'm an individual...just like everyone else.  See that little window way up there?...with that little porch in front of the door...that's my pad. Yeah, no, over to the right four porches, yeah, there...that one with the door and shutters and the window...with the little porch, over there.)
21. Power lines and billboards...fantastic view isn't it?  Thanks Lamar.  But I came outdoors to...never mind. 
22. Haters.  Where are your friends when you need them. 
23. Cost of living.  Everybody wants your money.  That's why you came to the city, right? 
24. Disaster?  Everybody will share and play nice....right?
25. The need for a psychiatrist
26. Can't see the stars
27. When it rains, you spend money.
28. If it doesn't match, you're toast.

Advantages of City Life:

1. Good health care (usually)
2. Accessibility to Businesses and Work and airports
3. FancyShmanshy office and corporation jobs that pay way too much for
4. Safety in numbers (or do you believe in Terrorism?)
5. Ability to lie, cheat, steal, or trick someone and never run into them a second time
6. Ability to have fame: perform in an orchestra or sports coliseum, meet a star (depending on where you live and if you care)
7. Have nobody remember your pathetic name and face.
8. People notice what you wear.  Glamour matters.
9. Good services.  If power goes out, it will be restored quicker.
10. Cultural diversity... with a grain of salt.

Disadvantages of the Country Life:

1. Distance.  It's a drive to town for the bare necessities.
2. If you get hurt, the hospital might be a ways.
3. No opportunity for fame and fortune.
4. Nobody cares what you're wearing.  Just please, wear something. 
5. If it breaks, you fix it.  If you can't find it, you build it.  But then, for most of us who dare, that's not a problem.
6. They invented Duct tape.
7. If you cheat, lie, steal, or double-cross, we will remember you.  And everybody will know. 
8. Quick cash is harder to come by.  You have to work for it. 

Advantages of the Country Life:

1. Disease doesn't spread.
2. Low pollution
3. Low radiation
4. No noise
5. No crowds
6. No crime
7. Low taxes
8. Quality products, goods, and services
9. Barter, trade, or buy for an honest price.  If they like you, they might just give it to you.
10. You know names and faces and may even have a few close friends who never let you down
11. Friendly neighbors and strangers, if you ever meet a stranger.  Strangers all seem to prefer the city.  Never seen on in the country yet.
12. Self-sufficiency
13. Band together in disaster
14. Animal companionship
15. No smog, clean air,
16. Clean water
17. Fewer bills
18. Easier schedule, less stress, more peace
19. Lesser chance of death by crime or automobile accident
20. Simple life.
21. Beautiful pristine scenery.  (you are after all on vacation every day.)
22. Sporting game opportunities
23. Fewer restrictions, fences, regulations, laws, and ordinances (unless you're on a state wildlife reserve)
24. You learn first by experience first and then read up in books, while all those city kids spends years learning from a book, only to learn from experience years later. 
25. Pride of ownership
26. Personal touch in EVERYTHING
27. Individuality
28. No need for psychiatrist.
29. You can see the stars
30. When it rains, you dance.
31. If it doesn't match, it doesn't matter.

So there we have it.  Plain and Simply.  Country life wins again!!  Naturally, not everyone is suited for the country life.  But for those of you wondering why city people run to the country and country people run to the city.  Know this, the country-fleers are greedy, sticky-fingered, dumb-fools who got thrown out of the country community by a bad reputation.................and the city-fleers are the wised-up who couldn't help they weren't born in a barn and want to get away from the greedy, sticky-fingered fools.  Oh...and the Metropolis pyschiatrists can't help them.  Their disease is far more spiritual than mental.  The country woos the spirit.  The city woos the eyes. 

Finally Completed

It takes me a while to finish some projects but I've never left a project unfinished.   Somehow, the burn changed gradually and once again the camera as failed to show the true brilliance of the burning.  But the portrait is rather pleasant and I hope one you don't tire to look at. 

I quickly grow accustomed to my work and so I am quick to put it up for sale.  After all, I stare at it for hours while I burn it. 

This photograph of the burning is an odd angle indeed but mostly because I can't watermark my photos.   And...(sigh) photographing woodburnings just doens't seem to be my forte.

I hope you enjoy my posts.  Leave me some feedback and visit my facebook page to follow me there!

Amish Infidelity

The title may imply more than this woodburning is really about.  I don't know exactly what inspired this one, it just kind of...hit me.  I was aiming for a horse portrait and was looking through google pictures of horses and then I got onto the subject of kissing horses...and then...this image popped into my head.

