Is Graffiti The New Art?

Aaron Horkey

I don't think a day goes by today when a driver, at least in the Los Angeles area, doesn't see some graffiti. You whiz by hardly giving it a thought other than thinking  those damn kids, messing up the walls again!

I used to sneer at it as someones 15 minutes of fame. I had to admire some of the places they placed it, but thought that it was, well, graffiti! They were defacing property, public and private. Now with nearly 24 hour gridlock here, you have more time to look at the work. In fact along the 110 freeway heading south and north out of town, the city, in a moment of wisdom, commissioned artists to decorate the walls because they knew someone would anyway. One famous piece on the side of a building was of an elderly women with a flowing multi-colored afghan against the stars and moon on a dark blue background. I think that is gone now because a new building was built in front of it, hiding the magical image. In many ways, this is really a loss.

Brendan Monroe

My view of that changed after we hosted a high school student from Brazil for a few weeks. He, and increasingly others thought that it was art and his aspiration was to be a famous "graffiti" artist.  This would be art just not the same as before. Much of it, if you discount gang tagging, is actually well thought out and can be quite beautiful and is beautifully painted. The shading, composition, coloring is dead on. I began to question myself as to why do I find this so offensive? Is it because it appears to deface someone property? Maybe it IS art! If it is, what a waste that is here and gone so quickly. Maybe that IS the point. I have read scathing reviews of the Impressionists by the critics of their times. I don't think you'd be allowed, even today, to use the words they did. The "new" in art is never recognized at the time and nor appreciated if it is.

David Meggs-Hook

When we went to Berlin and saw pieces of the Berlin Wall that had been saved and a huge stretch of it still upright along the highway heading to Prague, the concrete covered with graffiti, I realized that there is truly an international style that seems to span all continents. I had our friend stop and I took photos of a few sections to use for maybe my own graffiti at another time. We found another wall in Prague that actually didn't look bad though it was obvious more than one person had done the work. I think the Czech Republic doesn't like this and allows this art in a few places only.

When we were in Rapid City, SD we discovered and alley that was totally covered with graffiti. Nowhere else, just this alley. It too was a riot of colors and styles more adventuresome maybe that anything I have seen in Los Angeles.

I have long thought, use canvas, let us buy your work! They obviously need a patron, a Peggy Guggenheim to buy a few pieces from some of these artists. Obviously some of this truly is as engaging as Pollack, Klee, Miro, Calder. The is art work just not something that we are used to seeing. Oddly, we seem to enjoy chalk artwork on sidewalks and such but cringe at it on a wall. Of course, they are using spray cans with real paint and it is very hard to remove.

James Burrough

You have to laugh at how they restrict the purchase of spray cans. Every place that sells spray paint has it behind a caged, locked enclosure and you have to wait for someone to open it for you. Judging from the amount of graffiti that hasn't worked, like ever!

The Long Beach Museum of Art in homage to these artists has opened their museum to street artists and studio artists that want to be street artists and let them paint whatever they want. The exhibit opened June 26th. From these photos it sure looks like an exhibit worth seeing.

Jeff Soto

In many ways it seemed to combine a kind of realism with abstract and bold colors. Each artist has his own style yet somehow it is clear that its DNA came from the street, although in this case the best that the street has to offer. You may agree or not agree but there is a combination of Dali like exactness, fantasy and superb skill.

The article I read about this didn't say when it ends. It probably depends on weekly audiences. It did say that when this exhibit ends, the walls will be painted white again and another exhibition will take its place. Am I crazy? These and probably many other items "are" works of art. Maybe that the point. Just like on the street, it soon fades away. The Long Beach Museum is located at 12-98 19th Street, Long Beach, CA, 90803. It just may be worth a visit!

Teaching A Class At Last

When word got out that I painted "crafty" items such as birdhouses here at the home, I was asked to create one that I could teach to those interested. So, looking over what they had, the activities director and I went to Michael's to get  and complete sets of what we needed. We needed decent brushes, cups

Beginning to paint.

to put the paint in and a few new colors to replace those all dried out  paints plus of course, birdhouses! With coupons in hand and on smart phones we roamed the store. You must do that you know, you just never know what else is available. Other than the victims, the birdhouses in this case, everything else was re-usable.

I got busy one day a month ago to try my hand on a new birdhouse, my first in quite awhile. I wasn't all that pleased. Colors didn't work quite right, the pattern was dull...an artist being a critic of his own work. However, the director was overjoyed and so that would be the design. Grabbing the birdhouses we bought that day I used a pencil to outline the pattern on each one and we put them away for the class.

Class day arrived and I was reading a book for my book club when I heard an announcement from the Activities Director inviting all to come to crafts class at 10:00 am. 10:00? Because I am doing something else a few days later at 10:30 am I looked at the clock, jumped up and looked at the calendar. Goodness it was 10:00 today! I got dressed, grabbed my apron and headed down to the Activities Room. I wanted it all set up before the class started and I still had 15 minutes. I hate going to a class and nothing is ready. Trust me, the paints were out, the 6-cup trays for their paints were in place with a choice of brushes, cups with water and lots of paper towels. Once we had determined who would paint and who would sleep, we got started.

Birdhouses lined up with the master.

I had everyone paint the roof red and the heart on the front and sides of each birdhouse. Well, lets say they painted. I held hands with brushes in them showing them how to paint a stroke. It did help I swear. They tried to hold the item in front of them to paint. Sort of freehand style. I stopped that urging them to hold it again themselves, yes we had painting bibs on, or to hold it against the table. I can't paint just holding an item in front of me. Once they did that, they were more successful but with an average age of about 80 we had no budding Monet's though they did look like rather impressionistic versions of Pennsylvania Dutch design and one Kandinsky inspired. This, for everyone of them, was something they had never done before. Its not like conventions I've gone to where everyone is probably more experience that me! I think next week before we do a thing I will practice strokes again watching them as I realized they had never been taught to paint. There's going to be a lot of hand holding. We will do that again on scrap paper. There are some designs where you flatten the tip of the stroke and then pull up for a point. I don't know if they can do it but until we try, we will never know, right? Practice makes perfect.

The Dutch Master and a Kandinsky version.

One of my complaints of conventions is that teachers use so many colors. Everyone is upset if they don't have the color they need and at times, the tension is palpable.They are trying to create as exact a copy as they could. No worries here! They grabbed one of six colors, those I actually used; with that  color painted away until some got too enthusiastic and I had to pour paint back into a bottle and take the rest away. One resident is very cantankerous but wants to be involved in everything. She just painted away and ended up with what I can best call an abstract painted birdhouse. (See left). Actually, certain sides of it are very abstract and appealing. The Pennsylvania Dutch would never recognize it and probably say she was haunted by demons!

We spent an hour working on this and some were eager to continue. They use thick coats of paint so I told them they had to let it dry. Acrylics dry fast but not that fast. We would finish the birdhouses next week. I know that today I was finished.

After lunch, I got back to my room and slept hard for at least an hour if not longer. I have heard favorable reports of this class so I may gain more students for the second project. We shall see. We plan on finishing up next week and I will post those finished birdhouses.

This had been a learning experience like being a Peace Corps teacher. You don't know what their skills might be but I DO know you can refine them, no matter what the age.

Biting Off More Than You Can Chew

As I continue my birdhouse projects, I want to show how one birdhouse led to another. I know, its quite a leap but the simple idea of one really caused me to want to try a technique on a larger piece.

One idea leads to another.

Because I wasn't sure of my skills after my illnesses, I concentrated first on small cheap $1 wooden, what I call mini-birdhouses. Sometimes they are even on sale for 50¢. It don't get cheaper than that folks!!! All they are good for is accent pieces in ones home. Done right though, they add color and on closer inspection, interest, to your home. Its a chance to show a one-of-a-kind piece of art that is very affordable. They might ask how did that artist do that! An artist can't ask for more of a accolade that. And, it attests to your good taste.They make great gifts.

