Painting challenge

This months Virtual Paintout Challenge is in the Czech Republic. The challenge, walk around virtually on google maps and pick a scene to paint. I always enjoy walking around the cities that are picked, places I may never visit. Oh the wonders of the internet! So strolling around the Czech republic I found this woman, with a bucket, in her blue bathing suit and I wondered what the heck she was doing? Any guesses? One of the things that crack me up about this challenge is the people who get caught by the Google maps camera never suspect they are now a painting hanging in someones home! Ha! So, here is the photo from google maps and my interpretation of it! To go to Google maps here and see her zoomed in!

Enjoy... be well... Tj.

More new art!

I had a nice day with my daughter today, we went out to brunch and then to a matinée to see the musical Cinderella. It was so good! The cast was wonderful, the costumes were magical and shiny, and well just a great production. Lots of kicks and giggles. Great music too! It was good to spend time with my daughter... Love you Linz!

One of my friends at work has been asking about a few paintings I have photos of at my desk. She refers to one of them as the moon painting. It is really a kind of self portrait I did when I first started painting and not a moon but I can see why she would think it was from the small photo I have. So, I decided to copy my self portrait but do a moon! The other 2 paintings she has been asking about were paintings that I have up on my walls at home, but my house is filling up so I am going to take all 3 of them in to show her. She asked about prints, but I failed and have never looked into doing prints. So I'll take the originals!

The first one is the self portrait, next is the moon, sun tattoo and power woman.

Well tomorrow is Monday... insert big sigh here. Until next time... Tj.

I need your help!

Hello all!! Our local PBS station, KVIE, has an annual art auction and I'm thinking of submitting a piece this year. But which one??? I would want it to be one that appeals to a wide audience, hopefully a bidding war would happen so to raise a lot of money! It is a juried show, has region wide exposure, very established event, who knows if I'd even get in but it's worth a shot! There are awards, $500 best of show, $150 first in each category, and juror's award two in each category. It would be an honor just to be part of it! The art auction is a weekend event selling art 24/7 they will need a lot of art right?

So the help I need is which one?? I'm taking a poll. I was thinking one of these three, what do you think? 1. Red Poppy 20x20, 2. Sunflower Bliss 24x24, 3. Venice Laundry 24x24, below. Or ??

Please leave me a comment here, or message me on face book and let me know... what do you think?? 1, 2, or 3? I so need help with this decision. Thanks!! Tj.

Commissioned piece

The guy who runs the little sundry shop in my office, John, got me a commission. My "Johns boat" painting was for him, posted below on April 18. He has it hanging in the sundry shop and talks to people about it all the time. He is a really friendly and funny guy, he knows everyone who comes in the store. I guess a woman he talked to about his painting gave him a photo of her very cute little dog, I am not sure who she is, I didn't recognize her name. The very cute little dog is named Dallas. John said she wanted me to paint Dallas. So I did! John is becoming my art broker!! I painted him this weekend. I hope she likes it, and I hope she likes the color green! So here is the photo of Dallas and my little painting of him. It is 8x8. He is a cute little guy!

Well tomorrow is Monday, bla... back to the grind. Just keep swimming... just keep swimming! :)

Be well... Tj.

Checking in!

I have been reassigned at work to a special project that has been ongoing for the last 3 or so years. It is a huge project, attempting to create one web based system from about 40 legacy systems. It is now on a really aggressive time line. Was originally supposed to implement now, or actually I think it was April, but they didn't meet that date. Implementation is now schedule for September 19, 2011 which is still very quick for what needs to be done. Surprising, I have not been involved with this project. Surprising because I am a business analyst and work with IT, and have been involved with most of the IT projects that have happened for the last 10 years in our division. I some how escaped... until now. I am playing catch up. The amount of documentation is astronomical. And some of the design makes me scrunch up my face and scratch my head. What? How does that support business needs? So now, what we are looking at is making design changes that we can get in, there are 50,000 hours allocated for this, and make our process work with what we have. Ug. Designing the system to support business needs from the beginning would have made more sense don't you think? Anyway, what I'm getting at is... work is exhausting these days!!!

Last Friday night I attended an art show at my nephew Thaddeus school. He attends a junior high and high school combo. It is a new school and is just beautiful! I was blown away by the talent there. Beautiful wonderful art! I thought I'd share a few photos... the first 2 are Thaddeus with his piece that was in the show, and a close up of his art. There are self portraits and flowers and mandalas, sculptures and pottery. And clay rainsticks of many types. What a lucky kid to be able to attend such a creative school! I'm proud of you Thaddeus!!! Be well everyone! Tj.

Honey Bee Art show and benefit tomorrow!!

Bee art show is tomorrow! I am so excited! There are 60 artists participating in this show, wow! That is quite a response! There is going to be music, food, representatives from the Sacramento bee keepers association, UC Davis Dept of Entomology will have a bee observation hive and will be there to answer questions. There are going to be other educational exhibits and free honey samples. Should be fun!! To read more this is the article from the UC Davis news here!

Here are the little miniature paintings I did for the show. 3x3 miniature canvas with a little easel. Also, I'll be showing my larger paintings, Sunflower Bliss and Beehive Hairdo in earlier posts below! I am very happy to be participation in this show, I hope I sell some paintings so I can help save the bees!!!! That's all for now... Bee well! Tj.

True life story #732

Driving down 16th street today this guy whizzes by me, black leather vest full of patches, little black half moon helmet, some big biker dude in a big fat hurry. Of course at the next light I come crusin' up next to him. I was looking at his patches on his vest, notice there is a flock of bats painted on the front of his... what... wait a minute... that is a Vespa! Ha ha ha ha, I thought he was on a Harley but it was a scooter! Now that was funny.... note to self, don't judge a book by it's cover! Be well... Tj.