The Constant Dabbler

Van Gogh's ALMOND BLOSSOM'S

 I have always loved art. I can remember fondly walking past the Van Gogh's on display at the Portland Art Museum for many Saturday's when I was in the fifth grade taking art classes there.

Years later I read while they were building a museum just for Van Gogh's paintings, the collection traveled the world. My favorite painting then and remains Almond Blossoms, the first thing I looked for when I finally visited the museum in Amsterdam.

When the "Van Gogh Experience" multi media show came to the Polo Grounds here in the Coachella Valley several years ago, I was moved to tears as my favorite painting started the show.

For many years I did paintings and pen and ink drawings, things that helped me in my advertising classes in college. Weekly, for several semesters, we had to create ads by hand that had to look as if they were printed. I bent the rules, used forbidden color combinations and generally received "A's" anyway.

During my two years as a teacher in the Peace Corps I made a point of teaching art like I had been in grade school. My kids blossomed after learning perspective. We went from two-dimensional Egyptian art to Leonardo's three dimentions. It was truly an amazing experience.

For many years I didn't do much painting or drawing. Being laid off from a job I hated in my 50's I finally decided to open my own graphic design business. I went to various people in the furniture business and created brochures, news letters, wed sites and catalog sheets for them.

Despite spending much digital time creating business work I began to miss dabbling in paint and went two directions at once. I missed the tactile feel of a brush or pencil. Really, a mouse doesn't give that  kind of pleasure. I started painting birdhouses. Why? I don't know. I'm not especially fond of birds and as pets they are messy. 

The other "new" thing was taking an oil painting class at the Sierra Madre Art Gallery. Oil and me made mud so as I was approaching retirement age I wanted an avocation to fill my spare time. Painting in oil seemed to fit the bill. 

The world in magenta. See affects below.

However in the second class after getting all our supplies I discovered I had bought an acrylic magenta rather than oil. Margo, our Nazi German teacher, was a dyed in the wool California Impressionist and ALL paintings started with magenta. Really. Everything was painted in magenta, then oils were added on top, dark to light. The trick was to allow the magenta to peek out here and there, Maxwell Parish style. Amazingly it worked...for her.

After asking classmates for a squirt of magenta they pulled the discarded tube out of the trash and said use this. You can paint oil over acrylic but not the other way around. So that's what I silently did for three years. After many clashes with Margo, on my last time seeing her, she remarked to the class about using an acrylic magenta background then using oil on top. Everyone turned and looked at me. Finally I spoke up and said, "Margo I've been doing that for three years." Her criticisms hurt me so much I never took another class from her.

I continued painting on canvas somewhere else and continued painting birdhouses at home.

DecoArt Winning
Birdhouse

After a heart attack caused by a pulmonary blood clot that forced me to retire, just before turning 62, I suddenly had lots of painting time. I learned about a DecoArt contest where you could submit pictures of your work using their paints and get a huge stash of their products. I had created a new series away from my Pennsylvania Dutch motifs that I called "Crazy Quilt" where I painted fabrics in what I considered a crazy quilt would look like if you put it on a 3D object. 

I submitted my photos in May of 2012, became a finalist and found out I won while on an Alaskan Cruise!

Since I am on blood thinners, all except minor woodworking is out for me but I do try to modify the basic birdhouse I buy. Even the addition of legs gives it a different vibe.

Around this time I had quite collection of painted birdhouses and my daughter urged me to open a store on ETSY. I did and have had middling success. However, when I made a sale yesterday of two birdhouses in two totally different styles it made me reflect on my journey to the present cubist style I have embraced hook, line and sinker. I read somewhere an artist has to evolve or they die! I'm hoping that is metorphorically so, here they are!

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH. When I started out I was fascinated by this artistic style. Half German, maybe the gene pool runs deep. This is where I started. I got books, made sketches and made trays, birdhouses and small bowls in this style. The crowning moment I thought was a trip to Amish country in Pennsylvania only to find out nobody but me was painting in this style! This may have led to the crazy quilt faze because everywhere we went in Amish Country you saw quilts!

Crazy Quilt Birdhouse

CRAZY QUILT: After winning the DecoArt Award I went full steam ahead with this design. I looked up fabric patterns, quilt designs on my wife 's sewing collection and spent long tedious hours copying prints into painted versions. I have used it for birdhouses, four small 6" x 6" canvases in different colorways, trays , tissue boxes and even on large letters. It is versatile but very exacting. So far my eyes are holding up.