The first birdhouse was pretty sad but it was the starting point for a class of 6 senior residents. As an "artist" no completed project is a failure per se. If you are wise and paid attention, there were lessons learned and let me tell you, they were many! More about that in another column.

I continued painting the bodies of three birdhouses...one orange, another yellow and finally bright blue. I designed patterns to use and put freehand on each one. I really liked the yellow base color before I realized the design chosen for it got switched. The flowers coming out of the painted vase seemed perfect and it stayed where it was.

Since I have never liked the plain tops of any birdhouse, mine included,  I got the idea of creating a world of vines with leaves wrapping around all six sides. To top that off, I created a painted trellis that seemed somehow to tie the whole thing together. Photos don't convey the complexity. It is a favorite of mine of all those I have done.

The vines of misery!

I have several star birdhouses that have given me pause over the years making me wonder why on earth I bought them. A sale is a sale but....The first one was a disaster and the sooner forgotten the better. However, the shape was and remains a challenge. I decided that maybe the sides, nearly three inches wide, would be perfect to really create vines with buds and flowers. With a pencil in hand I created a twisting, twining series of stems with leaves and places for the buds. That was easy but a bit tedious and I couldn't wait for it to end. That should have been the first clue.

Using just one color, DecoArts Black Green, I painted and painted and painted those dark vines and leaves - so far 5 hours and counting worth! The buds took minutes in comparison. You know what the worst part is? There is still no shading, no flowers in the leaves, no lines in the leaves so who knows how many more hours will be spent doing that. The final decision will be do I add a trellis here as well? What and hide all that work? Its a possibility still. Lets see when the front and back are done as well.

The front and back are using a more traditional Rosemaling design with arching shapes but Black Green as a base. It certainly won't take 5 hours to do them, that's for sure.

I came to realize though that for all the moaning and groaning, there is an element of pride that I could conceive of this. Will it hang together? I really don't know. I hope so. I do know that if I hadn't done the small birdhouse and tried some crazy ideas from a dream, I would never know. If its a failure I have learned, yet again quite a few lessons. One is, don't bite off more than you can chew!

Creating An Adventuresome Mini Birdhouse #1

You have to always be aware of things that you look at for new ideas. As I have discovered, ideas can come from just about anywhere. Looking for a new design after painting solid backgrounds...blue, yellow and orange, I wondered now what? Since I always layout a design (well usually) on paper to give me a kind of roadmap on how to put the design on the actual item, I did three designs, generally all Early American, or my interpretation of them, then penciled them on the actual birdhouses. I made a mistake by reversing the designs on the blue and orange birdhouses not realizing it until I was all done. What to do? I could erase but both actually looked doable on the background colors I had used. They were intricate and very detailed. The blue and yellow ones would be the most demanding or at least so far.

Early Americana

Michaels had a mini birdhouse sale recently and when going there with the person in charge of crafts, I decided the 50 cent price was just too good to pass up. I bought a few as well. Since I was in charge of another craft I wanted something different than what I was doing the first time. I wasn't especially proud of the birdhouse I created for the first class I teach on the 14th of July, however, it could be as easy or complicated depending on the ability of the artist. This time I wanted something different and more daring in color.

Projects always look awful, at least to me, at the start. I paint in the background with solid areas first. I know that is a more complicated way to do things but it works for me. Its the details that elevate a piece to art and something different and exciting. Inspiration in this case was from a tapestry from the 1700's I spotted in an Early American craft book. I realized I had never seen anything like this; coned flowers, interesting hairy leaves and of course birds. I had wanted birds on either side of the hole and perch and put them in as well.

Everything I do has to have a heart somewhere and in this case its front and center front and back. The birds are aqua with lavender wings. It took awhile before I would commit to that. Choosing colors in important and I wanted to continue the vibrant tones. Teal and aquas grace the leaves and my trusty Sharpie pens added detail. Its too bad the photo just doesn't show the vibrancy and yes, immediacy of the design. I used a matte finish and discovered there was still a little sheen that complimented the entire project. The final coat of varnish gives vibrancy to each piece.