It's highly unusual for me to be able to so easily free hand something like this or to take what is in my head and pen or pencil it so plainly.  Shockingly, I did about a dozen re-sketches of the horse's muzzle and penned the little country gal in several swift strokes. 

I've improved on my human's very quickly and I'm surprised as I've drawn horses all my life.  Now, I struggle with horses quite a bit...perhaps this is because, it has been so long...

I don't have a watermark program but I'm am determined to mark my photographs now.  Please remember that this artwork is copyrighted and kept on file at my artdesk.  I do intend on protecting it from thieves. 

It is a little hard to see the high detail in this picture but it is a marvellous work that I hope to make prints of.  I'll refrain from discussing what the piece represents because it is up to the reader to interpret and I feel it is fairly plain and strong.  After all, as the title implies, it would appear as if sweet Bess is making love with someone in the barn. 

If my mood seems a bit drab in this post it is only the beginnings of cabin fever.  Tropical Storm Lee has been dumping so much water on the Gulf Coast that I am sick of the rain.  I love my sunshine and so with nothing to do around the house but pyrography...I'm a bit...pent up and my inspirations are draining quickly.  At least I have this piece to finish and hopefully by then the rain will have let up.  Thanks for visiting!

Rise of the Apes 2011

       A while back I did a lot of reading on Charlton Heston and was not only enlightened to his carachter off-screen but to a lot of epic films he'd starred in that I hadn't seen.  He voiced that when he first read the script to the first Planet of the Apes he was all for it but he couldn't see more than one sequel coming out of it.  In fact, he was drug through the third and fourth sequels.  

       It turned out the film has fared so well with the public that Hollywood continues to make sequals.  We're all familiar with how there are very few sequels that meet or even beat their ancestor film.  Toy Story is about the only one I can name at the moment.  Give me another five minutes and I might be able to tell you another or two. 

        I've never seen a Planet of the Apes film, believe it or not.  I've had glimpses of it on hotel TV's and trailers, but never watched it.  Not that I wouldn't watch it, but for me, science fiction raises alot of moral questions, many of which a traditional person like myself doesn't agree with.  Again, I'd watch a science fiction movie just for fun, but I'll never come out of it believing and I will come out of it with a lecture's worth of questions, debates, and philosophies.  I'm a critic by nature.  I can't dine out at a resturaunt without rating the food.  I wont always voice my opinion but my mind is working as I tonque every morsel.  I do the same thing with movies.  If I don't agree with something a person is saying, or something I'm seeing, I'll usually continue to watch it through and give it a fair and unbaised review. 

        So how is a gal who's NEVER seen a Planet of the Apes film going to do that about a 2011 feature she hasn't yet seen?  Simple.  Hollywood from Chartlon Heston's point of view, will 90% of the time ONLY make films that they know will be a success.  To do this, they throw in things that will capture the hearts of viewers of all ages.  They throw in leather jackets and outdated sunglasses to capture dad's attention.  They put teen moments in for teens, adult humor for adults, and the cutsy little fluffy Pixar animals for kids.  Throw it all into one movie, never mind what it's about:  say, we don't even know what to call it, so let's call it HOP!  Yeah, that's a good one HOP!  About a little bunny rabbit with thug clothes on!  And success! 

      

       Okay, so I'm not even sure Hop was a success, but guess what.  Everywhere I go I see Hop in a child's DVD case.  People buy DVD films like candy.  If you can get 80% of the US population to buy the $21.00 DVD when it first comes out wether they went to the community Cinnema or no, that's succes I'd say. 

        So about POA, or ROA (Rise of the Apes 2011), even though I haven't seen more than the trailer I give it good ratings.  Yes, it's running off the reputation of the others and so will every other Apes movie.  But let's let it stand alone for a moment.  The digital graphics are getting better and better in each film.  I hope the graphic artists are getting paid more too!  The plot stuck a chord with me, even though I am not an evolutionist.  The cure for Alzheimers.  The fact the virus could cause an animal brain to rise to the same or a similar level of intelligence of a human.  Both believable.  Human nature - cutting corners, bending rules, greed and personal gain...the end result - havoc on innocent humans, and innocent test animals, and the animals get quite out of hand. 