CACTUS: For some reason the desert fascinates me, even more so now that I'm living in it. I found this wooden rocket ship at Michael's and after staring at it awhile envisioned a cactus disguise. I think it's clever but so far no buyers.

I have also done several paintings of cactuses that appear almost photographic. In fact that was my problem with Margo. She was loose and I Germanically too precise. With these I began to loosen up a bit.

LAST CHANCE SALOON

LAST CHANCE: This was a Western themed period where I had gotten small resin skulls and the desert "last chance" sprang to mind. I made saloons, newspapers offices, schoolhouse and other birdhouses. Most have sold.

SEASONAL: I have tried a variety of Halloween and Christmas items but despite favorable comments have never been successful. I would buy ornaments and decor to paint on the cheap the day or so after each event but gave up even listing them on ETSY. Last year I gathered all the small ornaments, painted all 40 and put them in my Christmas card. This year I will do something similar but made only 20 cubist kings in heart shapes. With 13 colors plus jewels on each one twenty was plenty.

ROSEMALING: This is a Norwegian variation of American Dutch painting. You will find similar motif's throughout Europe but Rosemaling with decorous "S" and "C" captured my imagination. When we visited Norway I was again surprised how absent it was. You could see it in old buildings and museums but it was a style long gone in modern, bustling Norway. While there I was able to find books, in Norwegian of course, with their ancient designs. I haven't done many lately but it's a lovely old style.

ASIAN STYLES: I was never drawn to Asian art until my trip to Japan in 1998 around Christmas time. My wife's brother had married a Japanese woman and moved there. They invited us to visit and I was taken by traditional designs. I always loved wood block prints but to see the gardens and temples, even spending a night in a monastery in Kyoto, I was hooked. When my partner, who's Chinese, invited me to Hong Kong I was stunned at how even the characters are designs. I have made and sold Asian pieces and love their fearless use of color and intricate design.

Here I bought three wood pagoda birdhouses decorating each with flowers and dragons. You have no idea how hard these were to create. They all sold quickly and I can't find anymore.

ABSTRACT DESIGNS: After seeing some paintings with abstract designs  I wondered if you could transfer 2D art onto a 3D object. That led to a series of items that surprised me by selling quickly. Yet it took years before I moved into Cubist Art. Like I said, art for an artist is a journey. It's not smooth and I did experiment with other styles but they never caught on, for me.

PODS PERIOD: On the condo complexes ground we had a tree that produced walnut sized pods that fascinated me. I made many items using them, even several Christmas wreaths. The tree is sadly gone but I have a stash should a new design move me. Besides the birdhouse shown here, more birdhouses, tissue boxes, and small piggy banks were created. I find them fascinating but few have found a forever home.

MID-CENTURY MODERN: When you live in Palm Springs you are living in the mid-century period capital of the world! Homes, banks, the city hall and churches all proudly  show their mid-century heritage. Winter vacation homes that cost $10-15,000 in the day go for $1,000,000 and up today! As an artist I finally began to tap into this market and have done well. When the new West Elm store opened here, I went over to check it out. Barely in the door I was rather stnned to see furniture and designs I grew up with. When I told the greeter that she said, "You're about the eighth personn to say that today." It was a period of optimism where people, unlike today, were not afraid of color.

MOLA STYLE OF KONA INDIANS OF PANAMA: My mother-in-law was raised in Columbia as her father was President of Standard Oil of Columbia. They would travel through the Panama every summer until high school. Along the way they would purchase Mola fabric crafts from the Kona Indians for nearly nothing. Their pieces were created by stitching layers of cloth together and cutting down to the color they wanted creating amazing patterns. Looking at friends collection here in Palm Springs I wondered can you paint these flat designs on objects? I tried and was amazed at the effect. Now remember I moved here at 70 so painting ALL these lines is a challenge. I decorated birdhouses and even a few canvases using the "mola" designs to great effect. Again they too were not afraid of color. I'm told first they are not so cheap anymore and the quality isn't what it once was. 

