3 more Fat Ladies!

A few more Fat Ladies and Other Folk!

I finished a few more Fat Ladies, and a couple of Other Folk too! I also started another 4. Well on my way to finishing the 25 needed for the show in May. Just keep painting... be well. Tj.

The first 3 "Fat Ladies"

Here are the first 3 for the 20 20 show in May. My theme is Fat Ladies and Other Folk. Here are the first of them! I have 5 others that I've started... they are fun to do! All will be 8x8 inches, acrylic on wood panel. I am happy with the progress... must keep painting!! Be well... Tj.

I got in!!

Yay! I was selected to participate in the 20 20 show!! Picked up my 8x8 panels... must get to painting! More to come.... I am so excited and honored!!!!

Anticipation

I submitted for an art show in May, at the Kennedy Gallery here in Sacramento. The 20\20 show! Each artist is to show 20 small works, 8x8 inches. The gallery is on 20th street... hence 20\20! To apply you had to submit one sample of your proposed theme. I submitted the below piece, and my theme is "Side Show Fat Ladies and Other Folk". I have been intrigued for a while the human interest in side show freaks of the early 20th century. Most of them were birth defects, but the fat ladies not. And they were promoted as beauties. Big Beautiful Betty... or Beautiful Baby Ruth. Whole shows built around them. I hope I get accepted, I'd love the opportunity (reason) to explore this subject further! Well, supposed to find out on Monday, keeping my fingers crossed! Here I give you "I'm Pretty" acrylic on 8x8 flat panel. Be well... Tj.

My piece for the To Write Love show

I have always loved Michaelangelo's The Creation of Adam and wanted a reason to duplicate the hands. This show seemed just the thing. To Write Love, a show to benefit To Write Love on her Arms. Well, I did just that. Here is my nod to the master with my "Eve". It is large, with the frame, it's about 44X30. Acrylic on canvas and board. The frame was a second hand store find that I painted gold. I give you... Eve. Be well! Tj.

February Second Saturday art and poetry

I am really happy to participate in VOX Sacramento's February Art Exhibit and Second Saturday event. "To Write Love" a Second Saturday Art and Poetry event benefiting "To Write Love on her arms"; a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, and inspire. February 12th 5-9pm art event and poetry. See flyer for more info! Be well... Tj.

2011 here I come!

This is going to be a BIG year! My daughter is going to graduate college in June (I am so proud of you Linz!) and I am going to retire... toward the end of the year. My retirement date has been planned for September 14 in 2011 for years... but, I am on this project at work, a big project and it's important. The planned implementation date is of course... September 19, 2011. I feel like I need to stick around, and more, I feel like I don't want to submit my retirement application around then. The project I am on is for the new system that will calculate and pay my retirement. Pretty important! This system is replacing several legacy systems that we use today. Anyway, my retirement may be postponed, slightly.

I have some artistic goals set for the next few months. I have been working on a very large painting for a very good friend, I hope to complete that soon... I hope! I also have a smaller commission to work on and I am doing one piece for a February show. "To Write Love" is the theme. Show at Vox Sacramento. The show opens February 12th. More to follow! I also excited about a childrens picture book I'm working on, I called it Gertrude's Giant Hat!

I came across this painting I did a couple of years ago and wanted to share. Painted while on vacation in La Selva Beach! My "Beach Fairy" is 8x8, on canvas board, has actual shells for her wings and yes, she is floating above real sand...

I am so looking forward to 2011, and hope everyone is well... Tj.

Happy New Year!!!

True life story number 1,589

This all started from a "joke" email I received in which had images from "our youth". One of the images was of Santa in a cigarette ad. So I thought, I wonder how many ads selling cigarettes for Christmas there were... I decided to do a Google search. I mean really, no wonder my parents generation were all smokers... and why so many of my generation got hooked too! Mom's and babies... TV stars... The Flintstones... Santa... and Doctors!! Geeze!!!! They make it look so fun and fabulous don't they? Be well... DON'T SMOKE! Tj.

Second Saturday!!!

Moonlight Retreat

What the heck is he running from? I am not sure really... what do you think? What ever it is, he is included in the show this month at VOX! Come out Second Saturday... I'll be offering Moonlight Retreat, acrylic on 12x24 gallery wrap canvas, some of my Pierced Girls, Cottages, and Flowers all starting at $20. All art offered by VOX artist members are under $100. VOX Sacramento is in a new location, in the ThinkHouse Collective at 1726 11th Street, Sacramento CA between R and S. Opening Reception on Second Saturday December 11th from 6 to 9pm, exhibit runs through December 31st!

New Pierced Girls!

I am doing a show this month with VOX Sacramento and decided I would show my Pierced Girls Series. With that in mind, I wanted to add a few to the mix, so here are Holly, Harriet and Mourine! More on the show to come... be well. Tj.

Trying something different!

My daughter and I were going to attend a stage version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show on Halloween. And we thought, ok... it's Halloween and it is Rocky Horror, so we wanted to crazy it up! What are the wildest clothes we own? And what else do we need? Well Lindsey said, one of her favorite characters wears a top hat. And we saw these cute small witch hats, on a head band and it gave me an idea! Small top hats on headbands. I did some research, found some different ideas and off I ran! So here they are, made of recycled cereal boxes cut into shapes, covered in felt, a little glue, ribbon, tule, flowers, and glitz! They came out pretty cute and we had a blast wearing them! Oh and Rocky Horror live... was crrraaazzzyyy!!! Until next time... Tj.

Front, back and close up of Lindsey's red top hat and my black top hat: