5,4,3,2,1..... HaPpY NeW yEaR!

Well, it's just about upon us; another year! I checked on my resolutions for last year to see how I did and here's what I found......

~Lose 10 pounds........................ Lost 7, so it was close.

~Travel more............................. Went to the Sierra's 4 times for camping, kayaking, hiking,

cycling, and fishing. Spent a week in Monterrey. Several trips down to San Diego. Not bad!

~Become more creative............ Got back into photography and picked up the addictive habit of

printmaking. Started doing this blog. Pretty decent.

~Enjoy the family...................... Better than ever! I can't imagine having a better wife and son.

Sooooo, for 2008, here's the low down! I'm going to drop another 10-15 pounds, get back into bike racing, kick it up a notch on my art, do some serious outdoor adventures with my son, spend more grown-up time with my wife, do something spectacular with our front yard, stay healthy, and get one year closer to retirement (8 years and counting).

I hope 2008 is a good year for all!

The photo above is something I'm working on. It's the Minarette's in the Sierra's. Once I get a press, I plan on printing multiple images ad collaging them onto tie-dyed papers. We'll see how that works out......

Peace on Earth

As 2007 comes to a close, my wish for the Holidays is that the world finds a little more peace; that we reach in before we reach out, and that we find humanity in our actions.

I hope the Holiday Season finds you and yours safe, warm, and filled with Peace. Season's Greetings to all!

Curtis, Tami, & Kyle

The Last Piece of Lino

So, I get all these amazing cards and prints from some incredible printmakers from around the globe. Now, I'm all creative and inspired! I go to my lino stash and all I have is one sorry piece of 6x8 that has some bubbles in it. Well, time to make lemonade......

I did I quick rendering of a Maynard Dixon painting that graced the cover of Sunset Magazine back in 1903 and colored it with my wife's prisma pencils. Kinda fun! I think I'll revisit this subject again when I get some good lino in and I get better at carving.

Thanks to the printmakers on wetcanvas.com for providing so much inspiration!

Fun & Sun Southern California...

For those who live in the land of 4 seasons, I thought I'd share with you what our morning was like in sunny & warm Southern California. Up here at 6000', we picked up about 6 inches of snow last night and the temps only crept up to 38 degrees.

Took the ladies out for a walk. Didn't take long for Shelly to pick up the scent of the rare Arctic snow squirrel. And Mabel? We'll, she was more concerned about the snow scraping her belly.

Beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

SWA(M)P

For several years, I've watched my wife get involved in swaps and challenges. I never appreciated just how much work they really are until I got involved in a print swap with 20 other folks. Dang!!!! It's hard work!

Thus far, I've received a couple of prints and I can see the addiction; it's completely fun to open up a card to see how others have interpreted a challenge. The prints I have received are amazing-much better than anything I'm capable of at this point in my relief print career.

Anyway, here's my submission for the exchange, done in a variety of colors. A great learning experience for me and definitely makes me want to get better and better!

Let Them Know

I'm in training this week; critical incident repsonse/hostage negotiation/dealing with mentally ill folks.... One of the facts stated in the training kinda intrigued me....

Adolescents report receiving ONE positive comment per week from their parents. Now, I'm thinking the number is so low because they are the ones reporting it! How many times have you said 'You look nice today' only to hear the retort of 'You're making fun of the way I look' or some version there of...

Still, I got to thinking and realized something. I constantly admire my son for the challenges he overcomes, the character he displays, and decency he shows towards himself and others. And, even though I think it, I don't always follow it up with anything verbal.

So, tonight, I told him I was very pleased with his report card, quite impressed with his art portfolio, and proud as to how he has been handling the last few weeks, what with my wife having to devote a lot of attention to her ailing mom right now. I swear he grew 3 inches taller and floated out of the room.

So, parents, give em' that good feedback, even more than you think you should. Sometimes it's hard to remember to do.

In honor of Kyle's artistic ability, here's a shot he did of the daschund. I told him to take some photo's, but make them interesting. Pretty good vision!

Under Watchful Eyes

I spent the afternoon trying to print up a linocut design for a seasonal card exchange. I'm pooped! Aside the fact that it was hard work using a barren to pull a bunch of prints, I had to deal with the pressure of an audience.......

My dogs kept a curious eye on me at all times; in part because they weren't sure if food was involved, in part because they heard me cussing quite a bit and didn't know if they were in trouble. For those who don't know, Shelly is the big dawg, a Hungarian Vizsla whose almost 7. Mabel is the lil' dawg, a Dapple Mini Dachshund whose about 9 months old. Quite a pair, especially when stalking squirrels (another sordid tale).

The card shot is a test. It's Akua Intaglio ink on sumi paper (the only paper I have as a rookie printmaker). I edged the card with a Krylon gold leaf pen for a little flair. Cardstock is parchment, 5x7.