ZENTANGLE: While I am not a bona-fide Zentangle master I do enjoy using their designs. In fact this is the birdhouses I just sold. While the designs are lovely they are intricate and take many hours to do. Again this is a 2D art that I had put on 3D surfaces that is also quite a challenge. Also, one of the hallmarks of my pieces is that all sides, top and if necessary the bottom are designed and painted. You usually look up at a birdhouse so I give it an interesting design. A birdhouse hanging has four sides so again, all sides not just the front are decorated. This birdhouse is meant to be hung flat against a vertical surface. If not, no fear, the back is decorated too!

CUBIST: I saw a flower pot on Temu with a crazy Cubist style face and realized I could do something similar with birdhouses. I have loved this style but until I saw this 3D versionn rather than a 2D painting had never considered that crossover. Aldi had mushroom shaped birdhouses of wood with a removable plastic tops for $7.99 so I bought one to give Cubism a try. I was pleased with the result and after only a day on display the first one sold.

Since I had several unpainted wood trays I decided to give Cubism a try there too. Showing an old customer this tray he immediatelyy asked me not to put in my store and sent money to purchase it. That led to me going back to a 12" x 24" wide canvas creating what I called FIVE LADIES. It is a freewheeling style giving me the freedom I've never truly felt as an artist.

The hallmark of my harsh black lines is a layer of oil pastels I then "smudge" to soften the lines and give a more 3D shadowing harsh lines cannot. Cubism allows an artist to give an "impression" of what they are seeing rather than the real event itself. A camera can do that. Here is what we "feel!"

FIVE LADIES

As I said earlier, art for an artist is a journey. It begins with that first pencil line, brushstroke or whatever media you are using. You do one piece, then another and another. Then something else catches your eye, then after awhile another and if you are willing to change your progression might look like mine. Now, I should point out that I do use a previous "style" on a new piece but only because something I've found would probably look better. I am always looking at and for new things to try. If you're an artist you should be too. Every great artist has changed and stretched their talents in new ways. If you're a collector, support your favorite artist as together you go on a mutual artistic journey!

Thank you for reading my blog! Please be sure to visit on a regular basis or contact me at KrugsStudio@gmail.com. New blogs are added all the time. In conjunction  with my store I feel that “design” is an important part of our lives. Everything we use or live by was designed by someone. Please tell your friends, artists or anyone who appreciates design about my blog.

Please be sure to visit my store, KrugsStudio.etsy.com on a regular basis. New birdhouses, craft items, photography and canvas paintings are added all the time. Please tell your friends, artists or anyone who appreciates local handcrafted items about my store.

OWN or GIFT an original work of art this year!

Why Are There Porch Pirates?

 One of the current scourges of shoppers everywhere is the fear their Amazon, FedEx, or USPS delivery won't make it through the front door. In case you haven't noticed, especially with Amazon, not only do they text you that they made a delivery, they include a photo of the package where it has been left on your porch. 

That is well and good unless a porch thief has been following the truck and is doing some porch shopping. While it is a daily problem, it is especially bad during various holidays when gift giving (and stealing) is expected.

I have become addicted lately watching porch thieves videos on Facebook. I stumbled on one after posting photos and description of a current artwork. While I watched I couldn't believe they taunt the camera as they snatch and grab. The treat, of course, is the exploding box that surely will ruin their clothes, their car and hopefully their day!

Stealing has consequences as the purple man here is discovering but the question remains, to me, why?

The Porch Thief here, comes up to the porch, makes a snarky remark to the camera and heads back to his $600,000 Rolls Royce SUV, complaining as the box explodes, then curses. I mean, well, it IS a surprise. The question remains, why? Is this how you can pay for a Rolls Royce SUV?

In retrospect I don't think he considered this smart move very well. I mean how do you explain this to the insurance man and your dry cleaners because this is paint baby and it's on everything!

It can't be a matter of money, can it? These people are driving Rolls Royce SUV's, exotic sports cars, Cybertrucks, many that will be ruined in their joyous glee of putting "freebies" in their cars. 

This young lady appears to have more than enough "things." What makes it so important that she needs more? Short of cash?

Have Americans become so greedy, in all classes, that they feel it's their right to walk on to private property, pick up a package NOT addressed to them on a private porch and walk away? 

Really? Surprise!