I have created another version of this design with a larger images that will make it easier to paint. Larger birds,  leaves and coned flowers. I think using the end of a brush to make dots will be a hit! If approved I get to paint the sides of the birdhouses and put on the pattern with pencil. Other than designing it, I will wait to see how the first class teaching seniors turns out. Finally, after years of trying it looks like I will finally get a chance to teach a class.

What is disturbing is that people seeing such items want one and in away expect to get one for free. I am brave enough now to say, they're not free. If you want one they can start at $25 and go up from there. "You have no idea, despite the size, of the amount of work that goes into this, upwards of 15 hours each!" I haven't sold any yet. That doesn't stop me of course. I don't mind giving them to those who have done favors for me, people I care for and I know will appreciate the gift.

Get looking and painting. There are a million ideas out there. Don't be afraid to make your own!

Making Do

When we are searching for something to use for our latest project often we get confused and say, "Do I want this style or that. Will that style compliment the item and on and on." Are you ever that way? If you are then I am in good company.

Box #1 Study. Combining Rosemaling and Pennsylvania Ditch

As I get back into the crafting mode again, I have decided to "blend" styles and add my own touches along the way. Why not. 90% or all art springs from a variation of art before. The impressionists were not really new. Turner led the way in their own time but wandering the Prado in my youth I was stunned to see flashes of it in Goya, Velasquez and other famous artists from the Low countries. El Greco could be considered the father of Cezanne.

I have looked at three blank wooden boxes for awhile now and finally decided that I should work on at least one of them. I took a kind of Rosemaling "S" and wrapped it around all sides so that no matter how you viewed it, there was the red vine snaking round each side with interesting things sprouting from it. Details came from my love for Pennsylvania Dutch and when combined seemed a harmonious whole. Remember though, this is my first attempt at this. I discovered its the details that can set a persons style apart from others.

The completed box.

Choosing colors is always a dilemma for me. I love color and want each piece, usually, to be vibrant and alive. However, that can cause problems because you can easily box yourself into a corner. You love these two or three colors but need another. Oh, dear! Which one? Here the problem was what wash do I use on the wood that will bring out the colors, keep them bright but not overpower them? Taking a shower at decision time I had a vision of using Burnt Umber as a wash giving the box a teak like finish. I loved it. You get ideas at the strangest times and places! I often have dreams that solve that kind of problem for me.

One new wrinkle, for me, has been the way I handle the dots that spring from flowers. Its traditional of course. In my haste, however, by using the end of a chopstick, the paint may not have time to dry on the first side. I discovered that had happened here and wondered how I could get rid of that. Then it hit me, why not add even more? The effect is like adding baby's breath to the dots and is very attractive. I imagine, this will be my signature in all subsequent pieces!

I use this box as a catch-all; reading glasses that don't work, keys, a small transistor radio in case the big one hits, extra watch, TV remote, coins...the detritus of life. It sits right by my reading chair on a table my grandfather made for my grandmother using burled wood and an old sewing machine base.

I have two more such boxes and haven't decided what I will do with them. I have been more or less captured by my mini birdhouses and finished one of those as well.

What I am saying is that the possibilities are endless, they really are. We can copy others but you will have far more satisfaction if you add your own touch!

The Protestant Reformation: 500 Years Ago For Nothing?

Wartburg Castle

My  German cousin sent me a brochure he picked up on a recent visit to Wartburg in Germany. It's  open from April to October each year.  The fortress, castle and now museum is truly stunning. A variety of styles grace it yet it seems to hang together. Some modern architects could learn a lesson or two here. The new or remodeled museums in New York City come to mind.

Wartburg was one of the places that protected Luther during the long and messy 30 Years War. This was NOT what Luther intended. He merely wanted to reform the church. But we are seeing how difficult that is under Pope Francis in modern times. The depth of graft and corruption is staggering; possibly worse in Luther's time. There was no media to expose it. Troublemakers were sent to the outer reaches of the church.

Germany is preparing to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of Martin Luther whose famous theses against the excesses of the Catholic Church created the Protestant Reformation. In many ways, the arguments were not new. Umberto Eco's amazing book, THE NAME OF THE ROSE, a murder mystery set in a 15th century scriptorium (a place where monks did nothing but copy ancient texts), has an investigator, sent from England, to solve the crime. He discusses the heresies of the church he in pledged to root out as well. It's shocking and enlightening to realize what the church had rejected would soon see the light of day.

Luther used the castle from 1521 for almost a year working on a Protestant Bible in German. Up to

One of many elegant room in the castle and museum at Wartburg

this time all Bibles were in Latin.  When Gutenburg and others printed the Bible in their own languages the Catholic Church was no longer the only repository of Bibical knowledge.

The arts exploded with paintings, pamphlets and other media telling the stories for a mostly illerate but quickly learning how to read and write public. Rembrandt, Titan, Goya, El Greco, Rubens created magnificent paintings revealing truths about the Bible only hinted at before. They are treasured and revered even today!

For what? A recent study revealed a smaller proportion of the public goes to or supports the Christian church. More and more people are turning secular. Magnificent churches in Europe are empty if not for the tourists. You have to admire the passion of Muslims. We were like that 500 years ago fighting and dying in our cause, Catholic vs. Protestant. But no more.

Why? I feel the church has not made itself relevant. The words and actions are ancient but the human experience isn't. We repeat the same errors recorded long ago often refusing or not understanding what those verses mean. A good pastor, and they are rare, brings focus to our foibles and the verses helping us see, learn and hopefully correct the error of our ways.  Until that happens, Christianity, like so many other religions, will join the footnotes of history.

The Art of the Horror Movie

I remember my first Godzilla movie. You know they were kind of grainy black and white films with "B" actors and laughable dialogue. But to an 8-10 year old, they were scary. Most actors disappeared but Jim Arness and others went on to long run TV shows or movie stars (Steve McQueen from The Blob").
I watched the latest version last night, barely a year old already on HBO! It was easy to see why too.

While the plot was marginal and oddly Godzilla killed the praying mantis like creature terrorizing everyone, you have to wonder about the time, effort and, yes, artistry that went into the special effects. I have no idea if the movie made money but Godzilla has fans across the generations starting with the Boomers and gets new ones all the time.

It has all the elements of excitement. Cities with death and destruction, the same basic plot of discovery of the monster (s) yet again, waking it up with dire results with attempts time after time to destroy him and a nebulous resolution of events. I must admit I was surprised when Godzilla, mostly absent during this version, suddenly shows up and goes after what I assume was a competitor not caring for the puny humans helpless to stop the rampage.

If you are a fan of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, you have seen what movie posters from the past are worth! The originals especially can be worth thousands and depending on the movie, rare posters are too. If anything today's posters are more detailed, like the movies they represent, and they are works of art.

Look at Godilla above. You may not like the subject but there is no denying the layout, execution and skill of the artist is amazing. Many artists may feel like hacks yet you can't deny their skill. They have captured the essence of the movie in a single image. Planes, boats and the monster are locked in a deadly battle and this image leaves no doubt who will win. If anything Godzilla movies are about the only sci-fi flicks that end this way. Most sci-fi movies have massive destruction and resolution at the end. The good guys win.  With Godzilla you are never sure. You do know that, so far, he will return. Maybe that's the attraction.

I'm sorry. An iPad will not import a photo in its own album or photo collection. They have some work to do here. To see some amazing posters go to GOOGLE, click images and type in "Godzilla." They are simply amazing. This is one of the reasons an iPad will never replace a computer.

I urge you, the next time you go to the movies or pick up a DVD, to look at the posters or covers and see the artistry. The artist in every way meets the tenets of good art techniques even having to account for type in ways most"artists" never will. There are lessons here for all of us.

Down But Not Out

Today, after a few months in and out of out of hospitals I feel like writing. After struggling with Google, who said I had changed my passwords (what from the hospital bed?) I wanted to celebrate the resiliance of the human spirit and body.

What got me into trouble was my lungs. I had two very serious pulmonary embolisms over the years and was warned I would be more suspectable to lung infections. Well, it caught up with me. I was not alone as several friends fell to the infections as well. After a near death experience the first time around, they immediately pumped me full of anti-biotics the next few times. Back nearly a week now my lungs seem to be holding up.

However, in the midst of all this is was discovered I had low blood pressure that could drop by half when I stood up. Keeping balance, sometimes even sitting, became a worry so I have bonded with my walker, a detestable thing that allows me to get around.

Despite all the drugs though, I have managed to read and have followed closely the art world through an App on my iPad called Flipboard (along with news, business and technology). I reflected a great deal on design and the importance of art. On the darkest days there is a painting or photograph around that shines on us and makes that day more tolerable. We in a sense basque in its beauty.

The Picasso art sale was stunning. Was it worth that much?  Obviously to someone. The thing about Picasso is that his paintings bring out what is the best and worst about modern art. It certainly is striking but will it last? Will other generations revere his art like we do or dismiss him as needing serious mental help? His antics while painting certainly have more than a whiff of craziness. He was brilliant and yet with visions few followed. There is no beauty in the western sense instead it seems to find ways to negate those standards. It has been observed that grade school children paint as well.

He could be an amazing painter but something changed and his art became cartoon like and well for some not very flattering. Colors, shapes, even eyes that we use to center a space were not where we expected them. I guess beauty is in the eyes of the beholder or someone with enough money who could care less except to impress.

Are we rewarding the best? At times you have to wonder.

What Is A Maker?

Some time ago I got a magazine subscription to, METROPOLIS, that I never ordered. For once it had a topic that fascinated me, telling about "creatives types" everywhere.

I remember being fascinated with the large paintings you could find any place the seller found space. They weren't bad but after awhile favorites seemed to show up at more locations. 

One of the networks did a feature on this phenomenon that was startling. About 50 canvases were set up and there were 50 artists. The canvas was primed and roughed in, then painted. Each artist had to paint one small portion, exactly the same. They went on this way until it matched a master hanging above them.

My question became, is this really art?

Being a modern maker is a post industrial movement all over the world but primarily in America. "From potters to politicans, everyone today wants to be called a maker. What can designers really expect from this hazy movement?" Once again artists felt free to create and make single items that were original for sale. Etsy (and others as well) was a response to this trend then destroyed it by allowing anyone to sell if they were involved in some part of the item. I hate to tell Etsy but everything made on the planet was designed, usually for mass production, by someone and shouldn't qualify under their original quidelines.

METROPOLIS then features 10 makers and what they create. Much of it is stunning and expensive but qualifies as true art. Lots of one of a kind furniture, beautiful pottery, weaving  and quilts. All are art forms and  deserving of the maker title. I wish I could show you images but iPads have many limititations and inserting images is one. 

I urge you to check out these artists. They are new without the the rauch and hype:

UM PROJECT

Folk Fibers

Grain

Ricketts indigo

Dana Bechert

John Hogan

DAMN

Smith Shop

Studio Dunn

Silvia Song

You also might want to consider what art is. Museums are finally waking up and are more discriminating. They've always known but wanted to be hip. Their punishment was that no one would come. Art is meaningful, or should be. Great art in any medium lifts the spirit and allows us to reflect. Vanity art is just that. Museums need to learn the difference.

Alan Krug

Report: the 2015 Painting Convention in Las Vegas

After several years of missing the Las Vegas Painting Conventions due to illness I realized this past week how much I missed it. I learned this is the granddaddy of such conventions - 25 years in fact. My last class and partner had been to all 25! I dared go to the Society of Decorative Painters Convention four months after my first surgery last year. They walked us to death. I didn't hurt but I tired easily. The classes cost more and, with rare exceptions, were just so so.  I literally was the only male in any class. Everyone was kind and I was welcomed by most teachers though several were surprised while others ignored me.

This year in Vegas I met a guy at breakfast who said there were several more guys. I never had a guy in my class nor did I see him again. To be fair, I only signed up at the last minute. The doctors said i could go but only take one class a day. My wife insisted on the one class a day. They were right, I was wiped out after 4-9 hours of heavy concentration.

Autumn with Bill Bayer

Not a lot of choices were left but that makes the choosing easier, like all the guys shopping Christmas Eve at the mall!. I choose a George Mason style landscape taught by my favoriete teacher, Bill Bayer, two small still lifes, one of apples and a red pepper plus a Rosemaling bench and finally my triumph, a Jacobean wall sconce.

The first class on Monday started at 8 am. I had bought and set up a folding wagon for all my stuff, paint box, coats, bags, cane.  It took awhile to master but it worked well enough. I was stunned at how cold Vegas could get. I had been there when it was 100 at midnight in July but the cold and wind stunned me in February.

Bill Bayer, our teacher and one of my all time favorite teachers, had everything set up. We dove right in. We went along for about two hours then he let us catch up and looked at everyone's work.  Because this was a much longer class, he had more time to show us techniqiues I had never seen before. Within a few hours I learned more than years of classes. Couldn't wait to get home and try these things out. I struggled at the end and he stayed to show me how to correct and do these new, to me, techniques. Never knew a fan brush was so versatile. This painting uses 5 brushes and 5 paint colors!!!

Tuesday my class was in the evening so I got my stuff in the classroom and hour early, found something to eat. When I returned my things were in the last row and there were no seats closer. There were of course but they were "saved" for people who never showed up. This painting was oil of two apples on a 6" x 6" canvas. I was about 40 feel away and couldn't see a thing. I asked for help several tmes, didn't get it and packed up and left after 45 minutes. It wasn't that I couldn't do it, but I had to "see" what was being done to create it. I couldn't.

The third day I was on a 1-5 pm schedule and again got there early and made sure my paintbox was in a good location. Grabbed something to eat and went back to class. This was a red pepper using water soluble oils and what  mess I made, not once but three times. Just a slight touch and the paint smeared everywhere. I had to recover the colors and between that and painting the same areas over and over with different colors. I didn't get it done so will make a decision when I get it home.

Rosemaling Stool

My biggest discocery was that I had lost a degree of fine motor skills after my illness. The Thursday class was painting a Rosemaling design on a wooden stool. It was here that I realized that I had truly lost some of my fine motor skills. The teacher was very patient and showed me some tricks to steady my hands.  Heck, I might use these all the time. It did get finished though. If we want she noted we could put a red band around the seat.  We shall see. What every student wants is a guiding hand and she give me a wonderful one. Many of my class mates were teachers themselves and were honing their skills as well. THAT is encouraging.

Jacobean Flower Pocket

My Friday and last class was a Jacobean Wall Scounce. The design was on a black painted tin piece that had a handle or a hole in the back to hang it. It was very cool and incredibly complicated. It was also the only piece I completed on my own with no help. After about two hours of rapid fire instruction (I was not alone in not keeping up), I tuned her out and followed the photo. Now and then I would tune in but generally I was on my own. I am very proud of it! As far as I could tell I was the only student that got it done.

Despite the Tropicana''s usual mess up (escalators that didn't work, poorly marked rooms and lighting fit for a cave, Jay did manage to pull it off. In fact I think this was one of his best years.

Food was good (for once) and fairly priced, The big hang up was getting to the "C" floor. We got there and I think most had a great time.

I enjoyed myself immensely and am very glad I went.

Thank you for visiting! If you are interested in a variety of birdhouses or crafts, photography or one of a kind paintings, please be sure to check out this store on a regular basis at KrugsStudio.etsy.com. Be sure to tell your friends, artists or anyone about this blog and my and refer them to my blog!, KrugsStudio.blogspot.com.