It is amazing to note that the Apes show more compassion on their enemy, the human, than the humans are willing to show toward them.  In my general observation- I haven't seen the movie- it would seem that there are alot of strong healthy messages conveyed.  The best one above compassion, responsibility, ethics, and such, being - should human's in their scientific research, play God?   Simply NO! 

       In my opinion this should apply to cloning as life is instigated without a living sperm resulting in a mutation- and I say mutation because the resulting creature is weaker and has problems reproducing.  If it can, its genetics are weakened and show up in the offspring.  Mans way will never surpass God's way.  

       I feel that the Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a better film than any of the first.  Not because Charlton Heston isn't in it- in fact, I commend the producer for putting all the tributes to the first films in this one.  - And Heston is one of my favorite actors, by far the most favorite.  But I feel it is better because it doesn't take place on some far away planet- or even in a time warp on earth, but it is terribly more plausible.  Human's playing around with a cure, being irresponsible with their test subjects, and the result.  Chaos. 

       This is one Ape movie I might actually go out of my way to watch.  If I may say so, Heston would be proud.

The Innespace Seabreacher vs the Bionic Dolphin

         I recently ran across Innespace's Seachreacher and was thoroughly impressed with their watercraft.  Impatient to show my support and fanship for such an amazing invention and team of artists, I liked them on Facebook.  Perhaps by stroke of luck of maybe divine intervention, I somehow ran across someone named Tom Rowe.  I had complimented Innespace on their page but a slight discrepancy provoked me to do a little reasearch.  

          At just thirteen years of age, I had designed craft very similar to the Seebreacher or Bionic Dolphin and had also run across a man by the name of Tom Rowe or Doc who had made for himself a Bionic Dolphin.  This man had begun his dream in 1992, the year I was born!!!  Tossing away my plans, I went on with life.  It was impossible for me anyway.  I'm no mechanic for one, just a girl with imagination.  

          When Yahoo featured Rob Innes and Dan Piaza's Seabreacher I did some googling and came across the Bionic Dolphin by a man named Tom Rowe.  Rob and Dan had been working on their SeaBreacher since 2006.  Tom Rowe had started in 1992.  I contacted Tom who has apparently taken his lot in stride but I couldn't help but detect a hint of bitterness in his words...subtle...but it was there.  Who couldn't have been hurt though?  What artist could not feel bad when his patented idea was stolen by his own students!!!   

           You might call me a muck-racker or anything else you want to, but you can't just shrug your shoulders and breathe that "Life just isn't always fair...tough luck."  As a youth I get so tired and fed up with copyrighted pictures and junk...  It's a pain when all you want to do is post a picture.  So what if someone else did it up.  But on the other hand, as a writer, musician, and pyrographer I know exactly how I would feel if one of my works was stolen.  

           Mr. Rowe probably wouldn't approve of me writing this, but I'm not one young person who will shrug at the problems of the world.  I'm going to not only preach against wrongs, I'm here to do something about it.  Yeah, I'm all talk, cause there's nothing a peon like me can do about Mr. Rowe's stolen invention and dream, but if anyone in this crumbling economy ever purchases a SeaBreacher, acknowledge Mr. Rowe as the Einstien behind it.  The injustice is as bad as if some student of Galileo's had taken all the credit for his findings, or one of Michelangelo's students took the sole credit for the Sistene Chapel ceiling, and the statue of David and Moses.  

          As far as the money is concerned- it will in my opinion be the downfall of the shiesters.  Any person shady enough, dishonest enough, and even slick enough to steal someone else's dream, someone else's patented dream, will slip up somewhere.  If they did it out of greed, greed will ruin their sucess.  Simply put, they'll get theirs.  

          If plagarism can ruin your reputation, and copyright laws can put you in jail, how is this not considered a crime?!  It would appear to me that Rob and Dan have improved the watercraft in most amazing ways, and I wouldn't try to stop anyone from purchasing a SeaBreacher... but if any of you ever do, know that Mr. Rowe has perfected his machines in ways that his students never can.  A true genius, Mr. Rowe is still one step ahead of his students.  Their only advantage is the publicity they've received.   

                                                                 

Just giving credit where credit is due.  - An Artist and An Activist

Desperate Hands

 It's been quite some time since I've posted to this blog and I don't want my faithful followers to feel I've forgotten them.  I must admitt however that Facebook has proved much more profitable.  However, for those searching the web, I must keep pyrography alive. 

I still have not figured out what I will title this piece.  Frankly, I've been so busy it's been hard to wait for the ispiration to strike.  I greatly enjoyed working on this piece and hopet he message is strong enough. 