But the most galling thing to me are the angry (why of course I'm sure they are angry after being caught pink, blue, green or red handed) arguments they make. "I was 'just' crossing your porch and 'stumbled"'on your package." Why were they on private property at all? Mothers and grandmothers defend their wayward children rather than giving them some kind of punishment for stealing. I'm sure I'm not alone having had your mother make you go back to return something you stole, or pay for it AND apologize for stealing something at the local store. That's what parents did, once upon a time. Even the kids in the video dragged these parents away in full acknowledgement of what they did as they stood dripping in paint.

Of course not all surprises are paint or glitter. One ingenious homeowner used his pet lynx that flew through the door for the surprise of that porch thief 's life. I don't think he'll be calling there again.

Unfortunately even the "politically correct" are not immune from a "little" present now and then. You can't help but laugh at their greed but also wonder what has made this acceptable in our society at any level.

Many cities suffered "smash and grab" events where 20 or 30 people in black hoodies and masks would rush a store armed with hammer and crow bars to break cases and grab what they could in say 30 seconds. Videos of their cars showed anything but junkers. Are they bored? Does this give them a thrill?

The answer is probably yes. In the 50's and 60's many of us had jobs. Between school, maybe sports or band and a part time jobs there wasn't time to be bored. Today youth are crowded out of part time jobs by under employed college grads asking if you want fry's at McDonalds. Working parents leave unattended kids at home with time to get into mischief. I came home to mom who asked about homework and made the decision if I had to study now or could wait until after dinner.

However, it's not just kids. Here an adult with a Porsche, no less, is learning a lesson about sticky fingers. Why would she jeopardize all she has for a box she has no idea what its contents are? I guess enough is never enough.

Actions have ramifications and will not be ignored. Whether these are staged or real videos, owners have rights too and trespassing on private property, stealing merchandise not belonging to you and leaving (stealing) with it have ramifications. As the Bible says in the 10 Commandments, "Thou shall not steal." It means exactly that; do not take what is NOT yours. And in case you forget, some jurisdictions will send a police officer who can write you up and/or take you to jail.

Maybe it's the thrill of it all but whether an owner will go to such lengths for future thefts or not, I know that they wish they could. And for those that do, let's hope these thieves have learned a lesson they will never forget!!!

P.S. The best one yet is the porch pirate who in lifting his stolen box has it explode covering him in small grey parcels. Seated among his treasures gagging he asks, "Who uses used diapers?" I couldn't stop laughing!!!

Thank you for reading my blog! Please be sure to visit on a regular basis or contact me at KrugsStudio@gmail.com. New blogs are added all the time. In conjunction  with my store I feel that “design” is an important part of our lives. Everything we use or live by was designed by someone. Please tell your friends, artists or anyone who appreciates design about my blog.

Please be sure to visit my store, KrugsStudio.etsy.com on a regular basis. New birdhouses, craft items, photography and canvas paintings are added all the time. Please tell your friends, artists or anyone who appreciates local handcrafted items about my store.

OWN or GIFT an original work of art this year!

How Bottle Caps and Jar Lids Make Great Paint Cups

A dirty palette -  think of the
water wasted cleaning it!

I've been painting, both on the traditional canvas and for years crafting birdhouses, boxes and trays, 15 years in fact. One of the problems is what and where you squirt out the paint you're going to use. Even more perplexing is what you do with it after you paint!

Since I rarely use oil anymore (the drying time is way too slow and difficult to use on wooden birdhouses and such), I'll talk here about acrylics.

Since I use already mixed colors from say DecoArt or Folk Art, I rarely have a need to mix. If I do, I have used a piece of paper or a small plastic palette with divots to mix colors. Then when you're done you head to a faucet and scrub away.

A definite no-no!

Teachers I've had frown on using the cap of a paint bottle and using what's stuck to the top. I know it's not good for the paint but what's a man to do? I finally hit upon those little plastic cups they use for hot sauce and such saving them, dirty or not, from takeout orders. I then finally realized that any small, clean cap would do.

I'm talking about plastic bottle caps, medicine bottle caps, even jar lids run through the dishwasher to clean, would do. In fact, the jar caps are perfect for mixing. When done, just throw them away, NO clean-up needed!!!

Why didn't I think of this before? 

Use caps of all sizes

Living in Southern California and, now Palm Springs, you are always aware of water and its usage. Our condo   complex was paid over $26,000 by the city for removing the green grass along the front of the complex. Inside we've removed all but a small area of grass replacing it with desert landscaping. We saved paying for less water, equipment and mowing time for desert landscaping. I mean after all, this IS the desert. In fact most of Southern California, including Los Angeles, is a desert. Its vast water projects keep it green until it doesn't.

The beauty of cap usage is 1: you've already paid for the product and 2: when finished, after using it you can just throw it away, no cleanup needed. However, be aware that if you use the same color, often like white or black, you can use it several times until it's full. The only concern will be washing out your brushes. A lot less time cleaning means more time painting.That's a big plus for me.

Used caps

As you can see here, many of my projects only need a small bit of paint. I use black a lot and I've added black in small amounts a few times in the cap you see here. Hopefully my paints will remain more fluid over time as they aren't open to our drying air.

Our humidity is so low you can literally see the brush water basin shrink in a day or two. Even more telling is the kitchen sponge. It will completely dry out overnight here, in Palm Springs.

Give it a try and see if it makes the painting experience faster and more enjoyable. You'll have more than enough caps and lids in no time!

Thank you for reading my blog! Please be sure to visit on a regular basis or contact me at KrugsStudio@gmail.com. New blogs are added all the time. In conjunction  with my store I feel that “design” is an important part of our lives. Everything we use or live by was designed by someone. Please tell your friends, artists or anyone who appreciates design about my blog.

Please be sure to visit my store, KrugsStudio.etsy.com on a regular basis. New birdhouses, craft items, photography and canvas paintings are added all the time. Please tell your friends, artists or anyone who appreciates local handcrafted items about my store.

OWN or GIFT an original work of art this year!

Mr. Clean's CLEAN FREAK Gets Things Freaky Clean!

As a senior living alone I don't like things messy or dirty (except my work bench which always looks like a storm hit it). I do try to keep the kitchen and bathrooms clean. However, keeping things in the kitchen and bathroom clean is always a challenge. I'm sure any housewife will agree.

One of the worst  things is the glass top on an induction stove! URGH!!! No matter how hard you try, something gets baked on that surface. Cleaning is a daily challenge. When I moved into my condo I replaced the stove because the glass top was so encrusted with debris I couldn't get it clean! They didn't even try. The new stove came with a 2 oz. bottle of cleaner looooog gone by now.

I found DAWN does a fairly good job and amazingly Bon Ami, which I once used to keep ferrotyping plates clean when I had a darkroom, does a decent job without scoring the glass.

After I recently burned spaghetti sauce in my Faberware stainless steel pot, I tried my go-to soap, Dawn. Not much came off. I remembered I had bought Mr. Clean CLEAN FREAK after reading an article in CONSUMER REPORTS that picked it as the best cleaner available. I had bought a bottle but wanted to use everything else I had up first. 

What the heck! I grabbed the bottle and sprayed it in the pan. Then let it set a few minutes. Wiping with a nylon scrubber huge chunks lifted from the pan. A few scrubs more for a minute and most of it was gone. WOW! I remembered scrubbing similar burned food from the same pan with Comet and steel wool in what seemed like hours when I was a kid. My mother, then married life and now finally single, I am still using Faberware. The pan looks new.

CLEAN FREAK comes in a 16 oz. bottle and costs $6.49 on Amazon. It can exchange with refills in two scents. One interesting feature is the "squeeze." How you squeeze gives you a small, medium or bursts of spray. It's meant for countertops, tubs, toilets, stainless steel. But, as I found out, it can be used for much more. It uses a fancy alcohol mixture to do its magic.

When I discovered dried blood on my newest bedspread I kind of got upset. How it got there I'll never know. Since I'm on blood thinners I cut and bleed easily. So I grabbed CLEAN FREAK again and with a wet wash cloth, sprayed it on the blood, scrubbed a bit and it was gone. I mean 100% gone.

Finally, when I went into the studio to start painting I washed my water bin and a few brushes with Dawn. Dawn has been a great cleaner for me of brushes, my water containers and, if I move fast enough getting paint off my clothes.

Seeing the CLEAN FREAK bottle there I sprayed some in my palm and started scrubbing the brushes I had just cleaned again. As I started scrubbing the brushes in my palm, in no time the spray became dirty. I realized CLEAN FREAK was removing dried acrylic from the paint brush bristles. I don't know how much more dry paint it can remove but those brushes were noticably cleaner in just a few minutes.

I think folks there's a new cleaner we can use to keep our brushes cleaner. Will it remove dried paint on clothes? Stay tuned, I will report on that next. I'm just glad to hopefully need just one cleaner for the messes in my life!

Thank you for reading my blog! Please be sure to visit on a regular basis or contact me at KrugsStudio@gmail.com. New blogs are added all the time. In conjunction  with my store I feel that “design” is an important part of our lives. Everything we use or live by was designed by someone. Please tell your friends, artists or anyone who appreciates design about my blog.

Please be sure to visit my store, KrugsStudio.etsy.com on a regular basis. New birdhouses, craft items, photography and canvas paintings are added all the time. Please tell your friends, artists or anyone who appreciates local handcrafted items about my store.

OWN or GIFT an original work of art this year!

Making My Own Door Hanger For $2.50

I have always liked door hangers. While most people don't bother, those that do often have interesting personalities. I hated my boring brown door and after buying a lion's head brass knocker in Hong Kong have tried to "go with the seasons!" You know, some kind of Christmas item, say a wreath, a Valentine's heart, spring flowers and so on.

This year nothing, including prices, attracted me. Sorry Michael's.

Painting thrills for $1.25

For the past few months I've been drawn to cubist art and have decorated birdhouses, gourds, trays and even a real canvas in this newfound fascination.

Going to Dollar Tree recently looking for disposable bowls for pot luck pool parties, I spotted a blank 12" x 12" thin wood blank plaque with a jute hanger. Stopping, I picked it up and thought, "Here it is! My hanger and for just $1.25." Below there were smaller blanks with one shaped like an arrow. For $2.50, and a lot of work ahead, I had my hanger.

Because it was wood, for once I put a sealer on the side to be decorated. I'm not sure it made things any better as transparent paints struggled to give a smooth, streakless base surface.  Many colors still needed several coats. In the worst cases I painted a cream undercoat and then the transparent paint on top.

The first step is the design, or layout in the trade. I did it in pencil and keep an eraser handy to remove mistakes in design or just before a transparent paint seals it in forever.

Here you can see the outline and beginning of painting in the base colors. I try to paint all of a color where it is to be used before moving to another (I wish). As more colors are added you find yourself reaching for a color you've already used or giving a color a second coat.

Here you see more colors added. The bright green has had two coats already and the gold around the central face has as well

To me putting the background colors is both tedious and frightening. People ask, "What do you think about when you're painting?" It's not about Trump or the Iran War that's for sure! It's more like: that's a crappy stroke, OMG why did I pick that color, are you sure you want to do that?, crap, I got paint on my pants, or sometimes grubbing about on the floor for something that fell. It's ALL about the painting. It may not be tension free but it's in another reality completely and that's good.

Here I need to work on the eyes.

Finally all the background colors are in and the fun begins. As you can see most of the hard black lines are in. For this I am now using a Uni POSCA black paint pen that gives a reliable black line I just couldn't get with a Black Sharpie Fine Point pen.

POSCA pens offer a variety of tip sizes and mostly opaque colors wonderful for getting into tight spaces. I have tried many pens and these have performed that best on wooden surfaces.

More work has been done to the outline making it clearly defined now. Small details have been added alá Zentangle items with a .08 fine tip Pentil pen. Flowers in the middle purple and in the central face. A checkerboard pattern is in the upper right. 

It's amazing how these small details add so much character to a piece. Filling blank spaces with unexpected details can delight the viewer. I have no problem mixing styles if it adds to the item I've created. Why not? Especially if it enhances your work.

I've found that adding pieces of say small wood blocks, or jewels, half round balls, wooden hearts and such give another dimension to the piece.

You can see the small heart in the central face and green half circle buttons on the red fence. Jewels were added to the crown.

Even puffy paint is used to give dimension. Anything to break the plain, flat surface. When done it's very interesting to see in person.

The final step is roughing up the black lines. To do this I use black oil pastels drawn over all black lines then use a pointed paper scrubber to soften every line. From a cold sterile line I get a softened line that adds so much more dimension.

Next came the welcome arrow. If you're going to have a door hanger why not welcome visitors? Dollar Tree had the perfect add-on - an arrow to match the plaque! So I bought it for another $1.25 and decorated it to match the plaque.

The same steps are followed, pencil outline, base colors, hard black lines, details and scrubbing the lines with oil pastels.

Here is the finished arrow already to attach.  