I also hope in the near future to do more "athletic" pieces and include horses.  Horseflesh and Human flesh in action. 

Please comment if you have an idea on what to call this piece.  I hope to move on to more inspiring projects soon.  Thanks for following and showing your support. 

Interesting...Almost Scary. Failure to Pay Child Support Could Result in YOU Winning Free Alabama/Auburn Tickets!! WOW!

I happened across this Video on Yahoo's front page and my jaw dropped.  I know that the FBI uses white hackers to hack black hackers...and sometimes detectives pose as druggies to buy drugs from the dealers...but the fact that News was there to receive these "winners" was a bit...eesh.  Creepy.  I mean, crook or no, to see the joy on some person's face at winning free tickets...and then being presented with a warrant for their arrest.  I don't know...  I suppose they did things like this in the old times but it's definately no fun watching the joy turn to shock and then horror.  Take a look. 

Haven't Posted in a While

I haven't posted in a while but I have been burning.  Not as much as I had been able to before but steadily.  I have noticed during this period as I review my blog statistics that alot of people hit on pages mentioning pan flutes, and pyrography ship and map. 

I would like to state to these people that I love burning pyrography ships and maps and am always open to commissioned work.  My Etsy widget is currently down but I can be found on Etsy under Licksoffire and also found on Facebook under Phoenix Pyrocreations Pyrography. 

I will give quotes freely, no charge, no obligation.  You can ask me about anything you want burned and there is no obligation to go through with the request. 

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to put as much time into my blog as Facebook has proved more fruitful than Blogger but I will continue to post on here as much as I can.  I encourage everyone to contact me with any questions they have and comment!  Thanks for following,

The Artist- Phoenix Pyrocreations

Full Steam

I had the itch to burn something the past few days but I just didn't have to inspiration and I'm waiting to be able to get my hands on a piece of basswood for my big Cowboy at the Cross project.  While waiting for the wood, I decided to sit down at my desk and muse. 

Musing is when I consider a person who has been on my heart or come to my mind.  I take that person to heart for as long as I can possibly budget for daydreaming and usually, when I get to musing, a certain inspiration comes.  Often enough, the inspiration has very little association with that particular person.  Sometimes, it's as subconscious as the designs people doodle randomly (for instance, when my mother talks on the phone she picks up a pen and paper and while chatting idly scrawls out the strangests patterns and shapes.) 

My artwork is dedicated to my muses.  As I work on each piece I think of no one but that particular person.  A part of me and that person is fused into the artwork to bring out the mood that I desire.  I know, I know, you're thinking, all artists are strange, nerdy, nuts, weird...out there! Thinking about other people is what I like to do, and my art time is the perfect time to do that.  It allows for my compassions to flow while my other hemisphere controls my hand.  Often enough, I am so deep in thought that I hardly pay any attention to what I am burning.  

Dangerous?!  Maybe.  

Other things are New at Phoenix Pyrocreation's art desk.  While taking a leisurly stroll and sing by the creek I stumbled across more water sculpted roots which I shall decorate with time.  I love these things!  

Also, my latest inspiration comes partly from my new obsession with human anatomy.  I love horseflesh and I've always enjoyed doing horses.  Another horse portrait coming soon by the way!  I can't wait!  But first, I should explain my new fascination.  I love eyes!  I love eyes of all rich colors.  Eyes, are the windows to a person's soul.  But painting, sculpting, drawing, carving, or burning eyes would be just plain creepy.  

My new love is the human hands...forearms, and the back and shoulders.  The grace of a woman's hands and arms are as lovely as the rippling muscles in a man's shoulders and back.  I can gaze all day at Praying Hands, hands holding pencils, gripping beams, arms resting on fence rails...you name it.  A balled fist has as much grace as an open palm.  

So when the inspiration hit, I felt to burn something with a powerful message.  A tattered, frayed rope, gripped by two worn, tired, hands.  A bit of a depressing picture for sure, but it has a dozen interpretations.  I don't know yet what I'll call it, but I have some good ideas.  

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Tortise Shell- Finally Got Around To It

             The Tortise shell that has been lying on my desk for many months now is now in the spotlight.  I decided to apply some gold leaf to the underside of the removable parts of the shell and when they are laid back over the bone they reflect very nicely.  I only wish I had more of them to put on the shell, however, since I do not I will come up with some other way to decorate the bone. 

            When it is finished, sealed, and glossed, it should make a gorgeous table piece that I will not likely want to let go of for some time!  As with all my work, I love to admire it for a time before I have the heart to offer it for sale! 

           While lack of time has prevented me from posting pictures as regularly as I had in times past, I have been flying through projects lately.  If you visit my facebook page you will notice Fishscale guitar picks for sale and several new Etsy editions! 

           The Etsy widget on my blog hasn't been working and I'm not sure why but I hope in the near future to have it running again on the sidebar.  Thanks for coming!  Check back soon.  I hope to keep pictures coming on the blog as well. 

Contemporary Art

The contemporary Art piece is complete! 

I love the effects of the gold leaf under enamel and must say it looks a lot better in person.  This creation will be offered immediately on Etsy along with the Lion portrait I recently finished. 

These roots intruige me still but I have no idea what I shall call them.  I supposse I designed it to be a sort of coffee table decoration or mantle piece.  Some people may think it rather dumb... but I like them. 

They're for someone out there in this world. 

Contemporary Art?

I am not a fan of the contemporary art style.  I am a realist and I also like to dabble in impressionism when the subject calls for it.  I love to walk through the woods and on some occassions I bring home water-carved pieces of wood.  Some of this wood is pine and I do not like to work with pine.  However, once I dug up what I thought was a rubber chew toy, or a child's plaything out of the mud.  It turns out they are roots of some kind.  If you stand back and let them lay in the grass they tend to remind you of something a neighborhood dog might have left behind.  But other than that they impress me.  The lumps, the bumps.  

The wood is very very light and porous so I have sealed it to strengthen it as I work.  Over the next few days I shall wait for the inspiration on just how to complement these woodpieces.  I already have in mind to use copper, turqoise, and perhaps even fishscales.  This will be a very interesting project.  I don't even know what to call it.  

Thanks for coming and check out my Facebook page for my latest updates!

Loon Commission Compeleted...well, Almost

I suppose with Facebook it has been hard to post as many pictures to my blog as I have to Facebook but here is an update nonetheless. 

The work is complete but this is the most updated picture I have been able to upload.  I have added a log in the background and more grass since then and signed it with my pyrocreation. 

I hope that Anna will be very pleased with the outcome and I will have one satisfied commission client.  I would not have burned a Loon otherwise.  Commissions force me to excersise, to branch out and burn something special. 

I was approached on Etsy by a kind member of my community who announced that a church in my area was hosting a Pre-Independance Day festival in which I could open a booth and sell some of my work.  I was excited and hope someday to do that, however, the cost was $50 dollars a booth and I hardly have enough to sell for it to be worth my while.  However, the thought appealed to me and I hope that one day I will be able to attend. 

Thanks for visiting, please comment, and find me on Facebook!

Loon Commission update

I found the perfect piece of basswood for the Loon I have been commissioned to do and have started working on it already.  Birds are always exciting and I'm loving the way it is turning out so far.  The picture says it all. 

I would normally start with the beak and eyes but since I have my line drawer hooked into the machine I decided to work on the feathering first.  The shading detail done with the ronded skew will be done later. 

I hope to invest in more pen tips in the very near future but I'm still working to pay off my workhorse.  The two tips I have are fairly versatile so they'll work for a long while yet.  I'm so excited to see the detail I'm able to accomplish with my Optima pens and burner.  It is truly the best. 

Thanks for visiting, please follow me on FB and comment!

Loon Commission and Lion update

       I am proud to announce that I have recently been commissioned to burn a Common Loon portrait.  Birds are always exciting to do and I love commissions because they encourage me to burn a variety of subjects in a variety of styles.  It's like being forced to exercise. 

       Since the temperature outdoors is always rocketing up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit I find alot of time to burn the Lion portrait.  I expect it to be done soon after my birthday at the end of the week.  While I would love to swim and burn away my summer I must find a "real" job, as my family puts it.  So that is what I am also doing.  I am employed with the job of...job hunting.  When I do land myself a small career my art will be put to the side.  But that does not mean that I will not be burning every spare moment I have. 

       Facebook has caused my freqent blog posts to become less frequent but I assure you that I will continue to post as often as I can.  And I hope to keep all of my followers fed with good pictures of steady progress on my latest burnings.  I'd hate to be an artist who simply has nothing to show after a month's time. 