The hanger joined!

The last step was getting the arrow attached to the plaque. I have pretty much lost the use of my right hand so I really wasn't sure on how to do it. My Chinese partner suggested I drill two matching holes at the bottom, cut the arrows jute, thread the jute like the top and re-knot the jute on the back. That's exactly what I did . I threaded the jute through the holes and tied it again on the back. You'd be amazed what you can do with one hand and scotch tape. Here is the finished project!

Here is my welcome hanger on my front door!

Thank you for reading my blog! Please be sure to visit on a regular basis or contact me at KrugsStudio@gmail.com. New blogs are added all the time. In conjunction  with my store I feel that “design” is an important part of our lives. Everything we use or live by was designed by someone. Please tell your friends, artists or anyone who appreciates design about my blog.

Please be sure to visit my store, KrugsStudio.etsy.com on a regular basis. New birdhouses, craft items, photography and canvas paintings are added all the time. Please tell your friends, artists or anyone who appreciates local handcrafted items about my store.

OWN or GIFT an original work of art this year!

I Am Not An ATM!

I am an 80 year old man on a pretty fixed income who lives in the State of California. I have medical bills, a wide variety of medical issues, am alive via a plethora of drugs, living alone with a home mortgage (a 30 year loan given to me at age 70). I am NOT an ATM with an endless flow of money.

I don't know about you but I'm getting pretty darn sick of the hands "out" for my money. It comes as mail, text messages and email relentlessly each and every day. 

It seems to me any one can start a charity with tax free status and become its CEO. I recently received Charity Watch's recent report guide (40 pages) and let me tell you, there's a charity for just about anything you can think of. I know! It fills my mailbox, my daily text message and 100's of emails in all my email accounts daily. Give to one charity and you will gain 100 more appeals. Maybe I should start one myself. Some of these CEO salaries are eye watering and the amount actually going to many charities is pretty low. Many are only 60% effective with salaries in the $200-600,000 range. One is 49% effective with salary ranges $167-385,000 range. Pretty good work if you can get it.

And this barely scratches the surfacee. Many of the charities in the Coachella Valley aren't even mentioned.

However, my biggest complaint is elections. As if those in California aren't enough ( our recent governor primary had at least 26 candidates if not more before election day), I had 49 other states Senate and Representatives and even more PAC's asking for money. If I gave to them all - Alan can you send first $3, then $5, then $20 and one asked for $100 from a person in a state 2,000 miles AWAY - I'd be bankrupt in a week. And why, WHY should I send money to Alaska, Montana, Georgia, Vermont, even Texas? They won't do anything for me. It's not like I write a Senator in Alaska about a problem I'm having in California. Will they help me get an American visa for my Chinese partner where our embassy in Beijing won't take appointments for visa renewalsl? Either we get to vote for EVERY Senator or Representative in EVERY state or you run and get campaign money from your own state.

Article 1 of our Constitution states "All legislative Powers herein shall be vested in a Congress which shall be comprised of Members of a Senate and House of Representatives. House members are elected every two years. It goes on to state there will be two Senators from each state for a term of six years. There is no set limit of Representatives. It also adds Senator must be at least 30 years old, lived as a citizen for nine years and "be an inhabitant of the state for which he will be chosen."

It also states times, places and manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature. It also gives Congress the option of altering election laws. 

As a youth I knew most elections for state electors was held by and for those running for office in their own state or county or city. Tammany Hall in NYC comes to mind. At some point, as elections cost more and more each party reached out the wealthy benefactors to help pay for campaigns. Clearly at some point candidates saw the fortunes of the Democratic and Republican Parties grow and must have asked themselves, " why not me?" Why not? It's free money!

This is too big of a cash cow to BBQ and we know Congress will never, ever untie the money leash they have been milking for decades. The same goes for every elected official in every state. I propose an electronic ballet be created by impartial, hopefully neutral officials, in every state, using the same verbiage, held on the same day that asks voters what limits should be set for money raised, time for when an election is held and if term limits should be set for the entire Congress to two terms as we limit our President and Vice President. In the UK once an election is called candidates have 90 days to run for office! Wouldn't that be heaven? From our four years or every two years for Representatives to three months?

The Founding Fathers never expected  Congress to remain in government for their lifetimes. Why should ours think so? Who knows, we might just get a government that works again.

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