      

       I wish I knew how to land a publisher for prints because as I've stated before I want to create burnings on large pieces of basswood that I can create giclee prints of.  I don't have a high quality camera to take my own photographs of the work so unless I can borrow a relatives camera I will need to find a publisher who can scan the work.  I hope it all works out.  So I will be very busy this summer. 

      Thanks for coming,  please comment and follow me on Facebook!

Lion Portrait

        I've never done very well with felines and canines but I've never given up trying.  After much consideration one basswood round seemed to be asking for an African lion and I believe that will be my next project.  He is already laid out on the wood and I hope to begin burning today, however I caught a cold over Memorial weekend so the past too days I didn't feel like working much, especially over a smoking iron when my nose is and eyes were already irritated. 

        I love working with bark on wood slabs however I feel that once I clear out the last few I have I will only use them for custom orders.  I hope to find a publisher to make giclee prints of my work so that I wont have to burn anything more than twice.  I want to work more with basswood slabs for large pieces such as the cowboy at the cross that I hope to start at the end of the summer. 

        My biggest setback with my work is the perspective.  I feel that I have no talent for unique angles, settings, or portrayals of subjects.  I hope that within a short time I can work some uniqeness into my protrayal of wildlife, people, and whatever else I burn.  Thanks for coming, don't forget to drop a comment and feel free to ask any questions.  Also, take a look at my facebook page!

Blue Angels Tribute

When I finally decided (with the help of FB friends) to do a tribute to Blue Angel number 6 I realized this piece of wood wanted two jets.

My next question was, which two?  6 and another?  Should I even do 6? 

I hope this will be my last burning on oak ever as it is so horrenously horrible to burn on.  The subject I picked tends to give the viewer's eye a feeling of cold hard steel and sharp angles which applied well to the wood in my opinion.  Some of the edges are rough but overall it turned out nicely.


I'm sure some of my Facebook followers and you reader have been wondering why I leave many of my works in an unfinished state.  Do you ever wonder if they are available for sale?  Why yes, actually I do this because my works are often open for personalization and customization.  For instance, if I had sealed this piece already the purchaser would not be able to request that I burn a name or date along the bottom.  My pieces remain in a semi-uncomplete state for this reason. 

Please follow me on Facebook and come again soon!

Project Update:  I had a slight complication with the deer feet but I will be working with them and soon tackling the gun rack project.  I hope to find the right piece of wood for it very soon. 

Special Updates

           I know it has been a wait but I am finally ready to reveal the portrait that I have been working on for a month.  And that is only because the portrait has already been given to the intended recipient.  The purpose of my hiding the portrait is because that recipient happened upon my blog as I suspected he might.  Knowing he might come back some week or year I didn't want to ruin the surprise, because the portrait was a portrait of him. 

   It took a bit of guts to do, because humans are a challenge to portray and also because when you give something like this to someone you risk offending them, or ruining their image of you or themselves...depending on how the portrait turned out.  And I know I'm my worst critique- so I'll spare you on what I could have done better. 
           I'm proud to say though that I believe Dr. Seebacher was delighted by his musical cufflinks and the portrait.  My only hope is that the portrait is either kept safe in a musical hall or office or carried with him whereever he goes.  To those of you who know only a little about orchestras and their conductors, this portrait is the embodiment of a good performance.  Good conductors are quite dynamic people, in their expressions and all, so this portrait titled "Make Music With Me" intended to capture the emotion in his face when we finally "Make Music With Me Not In Spite of Me" as he often told us.  The expression is one that only we performers could see and it's one that always made me feel all good inside- because I knew that we'd made him happy. 

         Now, the only thing I am displeased with is the photographs of the art.  I don't believe I got a single one that well enough captured the portrait in it's lifelikness. 

 I loved the way the trophy plate turned out and hope to offer more on my works in the future.   They are fairly expensive but really do make a piece look completed.

Everyone has asked me how long it took me to do this portrait and at best my calculations were somewhere between 30 and 36 hours of burn time.  The Halo portrait now in my Special Edition page is my second work with my new iron.  I feel that with just a little time I will imprive greatly and be able to burn many portraits, although I can't wait to get back to my favorite subject, ...horses.   

I will also mention that a taxidermy project is underway.  I am rehydrating a doe hide and preparing to pickle it along with a buckhide and four feet. 

With the four feet I hope to create a rack and burn a wildlife scene above it.  This will be an exciting pyrography project as I will be on the hunt for the right piece of wood, and I may even go exotic. 

Thanks for coming, please comment, follow on facebook and come back soon.